Tag Archives: @stevehalteman

Mission Accomplished. Made it to Canada, and ran into an old friend!

(September 19, 2018, Canada! Day 115 and 3000 miles)

Well, after 3000 miles and 115 days of hiking, I reached the Canadian border.

All smiles, I had time to dance a little jig.

And then the rain came down and it was time to move on.

Without a doubt, the hardest physical endeavor of my life. And worth every step.

After crossing the border I hitched up to Calgary where I had the pleasure of running into an old friend. A friend I had shared the road with through Sudan, the Central African Republic and Zaire back in the wild late 80s. And a friend who I hadn’t crossed paths with in the subsequent 30 years.

Catching up was the icing on the cake after hiking the CDT.

Below is the final installment of pictures and text. Thanks so much for following along and your support along the way. It meant a lot.

 

Bighorn sheep blockade on the trail. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

Climbing out of a valley field with an inversion. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

And descending into yet another inversion. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

A climb for the future. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

Had a Mexican standoff for a while with this guy on the trail. I was the first to yield. And I have a video to prove it. Check Facebook shortly and you will see for yourself! (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

Headed down from a pass in Glacier National Park. The CDT is visible in the foreground and to the right. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

Fall near the Canadian border. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

Made it! (Selfie by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

Official finishing point. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

THE END! (Of the CDT)

Note from Admin: Knowing Steven “Blast,” he’ll be off on another adventure before his face thaws out.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 110 – Mile 2914 – Bad Ankles, Bears, and Dead Horses

(September 14, 2018, on the CDT Pushing Towards Canada)

Hello all. 100 miles to go. And the CDT is beginning to push back.

There’s a fire up ahead that has closed some of the trails.

The weather has turned cold and snow and rain are in the forecast.

But the biggest obstacle is my right ankle, that has decided it is no longer interested in hiking and swollen up. Thought about going to a doctor but I suspect the diagnosis would be an overuse injury. (Yeah uh huh.) Anyway, I’ve been practicing my one-legged hop and am certain Canada is still reachable.

Here is the latest batch of what caught my eye.

Not too much else to tell. Though I was attacked by a wild animal in my tent. I knew it was bound to happen. About 3 AM I felt something tugging on my feet. Sure it was something that was going to drag me out of my tent I grabbed my bear spray and headlamp to do battle. But the grizzly turned out to be a large toad who had wandered into the tent and was hopping around on my feet. I put the grabs on him and he or she promptly pissed all over my hand and sleeping bag. Which greatly increased the aggressiveness of their departure.

The only other story of note involved water preparation. I filled my bottle out of a creek, added water purification drops and then a little drink powder. Right before imbibing I noticed a 1-inch long sea dragon-looking creature swimming merrily around in my bottle. Apparently immune to water purification drops. After all that preparation there was no choice. The sea dragons death coming when they hit the straining barrier of my teeth. And that’s all from the trail. On to Canada.

A very recent fire. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

The end of a typical day. Time to find a flat spot to pitch the tent. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Fall comes to a cemetery. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

A lean back in my night kitchen. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Apparently the Bob Marshall wilderness is hell on horses. As there are dead ones all over the place. Grizzly bears claim the carcass and hang out gnawing on rotting flesh. And are quite perturbed should you pass nearby. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

(Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

(Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Found a hat on the trail and decided to try out food banditry. Waited for a few hours, but no one came along. Failed criminality is depressing. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

The Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall wilderness. The wall extends for something like 16 miles. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

The sound of this happening must have rivaled thunder. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Physics-defying wildfire victim. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

A history of northbound CDT hikers. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Getting ready to head up and over. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Grizzly bear poop. Couldn’t see any horse in it. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

The merry-go-round tree phenomenon. For some reason, one in 1,000 trees grows like this. And always reminds me of a ride on a merry-go-round. (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

This is Steve Halteman, Signing Off from the CDT – Canada here we come!

 

Lincoln, Montana – 300 miles to go

(September 6, 2018, Lincoln, Montana)

I can smell the border. 300 miles to go.

Body is getting grumpy but that is what Alleve is for toward the end.

Lots of fires ahead, but I’m getting quite good at sneaking around them.

With a little luck, I’ll kiss a Mapleleaf in a couple of weeks.

Fall comes to the pine forest. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

History of a wildfire memorialized by the survivors. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

My birthday gift on the day I turned 55. Stumbled upon a 100-year-old wooden railway trestle bridge being taken over by the forest. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

The only remainder of Anaconda, Montana’s famous smelter. The brick masonry smokestack is taller than the Washington monument. At its rim, it is wide enough and strong enough for a Cadillac to complete a circumference. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

My favorite bar in Anaconda. Took my first day off since leaving Rawlins, Wyoming on August 1 in Anaconda. The plan was to relax and relax some more. But my room was over another bar and it was karaoke night. Nothing to do but sing-along from my bed until 4 AM. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Laundry after four days on the trail. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

9 PM bath for a moose. Both of us avoiding a fire up on the ridge. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

What happened when the fish crossed the road? (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

An incredibly labor-intensive fence that tracked the CDT for miles. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Getting ready to hike into an inversion, (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Bone directions to a spring. (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Steven “Blast” Halteman, signing off from the CDT!

 

Day 68 – 1/2 Way to the End of the CDT!

(July 1, 2018) But before I left for Ireland… This happened…

Well folks made it past the halfway point. I am in Rock Springs, Wyoming hanging out with the hotel clerk who spent 30 years in the army. He was shot five times. In Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan and Desert Storm twice.

He also happens to share my daughter’s birthday which is today.

People are so fascinating.

Waiting for a plane and taking the month of July off to celebrate birthdays. Klaire‘s 50th, Fumiko’s 15th and Mom’s 80th. Parties taking place in Ireland, England, and Belize.

Hope to fatten up and then get back on the trail August 1 for a race to the Canadian border against the snows.

Here are some pictures that take you up to Rawlins, Wyoming.

Hope for an improvement in the weather (photo by Steven Halteman)

Bit of a Zen garden I came upon (photo by Steven Halteman)

A cocoon grouping of the striped bandolier butterfly (photo by Steven Halteman)

A moose who decided that he wasn’t in the mood to charge after all (photo by Steven Halteman)

The columbine flower has just made an appearance. State flower of Colorado. And a flower with a now unfortunate association. (photo by Steven Halteman)

This wilderness area is officially called the Never Summer wilderness. I agree. As I hiked along the ridge in a snowstorm on June 24. The thunder I could hear. But the lightning I couldn’t see to determine how far away it was. Fear is a powerful motivator. But to keep going forward or retreat to lower elevations and tree cover becomes a difficult question. (photo by Steven Halteman)

Shiva trees (photo by Steven Halteman)

Formal CDT border crossing between Colorado and Wyoming
(photo by Steven Halteman)

Butterflies on a coyote poop buffet. (photo by Steven Halteman)

After a 12 hour/36 mile hike I laid down in the sagebrush at the edge of the trail, had barbecued potato chips and beef jerky for dinner and caught the 9 PM show. (Photo by Steve Halteman)

The last view window. Took a tour of the Wyoming Frontier Prison which closed in 1981 after 70 years of operation. Tough place to be incarcerated. Only got heat and hot water in the 1970s. With a 20° temperature differential between inside and outside the building. With temperatures outside that could reach 50 below, you can imagine what a cold shower felt like. Apparently, the cold showers weren’t optional. If you refused you got the fire hose outside. Anyway, this was the hanging room. And when the noose was placed over the condemned person’s head this was the window they looked out of for their last view. But for one final bit of cruelty, all the hangings took place at night. (photo by Steven Halteman)

Not a nice place to end your life. (photo by Steven Halteman)

 

A Break to Discover Ireland Again

(Ireland, July 26, 2018) All hiking and no play sometimes makes for a dull adventurer!

…Steve took a break to reconnect with his family and enjoy a trip to Ireland.

Here are his photos for your viewing pleasure!

Part of my traveling crew (photo by Steven Halteman)

 

Other ships’ messages to Titanic and her responses. Right before she hit an iceberg and sank. (photo by Steven Halteman)

The current position of the Irish Republican Army Northern Ireland. Had a great chat with a guy that had served 15 years in an English prison for being a member of the IRA. (photo by Steven Halteman)

Londonderry city wall (photo by Steven Halteman)

Crumbling tower without a name. (photo by Steven Halteman)

Celtic cross (photo by Steven Halteman)

Medieval tomb with pillow and body fluid drains (photo by Steven Halteman)

Double good luck in Ireland. (photo by Steven Halteman)

Architects that knew how to create a destination within a building. (Photo by Steven Halteman)

Rock of Cashel (photo by Steven Halteman)

Incredibly rough day for one family. (photo by Steven Halteman)

Body found in a bog. Which is basically a semi swamp. The body is over 1000 years old. The individual had been decapitated and mutilated and was a giant for his time being over 6‘3“. He had had his nipples got off. Which prevented him from becoming a king. Apparently, at that time the way to show submission to a king was to suck on his nipples. Note the amulet still on his upper arm. (photo by Steven Halteman)

Slice of rock that records the arrival of oxygen on earth. Apparently the sudden saturation of oxygen left behind iron oxide which is the red band you can see. Prior to that in the lower sections of rock, there was no oxygen. In other words, you’re looking at a photograph that documents the arrival of life on Planet Earth. (photo by Steven Halteman)

 

Day 60 mile 1460 – Leaving Colorado, Entering Wyoming, Pt. 2

(June 23, 2018, Steven “Blast” Halteman, Hiking the CDT)

Ok..there were too many photos to put into one post!

Continuing the journey from Colorado into Wyoming…This is Pt. 2, where I meet Mountain Goats at 14,000 ft, reach the summit of Grey’s Peak, and try to solve romantic mysteries.

Five hours along a knife ridge to reach Grey’s Peak at something over 14,000 feet. Surprised this guy who went running along rocks that I was crawling over (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Finally the summit of that Grey’s Peak (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Roses and half a bottle of Jamison’s. An unsolved mystery at the top of a 13,000-foot peak (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Sleepy hollow (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Storm rolling in (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

I guess everything has a soul (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Wildfires or daybreak? (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

This is Steven “Blast” Halteman…signing off till next time.

See you on the trail.

Day 60 mile 1460 – Leaving Colorado, Entering Wyoming, Pt. 1

1950s outhouse (Photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

(June 23, 2018, Steven “Blast” Halteman, somewhere on the CDT)

Still cruising.

About to step into Wyoming away from Colorado.

The hike endless.

Some days are magical strolling through shadowed forests alone with gossamer spider strands trailing from my face.

And some days are all mud, moose charges and endless grinding climbs upward.

Kind of like life.

A 13,000-foot pass with shades of Nepal (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

1920s outhouse (photo by Steven”Blast” Halteman)

 

Old bunker at Fort Hale where the 10th Mountain Division trained for World War II (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

Trail over red slopes (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

 

The remains of the Pennsylvania Mine (photo by Steven “Blast” Halteman)

CONTINUED on Part 2…

Day 18 on the CDT, 553 Mostly Solo Miles and Some Interesting Podcasts

(Somewhere in New Mexico, on the CDT, May 10, 2018) Hello all. Still cruising along making good time. Everything seems to be holding together. Physically anyway. Mentally though things have slipped a little. I’ve noticed hours on end where I don’t have a thought. So I’ve taken to late afternoon podcasts. Now listening to a 20 hour dialectic on the origins of World War I. Yes indeed. Have hiked solo the whole way. So far. Haven’t met anyone that matches my approach/pace. But that’s just fine. Hope all is chipper wherever you are.

And, no, I’m not captioning these yet…just some memorable moments along the trail. Enjoy!

This is Steven “Blast” Halteman, signing off till next time. Happy hiking!

 

Day Six of the CDT and a Line for the Bathroom ?!?

It’s Day Six on the CDT and I’m 165 miles in. Only 3000 more to go.

As some or most of you know I’m tackling the Continental Divide Trail.

Heading northbound from Mexico through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Should take 4 to 5 months depending on a whole hell of a lot. As 3000+ miles is a long way to walk. Took an Amtrak to Lordsburg, New Mexico, and the starting point.

Already seeing some interesting sights:

First hurdle on Steve Halteman’s CDT hike. 3000 more miles to go.

Old school fence on the CDT.

An Italian immigrant living in New York had a vision to come to the desert and hand build a church. Sometime in the 1950s. He picked Hachita, New Mexico, population 36, from a map. Then made his way there. The visionary then spent many a year constructing his stone homage to Christ solo. Christ’s reception was not as anticipated. For three days before the first service was to be held in the almost finished cathedral, our visionary climbed under his truck to check on something. Then was run over and killed when the truck mysteriously slipped out of gear.

In the busy morning hours, there was a line for the outdoor bathrooms on the CDT.

This is Steven “Blast” Halteman on the CDT, signing off!