CDT Montana 2016
Day 4, July 9, Saturday
Start 04-149WT Rock Spring, on top of Big Table Mountain
Stop 05-100M On border fence Montana-Idaho on Continental Divide, 2 miles from Modoc Creek.
Miles 1 + 2.3 + 4.5 + 7.5 + 7.7 + 2 = 25
Going down Table Top Mountain, we get views o| surrounding landscape.
Back up on Little Table Mountain, the path goes along one edge, so one can enjoy views the whole way.
The trail goes along an old fence boundary, BLM on one side, atypical for timbered land. Here is what happened before GPS, kids.
More broad-leaf sagebrush appears with grasses.
On a road walk down to the interstate, I pass through a big encampment, perhaps a family reunion or similar group.
There was skeet shooting going on, and many dogs around, all well behaved. No one expressed interest in chatting, so I strolled on by.
At the interstate, no cell signal could be grabbed (Sprint) though multiple sources stated one could make cell calls here. [Note: Several days later I discover this condition is fixed when I do a PRL Update on the phone.] I had half a mind to go into Lima for the night and resupply, since a motel in town offered rides to hikers, but with no way to make a call, and not wanting to hitch on the interstate, I am out of luck. Fortunately there is just enough food to make it to Leadore, barely.
In the afternoon is a long road-walk.
Strong headwinds battle this poor hiker on the road and all the rest of the day.
Then the trail goes along fence boundary between states on the Continental Divide, on rolling grassland like southern Wyoming.
The trail is so rolling up-and -down to be exhausting near the end of day, so I stop short of my goal, a creek for water source.
I camp a little ways down from the ridge on a tiny bit of flat area. Tomorrow brings more up-and-down along the ridge but even higher mountains, in this section called the “Roller Coaster”.
At night the weather throws everything, strong winds, lightning, thunder, blowing rain, all night long is some commotion.