ATLANTIC CITY, WY
I have had a lot of good camp spots, but last night was one of the best for sure. I made it over a peak leaving me 10 miles to South Pass City. I was next to a creek for water supply, and I found a magically soft, flat spot in the trees to pitch a tent.
My water filter is pumping, but I am still concerned about it. I am backflushing vigorously every chance I get.
I got an early start, and maybe that is why I felt light headed for a while. I had a few minor climbs that taxed me a bit, but it was mostly flat and easy.
Then I noticed the skies darkening and a major storm behind me. It did rain on me a bit, but mostly went around me.
The trail was mostly on dirt road, until it wasn’t. It took me across uneven ground covered in sage brush. Not fun!
I got into South Pass City about 10:00 am. I wandered around a bit enjoying the history, and then went into the historic preservation section of the city. I stopped at the mercantile and had a delightful toffee with a sarsaparilla and enjoyed talking with the clerk. They also had a hiker box with a few nice items, including a Sawyer water filter which I can use for backup.
I got up the road for the 4 mile trek to Atlantic City, which has my resupply box and resupply store. As I stood reading the information board about the former gold mine, a van pulled up and asked if I need a ride. HeHo!
It was the new owner of a mine tailings area with a geologist. He is going forward with plans to reclaim minerals (including gold) from the tailings of the former operation and beautify the area. He took me in to Miners Grubstake for lunch and saved me some miles.
After a huge stuffed burger and beer I went to the resupply store. Closed! When I got back to the saloon I found the owner is the only one who works there, is out of town, and we don’t know when he will return. Fortunately, the saloon had a hiker box and other supplies sufficient to cover me.
The next issue was that I forgot to check for a post office. I now had a resupply box without a way to send it to the next town, Rawlins. Fortunately, Ron (the owner of the next door mercantile) said he could take care of it. HeHo!
I met several people at Miners Grubstake saloon who talked to me about my hike, including Cheryl, Rick, and Ben. The saloon closed at 3:00 and I went next door to the mercantile for dinner. They followed me over there and invited me to their house for a shower and a bed. I almost cried.
On the way to their house, I remembered that I forgot my hiking poles in the Miners Grubstake, which was locked and closed. It turned out Dale, one of the owners, was sitting outside as I passed by and invited me over to talk and then get the poles. HeHo!
I went to Ben’s house for shower and laundry, then we all had a nice visit with Rick and Cheryl across the street. I slipped into a nice bed around 9:00 pm
This is certainly one of my favorite town visits.