Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 2 108 When asked why I was on the trail with Charlie and Ranger, I at first said it was to see the trail and experience its beauty. But my answer evolved over time into letting other hikers know it was to heal from a climbing accident I'd had four weeks earlier that had left me without part of my left ring finger and how I felt uncertain about my future— something I had kept well hid- den until hiking on the CDT. As we hiked further and I let myself become more immersed in the wilderness, I lost myself in the sheer beauty of the area. Wildflowers seemed to go on forever, creating what looked like rivers flowing down into the valleys below. There were sunsets that had even Charlie stop- ping in her tracks to take them in. The CDT became home. A comfortable place to lay my head and listen for the night to come alive with the hoot of an owl in the distance or the hooves of elk as they ran past us. Our days were spent briefly chatting with others and laugh- ing about the drama that sometimes followed them along the trail. I met one woman who was searching for a hiker and asked if I knew him. As she tried describing him, I asked if she knew his name, and she said, "No, I don't actually know his real name…" I looked at her, and we both burst out laughing. She eventually found who she was looking for; I remembered him because he liked to keep his shirt unbuttoned to his navel. I called him Don Juan. Proba- bly not his real name or even trail name, but it fit. I found out that trail magic can be anything from a cold beer to Snickers bars left by trail angels, people from the community who support the thru-hikers by leaving items at certain stops. Char- lie and Ranger became a hit on the CDT and a great ice- breaker for most people. We settled into a routine; I didn't find myself seeking others, but enjoyed my own compa- ny with Charlie and Ranger to talk to. As we ended our thru-hike in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilder- ness and I was putting everything back into the truck, I was sad to leave and started thinking of where I could go next to catch the trail. I headed north to hike it through Glacier National Park. Sadly, Charlie and Ranger could not go with me, so I de- cided to do a day hike instead and camp at Two Medicine. I ended up doing an 18-mile section starting at Many Gla- cier that wound its way up Swiftcurrent Pass and hit a side trail to an overlook. This section of the trail is well traveled but still wild with thick brush well over my head in areas. The day I went called for highs in the 90s, so I started early, which meant I might encounter wildlife on the trail. As I started the switchbacks up the pass, a lone bull moose passed by me and disappeared into the trees, silently head-

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