We went up to Lander and stayed at the Sleeping Bear RV Park and Campground. A small place positioned on a hilltop with nice views of the city below.
Here’s our spot for the night:
We could only spend one night there and then the next day we had to move to a different location.
We arrived about an hour before Molli and Jeff Wills and Flip got there. That gave us enough time to clean the Busse Bus and get ready for their arrival.
Molli and Jeff own the lot across the street from us at the Myakka River Motorcoach Resort (MRMR) and they are currently hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) with Flip whom they met two summers ago while they hiked the Appalachian Trail. Their current hike is about 2900 miles and they plan on completing it within 5 1/2 months. We were lucky enough to be able to meet up with them!
I think that Molli missed Bear:
We made some homemade burgers and some sweet potatoes for all of us:
They appreciated some home cooked food.
The next day Katrina joined them for a 19.7 mile hike. I didn’t go because of my knee, Bear, had to move sites, and it didn’t sound like fun. I dropped them off about 30 miles south to begin their journey on the CDT for the day.
When they were done hiking they picked up their Jeep that they left strategically on the trail days before.
While they were gone I was able to move the Busse Bus to our new site. Check out this view:
Now, compare that to Jeff and Molli and Flip’s site:
And Jeff told me that the reason they do these hikes is because it is fun! Really? Fun? Hiking a marathon each day, sleeping on the ground, toting your tent, food and water and pooping in the woods does not sound like fun to me. To each their own! Have fun!
Katrina made today’s hike with them and in reality she hiked 22.1 miles!! What a trooper! Here’s what they saw on the trail:
They hiked through creeks, dirt, and blowdowns. Blowdowns are where trees have been blown down across the trail. Usually they occur due to wind and are grouped together making passage difficult.
Check out these two “sisters”:
All were still smiling at the end!
They were all tired (and sore) when they returned and I had dinner waiting for them. Smoked steak, salad, sweet potatoes and asparagus. After preparing and cooking all afternoon they swallowed it down in no time. I’m so glad they liked it! Jeff stated that it was the best meal that they have had on trail.
We got a chance to relax after dinner and talk and watch the 202One Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies. After they started to fall asleep in the Busse Bus, they decided that they needed to head off to their tents. We offered our extra beds to all three of them, but they wanted to sleep in familiar surroundings. Check out the sunset out of our front window:
Although a bit hazy from nearby fires, still beautiful against the mountain range!
The next morning Katrina made pancakes and I made Bloody Mary’s.
Bloody’s were enjoyed by all:
It was nice spending time with them. We did nothing all day except snack, drink and watch the Olympics. I’m not sure who was more tired, Molli or Bear:
For dinner we headed into town and decided to eat at the Gannett Grill. Lots of CDT hikers and bikers around.
We got to try some beers from Lander Brewing while we munching on salads, burgers and pizza.
Around the corner was an ice cream place called the Scream Shack. Flip, Jeff and I enjoyed a scoop or two or three!
Thank you Wills for dinner and drinks! Thank you Flip for the cold dessert!
Since the Sleeping Bear could not accommodate their tents this evening, they needed to get hotel rooms. Once they got settled in, they came back over to relax and watch some more Olympics. Nice evening!
The next day they needed to move onto their next hiking segment, but before they left they stopped by. Jeff and I got up on the roof of the Busse Bus to see if we could figure out why our air conditioners were acting up. We concluded that our rear AC was fried and needed to be replaced. The front one we believe just froze up with our front door open. Hope so. It was 98 degrees in Lander and we plan on hitting hotter temperatures throughout the summer. This may put a damper on our travels.
For lunch we headed back to the Gannett Grill. As you can see we didn’t have a whole lot of choices in town.
We all ordered different foods than the previous night so it felt like we went to a different place. Again the three boys went for ice cream at the Scream Shack. All you have to do is order something different.
After lunch the hikers needed to get moving along. As we said our goodbyes I can tell you a few tears were shed.
Katrina and I watched the Olympics all afternoon. What a great stop for us! Relaxing! Seeing friends!
The following morning we were up and out as we needed to drive to Salt Lake City and see some more friends of ours.
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