The Unpolished Princess

Start: 1693.6

Stop: 1720.3

Today’s Miles: 26.7

Total CDT miles: 1372.3

Today was gorgeous! I think these wide open views are beautiful, even if they are dry and covered in dead grass as far as the eye can see. The hills just roll and roll and the wind makes the grass look like it’s dancing. I’m not sure if I’m loving everything so much because it’s just that beautiful, or if it’s because I’m just that happy.. either way.. today was another good day!

Pika, Wolf, Redline and I were all up and walking pretty quick this morning.. right as the sun was coming up. I think they were just as anxious to find Firefly this morning as I was. I mean-we ALL know each of us is perfectly capable and fine on our own.. but when it wasn’t planned, there’s a little niggle in the back of your mind saying, “well what if he started going the wrong way, broke his ankle, and then ran out of water?” Hahaha-leave it to me to be dramatic. None of us voiced these thoughts, but we were all up and moving fast none-the-less.

Less than a mile in, right by the only actual tree with limbs and leaves and shade, there was Firefly packing his stuff! He had passed Redline yesterday and by the time he realized it, he had spotted this gorgeous tree and decided not to backtrack. I kinda wish we’d have pushed to get to his awesome spot, too.. but that’s a thought today-not on tired legs yesterday! Ha. 

I was keeping up with everyone pretty well throughout the morning, until about 9:30am when I had to beeline behind some rocks to dig a hole. After I was done-I everyone had passed me and I didn’t see them again until I made it to camp. But, I did have enough cellphone service to call Pebbles! We talked as long as cell service lasted. He’s about 3 days ahead of me and doesn’t plan to do the Grand Teton Alternate. I thought it through, and decided I’d rather stay with the Island Hoppers, if they let me, and be part of their trail family. Otherwise, I’d have to rush like crazy to catch up to Pebbles, early mornings and long days, alone, and through grizzly country no less. 

And that’s even if I can catch up to him! Then, it’s full steam ahead with no Tetons, because Pebbles is trying to finish in time to get back to Seattle for a possible internship he’s been aiming for. Which is so proud of him for.. but the more I think about it, the more I don’t want my triple crown hike to be a fast march to the end. I’ve been having so much fun with Pika, Wolf, Firefly, and Redline.. the idea of leaving them to speed hike alone for days is just not appealing. Not to mention, Wolf is the literal QUEEN of making a *BIG* deal about our triple crown hike.. like making sure to enjoy every single second-even when it sucks-that I just don’t want to miss a single moment with her or any of the others. Wolf, Firefly and I are all triple crowning at the end of this, and she’s right-ITS A BIG DEAL! 

I tried begging Pebbles to change coarse and meet up with us, to come join this trail family, too.. but he has his eyes on the prize, to finish and get back to be able to set his future self up with this awesome, probably once in a lifetime internship-so I can’t even really blame him for not slowing down to hike with us. I am, though, really sad about it. 

So, after we lost service, I accepted that I won’t be finishing my hike with my friend. As sad as that made me, knowing I would tell the Island Hoppers tonight when I reached camp that I was planning to stay with them gave me a thrill. I was on cloud nine the rest of the day. The wind was insane, the hills weren’t terrible, and once when I got to the top of a climb and the wind was blowing me back like crazy, I started singing a Michael Jackson song, “it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white!” Which-to be honest.. that’s the only lyric I sang, and the rest was a bunch of “hee hee”s and “ouuuuuhhhhh”s.. and twirling in the wind. Ha. I probably looked psychotic, but I was having a blast!

I finally showed up to camp just before sunset. Everyone else was cowboy camping, so I decided to do the same. The little area we were in was next to a creek and the grass was absolutely covered in cow-patties. I found my spot, set up, all while chit chatting. And then I said something like, “hey-so, I talked to Pebbles and I’m not gonna try to catch him now, I think I’m gonna stay with yall, if that’s ok..” and immediately Wolf said, “well duh, bout time you admitted you’re not leaving us.” Hahaha so, it’s settled. I’m gonna be an Island Hopper now.

Start: 1665.3

Stop: 1693.6

Today’s Miles: 28.3

Total CDT miles: 1345.6

We have officially entered the Wyoming Basin. Hot desert miles with gentle rolling hills that everyone keeps calling flat-it’s not flat, maybe it’s not hard-but it’s not flat! That’s a “hill” I’ll die on! Ha

We woke up and got to walking, and everyone stayed within site for quite awhile! I chatted with everyone as they passed me, and watched everyone speed off into the distance. There were wild horses and not a whole lot else out there. Water was scarce. If trail angels didn’t put gallons and gallons of water out here for hikers-we’d probably all pass out. 

Sometime around noon, I caught up to Firefly again and we talked while walking-he hikes so much faster than me that he’d ask something and I’d be too far behind him for him to hear me-kinda funny. He’d slow down and I’d try to speed up. I really wish these legs of mine would speed up-shouldn’t I have trail legs by now? 

Way off in the distance, we saw a tent and a truck.. we started to get excited. Could it be.. trail magic? It’s one of those things-you don’t want to be so excited that if you’re wrong, you’ve accidentally ruined your own day.. but you always WANT it to be trail magic. Because the basin is so vast and dusty and hot, it took forever to get close to the truck. The whole time I was walking towards it, I was praying I wasn’t seeing a mirage! The heat can do some wild things to a person!

I heard squealing up ahead, and figured it had to be trail magic and that Wolf had just made it there! When Firefly and I arrived, the tent was one of those shade tents with chairs set up underneath, and a man was grilling off the back of his truck!! I was thrilled!

I made me a plate while everyone talked-come to find out-this is the same guy that gave Pebbles and I trail magic back in Colorado! The one that was taking another hiker down to town from trail because of the snow and altitude! How cool!! He even remembered me and asked about Pebbles! I had to tell him that my friend is already light years ahead of me, but that I’m trying my best to catch up to him (even though I think he’d have to just stop walking for that to actually happen..).

We all laid around in the only shade available for miles and miles and enjoyed soaking up every second with this kind hiker dude and his trail magic. The shade was almost better than the hotdog.. almost. It was so hard to get moving again once the time came. It was already after 2pm.. we’d sat around for over 2 hours! Trust me, it was necessary! Before we set off, our new friend filled up our water for us, so we wouldn’t have to collect and filter from cow streams that were slow moving and pretty gross. What a gem! 

From there, the trail was basically sandy dirt roads and paths that wound and criss crossed all over the place. When I caught up to everyone, Firefly wasnt there. He was definitely ahead of me though, so he must have taken a wrong turn or was moving so fast he passed the mileage we planned to camp at. To be fair-where we stopped has no where to put up a tent anyway.. but we’re all exhausted and the sun is starting to set (finally!). 

So, Redline, Wolf, Pika and I are all cowboy camped on a dirt road tire path-all in a row! There’s so many cactus spikes around, I hope we don’t pop a sleeping pad tonight. The temperature is already dropping with the sun fading away. It’s so crazy to me how the temps can change so dramatically when there’s no humidity to contend with. We’ve all eaten our food and tucked ourselves in. I hope Firefly isn’t too far ahead or off track (I’m sure that’s not the case, but I know there’s no way he’s behind me). 

The plan is to get up in the morning and hike until we find him, then decide with him where we all want to get to tomorrow. I’m really loving having this trail family include me. I’m starting to have some serious doubts about my next moves, as far as leaving them to catch up to Pebbles. I really wish he had the time and could just lay low a few days until we caught up up to him and then the 6 of us could go through the Winds and the rest of Grizzly country together. Maybe I’ll try to talk him into that the next time I get good enough service to call him! 

Ok, with that-I guess it’s goodnight everyone! Sweet dreams! 

Start: Rawlins, Econo Lodge

Stop: 1665.3

Today’s Miles: 28.4

Total CDT miles: 1317.3

Ok, so, 28 miles after feeling like I was going to actually die for the last two days was pretty damn ambitious. No one else seemed to struggle today, and naturally I was last to show up to camp.. actually, I almost didn’t even make it to camp. 

We got breakfast together this morning at McDonald’s before all starting the road walk out of Rawlins. My feet did not feel ready, but Wolf is quite the motivator, so gabbing with her while walking distracted me a good bit. It was a long road walk, then at a cut through of some desert scrubs I fell way behind everyone. I swore I heard a snake rattle, so I hightailed it to a fence, got over it, and just continued on the road.

My limp got better for a while, I guess once my muscles warmed up. But road walking today was still pretty painful. Around 3pm I stopped to sit, rest, and put on my sandals. After an hour in the sandals, my limp was back. There was no way I was going to shove my feet into my shoes again though.. they felt so swollen and achy. It was hot, and eventually the paved road turned to dirt roads, and that seemed to ease up the pain a little. Everyone else was miles ahead.

I text our group chat late afternoon and told everyone I didn’t think I was going to make it to our decided camp spot. I was miles short, and low on water, but my legs were hurting too much so I was planning to call it quits for the day. Firefly asked how much water I had with me, because I was in between water sources, and less than a half liter was all I had.. he left his Gatorade bottle filled with water on the trail for me-so I decided I at least had to get to his bottle.. and then maybe camp there where he left it. 

When I found his water, I was only a few miles from the campsite, and the sun was cooling off some.. I put some electrolytes in my water bottle and decided to keep pushing closer to them, with the intent of being close enough to not be too far behind tomorrow. The sunset was stunning and storm clouds were rolling in. Everywhere I looked to camp was sloped or covered in sharp cactus needles. 

I kept moving, when I realized I was close enough to just make it everyone else since I hadn’t found anywhere decent to camp, I got a little more pep in my step! The clouds looked wild and the wind was whipping through. I rolled up to everyone already set up and in their tents just as it was getting dark! I was so happy I made it and everyone cheered. I quickly got more water and set my tent up, all the while waiting for the sky to drop out. 

Naturally, right as the wind got real insane and the sky looked terrifying, I had to poop. Perfect. I ran out of my tent and down the path to find a safe spot to dig my hole, the whole time expecting to get completely drenched when the rain came. Those clouds were intense! There was lightening off in the distance, but magically, I made it back to my safe haven completely dry, before the few sprinkles that came started to fall. I’ll call that a success. I ate my dinner in my tent, talking with everyone through closed tent vestibule doors, and now we’re all tucked in and quiet, with a soft patter of rain coming and going. 

I think I’ll sleep good tonight! I’m still shocked I hiked almost 30 miles after managing to do 55.5 miles on my 24 hour challenge only 2 days ago! These new friends of mine are a tad nuts-but I’m loving each of them more and more each day. I’m glad I made it to them tonight, more than they’ll ever know, I’m sure. For me to be so independent 98% of the time, this trail is so much more enjoyable with friends.  Sweet dreams, yall.