Continental Divide Trail #12: The Great Basin, WY!

This wild white horse came to check on Porter as he hiked through a thunderstorm in the Great Basin of Wyoming.


The Great Basin is known for being thick with ticks, but Porter came through tick-free, thanks to coating his pants, gaiters, socks, and shoes with permethrin and subjecting himself to his tick-inspector’s standards.

As a reward, Amber climbed up to post this sign on the Dairy Land in Lander.


We visited NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, where Porter’s love for outdoor adventure began at the age of sixteen. He was part of the 1968 graduating class in NOLS’s third year.


My adventures finding Porter on mazes of unmarked dirt roads out in the middle of nowhere continue. We celebrated our respective victories at Cowfish Restaurant.

32 comments on “Continental Divide Trail #12: The Great Basin, WY!

  1. The fabulously beautiful wild horse is clearly a sign of the wild adventure you are both sharing!!

    Love to you and Porter (and Amber!) —

    Brenda

  2. The Great White Horse: sounds like the reality of a vision quest! Porter has put in lots of miles to see this! I am so happy for him and you that the “pilgrimage” pays off for you, Porter and Amber. Keep on trekkin’.. My sister and I explored the Havasupai reservation, waterfall, canyon wall and travertine pools in the Grand Canyon a couple of weeks ago. . . a microcosm of Porter’s adventure. This one could be for you, Gail!

  3. What an adventure! Porter is so lucky to have you for his support team, but tick investigation sounds a little kinky to me–is there a video? LOL. Wishing you guys good weather and may the good times roll!

  4. Wow, what an adventure! Porter is/will be hiking in the Wind River range, one I’ve always wanted to experience. My hikes were never this long, but I have hiked in Yellowstone and the Tetons and looked longingly at the WR range while driving nearby. Possibly my most scenic hike ever was the Teton’s Garnet Trail. It’s great to follow the three of you on this journey. Amber is a gifted trail angel. Best of luck to all of you.

    • Thank you, Frank, and great to know that you’ve hiked in Yellowstone and the Tetons! I just dropped off Porter on the trail to begin hiking in the Wind River range. Warm regards!

  5. Thank you for this-such a treat. I am amused, amazed at the wonders, sentiments, and companionship you and Porter share on this journey. I love the horse checking on Porter and his tick inspecting thoroughness. The visit to his wilderness leadership school -profound. How cool is having Porter’s name on Dairy Land -no doubt Amber has clout. And of course you celebrate your reunions -sweet and exciting when you find each other at the end of a hike. Romantic. Mercury is going direct this afternoon and the energy will flow better for everyone now too… <3

  6. hunnies!!!! i LOVE the dairyland sign, the horse, the NOLS…. did you happen to stop at the noble hotel and check out the gorgeous stained glass? i LOVE lander, and wyoming, and you guys.

    xx

    • Lisa, thanks so much for the heads-up about the Noble Hotel–I’ll definitely go check it out tomorrow! I love Lander too, I had no idea it was such a great place. Besides Cowfish, we love the Lander Bar and Gannett Grill. All the women here have full-arm and full-leg tattoos! I dropped off Porter this morning back onto the CDT for his hike into the Wind River Range, and will meet him next week at Big Sandy Lodge (no electricity, just kerosene lanterns!) halfway through for his resupply. From Big Sandy I head to Jackson, Dubois, Togwotee Lodge, West Yellowstone, then maybe Lima and Butte. Hope all is fab with you!

  7. Glad to hear you hung out in Lander! Must’ve been fun for Porter to see NOLS in its current incarnation. Is the Thai restaurant still there? It’s a must try!!! (or it was) Enjoyed seeing the sign cheering Porter onward. The Wind Rivers are fabulous. Stream crossings can be tricky! not sure which side of the divide he’ll be hiking on but the Fitzpatrick wilderness is stellar. Honeymoon lake-lots of fish in the lakes usually. Bravo to you both-not easy to find your way on those back roads.

  8. You guys are both AMAZING. Always glad to get an update so I know you’re making progress. Yeah.
    Jerrie

    • Thanks, Jerrie, yes, we’re making progress, although you should see us trying to figure out the huge puzzle of CDT route possibilities, trail pick-ups and drop-offs, motel options and how to get from there to here to there when there are mountains and lakes in the way LOL!

  9. Not surprising, but unknown to me, that Porter started his love of environmental adventure as a NOLS kid. It’s inspiring to see how that has continued throughout his life, and will be for both of you in the future.

    That horse looks so tuned int.

  10. Looks like you got a warm welcome in my once-home, usually cold state of Wyoming. But then who wouldn’t be happy to see you two happy folks coming? Love keeping up with your travels through these posts. Did you have cow, fish, or cowfish at that restaurant?

    • Julene, we love Wyoming, and I’ve thought of you often while here. We had dinner at Cowfish enough times we had both cow and fish! ;-D Hope all is great with you!

  11. So glad to hear all is well for you and Porter (and Amber :). What a wonderful experience to have a beautiful white, wild horse appear out of nowhere. I’m sure it’s a good sign, and I’m glad you are able to sort out the roads and meet up eventually (thank heavens for cell phones, eh)! All is well for us here in Boulder. I’m back in the saddle again, over twenty people were in class on Monday at the pool, and we’re having a June B-day brunch next Friday the 26th at the Egg n I. When is your B-day, by the way? Hope you have a terrific week, and know that we are all looking forward to your posts and updates regarding your journey and your experiences. All the Best, Andrea and Del

    • Thank you, dear Andrea. I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon cruise, and I know everyone must be glad to see you back in aquatic fitness group! I let Marsha know that I’ll miss celebrating Jess’s birthday–please wish her a Happy Birthday from me. (My birthday is July 15, so I hope to be there with you all the summer after this, so nice of you to ask.)

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