For the first time since New Mexico we actually camped with a few people. We all set out from Marias pass after a shuttle ride from Looking Glass hostel and kept nearly the same pace for a few days. The first few days setting out in the Bob Marshall Wilderness we’re a little eerie, but the hiking was pretty mellow with a few good climbs and some long burn scars where the sun beat down or exposed us to rain. We were finally getting some rhythm and familiarity in grizzly country. We camped by a stream with Toodles and Spood the first night, where’s Spood attempted to summon every bear in the forest by cooking bacon for his macaroni and cheese. At the end of the second day Goat, a thru-hiker from Japan, joined the four us around the fire Spood built and we all stayed up a little too late drying our feet and enjoying the company.
On the afternoon of the third day, we finally reached the Chinese Wall –a massive and striking rock escarpment deep in the heart of the Bob. Really, this formation is majestic. Photos simply don’t do it justice. The trail along the wall follows it for about 10 miles, but around the halfway point we passed a beautiful little campsite right along the cliff face. As we scouted, we both knew we were stopping early. This place was too perfect. With a big fat marmot keeping us company most of the evening, we camped alone, ate early, played some cards, and generally enjoyed the scenery and atmosphere in this magical place. Being roughly a 40 mile round trip from the nearest trailhead to where we were, even most locals do not get the chance to visit this area.
We left the wall the next morning and followed the fairly gentle hike all the way out to Benchmark trailhead. Along the way we passed several horse caravans loaded with gear to venture out and make camp somewhere in the wilderness. Montana is far more Montanaey then I ever gave it credit for. We reached the trailhead in the evening and caught a ride with some backpackers headed back to Augusta where we planned to resupply and catch showers and laundry at a campground. Being one of the only two options for town resupplies, there were a bunch of thru-hikers around the campground picnic tables when we arrived, many of which were already familiar faces.