Darby to Anaconda, MT (9/13-9/17): 102.8 Miles
The Trail Ridge Fire was reported to be right on the CDT. To keep our continuous footpath from Mexico (minus my skipped 13.2 miles), we got dropped off right where we left off, but instead of getting on trail, we rerouted on the highway. Although we had just spent the previous night at the RV Park in Darby, 15 miles on the highway in the rain seemed like a perfect excuse for an additional night with a solid roof over our heads. The Conoco gas station we passed just so happened to have cozy cabins for rent behind it, so we treated ourselves: Cabin #6 with a bed, warm shower & leftover pancake mix w/ syrup from a previous hiker.
After leaving the cabin we had 15 more miles of road walking before getting back onto a single track path. I (along with my feet) were tired of the hard blacktop, but we had the Bitterroot River to listen to and watch along the way. We had some folks check on us while they drove by, offering us rides to the trailhead. We politely declined and next thing we knew we entered the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness. It welcomed us with the prettiest sunset right on the Bitterroot as we cooked our dinner.
We had constant, cold rain from 7-11am one morning, but had sun during lunch. It’s always such a good feeling when we take our lunch break. A chance to eat something other than protein/granola bars (even though it is the lunch I’ve been eating for the past 4 months lol), rest our feet and spread out gear to let it dry. Lunch means your halfway through the day and that much closer to being able to curl up in your warm sleeping bag.
The pines were abundant, the valleys deep and the lakes just as blue. We crossed over 4 passes: Pintler, Rainbow, Cutaway and Storm Lake. Once completed we officially switched our digital maps over to our last section of N. Montana and surpassed the 2,000 mile mark!
We hiked till dark to arrive to a spacious campsite at Twin Lakes. Seeing the outline of the mountains surrounding the water, we never saw the actual mountains, as we woke up at 4:45am the next morning. A box with a fresh pair of shoes were waiting for me in town, and I needed to get there by 1pm before the PO closed.
It’s been quite some time since we got to actually *walk* into town (vs. getting a hitch), and I really enjoyed it - especially on a Saturday morning. The nicest welcome from the local folks with waves and honks as we road walked in, others walking their dogs and watering their plants and many just enjoying the sweet, quaint town of Anaconda. We hiked 18.6 miles into town by noon, got some tacos and got treated to a few beers at the local pub.
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