July 24 Thorp, WA (9.0 miles)
Finishing Washington with a nine-mile walk to Ellensburg. Feels strange to be finishing a state in the center. Leaving Thorp, we had to cross two long bridges with bad footing and no handholds. Crossed the Campus of Central Washington University to the county fairgrounds and Washington was done! Nearly 2600 miles and six states are now complete. Now it's back to Plummer, ID to walk east to Martindale, MT. This leg will complete our walk from the Pacific Ocean to the Mississippi River.
July 25 Plummer, ID (19.2 miles)
Following a narrow twisting road along a series of lakes to St.Maries. At one point left the road to cross the famous half-mile long Benewah Lake Bridge. This is still active railroad, but fortunately they don't operate on weekends. The St. Joe River flows between two lakes here. A sign proclaims it to be the highest navigable river in the world. Beyond Round Lake, we followed the St.Joe as it meandered to camp at St.Maries.
July 26 St. Maries, ID (16.9 miles)
Visited the Forest Service this morning. Tried and failed to gain access to the 1.8 mile long Taft Tunnel. Battled temperatures close to 100 degrees as we continued to follow the St. Joe River. As evening came on, towering Spruce trees provided relief. Made camp in a clearing just across State Creek.
July 27 St. Joe, ID (16.7 miles)
Continued our gentle climb along the St. Joe into the Bitterroot Mountains. Surprised and grateful for a small cafe at Calder. Ceiling fans slowly beat the air as we drank water by the pitcher. An odd bee-hive-shaped metal structure turned out to be a sawdust burner. From our cool indoor vantage point we wondered who got that job on a summer day. The valley became narrower as we climbed to pass through Herrick Tunnel. This would be the first of 19 tunnels in the next 50 miles. Fresh bear scat along the trail in numerous places. Stopped above Marble Creek at dusk.
July 28 Marble Creek, ID (16.0miles)
Visited with Wade the postmaster in Avery this morning. He delighted in showing us the boxcar he lives in. Beyond Avery, the trail got serious winding up at a tight canyon. Three tunnels got us by the narrow spots. Made camp hard by a cliff wall high above the North Fork of St. Joe.
July 29 Pearson, ID (16.9 miles)
Today we crossed the most famous stretch of the Milwaukee Road. Ten Tunnels and nine trestles carried us to the crest of the Bitterroot Range.
Catwalks nearly 300 feet above canyons were breathtaking. Each tunnel provided a blast of cold air on another searing hot day. Dusk saw us near the crest of the range at Moss Creek near the famed Taft Tunnel. A footnote- a private concessionaire manages this section of trail on Forest Service Land. They charge $6 to walk their 10-mile section. The entire trail, "The Route of the Hiawatha," will span 46 miles from Pearson, ID to St. Regis, MT.
July 30 Roland, ID (16.7 miles)
A long tunnel is a living thing. It envelops you. I always walk very fast and look over my shoulder a lot. These feelings made my decision to cross Roland Summit and enter Montana above the ground. Reaching bottom, I turned back and entered the mouth of Taft Tunnel. After 100 yards, I stood in pitch black. I heard a groan. That's all it took. I headed out and down the mountain.
July 31 DeBorgia, MT (19.2 miles)
Followed an abandoned trail down the St. Regis River. Lots of shade and rushing water. Downhill all day.
Aug 1 St. Regis, MT (18.8 miles)
Our long run on the Milwaukee Road Trail is over. After 240 trestles and 28 tunnels, we return to backroads and short trails. For now, we follow the Clark Fork down towards Missoula. Late in the day, a passing car just missed me. Ten minutes later, a woman pulled up to apologize for doing this. It is wonderful to meet good people.
