CDT annual ski trip: Stemple to Flesher

Nearing the top of the big hill to set route on Thursday

Nice lunch in cold snow in warm sunlight 

Bench-like stumps provided a great rest at mile 8.8 Saturday

Jamie Phillips ahead of husband, Rob, nears the top 

The clear day made for clear views

With the extreme cold I wasn't sure we would get this trip in again this year.
We were sure the trail hadn't been broken, so a week previous Wayne Phillips broke trail from Stemple Pass to above Rooster Bill Creek.
Then, on Thursday, we broke trail to just beyond the big hill and avalanche chute from Flesher Pass.
So, we figured we had about half the trail broken when we did it Saturday, leaving about 6 miles to break.
Wayne's son, Rob, from Helena and his wife, Jamie joined Gordon Whirry and myself to begin the 12 mile journey, which gains about 2,300 feet along the way.
From what I had seen Thursday, ice and wind crust, I was skeptical that this trip would be pleasant.
However, we had temperatures in the mid-20s, blue skies and winds to our back and the broken trails had been covered with a dusting of wind-blown snow, making the skiing ideal until the afternoon.
In the afternoon we had to apply glide wax because we got snow buildup under our kickers.
The ideal weather enhanced this ideal Continental Divide trip that took us 9 hours and 19 minutes to complete.  I'm convinced we could have shaved an hour if we hadn't had to deal with rewaxing and struggling with a downclimb of the high hill.
Rob Phillips navigated a near perfect off-trail line to avoid an avalanche chute above Rooster Bill that connected us to the CDT and broke trail nearly the entire distance.
Despite the ideal conditions, we saw no on else along the trip until Wayne greeted us at the bottom of the hill with hot-chocolate, cheer and a poetic reading from Ivan Doig's "Heart Earth," that he had begun reading while waiting for us.
The last 1.8 miles had been wind and sun-hammered and were very fast and treacherous and caused many falls.  Jamie, on only her second backcountry trip and on sub-par gear, performed amazingly.
But, who could complain after an amazing journey on this section of an American treasure --- the Continental Divide Trail.