CDT Day 137 Trail Magic to Helena 

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1st September

22.5 miles

(2288.9) to Helena (2311.4)

My body felt strong for the first couple of miles hiking on the undulating trail. After almost two hours of hiking I took a short rest break to eat my second breakfast. A short distance away was the call of an Elk. It’s described as a bugle call. I could only describe the bugle call  as that of a high pitched amateur bugle player.

A couple of miles later I was hiking on a forestry road. An RV was parked on the side of the road. The occupants called for me. It was my old hiking buddy Luckys parents. Apparently Lucky is only just behind me. I thought he was days behind. They showered me with fresh fruit and coffee. It was great to catch up with them and Luckys dogs that were along for the ride.

I lasted several more miles of roadwalking before the CDT turned off the road and back to trail. I was quite tired so I dropped my pack, lay down and slept for about 40 minutes. I woke feeling refreshed.

The next 10 miles of hiking came easy. I had energy. I did take a slight detour due to my poor map reading skills. As the sun started to disappear behind storm clouds another hiker caught up to me. It was Lucky and his dog, Doug. They had ran down the trail chasing me. Lucky arrived at the his parents RV only 10 minutes after I left. We chatted and hiked together for the last mile to the road. His parents were there with the RV. They fed me a large bowl of pasta primavera which contained much needed vegetables, then there was the Dr Pepper to wash it down. I had been spoiled.

Soon after a group of hikers arrived. Many of which I hadn’t seen since New Mexico, 1600 miles ago. Karate Kid, Ledge, Two Ply, Polar Bear, Rampage and Mooncup all joined us at the RV. A decision formed that had all of us cramming into the RV and staying at an RV park in Helena. A stop at the grocery store and yet another meal was cooked up at the RV park. I was introduced to a thing called a root beer float, root beer and ice cream. I’m hooked. Thank you for the kind hospitality Mr & Mrs Lucky.

Next – Day 138-139 Leaving the Capital of Montana

Everything you need to know about hiking the CDT:
Complete Guide to Hiking the Continental Divide Trail
CDT Resupply Guide
CDT Gear List

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About the Author:
Brad is an Australian who has completed the hiking Triple Crown after he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail. He has hiked on every continent (except Antarctica) and has cycled from Alaska to Ecuador. He is an expert on outdoor gear currently living in Chile.

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10 thoughts on “CDT Day 137 Trail Magic to Helena ”

  1. RV people are most often the most generous and kind that one can find. Along with hikers and those of us that enjoy being out with nature.

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