8/27/15 Day 125 – TSC Trail #173 to TSC Trail #101, 5773′
Tent – Nights Spent Alone: 15
27.8, 2588.6 Trip Miles
Day’s of Snow: 9 – Day’s of Rain: 42 – Days of Hail: 19
6 am to 8:10 pm
# of Zero days: 12
Gila Crossings Final Total: 221
Tick Count: 4 (4 more crawling on me)
Wanted List
Mountain Goat
Grizzly Bear
Sasquatch
Black Bear – SPOTTED
Bighorn Sheep
Velociraptor
Mountain Lion
Beaver – SPOTTED
Unicorn
Wolf
Buffalo
Critter Count
10 Squirrels
3 Chipmunks
1 Bear
Totals
1) 618 Pronghorn*
2) 448 Elk*7
3) 404 Chipmunks *5
4) 201 Deer*2
5) 176 Squirrels *9
6) 154 Marmot*4
7) 120 Lizards*6
8) 116 Wild Horses
9) 77 Ground Squirrels*10
10) 71 Pika
11) 57 Cotton Tail Rabbits *8
12) 30 Prairie Dogs
13) 22 Horny Toads
14) 18 Jack Rabbit*3
15) 14 Moose
16) 10 Snakes
17) 5 Black Bears
18) 5 Coyotes
19) 5 Moles
20) 4 Porcupine
21) 3 Toads
22) 2 Mouse
23) 2 Fox
24) 2 Rattle Snakes
25) 1 Beaver
26) 1 Badger
27) 1 Skunk
28) 1 Weasel -Long Tail
*259 from car, *2 – 49 from car – 3 in town, *3 – 1 from car, *4 – 2 from car, *5 – 2 off trail, *6 – 1 off trail, *7 – 9 from car, *8 – 3 off trail *9 – 1 from car, *10 – 6 off trail
Bailey and I slept well together. Her emergency space blacker was a bit crinkly but I dealt with it. I thought she’d snuggle but she didn’t.
The day started in the dark as usually and the hiking was easy. We had to take our shoes off to avoid cold wet feet when we crossed the Middle Fork Flathead River. It was deep, just no where to rock hop.
At the Schaffer Guard Station I spoke to the friendliest horses of the trip. They were both all about getting some rubs and attention. We stopped at the main cabin and Carissa who was stationed there gave us coffee and hot chocolate. She also gave us a map to photograph and suggested the best route north through the maze of fires and trail closures.
We stay a while as we once again figured out our route just got shorter. Finally we left and headed north. At the next river crossing I tore my shins up big time bush whacking. We lost the trail but I found is an old one going in the right direction which eventually brought us to the new one.
Lunch was late due to the extended stop with Carissa. After lunch we had the steepest climb since Lima. It was pretty brutal and very hot. The heat is still with us. Luckily it didn’t last very long.
At the top a sign said natives used to go over this pass to reach hunting grounds to the east. The descent was tame and soon flattened out to a mellow grade. We tried to get to the Badger Guard Station to cook but it was a little too far.
Just before the station I saw bear number six. I’m pretty sure it was a brown colored Black Bear. I only saw his/her ass as they ran away. No way to see a hump or look at the ears and snout.
When we got there it was 100% covered in aluminum foil. Not really but it was some fire proof material. Probably just heavy duty aluminum foil. Not only was the cabin covered so was the shed and stable. They also had fire hoses and lawn sprinklers all around the cabin and a water pump down at the creek. They clearly have done this before.
We walked on a few miles more until we reached a flat spot just off the trail. Tomorrow we reach East Glacier.
Scatman
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Get out there!
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