Rain, bad wifi, and Big Sandy...

19.8. We drive for a long time in constant rain to Casper. We need to find out some information about the upcoming hike and we need wifi for that. That's why we end up at a burger joint - usually a guarantee for a stable internet connection. But this time we're out of luck and besides the monster burger we share, the internet is not looking good. We move on to a Wendy's (who remembers the Wendy's near Hirschengraben? ;) and order the salad with the fewest calories on the menu. After we re-establish contact with home and do some trail research, we buy plenty of "bag grub" at the hunting shop across the street. I know that sounds a bit disrespectful, but freeze-dried food is now at a great level and tastes good! Fully equipped, we take the road through the desert to the Big Sandy Trailhead: in the end, we have to endure an hour-long dirt road ride and Carlito gets a good shake.

On-site, we calmly pack our hitchhiker backpacks for the 2-day tour. Finally, the remaining part of our 60 kg luggage is put to full use!

Now it's time for a after-work beer at the Big Sandy Trail Lodge: from the outside, the log cabin looks rather small, inside it opens up to a large dim room with a lot of dark wood, stuffed animals on the walls, and bulky furniture. It smells like an open fire, greasy food, and uh... men... whoa, the strong scent that emanates from one or another man almost takes my breath away at first. After my lungs can't help but at least breathe in and out shallowly, my nose gets used to the emanations. Besides, there's a clear reason for their sweat. Almost all of them are on the Continental Divide Trail: one of the toughest and longest hiking routes in the states. Just through the Wind River Range alone, the CDT trail is over 250 km long. You're allowed to smell bad on a trail like that! ;)