[Day 87] Sheep Experimental Zone

Of the Montana-Idaho border section, I (jokingly) have anticipated this area of trail very much… well, at least the signage and whatever hopeful, potential interactions it might hold. I entered the Sheep Experimental Zone — a segment on the divide where the US Sheep Station grazes sheep with the intention of improving “the genetic merit, nutrition, health, and reproductive efficiency of the sheep.” Right. Now, show me the cloned, mutant, purple sheep. The herds are protected by guard dogs, and I am more interesting in the dogs in all honesty.

My start was late, as per usual after a town exit. I intended for a 35-mile day, but I knew that wasn’t in the books. I enjoyed the late start though. The terrain was somewhat reminiscent of the Three Sisters Wilderness in Oregon — dry powdery earth, healthy, flowering vegetation, and some volcanic rock (not to the same extent as Oregon). Interestingly enough, I am about on the same lines of latitude as the Sisters region of Oregon. Latitudinally, I have noticed terrain and weather feature similarities between the PCT and CDT. The deserts are on-par. The San Juan’s and Collegiate’s align with the High Sierra fairly closely. Now, I find feelings of Oregon due east in the Centennials of Idaho and Montana.

The trail followed ridge around Taylor Mountain, which falls in the range of the Centennial Mountains. Observing on a map, this arcing, squiggly portion of Montana-Idaho border is defined by the Continental Divide itself. Prior to my interest in the divide, I always assumed a river defined the border. The more northern part of the border is defined by the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains with the border definition shifting away from the divide somewhere about Salmon, Idaho. A few occasional border markers provided the clarity on which side I was on. Switchbacks often zigzag right atop the border.

“Dry-daho” has been a valid nomenclature for this part of the trail. I had a water carry of 17 miles today, which I managed on one liter of water. I’ve been pulling these stunts of dehydration since New Mexico. Maybe I’m a mutant sheep. Unfortunately, I exited the Sheep Experimental Zone without a sight of the sheep or dogs. Darn.

After the ridge walking, I dipped into some dry forests with occasional meadow and stream crossings. The vegetation became more dense later in the day when I hit a burn region in Targhee National Forest. By this time, I needed camp, but the widow makers were plentiful. I found a low vegetation, very sloped spot feet off trail, and pitched my tent. It wasn’t the worst night of sleep, but I did slowly creep towards the end of my tent throughout the night.

Signing off,

Zeppelin / fReaK (ON a leash)