15-08-17  Day 128  Ultra Light – Mark Trail CDT

Hiking the Continental Divide Trail
Mark Trail CDT 2015

  Another long Trail Town night. I just can’t get to sleep. I wasn’t till 1:30 am till I fell into deep deep sleep.

I had a new plan. Hanging with Lint, Peaches, and Grapenuts, I thought I would lighten up and try ULTRA light backpacking. If they can do it, I can do it.  I took everything out of my pack. The Sawyer water filter, pots, fuel canister, spoon, knife, deet, first aid kit, extra phone batteries, charging plug and cables, Black Diamond Spot headlamp, and all extra clothes. The only clothes I took were on my back. All that was left was the Zpacks 10 degree sleeping bag, Zpacks hexamid tent, Thermarest, two water bottles and my spoon. I took two packages of oatmeal and two packages of tuna. A few crackers and two snickers to eat.  I believe my pack weight without water was around 10 lbs.

The pack didn’t even feel like it was on my back…Wonderful. At 9:00 am I boxed up all the gear and took it to the PO to mail up the trail to Benchmark Ranch. Paul and Bridget sent me a Trail Magic Box that was much appreciated.  THANKS Paul and Bridgett!!!  We stopped by the forest service office to check on the local and the Bob Marshal wilderness fires. No worries about trail clothes due to fire till after Benchmark.

We reached the trail head at 11:00 am and off the guys went. It took me a while to warm up. Soon it began to Rain…Hail,and Sleet.

I pushed hard. The trail was hard but I soon could see the guys. Just after Lewis and Clark Pass, I passed the guys, ….Going up hill. I gave each of them their own Hostess Twinkies. They looked in shock as I hiked ahead of them.

The skies cleared and it was smooth hiking the rest of the day.

2/3 of the way to Benchmark. 42 Miles.

…………………..and then,  I woke up.

#cdt #continentaldividetrail #cdt2015 #marktrail #marktrailcdt #marktrailhikes #marktrailrocks #thruhike #thruhiking #backpacking #triplecrown #montana