Saturday July 27, 18.1mi/29.1km

Hwy 95/ Bonners Ferry (246.0/2531ft) to Parker Peak campsite (264.1/6640ft) (ID)

I was almost packed up, and a man in a van pulls up to our camp spot. Apparently Emily had arranged a ride back to the trail, and I asked the man if he had room for one more. He did, and at 8am, we were on our way!The first nine miles were easy roadwalk, and Ghost and I had some good conversations along the way. It was nice having another hiker around.

We crossed the Kootenay River, our lowest elevation for the day.

At lunchtime, we left the road, and took a break at the last water source for 5mi/8km, Parker Creek.

And then, the climb UP ! 5000ft uphill over 7mi/11km, most of it exposed to the sun.

And shortly after, the injuries started. There was a fallen log across the trail, and I vaulted over it as usual. I cut my hand, and dug out the first aid kit to clean and bandage it. This is the view from my first spot:

Then, the burn area continued, with lots of fallen branches to step over and around.

I cut up the back of my legs a bit, as sticks kept getting caught in between. There were so many trees and sticks, I started bushwhacking straight up the hill, cutting all the switchbacks. Of course, I tripped multiple times, and now my arms had dozens of bleeding scratches too.

There was a spring near the top of the climb, where I washed off the dried blood, charcoal dust, and pollen. My arms and legs had layers!

The trail left the burn area, and became much nicer after the spring. But I didn’t trust the improvement would last, so I kept my first aid kit in an outside pocket!I got to my planned campsite at 6pm, setup my tent, and admired the view before passing out.

Friday July 26, 15.8mi/25.4km

Fiest Creek Restaurant (230.2/2520ft) to Hwy 95/Bonners Ferry (246.0/2536ft) (ID)

It felt strange to be camping, but also next to a restaurant. I wanted to get up the big climb early in the morning while it was still cool, so I headed out at 7:30am. I passed a big fish pond and the waterfall as I left the restaurant.

For the next 5mi/8km and two hours, I climbed UP 3400 feet, ouch! The trail was nicely switchbacked , but it was tiring nonetheless.

At the top of this monster climb was Brussard Mt, and it was perfect weather to be up there. Looking south, down into the valley with Bonners Ferry:

And Northwest:

The next three hours was easy downhill, all the way to the highway. It had some really nice bridges, and someone had left handprints on one of them.

The handprints reminded me of the PCT, and “bridge push-ups”, a game that Cheshire Cat and Bonus Miles had invented. Ha!

One part of the descent trail was pretty trashed by dirtbikes, fortunately this was short-lived.

And the last few miles were on a dirt Forest Service road, with zero cars. Nice!

I got to the highway at 2:45pm, spent about 25 minutes hitching, and got picked up by a rather entertaining fellow with a passion for religion. It’s a topic I usually ardently avoid, but he was my ride for 15 miles into the town of Bonners Ferry. The town is very spread out, so I opted to camp at the RV park across from the Safeway (grocery store here). I even met two other PNT thru-hikers, Ghost and Emily. Other hikers do exist! We socialized after dinner over ice cream and… 2nd dinner? Meals are hard to classify on these hikes! So, food. And then bed!

Thursday July 25, 24.7mi/39.8km

Midge Creek Campsite MT (205.7/4852ft) to Fiest Creek Restaurant ID (230.2/2520ft) +0.2mi road to restaurant

I was planning on a longer day today, so I was moving down the trail at 6:30am.

The 2000ft/600m climb went by easily in the cool morning temperatures, and I was on the ridge a couple of hours later. It was neat to see the valleys below me still blanketed in fog.

The ridgewalks were a little rocky, but not slow. And marmots everywhere!

Around lunchtime, I came to a junction with multiple trail registers. This is where some hikers choose to do a bushwhack alternate route. I stuck to the trail.

An hour later, I crossed the state line into Idaho, leaving Montana! My first state is done. Sadly, there were no signs, markings, or even stones on the ground. But I had consolation views!

On the descent from the ridge, I crossed a couple of small dirt roads, and each had this “hikers crossing” sign.

Which got me thinking, why is the first hiker bigger than the second one? Is it supposed to represent parent/child or male/female? I guess I need to find the Forest Service employee who designed the sign…

More views before the final drop into the Moyie River valley!

I arrived in the valley and followed a paved road for ten minutes, and I was at the Fiest Creek Resort. It’s a nice restaurant and bar, with waterfalls in the back.

And the owner, Cliff, is super nice to hikers! After my meal, he let me setup my tent in the yard. I didn’t realize the time zone change when I crossed into Idaho, so I’m going to bed and it’s only 8:30pm!

Wednesday July 24, 21.7mi/34.9km

Yaak River Road (184.0/2992ft) to Midge Creek Campsite (205.7/4852ft) (MT)

I slept in until 8am, since Mike said he could give me a ride into town at 9am, after breakfast of course. After a nice meal of eggs, toast, and fruit, we all got in the Subaru and made the 20 minute trip into “town” (it’s like 4 buildings). Mike dropped me off at the Mercantile, and he continued down the street to the firehouse to check on some issue at work.

I asked for my box that I had mailed myself, and dumped it into my food bag. Because of the big thunderstorm and wind last night, there was no electricity today in town. So I didn’t get to buy any ice cream… so sad! The saloon across the street wasn’t open yet either. Also, it had a great name for a bar, “the dirty shame”. Haha.

Mike came back 30 minutes later, and we went back to his house. I said my goodbyes, and started walking. It was already 11am, so I wasn’t planning on going a full mileage day today. The first 14 miles were a dirt road walk, so it went by quickly.

It climbed up to a 5000ft ridgeline, but very gradually over 10mi/16km. It hardly felt like going uphill! At the top, it went into a nice pine forest on a smooth trail.

I noticed at the end of the ridgewalk, a cluster of trees that couldn’t figure out how to grow straight. Weird. I think there is a name for this phenomenon?

The view, looking north into the valley.

On the way downhill off the ridge, I passed the 200 mile mark! Now it’s starting to feel like I’m actually getting somewhere.

The last 6mi/10km of the day was on a dirt road. Only one car passed me, so it was a relaxing walk. I couldn’t find any good camp spots along the road, so I just hiked until the road ended, and camped at the trailhead. Perfect!

Tuesday July 23, 29.2mi/47.0km

Webb Mountain Summit (154.8/5988ft) to Yaak River Road (184.0/2992ft) (MT)

It was already very warm when I woke up at 7am, and becoming hot by 7:30am when I started down the trail. Thank goodness for all the trees, it’s so much cooler in the shade!I hiked a couple of ridgelines all morning, and up here at 6000ft elevation, the wildflowers are still out.There were plenty of lakes today, but they were all down on the valleys… no water up here. Which meant I had to carry double the water that I usually do – 2 liters today! Looking down on Boulder Lake :It seems the PNT is well marked at junctions, and almost never in between them. This was a funny junction with a tree arrow.I reached the high point of the day, Mt. Henry, after 2pm. It was early, so I took a nice long break at the summit tower.Afterwards, there was a loooong descent from 7200ft elevation down to 3600ft. The distance flew by, but my knees weren’t happy. At the bottom was Turner Falls, so I stopped and took a river bath. The water was cold, but it felt good in the 90F air.There was another smaller climb up to a ridge, where I planned to camp. But when I got up there, I could see thunderstorms gathering in the distance. Darn, gotta keep moving, and get downhill. I got down off the ridge, and it started hailing. I kept walking, looking for a nice flat spot to camp… nothing.Eventually, at 7:30pm, I hit the road to town (which I was planning to hitch tomorrow afternoon), and decided to try hitching into town tonight. No cars going my direction, but one going the opposite direction stopped. Mike chatted with me for awhile and offered me a place to sleep in his old camper. Awesome!Mike is a retired mechanic from the SF Bay area, and moved up here to “the Yaak” valley 12 years ago. This is such a different place from California! More rain is expected to come tonight, so I’m happy to be inside!

Monday July 22, 22.7mi/36.5km

Eureka MT (132.1/2674ft) to Webb Mountain summit (154.8/5988ft) (MT)

I accidentally slept in, and I didn’t get out of the motel until 9am..oops. I had some errands at the post office, and the Forest Service office. I checked on fire reports and bear reports – none! The only bear is the grizzly in the lobby:

I walked thru the rest of downtown Eureka, it’s a cozy feeling town.

I saw a diner that specialized in milkshakes, so I had to try it!

After leaving town, the PNT followed a rails to-trails for an hour. It seemed not quite finished, since some of the rails were still there!

Eventually the rail-trail ended, and I was back in a nice open pine forest. I was thankful that it was an overcast day, since traversing this valley is known to be brutal in the heat.

And then, more roadwalk. Like, 7 miles of paved road. Bleh. At least the scenery was nice.

A huge bird nest!

I noticed that most states seem to have these differential speed limits, except back east. It seems like such a good idea, come on atlantic states!

Lake Koocanusa, in the distance:

The lake’s name is a combination of three things – Kootenai, Canada, and USA. It is a man-made lake a half mile wide, and like 60 miles long.

I crossed the bridge over the lake, it is the longest and highest (215ft) bridge in Montana.

After the bridge, I finally re-entered the forest.

And did a 3300ft/1000m climb…the biggest on the PNT so far. Ouch.

I arrived at the top two hours and 4 miles later, to the summit of Webb mountain. It had a lookout tower!

I went up to check it out, it was unlocked, so I relaxed inside for a bit. Great views!

I made dinner and watched the sunset, not a bad finish to the day. 😁

Sunday July 21, 15.5mi/24.9km

Blacktail Creek (116.6/5984ft) to Eureka MT (132.1/2674ft) (MT)

Town days are always exciting, so I was awake at 6:15am, and hiking out by 7am. After an hour, I started getting views down into the Tobacco valley.

It was cold in the shade, and I was looking forward to the heat of the sun. The trail switchbacked right up to the Canadian border, it was fun to see the spot where they “shave” a line thru the trees.

I finished the descent and the trail deposited me onto a dirt road, which I followed for a couple of hours.

Towards the end of the dirt road, there were many farms and ranches, and sooo many cows.

Hi cows!

I arrived to town just after noon, and it had warmed up to a roasting 85F/29C, so I was glad to see my planned motel had Air conditioning!

I quickly checked in to a room, and walked down the street to get lunch.

I didn’t order the specials… pickle pizza?!? Then of course after lunch was dessert…

I spent the rest of the day resupplying, doing laundry, and relaxing in a nice cool motel room. And catching up with the world, since I’ve been disconnected for the last 8 days!

Saturday July 20, 22.2mi/35.7km

Campsite at Road FS114 (94.4/4101ft) to Blacktail Creek (116.6/5984ft) (MT)

The day started off with a nice easy walk along a dirt road for an hour. I saw only one vehicle before I entered the woods, and then I was cruising on this soft trail.

A mile into the woods, I hit my first milestone marker!

And after a brief climb, I passed by the first of many lakes today. This is the only lake that didn’t have snow in it.

I climbed up another 1000ft/300m to the summit of Mt. Wam, which had a cool cabin on top. I think normally it can be reserved for sleeping, but it was undergoing minor construction so it was open to the public.

I took my lunch break inside and enjoyed the views. And the free wine!

The views coming down from the summit didn’t suck either.

In the distance, I could see Stahl Peak for many hours.

It had an impressive north face that dropped steeply down into a small lake!

After awhile, the trail turned away from Stahl Peak, and I got to visit more lakes!

This one had a snowdrift at the far end, so it was perfect for an afternoon swim.

The trail crossed under a very chossy cliff, which kept things interesting by occasionally dropping pebbles down on the trail. I hadn’t seen this much choss since death valley.

And around the corner, there were more lakes. Therriault lake was below, and Bluebird Lake was on the trail.

At the end of the day, the trail finally left this basin of lakes, and I crossed over a pass and descended towards Canada. There was some strange old mining equipment along the way.

Camping options were rather limited in this area, so I opted for a wide spot in the trail, which was nice and flat in this section, since it follows an old dirt road. Tomorrow is a town day!

Friday July 19, 21.7mi/34.9km

Red Meadow Lake camp (73.3/5551ft) to Campsite at Road FS114 (94.4/4101ft) (MT) +0.6mi side trail from camp

I usually try to avoid camping by lakes and rivers, but this one seemed so convenient. As expected, it was very damp, and my tent was dripping with moisture both inside and out by the morning. After carefully packing up all my gear, and the wet tent, I set off at 7:30am. It was a nice sunny morning.

The trail climbed up to a 6500ft ridgeline, and pretty much stayed there all day. The views were very good, and there were even signs for the PNT!

All the wildflowers were blooming too.

In the afternoon, I entered a wildfire section, I think it had burned in 2017. The pattern in the trees is creepy.

And up close…

I got to the summit of Mt Locke, and a thunderstorm was rapidly approaching. And, in the burned mess if a forest, I couldn’t find the trail down. Finally, I spotted a segment of trail on a ridge 100ft below, and bushwhacked down to it.

And then things got exciting… it snowed, hailed, and then sleeted.

Video

I’ve never seen those before on my birthday, so it was truly an unexpected gift! After 15 minutes, the sun came out again.

The final 5 miles to camp were wonderfully uneventful, and easy walking on an abandoned, overgrown dirt road. I setup camp near a stream, but well above it to hopefully avoid last night’s moisture problems.

It was only 5pm, so I chatted with some local kids at the swimming hole for awhile before making dinner. After dinner, I walked back to my tent (I never cook near my tent in grizzly country), and found it had completely dried in the sun! Looking forward to a dry night tonight!

Thursday July 18, 18.2mi/29.3km

Polebridge/North Fork Hostel (55.1/3527ft) to Red Meadow Lake camp (73.3/5551ft) (MT)

I awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon, and it was already 7:30am! I dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast, my leftover pizza and danish from the general store. On my way thru town, I stopped at the store to say goodbye to Mesquite and Charger, and then began today’s long roadwalk.

I didn’t take many photos, since there weren’t that many interesting things to see from the dirt road. One of the stranger things were these huge bonfire piles every half mile:

And I did get some views, as the road traveled above Hay Creek valley all day.

It was pleasant walking, and the weather was generally warm and sunny, except for two very brief hailstorms.

I didn’t see any people all day, until I got to my planned camp. It is on a lake, and has road access, so there were a dozen locals staying here. I think most of them are on fishing or biking trips.

Roadwalk miles go by quickly, so I was in camp by 4pm. The next campsite isn’t for another 8 miles, so I opted to stop early for today. It’s a beautiful spot to spend some extra time!