CDT + GDT: Coleman / Blairmore to Boulon Creek – savoring the last 500 miles

Reference 31 | COLEMAN / BLAIRMORE A BOULTON CREEK IN ELL PASS TH

Day 119, 6.8 miles.

Lucy and I make videos that document our trips, and we are both behind. So, while we were around 6 in the morning, each one were on our phones doing our job, so to speak. It was refreshing to be close to someone, especially another woman, who understood that side of my walk. We walk to a local coffee called Kindred Ground where we could register our walks and get a GDT HANG label! So now I have a CDT and GDT label in my bag. It is official now. Lucy’s friend, Lana, came to meet us for breakfast, then brought us kindly to the neighboring city of Blairmore, where I obtained the most artisanal replenishment that I have taken from two specialized stores. In fact, I am looking forward to eating my food for this section. She left me in Coleman. She is Lucy’s host because her permits begin in three days, so unfortunately it is not likely to meet Lucy and Wombat again in the GDT. I wish we had more time together so that we could film all the fun ideas that occurred to us. But although the earth can be great, the world is small. I am sure that I will see them again. I left the coffee throughout the afternoon doing work and updating with the refueling logistics while I was in the cell range. I climbed around 7pm on the road that left the city. Some things have not changed the CDT. I am happy with rest and social recharge to be close to friends and new friends.

Day 120, 27.5 miles.

I started the day on a labyrinth of ATV roads and I frequently got the wrong one and I had to go back. I was looking at my maps, but the GDTA has built a lot of new paths, so I do not always trust that I need to be in the red line in Farout, and then end on the wrong way. There are also many unmarked unions, which means that I have to really be aware of any interruption on a path that might not be obvious. And sometimes the red line looks like an informal social path that has eroded on the slope, or it may not seem that there is a path at all. It does not help be very tired. I try not to sit because I will fall asleep. In my research on this path, people said they must anticipate a lower mileage due to the gain/loss of elevation, the most pronounced gradient, the most unpredictable climate and challenging navigation. Some people said, any mileage that is doing on an American path, that is the amount of kilometers you will do in the GDT. Others said you would do 80% of your mileage in the United States. In the CDT I was doing between 32 and 37 miles for a full day, so, according to those guidelines, my range in the GDT should be 20 to 29 miles per day. I’m right in that range. The days are also becoming colder and longer later in the summer and I move in latitude, so I have less hours of light to walk. I do not say this often, but I think I really need a real zero. Maybe that helps me stay at the upper end of my mileage range. The close ones outside the city have been only a temporary bandage. If I can endure another 150 miles to Banff, I will see if I can find something there or in Canmore. Or if I can find camp and enough food to buy in Boulon Creek, I will make a zero path on the path there.

Day 121, 22.3 miles.

In my opinion, I am a very average hiker. I’m not walking crazy quickly. The only reason I can make a good pace day after day is because I walk many hours, often 14 times 17 hours a day, taking very few and very few breaks. I do not stop for lunch or dinner. I wield my food and then as while I am walking, especially now that I am in the country of bears, so not as in the camp. I brush my teeth while walking. Water filter while walking. The only thing I stop are to add or throw layers, collect water, pour water from one bottle to another and move snacks from the rear pocket to the lower accessible pocket if I run away during the day. But this path has much higher and down and my package currently has so much food that I had to stop to rest my shoulders. Sometimes I lean on my trekking posts. Or you’re going to climb or casualties. And the descent is not really a break because it is often very steep or will include a couple of small steep rollers that take you the wind. On the way to my first pass of the day, I went to a man in about 60 years or early 70s. «Young and fit, I hate you,» he joked. I laughed. «One day I would like to be your age and still here, so well with you.» The path was non -existent or difficult to continue in the descent, so I simply walked from the orange fire to the orange glow. Although some places do not have a clear path, it is obvious that the GDTA has worked hard to add bridges and make full attractive camps with fire rings and banks. I have not yet had to vicar a stream because everything has been bridged. Afternoon today I had some intestinal problems, I think I ate a large nut bag at the same time to try to make my package lighter. In my distraction, I left my trekking posts where I had fallen my Cathol and I had to go back. I went up to where I had dropped my backpack and felt that I had turned off a little serious. I was practically bouncing along the path without my backpack. I would love to be a one -day hiker enjoying the country without a package at this time!

Day 122, 19.6 miles.

Yesterday at dusk, my brain had a fight with my body. My brain said: Look, there is still an hour of light before it really darkens. We should make the up of 1000 feet and then sleep.

My body said, no.

Brain: Come on. It’s just a mile.

Body: Yes, but it is an average rating of 23%. During a whole mile.

Brain: You can’t lose this daylight.

Body: No. In addition, my stomach hurts. And he’s muddy.

Brain: leave the valley and then it will not be muddy.

Body: No. Every day you like (mock) «One more mile, just twenty minutes.»

Brain: You know that it will make tomorrow easier. A little more pain today, a little less tomorrow.

Body: You’ve been saying it every day for many days. No.

I started the climb, but my body won that argument. I stop as soon as I saw a small flat patch to place my jeans camp.

It is so beautiful here. It’s worth it. If it were Canadian and walking along this path, it would be very proud. I would be like: «Everyone comes to look! Look and look at how beautiful my country is.»

In the afternoon there was a great storm with many rays, rain and wind. I hid in some trees for half an hour to wait for lightning. Then I went out to the rain, but I was falling asleep while walking, so I sat down again to take a nap. Every time it rains, adjust something more about my configuration, so it is always an opportunity to see how it worked. Today I put my phone in a Ziploc bag to be able to use it in the rain and I am happy with that change. When I woke up from my nap, the skies were blue again and I was glad to dry, although I still walked through the wet foliage for the rest of the day and my shoes and socks were as wet as if I had worshiped a stream.

Day 123, 20.1 miles.

In hiking we have a term called green tunnel. In general, it refers to a somewhat boring section of the path that feels like an endless tunnel of green trees without views. Well, today it was a green tunnel, but it was beautiful, with sunlight filtering through the forest. There is a Japanese word for this: Komorebi. I will answer this question preventively: I am not Japanese. I like this word. I am grateful to walk through the thick forest all day because I have spent a lot of time walking through miles and miles of exposed burns and Clearcut scars. I loved to eat all the mini arch and scan the ATV roads for wild strawberries. It’s slow, but it’s good for my mental health. When I get out of the forest, I can see an incredible view of the mountains. While one of the passes descended today, I missed an unmarked crossing with a horsepower and ended up following the horsepower path to a dry bed of streams. It was slow to follow Rocky Creek’s bed and the Bushwhacking back to the path, but now I have walked many miles outside the path along the streams and now I am learning the patterns. As it descends, it becomes more shrub and more denser and is often channeled to a deep ravine. Experience is the best teacher and now I will remember this land pattern. Like this, you learn: sleeping in a valley is cold. In an open meadow I will wake up with condensation. The only real mistakes are the ones you don’t learn. He slowed me at the end of the day and I did not get as far as I would have liked to be to be at a short distance from the commercial position where I am collecting my refueling tomorrow. But I will get there.

Day 124, 27.6 miles in Boulon Creek through Elk Pass Th.

I spent my day walking along the most beautiful electric line access path that has ever existed, along the provincial limit between British Columbia and Alberta. I went to a group of types that download mountain bicycles from their truck. «We almost arrived?» They asked me. «Yes,» I said. «500 miles. So I’m almost there.» I can feel that I want to stop not only because fatigue is being built, but also because I know that the end is coming. The walk today was long, but it’s great to have time to catch up with things. So I use it as an office, and the road is my running tape desk. It is also ideal for the magic of trails: a car stopped and offered me water and some bread and salami. Today I got into Baulton Creek, where there is a small store. My friend Pickles had introduced me to her friend PCT Renee, who lives in the area. She was bringing me a new pair of shoes and my refueling, but I ended a day late. Although the store normally does not accept refueling boxes, he convinced the store to hug me for a day. Renée really promoted me and when I entered the store, Mon and Zoe in the records were excited to meet me. I arrived shortly before they closed, but they let me sit in the store and order my refueling while ending for the day. Renee also bought me some Canadian Ketchup flavor chips. I ended up chatting with Mon and Zoe, and finally asked if I could collide on his floor. They did not hesitate to say yes. So today I fall asleep in a mattress and tell myself a shower. My dad likes to repeat a Chinese saying that translates into: «The road is where your mouth is.» If you are lost, if you need something, use your words. If you don’t ask, the answer is always. I have achieved so much magic of paths on this trip, but I love it when people accidentally become angels of trails. Both want to make a walk someday, and I hope they do it and experience the feeling of when the path provides it. When the path feels that he is on your side, and wants to help you on your way.

XX

stitching

This website contains affiliate links, which means that the walk can receive a percentage of any product or service that you buy using the links in the items or ads. The buyer pays the same price that would do it differently, and his purchase helps to support the continuous objective of the walk to address his quality backpack advice and information. Thanks for your support!

For more information, visit the page about this site.