My Continental Divide Trail Adventure: The Great Divide Basin

We got a hitch from Lander back to the trail in South Pass in the back of an old open bed pick up truck. The ride was a bit questionable at times but everyone held on and made it in one piece. When we got to South Pass City we wandered around the old ghost town which never succeeded apparently. We picked up our packages from the general store which included a great care package from AM., umbrellas, and our resupply. We filled up on water and our packs definitely got heavier. Our plan for surviving the basin was to wake up early, (be hiking by 6:30am at the latest) hike until noon then break during the hottest part of the day (usually noon to 3), then hike until dark (usually around 8). The first day we left South Pass City I was able to fulfill a childhood dream and hike on the Oregon Trail. The next day we took a Ley's alternative which had water and shade... so what's the catch? A major bush wack that took all day! The rest of the basin was pretty much all the same. Flat, no shade, no water, and lots of antelope. The sunrises and sunsets were gorgeous but the rest of the day was brutal. Nothing but sand and sage. We did see elk, antelope, wild horses, and jack rabbits. We heard packs of coyotes yipping and almost tripped over several badger holes but I'm happy we avoided both. We got a quick hitch into Rawlins and the gentlemen told us a lot about the area and showed us some really neat pieces of petrified wood he had before dropping us off in town. Our first stop was lunch, an all you can eat buffet at Pizza Hut. We then ran around and finished our town errands before winding down. The basin definitely wiped me out. The next section was supposed to be another road walk without shade and included a 30 mile stretch without water. The road walks are tough on the dogs especially when there's no shade. I wanted to find a way to let the dogs have a couple days off without putting us farther behind schedule so I started looking for kennels. I ended up finding Christi Chapman who was willing to help us out. She works with rescue and had a foster who was willing to watch the dogs for a couple days. Christi was super helpful and even transported our dogs to Encampment for us. We pushed through the section quick checking our phones regularly to make sure our dogs and the foster person were all alive. We had some weather coming into Encampment and felt the temperature drop drastically. We made it in and out of Encampment with rested dogs and a break in the weather. Next stop Colorado!

A bit breezy in the back of the truck...

Yup flat and no shade...

A bit blurry but still had to post the Oregon Trail picture

Wild horses

Spins found a little lizard : )

At our water source... Yes we used lots of drink mixes to hide chunks and flavor. The umbrellas provided relief from the sun. Happy dogs playing : ) Hinanu goes straight for the jugular.