I can't be racist, I'm foreign.

Day TwentyFive, 12 July, 22 Miles
At Mile 524, Poptart 152/1000
On my way up to Goat Flat with Found we spotted the group of seven on the divide ridge alternate. And oh, how sweet did it look. Some other day. Up and down all day, lunched on Cutaway Pass then headed for Warren Lake, loved by the guidebook author, Mr James Wolf, and rightly so. It is a truly wonderful spot. In fact this whole Anaconda/Pintler Wilderness has been a surprise. It gets zero mention (unlike the Bob, Glacier, the Winds, San Juan's etc) yet it has been by far the best section so far. As we were sitting at the Lake I suddenly found myself in the middle of our small CDT herd. Five of the seven hiked the PCT last year as well, but all started and finished before me. Made it to Rainbow Lake and I'm currently cowboyed all of two metres from waters edge and despite the wind it is a surreal and completely beautiful spot. Crazy to go from dry camping by myself to camping on a lake with eight others. 6500ft of climbing today oh yerrrr.

Butte Route. So if you're thinking about the CDT at all this will inevitably be one of many planning decisions. Butte vs Anaconda. First off, Butte is the official way and is 70ish miles longer. There really shouldn't be any reason to take the Anaconda Cuttoff unless you're in a hurry (like late NOBO's probably). In saying that, the Butte Route is not that great. We'd heard various reports: finished, improved, less road walking, awesome, worthwhile. It is NOT finished. At least it'd better not be, there is still a ton of hot, dusty, crap road walking. The new sections of trail were really good but few and far between. Sure, Anaconda is a highway walk in part but you'll be through it quicker. Also Anaconda itself is a way more convenient resupply (being on trail) than Butte. Heard it was a pretty depressing town though. Do whatever makes you happy.