July 8, 2018. One stealth camp at Bunker Hill Creek 24 miles to a roadside camp at Midge Creek.
It sprinkled during the night. I was surprised some drops had made it through the canopy to my tent.
I was very sore. I got rolling in the deep woods. Soon, I was on a forest service road heading to a river in the bottom of the valley. I was going through the Yaak valley.
There was not much to see. I dropped down in to the valley, followed a few paved raods for a few miles and saw three vehicles. I suppose 8:00 am on a Sunday morning is not a time most folks are out. The town of Yaak is about 10 miles south, but I had no desire to see it.
Eventually I left the paved roads for a forest service road that climbed. It was a hot sunny day so I tried to move to the side with the most shade as I hiked. I saw only one vehicle in four hours on the road. I put on the audiobook to break the monotony.
Another mountain, another Lookout that can be rented. Garver Mountain Lookout tower was at the very top, but I stayed on the trail. Once past the lookout, I was on trail, not road, it was nice and slightly rolling in the woods, but still a bit warm.
Eventually, the trail descended to more forest service roads which were my future for the rest of the day. I saw absolutley nobody for the last five miles.
At the end, the road just stopped at a bridge. It was as if it had been maintained just to get to the next section of trail. There was a gravel turnaround that had become slightly overgrown with grass. I was going to pitch my tent here.
Just as I had reached that decision, a big white pickup appeared. The occupants were disappointed the road ended. The driver kept insisting there was a back-road way to go from Eureka to Bonners Ferry. I showed him my phone app map and he seemed disappointed, like somebody just explained there is no northwest passage.
I threw together my dinner and campsite. I did startle a few small mice that bolted through the grass. Great, I thought. I ended up hanging my backpack and food bag.
25 miles.
backpacking over the hill 