Oh, today started out SO well! I had no idea it would devolve so quickly.
Ed and I had a nice night’s sleep and got up early. The plan was for me to immediately start hiking (after a quick breakfast), while he’d break camp. Then he’d drive to Riverview Cutoff, the road where I’d emerge 20.8 miles (33.5 km) later, and hike in to meet me.
We’re staying in a motel tonight, so we wanted to get there as quickly as possible to enjoy a hot shower and a meal out.
Before hitting the trail, a hiker stopped to chat. Turns out he’s from Madison, which is right next to us in Sun Prairie, so we ended up talking a while.
Striking Out on the Trail
Almost as soon as I got on the trail, I came upon a famous water cache. I had to check it out, sign the trail register and take a Jolly Roger candy. Yum.
The first hour was delightful, as the trail was flat or downhill. It will warm, but not hot. But things soured almost immediately.
The temperature began climbing and the trail became a tad rougher. My water got warm 
quickly and, as the temperature continued to climb, I had no appetite.
I ran into a lovely couple from Switzerland, who said they had cell service most of the way, and the service began right about now. Great! I encouraged them to hike the Ice Age Trail next. 🙂
Afternoon Blues
Ed met me shortly after noon. He said he’d had sporadic cell service, but I ended up never having any. The heat just kept intensifying to the point where my water was almost as hot as a cup of coffee of tea. I couldn’t eat and had to force myself to drink.
We didn’t talk much, as we both were feeling the heat. There was a short shower about an hour or so from the end, which helped a little, but not that much. I guess this is what to expect when hiking the Great Divide Basin in late August!
Oh, it was fun to see signs indicating we were on a portion of the old Oregon Trail. Our kids played this online Oregon Trail game a lot when they were in elementary school.
Thankfully, we are now in a great motel in Lander, trying to unwind and gear up for tomorrow, my last day in the Basin!
Snowshoe
Today’s Miles: 20.7 (33.3 km)
CDT Miles to Date: 1,275.5 (2,052.7 km)
CDT Miles to Go: 1,824.5 (2,936.3 km)
