GDT Day 14: Valley of the Horses and Heat

Tuesday, July 16th, 2024, 0610-1830
Fording River Pass Lower Lake to Lower Elk Lake camp, mm 205.6
25 miles, Gain: 2134′, Loss: 3640′, elevation 5620′

There were rumblings in the night. First there were 2 separate rockfalls, or maybe only one that was ongoing, I was too out of it to grasp a timeline. I was woken from a deep sleep by the sound of the crashing dense masses. I felt safe in the woods by the lake but it was a reminder of the destructive power of nature. Later, a large animal must have gone crashing by…a moose, elk or bear. Nicole heard it but I slept right through. Pulverizing rocks were cause for alarm but giant ice age mammals that could also crush a person were….meh.

I got on the trail early as usual, prepared for what promised to be a very long day. A tedious descent to the valley lay ahead. At the very start, I had to wade through the willows as they scratched my legs to pieces. Thankfully it was over in less than a quarter of a mile. Then came the battle with the alders that were growing into the old logging road. Periodically I saw mtn bike tire tracks and couldn’t fathom how someone was able to go through such a shwacky section and remain upright on 2 wheels. I was barely able to fit with just my pack. Michelle was even smaller than I was and at one point I looked back to see that the alders had nearly swallowed her.

At the river, we managed to find the old trail all the way along it. It disappeared a few times due to all the washouts, but we always managed to pick it up again. I was good at spotting the flagging tape and cairns. I even managed to keep my feet dry, miraculously. This descent was kind of fun actually, just because it was tricky and a bit difficult. The PNT turned me into a trail sadist, I guess.

We got to a long road walk around 9 am, where we picked up Woody again. He’d camped near another hiker, but didn’t know who he was. Michelle stopped to make some calls while she still had service and Woody and I pressed on. My umbrella came out pretty quickly and I could tell it was going to be a long, hot day. My Far Out app said 25 miles from where I started to Elk Lake, which meant more like 28. There was a place to stop a few miles short, but I really wanted to minimize the hike the next morning, seeing as how we were getting to the end of Section B and an appointment with trail magic, resupply, showers, charging, and a general store.

We came to an intersection, after which we started seeing heaps of bikepackers. We were suddenly on the Great Divide Mountain Biking route. Most were going south but one guy rode up behind us and started matching our pace. His name was Mikko and he was from Finland. I just had to ask him if he knew my friend Suvi Spacegoat and of course he did…or at least followed her on the gram. She’s one of the most famous outdoor adventurers in her country.

Mikko rode with us for miles until we came to a lunch stop. I guess he was a bit lonely and appreciated the different sort of company. I appreciated his selection of lunch items, learning that mountain bikers have great lunch game. He pulled out all sorts of veggies and even a bottle of dressing. He offered to share all of it, so I partook of some chips and tomatoes. Woody doused his wrap with dressing. Mikko was on his way to Calgary to fly down to South America and continue his ride through the Americas. He was bouncing around to take advantage of good weather and the seasons.

Mikko resumed his normal biking pace after lunch and we reluctantly kept walking our slow pace. At least I was cool for a bit after a swim in the river. We decided to try to get a ride but there were very few vehicles. I was briefly kept entertained by petting some horses and mules. There were about 20 of them going mad in the trees, swarmed by horse flies. I felt so bad for the poor equines. I’d killed dozens of horse flies on myself already this day. They were constantly attacking us on the road.

We made it to a cabin by 4 pm or so. We needed a break in the shade. My feet were so tired. It was only 4 more miles to the lake but I couldn’t bring myself to hike it. Why couldn’t a car come by? We lounged for almost an hour, with Woody having to give me a pep talk to get me moving. Just as I was peeing, the sound of a vehicle approaching got my attention. I cut my pee short and ran out into the road, whilst pulling up my underwear. The driver must have thought I was having an emergency and immediately stopped. The 2 were going to Elk Lake and had room for us. Score!

We still had to walk a little over a kilometer from the trailhead, but man was I relieved to skip a few miles! And our new friends were some colorful Canadians. They were both from Prince George, the city that was nearest the GDT’s northern terminus. The guy, Icharus, could have been a thru-hiker, the way he was dressed.

I was so happy to arrive at the lake and go for a swim. It was beautiful. The campsite was really nice too. We found Michelle already there… she’d had better luck getting a ride earlier in the day. We expected Alex to roll in too, but he never showed. The mystery guy who camped near Woody the night before was there too. Collin was from the states and attending Purdue, studying to be an engineer. He’d hiked the Colorado Trail the year before. There are certain hikes, like the CT and GDT, that work well with teacher and student schedules. I’d met quite a few on the GDY already.

I went to bed early, excited for a town day…of sorts.