DAY 22: BUSHWHACKING, BOGS, & RAIN

Wakeup call at 5:45 a.m. this morning. Very foggy and tent fly (cover) soaking wet from last nights rain. I thought the thunder had been impressive when we were up on the mountain. but, last night the thunder boomed from horizon to horizon. Quick pack-up and breakfast and we were off for what was expected to be a 10 hour day bushwhacking first by foot and then by horseback before reaching the Nez Perce trailhead and our campground for the night.

From 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. we spent driving short distances in our trusty Honda Pilots then the Team piling out and bushwhacking around private property. All involved climbing uphill, sliding downhills and crossing creeks. Our morning ended crawling under two barbedwire fenses and dashing across I-15 (halfway between Butte and Helena.) Then it was back up on the horses with Scott again, six members of the Butte Back Country Horsemen and Joselyn Dodge from the Forest Service. The rest of the day was spent squeezing between lodgepole pines, ducking branches and taking the horses where I didn't think horses could go. Crossing one marshy area the horses suddenly started to sink and Molly, John's mule that Scott was riding, sunk up to her belly. The strenght of that little mule was incredible and Scott was able to get her out pretty quick. The rest of the group gave the bog a wide berth.

The afternoon again brought lightning and thunder followed by brief rain. The cross-country travel eased up and our route took us by several old homesteads and through huge gray boulder piles. All in all a great fun and adventurous day!

Reaching camp I quickly put up my tent as thunder was again rolling across the sky. Just as dinner was ready it started to pour but the Support Team had joined all four of the BIG bright yellow easy-ups joined together and up against the two supply trailers so we had a cozy dry dinner.

Now about our Support Team - they are just about the nicest, hardest working group in the entire world. They cook our meals, transport all of our extra junk, wash our clothes and when necessary even take down and put up our tents. Coming in off a trailer tired and hungry - some times even in the dark - and finding your tent set up and friends waiting is fantastic. I feel more than a little guilty when I get to take off on the trail for the day and they're left behind to work. Without them the day to day travel required to get where we have to go would be very difficult if not impossible. From the Journey, dana