The day began with the last climb of Idaho. A climb to over 6,400’ on top of Ruby Ridge. The wind must have changed overnight, because smoke no longer obscured views. Clouds were patchy and the weather was perfect. It was not so cold to require another layer, not too hot to be drenched in sweat. It was perfect. Huckleberries were everywhere and made a great breakfast. On top of the ridge, the great trail meandered through the mountains and soon entered Montana. The time jumped forward an hour and in a few short feet it went from mid morning to lunch time. Another mile and the fire detour began. A fire detour on roads, both paved and dirt through Yaak, MT. I am in the middle of grizzly territory, and while I have never seen one while hiking, I am prepared for an encounter. Between my massive arms and fight ready physique, the plan when I see one is to take it down with a bear hug. The ultimate scenario would be to see a mountain lion fighting a grizzly so I could cross the last two major North American mammals off my list. I walked the roads and ended up in Yaak, MT. The plan was to pass through, but with a saloon named the Dirty Shame Saloon, I had to stop for a minute. There was a crew of bikers there and I enjoyed the company of people so different from myself. The day ended uneventful, with sleeping on the side of the road I was walking on.
Miles 36
Total miles 3140
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