Yellowstone has been on my bucket list since I was a child. I always wanted to see Old Faithful. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s better not to meet your childhood heroes that can’t live up to the hype you’ve created in your mind.

The Tetons are an unofficial alternate route for the CDT. They’ve been on my bucket list for years, and I’m so close to them. I had to do them.

The beautiful mountains of the Wind River Range were a welcome sight after Wyoming’s Red Desert. The Winds have two highly-praised CDT alternates that you can take instead of the main route: Cirque of the Towers and Knapsack Col.

I woke up at 2 A.M. and heard a gnawing noise. Still groggy, I listened a bit more. Yep. Gnawing noise coming from the rock next to me. I grab my headlamp, turn it on, and there’s a porcupine butt in my face.

Cresting a mountain top, I was surrounded by multiple storms. Rain and lightning all around me. But I had to push on. I had to find drinkable water.

After my last heartbreaking post, I wanted to post a more upbeat message. Like one about horny toads, lemonade stands, and wild mustangs.

I stood there, watching her walk away, not knowing what to do. It felt surreal, like I was an observer watching a movie that suddenly took an unsettling twist. I was powerless to do anything about it, so I just sat in my seat, cringing as I watched the movie unfold. It was the loneliest day of my life.