“I think your three favorite things are backpacking, baseball, and trains,” Cindy remarked while we shared a dining car table with a retired railroad employee. She is correct! I love taking a cross-country train to the start of a long hike. The long, slower-than-flying journey encourages me to transition more gradually to the 2 mph travel that will begin in a few days. As for baseball, the southeast portion of the Ice Age Trail reaches only 23 miles from the ballpark in Milwaukee, so a Triple Crown of experiences is possible!
Starting in Portland and progressing eastbound, Cindy and I saw the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail through the train windows. The snowy terrain along the southern edge of Glacier National Park was a scenic backdrop to a dining car breakfast. East of Glacier, clouds and snow disappeared, and the sunny weather made our 20-minute stops outside the train in Shelby, MT a great opportunity to stretch and walk.
March 19, 2025
Greg in Wild / Roger Carpenter
Happy to hear of this hike, enjoy your travels. Stay safe & keep in touch, love reading your blog.
Thank you for the pictures and the thoughts. My plan is to take the train to and from the CDT. It suits me also
Have a great hike
Have a great hike! Winter is still hanging on here in the Midwest. We are all over the place weather-wise. Temps up, down, rarely steady. Same with precip. Rain, snow, and everything in between. Simply put—transitional!
It will settle soon as Spring gets going. The power of the sun cannot be denied and will win out!
Hike on, hiker!
Marv
Iowa
Much love to both of you. Thank you for sharing this great adventure. Enjoy and be safe
What fun! Enjoy the journey. Great pix! Beautiful at Glacier.
What a delightful start of your adventure. I’m so pleased Cindy is enjoying it with you!
Roger, you and Cindy look great. I hope you both are having a fantastic trip. Please be safe on this next adventure of yours. Take care!
Once again, the adventure continues! Best of luck and many well wishes to you! And of course, safe travels! ❤️