CDT + GDT: Waterton Lakes to Coleman / Blairmore – Feel the fatigue

Refraint 30 | The Lakes from Waterton to Coleman / Blairmore

Day 115, 19.4 miles.

I started the day in very good paths in Waterton National Park. After having made so much trips on the path, I really appreciate a good path in how it makes the dangerous land completely manageable. I am surprised that people are cutting the curves and eroding the social paths in this slope: it is much more difficult without the path, why not use the path? While my first summit descended, a woman who walks asked me how my walk was. «I’m on 115,» I said. I am a little flattered, I think I see myself fresh enough to be out of the morning. Lately I have tired of eating, so I am very excited to try the Canadian snacks I obtained. An insect died in my ziploc of crushed fried fries of Canadian imitation, but then I dropped the bag and I could not find it. I guess I will probably only eat it along with the fried potatoes. This afternoon I took the alternative of field rustes through the country that cuts along the cutting line that marks the boundary between BC and Alberta to the continental division. There is no water on the crest, so I carried three and a half liters and a complete food load at a slope of 40 degrees. In fact, I barely recorded the gradient because I was too busy going from Huckleberry Bush to Huckleberry Bush. The crest itself was often a bit complicated with the farms and often had to border just along the edge of the cliff, but they rewarded me with a view to the glacier National Park in the distance. As the days become shorter, I have been walking deeply in dusk. I try to let my eyes adjust and hold on lighting my flashlight during as long as possible. I like to let the monotonous layer of the night wash everything in the same color, eliminating the boundary between me and the landscape. My birthday was yesterday and tends to fall on the top of the annual rain of meteorites of Persoids. I have been lucky enough to spend my last three birthday on the road, and if the weather and the moon cooperate to give me clear dark skies, try to camp the jeans and look for fleeting stars until it falls asleep. On the PCT I counted 24 on one night. Tonight was Misty and I couldn’t see much, but I’ll try again tomorrow.

Day 116, 16 miles.

It didn’t really rain last night. It was only cloud after cloud that passed where I was on the crest, gently soaking everything in his fog. I was camped in cowboy, and 1 in the morning I was pulling my canvas on me to try to add another insulation layer. I snuggled in a tight ball. The end of the foot of my quilt was so wet that I could withdraw it in the morning. I was trembling when I got up to dig my Matina Cathole and I had to return to a ball to warm up again. I tried to concentrate on solving one problem at the same time. Heat the rain jacket. Hot the gloves. Now put on wet shoes. I waited until the sun broke on the crest before rising. As I packed, I looked at my water bottle and I saw that it turned alone to be able to read the label that said: the clouds can throw some shadow, but they give us the purest shape of the water nature. Well, I thought. I can be soaked, but at least I am soaked in the purest way of nature of nature. I spent an hour and a half trying to dry my comforter, then I spent an hour looking for the last water source before a long crest walk to the Coulotte Peak and Barnaby Ridge. I did not start the crest until almost 5 pm, so I knew I would not do it completely. And the quilt is not dry yet, so I’m sleeping with all my clothes tonight and wearing all my rain team inside my wet quilt. No one else is here outside. I think I got too early for CDT and too late for GDT. But the views are very rewarding. Canada is so dramatic. I camped early to try to start early tomorrow to compensate for today.

Day 117, 16.1 miles.

The Alternative Off Trail for Barnaby Ridge was as slow and rewarding as people said. I could see the struggle that dissuades the possible suitors from afar and I got excited because I love a good fight. I had a great time through the crest of the wooded crest and eating all the bushes. It is difficult to know if I am here for hiking or fodder. When I got to the fight, the wind unfortunately recovered significantly and the gusts were strong enough to blow me, of course. I couldn’t even take a stable video because I was hitting so strong on the exposed ridge. I had to rescue the struggle and cross the side of the wind protected. At one point I tried to escape a tree cover, but it was the densest stand of Pino Blanca that I had seen. I lost one end of my trekking posts in the Melée. I backed it very little hope to find it, but miraculously I did. I pushed the bursts for almost five hours before leaving the crest. Towards the end of the day I connected with the main GDT and uploaded a new set of dream curves built by the GDTA. Once you have walked many miles outside the path, it really appreciates a good set of curves. Thanks Gdta! Tonight I am sleeping for the third night in my humid comfort. I have discovered a system that keeps me warm during the night: I wear every layer I have, then I cover the canvas on my bivy as a bag or more and put the edges underneath. This creates a small and pleasant warm pocket and that leads me to spend the night.

Day 118, 26.4 miles.

This publication is invited written by my friend Lucy Barnard, also known for her online mango @tanglesandtail.

My name is Lucy, and today is 3,101 making an attempt to be the first woman to walk along the earth from Argentina to Alaska … with my little partner, Wombat.

This morning, Jess woke up soaked again, his sleeping bag still soaked in misery. But he woke up silently optimistic, the day would turn around, with the city of Coleman in scope.

After being beaten by the wind on the horizon yesterday, he decided to take the walk and push to get to the city early, but was then beaten by a thought.

What is all this for?

A fundamental moment in adventure: when you can choose to take advantages of opportunities on the way that ultimately enrich the experience simply decreasing the speed to savor the moments instead of running.

So, Jess released his schedule and picked up a pound of raspberries. Along the way he received a phone signal and discovered that he was only one hour ahead of her.

So I got my leftovers and made a picknick in a jersey camp, while waiting for him to catch up.

I was quite excited to meet her after so long chatting online and help each other to solve logistics problems.

We chatted, ate, and walked to the city where we met Deepak and Mike that run the Paddock Inn motel and invite ourselves to a homemade Indian dinner, with two types of chicken curry, puree of potatoes infused with cheese, served with Chapati! … and finished with traditionally prepared chai tea.

But the best part? Mike took us to his industrial laundry, where Jess could throw his sleeping bag in a dryer so he could continue with his cowboy camp roads, tomorrow!

XX

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