From Chief Joseph Pass, I had a ride with Jared, a traveling nurse who was on the way to live with a patient who had experienced a nuclear exposure. It was August 6th, the day of the Hiroshima bombing in Japan, and I thought what an interesting coincidence! We had intentional conversation that I enjoyed and Jared dropped me off at the post office in Darby. Then, the resupply routine began. I picked up the resupply box, organized food, had lunch, went to a store, then to a local public library to finish writing my blog post, and got a ride with a family back to Chief Joseph Pass. It was a busy day. I hiked for a little over a mile and settled in for the night. I was planning to spend a night in town, and I was glad to be back on the trail- it was so quiet in the forest, and I much preferred to sleep in the outdoors.

he next day, the weather was challenging for hiking. The trail went through a burned area, and around noon, the first thunderstorm came. I was approaching Schultz Saddle, and once I reached the saddle, the wind started to blow harder, and I knew I only had a few minutes before the hailstorm began. In the burned area, I had nowhere to hide. I quickly scanned the landscape and looked at the map, and decided to go off the trail and walk along the drainage down to the meadows. It was my intuition that perhaps there would be trees at the bottom of the drainage. There was no guarantee that I would have tree cover, and I kept hiking down carefully with my footing and fast. As I approached the meadow, I saw some live trees! There was a group of trees growing closer together, and I decided that’s where I wanted to go. I needed to be efficient but careful. It was getting more difficult to see my footing in a meadows with tall grasses. As I heard thunder, and the hailstorm started, I ran into the circle of trees. It was an island of protection! Inside the tree circle, it was flat, quieter, and drier. I found a spot next to a dry tree, and I took a deep breath and thanked the circle of trees. I thought it was a miracle that I found the spot. It was as if Mother Nature placed these trees in the meadows just for me so that I would be protected and safe. The storm lasted for a while, and I waited inside the trees for at least an hour, listening to the sound of hail and rain, watching the fog rolling in and out. It was more than just a thunderstorm. It felt like the weather was coming in, and I expected consistent rain and thunderstorms for the rest of the day. I waited until the sunlight came through the fog and birds sang their songs, a signal for me to be out there safely again. It rained lightly a couple of times for the remaining day, and I enjoyed walking in the mystic forest. I didn’t see or hear much wildlife and thought perhaps I was going against what the rest of the animals were doing, which gave me a cue to stay tuned to the weather pattern. I paid attention to which direction the clouds are moving and how they are forming, and the wind. The weather held until about 5 o’clock, and I started to hear thunder again. I wanted to get to the last water before hitting the dry section of 12 miles. The thunderstorm was behind me. I kept praying and moving. I said out loud, “Creator, help me! Hold it. I’m almost there!” I made it to the last water source, got water quickly, and looked at the map to find a saddle for camping. I found a couple of options and hurried to the first saddle, still out running the storm, so I made it to the second one. Right then, it started to rain. I got off trail and scanned the area, found a few trees with a dry spot underneath. I was able to set up my camp in time and sat on my mattress so that I could be ready for lightning position anytime. About 10 minutes after settling into my camp, the lightning storm was right above me. It passed in a few minutes, and it rained for the rest of the night. I was warm and dry, and enjoyed listening to the sound of soft rain as I fell asleep. 

For the first 25 miles north of Darby was like this 

I was proud of the way I handled the challenging weather. Nature is communicating with me all the time, and I learned to understand its language by spending lots of time outdoors, observing, and paying attention. On day 4, I was able to find a spring which was not on the map. I was ready to hike an extra 1.5 miles down to a creek to get water based on the map app water information. As I was hiking down the hill, I smelled water and saw a patch of vegetation that was different from the rest. They were the plants that grow near the water. I was excited and stepped off the trail and went to the area. There, I found a pool of clear water! It was a spring! I was happy to have sufficient water for the camp, and it also saved me the extra trip to the creek. I still have a lot to learn and understand the nature’s language, and thru-hiking helps me practice and get better at it.

After the rainy night, I woke up cold. It was probably the coldest night since I left Colorado. It wasn’t freezing temperature, but it was close to freezing for the next couple of days. As I hiked, I saw hail still left on the ground, frozen. The weather held with overcast, a perfect hiking weather for the rest of the section. I enjoyed the fog with no wind. It made the whole scenery mysterious. I was out of the burned area and protected by the forest quite a bit. With so much moisture in the air after the rain, the forest was giving away an amazing aroma like a freshly cut Christmas tree all day long for days, and perhaps that’s why I felt strong and healthy as I hiked to Butte. I was able to hike over 30 miles a day consistently and easily. I went over some steep passes like Plister Pass, Rainbow Pass, and Cut Away Pass, and none of the passes were over 10,000 feet. It felt easier than going over passes in Colorado or Wyoming, although it is very steep. I passed beautiful lakes and saw wildflowers still blooming in the woods. Anaconda Wilderness is remote- I didn’t see anyone for the first three days, and only saw four hikers in the last two days. I enjoyed solitude in the mountains. 

On day 4, I met Sara, a ranger from Montana Fish and Wildlife, driving on the dirt road. She was kind and shared her water with me. Since my water filter has been clogged and takes a long time to filter water, her water saved me a lot of time in the afternoon and lasted to the camp. When she saw me wearing a bear spray, she appreciated it and told me that many thru-hikers don’t carry it. I told her that it weighs a pound, and the bear canister is about a pound and a half. Many thru-hikers choose lightweight over gear that is required or recommended. I told her that I would rather model a behavior that would respect and protect the wildlife and nature. 

On the last day, when I came out to resupply, I was excited to see Brett and Sallie, my new friends I had made in Yellowstone. They live in Bozeman and offered to come pick me up at Butte and bring me to their home. I told them that it was a long drive, and Brett said it’s only 1 hour and 15 minutes. They used to work in Yellowstone and drove to Jackson for socializing often. For them, it’s not a long drive, and they insisted that I stay with them. I took the offer. Brett greeted me at the Rocky Ridge Trailhead in the morning. It was so nice to see him! Sallie read my blog and figured out my favorite treats like Kitehill Almond milk yogurt and Kombucha. She packed them up, and Brett showed up with these treats! I asked him if he knew what a trail angel is, and he said no. I told him that he and Sallie are now trail angels for me. Bozeman is now known as Bozangeles- a California-like town! There is an REI and a Whole Foods store! I have to say that I was excited to go to the stores and get things that I am familiar with. I have become a Californian! In the evening, we had Thai food for dinner with their great stories from the time they worked in Yellowstone and to their travels around the world. 

I couldn’t believe how kind they were to take me into their home. We met once and had a brief conversation on the third floor of Old Faithful Inn when I got a hole in my leg. Brett said, “You’re easy, Miho.” I think he meant it’s easy to connect. So they are. Some connections take a long time to build. Some are instant. Either way, I think it is amazing how it works. Look at us- we are all smiling, happy in each other’s presence, building relationships and getting to know and understand each other. It is spontaneous. I am open and accept what the world is offering to me. It is one of the most beautiful things that thru-hiking is teaching me. 

So, I will be open and looking forward to whatever comes my way. In other words, live in the moment and see how it goes.