Day 125 - Continental Divide Trail - Anaconda to Champion Pass

Day: 125

Date: Sunday, 08 September 2024

Start:  Anaconda MT

Finish:  Champion Pass

Daily Kilometres:  42.7

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3640.3

Weather:  Cool early then warm with hazy sunshine.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  McDonalds big breakfast

  Lunch:  Turkey, avocado & bacon wraps

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals.

Aches:  Dave - very tired and the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Nothing in particular.

Lowlight:  Nothing in particular.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were a bit later leaving the motel (7am) than hoped but, beforehand, enjoyed our takeout McDonalds big breakfast from their restaurant across the road, which only opened at 6am.

Our first 12km for the day was mostly a flat roadwalk through farmland and public land along reasonably busy sealed roads with little shoulder to separate us from the fast-moving traffic.  It was tedious and Dave found it tiring, but we made reasonable time.  We hoped to walk more than 40km today, and each of the next two days, so that we reach our next resupply stop, Helena, in three days, saving us a day overall on our original plan.

After crossing under the I-90 freeway, we joined a very quiet gravel road through more farmland for another 12km which was still tedious, but less so.

We had a lunch break at a road junction leaning against a farm fence in the shade of some trees around 1pm on a day that had become quite warm.  Then we followed a forest road up into the mountains alongside the picturesque Cottonwood Creek, climbing 2000’ up to 6800’ to rejoin the official CDT at around 6pm.  The country was hilly and partly forested grazing land and quite attractive.  It was nice to be amongst some trees again after the morning’s roadwalk.  Along the way we saw some bow hunters in their vehicles, dressed in their camo outfits.  We had already seen some closer to Anaconda in the morning.  It must be bow-hunting season in Momtana.

The CDT was single-track when we rejoined it and we followed it further upwards through pine forest getting some occasional views of the bright orange setting sun.  Around 7:40pm, on the crest of a ridge at 7500’, we found a nice tent site amongst some young pines and camped, happy with our day.