Saturday, September 21, 2013

September 20, 2013

September 20, 2013
Hopewell Lake to Mogote Ridge
~30 miles

Another great weather day by the sun! Everything seemed to go right today. Even with getting a later start than yesterday the miles seemed to come easy, partially due to a loooong (but easy) road walk. I dropped down below 9,000' for the first time in a while and saw, as well as smelled, some ponderosa pines. 

On the mental side of things, I am definitely starting to feel loneliness creep in. I spend a good portion of my day listening to music or books, and sometimes singing to myself. I also have a tendency to make things a challenge or race in this case. Not that Mexico is going anywhere (at least that in aware of), but I seem to be in a rush to get there. 

This is going to sound crazy but I extended my rest breaks from 10 minutes every 2-2.5 hours to 20 minutes and it made a world of difference in my experience. I know 10 minutes doesn't sound like enough, and you are totally right. In fact I bet 20 minutes doesn't sound like all that much either, but it was very nice! This change came about due to a song I was listening to with the lyric, "the secret of life is enjoying the passing of time." This reminded me of what a lady named Mary said to me when in Warner Springs a mere 110 miles into the PCT, "if you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong." Right on, Mary. Right on. Sometimes I just need a little reminder. 

September 19, 2013

September 19, 2013
Road spur to just past Hopewell Lake 
36 miles

So again last night I had the pleasure of a two hour raging thunderstorm that kept me awake. I'm going to blame it on Colorado as a parting gift, something to remember Colorado by.  

The morning was again foggy, but after a couple hours it lifted and I enjoyed sunshine for most of the day! Dare I say it, but I think I may have literally weathered the storm and hopefully the weather of today is an indicator of the future. The hiking was pretty good today as well. Things already seem much more mellow than Colorado, which I can't say I'm upset about. 

It felt good to get in a solid day of hiking once again. I didn't end up getting to camp until the full moon had begun to rise from behind the trees. I am thoroughly spent after a short night's sleep and the long day if hiking, but with clear skies tonight I will hopefully get a full nights rest as well. 

Well done sun, keep up the good work!

September 18, 2013

September 18, 2013
Trail Lake to somewhere in New Mexico!
~26 miles

Oh what a night. I awoke around midnight to the first rumblings of thunder and some rain pattering on my tent. The weather intensified over the next half hour and between the bright flashes of lightning, the incredible cracks of thunder, and hail assaulting my thin tent roof I didn't get back to sleep until around 4am. 

When I did get going in the morning everything was shrouded in fog. The first couple miles were agonizingly slow due to the trail being all but non existent with only cairns to guide the way. With the addition if the fog, it sometimes took a few minutes to find the next cairn. Around midmorning the trail became more apparent and the clouds lifted, along with my spirits. Things were going just fine until the fog returned, along with some wind and rain. It brought back bad memories if the previous section, and coupled with the lack of sleep, I was not a happy camper. Around noon things cleared up a bit and the sun even peaked out occasionally. 

The highlight of the day was definitely crossing the state border into New Mexico. However exciting it may be, it was also fairly anticlimactic. Not much seemed to change and it even rained on me within a couple hours. Come on New Mexico, give me sunshine!!

September 17, 2013

September 17, 2013
Elwood Pass to Trail Lake
~32 miles

Unfortunately due to being rushed by the rain last night I set up my tent on a bit of a slope. It made for a difficult nights sleep, lots of rolling around, but overall it could have been worse, at least I was dry. It was a slow start this morning and I still feel like I'm getting back into the groove of things after a few days off. 

There was quite a lot of up and down along or near the divide.  Fortunately the weather cooperated and I didn't get rained on all day! It feels like its been a long time since that has happened and I hope for more of the same for the last miles in Colorado. 

I have definitely begun a countdown in my mind and am ready, at the very least, to be out of Colorado, although the Mexican border would be better. I've also started thinking more about life after the trail including nursing school applications, but just general life stuff as well. I am feeling the pull of civilization and all the creature comforts that come along with it. I also look forward to getting back into running again. So much faster and I don't have I carry a backpack. 

It was only 6pm when I decided to call it a day, but with more than thirty miles under my belt I feel OK with it. After getting set up I crawled into my sleeping bag right away. It seems that the weather is finally cooling off, at least at 12,000'. Other reasons to look forward to New Mexico are the lower elevations and warmer temperatures. Almost there! Just 22 miles to go!

September 16, 2013

September 16, 2013
Wolf Creek Pass to Just past Elwood Pass
18 miles

After some thunderstorms rolled through last night, the morning was calm and the sky overcast. I took my time getting ready, and even considered taking another zero day, but after 4 days in Pagosa Springs I just couldn't let myself do it. If I stayed any longer I might have never made it back to the trail. 

I checked out at 10:30 and hit the sidewalk to try getting a hitch. It only took about a half hour until a girl in a Subaru pulled up. Shannon rolled down the window and told me she thought I was someone else. Apparently I am the spitting image of one of her NOLS instructors from Alaska, and even though I wasn't who she thought I was she gave me a ride to the pass anyway. 

The first few miles were definitely a readjustment back to hiking. It amazing how fresh my legs felt after a few days off and also how strange it felt when I first started again. Of course the fact that I'm carrying 6.5 days of food probably had something to do with the readjustment. And as a welcome back present from Mother Nature I even had a nice little rain shower within the first hour. 

The trail followed the divide today and as the clouds parted in the afternoon I had some great views, including down the San Juan River back to Pagosa Springs. Around 6 just after getting to Elwood Pass it started to sprinkle and it looked like more on the way so I found a spot and set up for the night. Soon after getting situated the rain intensified and the lightning and thunder began. Despite the four days in town, I feel like I'm right where I left off weather-wise. Maybe it wouldn't have hurt to stay one more day in Pagosa... Oh well, too late now. I'll just hope it's a passing storm and in the morning it will be clear.  

September 14-15, 2013

September 14-15, 2013
Zero days in Pagosa Springs

What a lazy couple days. The forecast wasn't favorable and so it made my decision to stay on Pagosa to rest up an easy one. I really did not do much more than eat, lay in bed, and watch some TV. I felt like a lump so I worked up a draft of an essay for nursing applications. If nothing else it made me feel a little better about sitting around all day. 

Tomorrow it's back to the trail. Time to get some miles going again and make it to Mexico!

September 13, 2013

September 13, 2013
Zero day in Pagosa Springs, CO

After sleeping in I again went to the Colorado Cafe for breakfast, then to a bakery for dessert, and back to the motel to pack up my things. I moved out of my room and up the road to a less expensive place, the Pinewood Inn. The owners are very friendly and it looks to be a fine place to take a zero. 

After checking in I headed a little further up the road to do laundry and pick up a few miscellaneous items. I also stopped into an outdoor store and purchased some real rain pants. I have been using a combination of Montbell wind pants and a rain kilt/skirt for my lower half, but I was really wishing I had proper rain pants during the cold, wet weather so I should be set. Of course now that I've bought them I probably won't need them. I'm perfectly OK if that is the case. 

By the time I made it back to the inn it was mid-afternoon and I was getting hungry so I got a large pizza and some beer and settled in for the evening, feeling good about having my chores completed. Nothing quite like eating a whole pizza in one sitting and feeling perfectly good about it. Just one of the many joys of being a thru hiker. 

September 12, 2013

September 12, 2013
Wilderness boundary to Wolf Creek Pass
3 miles

I was a bit restless last night, eager to get to town to dry everything out and soak in the hot springs. I slept in a bit and made it to the pass around 7:45. After 1.5 hours of sticking my thumb out I finally got a ride. The guy I got a ride with lived somewhere between Pagosa and Durango and was on his way back home from work. He works two weeks at a time in North Dakota (oil drilling I think) and then has two weeks off. Nice guy, definitely a country guy, but very nice. 

Once in town I made my way to the hot springs resort area and left my bag at the motel before heading to get some breakfast. The it was back to the motel and a dip in the hot springs. Amazing. It was sunny and there was a pool full of warm water, both things a sight for sore eyes. 

In the afternoon I walked up to the library to upload blog posts and pictures followed by taking care of my resupply shopping.  Then it was to Riff Raff Brewing for happy hour and sampling some of their delicious brews. Afterwards I spent the remainder of the night relaxing in my room. It's good to be warm and dry!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

September 11, 2013

September 11, 2013
The Knife to the Weminuche Wilderness Boundary
33 miles

Again I awoke to the sound of rain on my tent. It was exactly the sound I did not want to hear. I rolled over and went back to sleep hoping it would be better when I woke back up. It wasn't. I knew I needed to get at least halfway to the pass today so at 7:45 despite the weather I was up with all my soggy clothes on and hiking. 

The weather for the morning was much the same as yesterday, but a bit milder. In fact, there were a few times the sky brightened, and along with it my hopes, before darkening again and returning to rain. 

Around noon things really did start to improve as the sun actually peaked out from behind the clouds and gave me back my shadow! It was off and on with the clouds and sun and rain for a while until the rain actually stopped and the sun won the day. It was glorious! I have never been so happy to see the sun. For the first time in two days my clothes dried out and it was grand. The hiking in the afternoon was pretty mellow, first a little up, then a little down. I was definitely pushing the pace as much as I could to get as close to the highway as possible. I'm somewhat sad to say that I didn't actually get many views the past couple days due to the weather and staring at the ground while hiking as fast as I could manage, but I guess I'll just have to put this on my list of places to come back to in the future. 

Tonight I am less than 3 miles from the pass and can actually hear some vehicles down below. Normally I wouldn't like the sound, but it is quite comforting knowing that I am so close and will be in town tomorrow. I have had to ration and stretch my food I make it last an extra day so I am eager to eat a giant breakfast once in Pagosa. 

September 10, 2013

September 10, 2013
North Fork Pinos River to just past The Knife
17 miles

Did I mention I'm tired of rain? Well take that sentiment and multiply it because today really takes the cake when it comes to rain. In fact, in all my years of hiking, this was the worst day I can remember. 

I woke up without an alarm at 5:30 and of course it was raining. I thought to myself, "no big deal, I'll just wait for it to stop." Nope. At 7am I could tell that the rain wasn't going anywhere, yet I needed to, so I packed up and set off regardless. Within a half mile I was back on the divide and the light rain that was falling down below was even worse up higher, and there was wind as well! Oh the joy. There were a few moments when I let out screams of frustration/anger/pain/sadness. The first time it happened I didn't even mean to, in fact I kind of startled myself when it happened. It was definitely cathartic and probably kept me from crying a time or two. I suffered through the 9.5 miles to Squaw Pass where I decided to take a break, set up my tent, and crawl in my sleeping bag to warm back up. I ended up staying there for three hours, seriously considering staying there the rest of the day, until the rain let up a bit and I got myself up and going once more at 2pm. 

After another 8 miles and a few more yells of frustration I again was cold, wet, and thoroughly demoralized so I set up my tent again to repeat the process, this time with no intention of getting up to hike again today. I had planned to be about 12 miles from Wolf Creek Pass tonight so I could get there with plenty of time to hitch a ride and enjoy the hot springs. Instead, I have another 35 miles to the pass, which, at the rate I managed today, will take me another two days. I am seriously hoping for a break in the weather tonight or tomorrow morning so I can get to the pass tomorrow night. Otherwise it is going to be a very long couple of days. And to think, I chose to be out here... What was I thinking. 

September 9, 2013

September 9, 2013
Bear Creek to Headwaters of North Fork Pinos River
25 Miles

About a mile into hiking today I entered the Weminuche wilderness. This continuation of the trail through the San Juans certainly did not disappoint. There was an air of mystery about many of the peaks this morning due to clouds shrouding the tops of them. At one point as I was descending along Valencia Creek a peak rose in front of me looking as if it might go on forever. There is certainly a different look and feel to a place when part of it is hidden from view. Something a little wilder. 

Around noon I stopped to take a break as well as air my tent out a bit to see if it would dry from the rain that fell off and on throughout the night. Sure enough, even with cloudy skies my tent was drying out quite well. I was about to pack it up when it decided to rain. So instead of packing up I ducked inside to wait out the shower. An hour or so later things seemed to be better and my tent was almost dry again so I packed up and moved on. 

After another good bout of hiking, including close up views of 'The Window' and Rio Grande Peak and descending along the Rincon La Vaca Creek, I was about a mile from where I was going to take a break when all of a sudden the sky opened up again and let loose. I ran to take cover under a tree, but as the intensity of the rain increased I decided to set up my tent again. After crawling inside the dry confines I again waited, this time 45 minutes, for the thunderstorm to pass through. 

I was able to get in a couple more hours of hiking after the second squall before setting up camp in some trees a few hundred feet below the exposed divide. Based on recent events I fully expect another onslaught of rain before morning. Needless to say, I am sick and tired of all these Colorado thunderstorms! I do love the mountains, but enough is enough, get me outta here! I am ready for the lower elevations and more rolling terrain of New Mexico even if it means having to deal with warmer temps. 

And in the meantime I am really looking forward to the hot springs at my next stop in Pagosa Springs. Definitely in need of a mental recharge. 

September 8, 2013

September 8, 2013
?? To Bear Creek
33 miles

Despite the long rest yesterday and a good nights sleep I wouldn't have minded staying in my sleeping bag another hour or two. But I didn't stay in my sleeping bag and instead got moving and back on the trail at 6:30. It seemed to be just in time as I got to see the sunrise within the first 20 minutes of hiking. 

The majority of the day was spent on or fairly near the divide, dropping down a few times to cross water sources before climbing once again. The views today were spectacular from the 12,000' to 13,000' elevation where I spent most of the day. The San Juans are definitely one of my favorite areas of Colorado so far. Ridge after ridge of rugged mountain peaks, yet the trail is surprisingly easy to hike. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of ups and downs, but it is well graded for the most part. The hardest part of the section is just the elevation at which it is located. 

Early in the day I crossed paths with another hiker. I said good morning and smiled at him, but he was clearly not interested in any interaction with me as he stepped to the side with eyes averted and continued down the trail. It was a strange experience since it was the first time I failed to get any sort of response from a fellow hiker on the trail. I also met three Colorado Trail hikers today. There were two girls, Helen and Alex, who are recent college graduates and postponing getting a job by enjoying a hike. The third CT hiker I met later in the day, but he didn't seem all that interested in taking so it was a brief encounter. Just before dropping down to Bear Creek there was a sign indicating that the CDT and CT split to the south so that will be the last I will see of the CTers. It makes me wonder how many people I will end up seeing the rest of the trail since its after Labor Day and I'm no longer on sharing the CT. I guess only time will tell. 

September 7, 2013

September 7, 2013
Spring Creek Pass to ??
6 miles

I think Dottie may have outdone her dinner last night with the breakfast spread prepared this morning. Scrambled eggs with cheese and salsa, bread for toast, fruit salad, cinnamon rolls, and peach cobbler, all homemade from scratch. Amazing. 

After breakfast and getting packed  up we headed to town for a stop at the Post Office and outdoor store before getting a short driving tour of the mining area of Creede up in the hills. It was interesting to see, especially some of the old building that they still use which are literally blasted into the rock. The only protruding part of some buildings was a roof over the porch. We then drove up some forest roads and got a better look at all the area that was burned by this year's fires. It was incredible to see how the fire had jumped in some places leaving trees untouched while others were reduced to black spindly matchsticks. 

Once back to the trailhead we took some pictures and said our goodbyes. Lowell and Dottie headed back to Creede, Optimist and Stopwatch headed north on the trail, and I headed south. 

By the time I started hiking again clouds were already building up with what looked like the makings of a coming storm. Sure enough, about 6 miles south of the pass thunder began rumbling, followed shortly by some light rain. As the rain intensified I decided to stop to put up my tent to wait out the squall. The precip turned from rain to hail and there were a few lightning flashes I could see that were separated from thunder by less than 2 seconds. The storm seems to have passed, at least for the moment, and I am debating whether or not I want to keep hiking even though it's only 4 o'clock. My body is feeling pretty drained of energy at the moment due to the big miles of the past few days and I'm not really concerned about having enough food to make it to Wolf Creek Pass. I guess I'll give it a little more time and if it looks clear than I'll hike a few more. 

I decided to be lazy the rest of the day and just lay down, curled up, and rested for the afternoon. I'm hoping to be reenergized tomorrow morning and get in some solid hiking the next few days through the San Juans. 

Saturday, September 7, 2013

September 6, 2013

September 6, 2013
Cochetopa Creek to Spring Creek Pass
~34 miles

After a rude awakening to my alarm this morning I packed up my belongings, said my "see you laters" to Bernie and Stacey, and headed on my way. The first 14 miles of the day followed the creek up the valley. Along the way I ran into a couple section hiking the CT, a man named David aka "the French guy", and a young woman named Bambi. I had brief conversations with them all before continuing on.

Once getting into the northern end of the San Juan mountains I came across two guys, probably in their 50's, doing a section of the Colorado Trail. Their names were Treesong and Dick (no trail name). Treesong makes custom guitars out of Denver, but you can find him online as well. His belief is that when you play a guitar made from a specific tree and type of wood, you feel the energy and song of the tree, which comes through the music played with the guitar. Not too far down the trail after a couple ups and downs I ran into an Eastbound CT hiker named Diode. He seemed like he might be an interesting character, as he hiked in Crocs, but I didn't talk to him all that long with my mission of getting to the pass before a thunderstorm could build and stop me from my goal.

I got a taste of what the San Juans will be like the next few days with ups and downs and a fair amount of exposed terrain, including hiking for 4 miles across Snow Mesa, just before dropping down to the pass. It was just in time too because a thunderstorm was behind me and had been gaining ground the last hour or so.

Once at the pass I looked to see if Optimist and Stopwatch were there before trying my luck at hitching a ride into Creede. As luck would have it, a car with Oregon plates pulled into the parking area about a half hour after after I arrived. Thinking it too much of a coincidence, I figured it must be the friends of Matt and Julie's who were picking them up. I approached the vehicle and as the window rolled down I asked, "are you here for the Urbanskis?" It turns out they were and invited me into the vehicle to stay dry while waiting for Matt and Julie. Lowell and Dottie Smith had no idea who I was, and I didn't really know who they were either, but with the Urbanski's in common we had a conversation until Matt and Julie arrived right at 6. Dottie even brought homemade cookies which she kindly offered and I gladly accepted.

I didn't really know how the evening would go from there, seeing as the Smith's weren't expecting a third person. I was prepared to spend the night at a motel, however, the hospitality of Lowell and Dottie was legendary and they invited me to stay the night. Dottie prepared a wonderful meal for us all and no one left the table unsatisfied. Quite a feat considering there were three hungry hikers to feed!

The Urbanski's had their own adventure getting to the pass at the predetermined time and managed to hike eighty-some miles in 35 hours with only 45 minutes of sleep last night. And I thought I had it rough!

Tomorrow it's sleeping in a bit, picking up new tips for my trekking poles at the PO, and getting a tour of the area ravaged by the fire that came through earlier this summer before heading back to the trail.


Alex

September 5, 2013

September 5, 2013
Sargents Mesa to Cochetopa Creek
41 miles

The trail is often a tail of opposites from one day to the next. From cold rain and hail yesterday, to hot sun today. Fortunately the hiking was fairly easy, although water was a little harder to come by.

I ran into a CDT section hiker from Portland mid morning who mentioned there were a couple of SOBO CDT hikers not too far ahead. This was big news to me because I had been hearing there was a couple ahead of me for quite a while, but had not yet caught up to meet them. The information gave me additional incentive to get miles in today in an effort to catch them before Spring Creek Pass.

Getting toward the early evening hours, a couple miles after drinking the last of my water, I finally caught a glimpse of some hikers ahead of me. I was beginning think I wouldn't catch the other SOBOs but perhaps now I would! My first priority though was getting to the next water source as I was getting pretty thirsty. Fortuitously enough, the next water and meeting the other hikers happened simultaneously! They too had been without water for a while and were filling up as I made my way down to a fenced spring area to fill my platypus (water bladder). Bernie and Stacey were their names and they were from Bellingham, WA. We ended up hiking the next 5 miles together as well as camping in the same place for the night. It was great to actually have the company of others for the night and hold a conversation that lasted more than 15 minutes as when passing a hiker going the opposite direction. Bernie has hiked the AT and PCT twice, and the CDT once, so when he finishes at the Mexican border he will be a double-triple-crowner. Stacey has hiked each of the three trails once before and this will be her second time finishing the CDT, which they first hiked together 10 years ago. It sounds like it was a much more challenging experience since the trail was less defined then it is now and it was before the age of GPS. It was also Stacey's first long trail.. What a way to start! They gave me their contact information tonight and after a stop in Creede, CO tomorrow I hope that I will see more of them on the trail again. If not, then perhaps back in the Northwest.

Tomorrow it's another 33-34 miles to Spring Creek Pass and potentially meeting up with Optimist and Stopwatch. Here's hoping!


Alex

September 4, 2013

September 4, 2013
Above Hunt Lake to just past Sargents Mesa
~34 miles

Got a nice early start this morning while the stars were out and made my way up to the divide for one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen. No way to describe it, or even capture it in a picture (I tried). Some things are just better in person.

The first miles went by quickly and easily and I made it to the Monarch Crest Store at 8:15. After picking up my resupply, stuffing my face with food, and charging my phone and iPod I finally made it out at 10am.

Now for the crazy... It is almost exactly 100 miles from Monarch Pass to Spring Creek Pass where I will hitch into Creede, CO. My friends Optimist and Stopwatch are finishing a section of Colorado they had to skip because of a wild fire earlier this year. They too are planning on getting to the pass at the same time. When you ask?Friday evening. Just about 2.5 days to cover 100 miles. Crazy? Sure. Like a fox.

Speaking of crazy, the weather in Colorado has been insane. There was a good 4-5 hours today with some combination rain/hail/thunder, sometimes all at once. Fortunately most of the hiking during this period was under forest cover so I was able to continue on with little fear of getting struck by lightning. As it was pouring today two movie quotes came to mind. The first is from Braveheart when William Wallacw comes to call on the girl. It's raining fairly good and the father of the girl says, "you're going for a ride. In this?!" Gibson responds, "this is perfectly good Scottish weather. The rain is falling straight down, or slightly to the side-like." (Of course this is all said with a Scottish accent)

The second movie scene/quote was more general, from Forrest Gump. The scene when Forrest is in Vietnam and he describes all the types of rain. That's about how I felt today. But then it actually did clear off and was fairly dry by the time I set up my tent.

Here's hoping for another good hiking day tomorrow! The goal is roger at least 40!


Alex

September 3, 2013

September 3, 2013
Cow Creek to just above Hunt Lake
34 miles

After yesterday's big ups and downs, today seemed easy by comparison. There were a few ups and downs but it seemed to mostly fluctuate between 11,000' and 12,000', or thereabouts.

Not much eventful happened today. I was planning on doing about 40 miles today to make it a little easier to get to Monarch Pass store to pick up my resupply box when they open at 8am, but per usual a thunder shower passed through at just the wrong time. The last 7.4 miles before the pass are on the divide and I made it to 9 miles out by 6pm when the clouds decided to start rumbling with an accompanying shower of rain and hail as well. So I'm 8 miles short of the pass and will try to get going by 5:30am in an attempt to get to the store around the time they open.

I'm getting to a point (almost 2,000 miles in) where I am getting kind of antsy to get done. It might have something to do with the fact that the NOBOs are all finishing around this time, or the fact that I have spent so much time solo, or maybe just the shortening daylight hours. Whatever it is I'm feeling some sort of urgency.


Alex

September 2, 2013

September 2, 2013
Boswell Gulch to Cow Creek
34 miles

Today started with a bang. Right from the get go the trail took off uphill like a homesick angel toward Hope Pass. Having been up Hope pass once before you would have thought I knew what I was in for, but the memory of painful ups and downs fade more quickly than pleasant memories. It's about a 3,000-3,500' climb and then descent on either side, and the grade is not gentle.

The last time I went over Hope Pass I was heading the opposite direction while helping to pace a friend during the Leadville 100 mile trail run. This friend, Matt Urbanski, also happens to be hiking the CDT this year with his wife Julie. My second experience with Hope Pass made it pretty clear that I have no desire to run the Leadville 100. Not only do the runners go over Hope Pass, they do it TWICE. Talk about crazy. Matt finished the Leadville race in under 24 hours, thereby garnering one of the BIG belt buckles that are awarded to finishers. A smaller belt buckle is awarded to those who finish under 30 hours.

Later on in the day as I was starting the climb up my second 12,500'+ pass for the day I came across a group of hikers. They were from the Buena Vista and Salida areas just out for the day. After telling them where I was headed I got a high five and one of the ladies even took a video of me explaining what I'm doing to show her class when she returns to teach this fall. When asked if I got lonely on the trail I said that it can be, but interactions and conversations with folks such as themselves helped add to the social capital I carry with me.

It ended up being a nice day for hiking, no thunderstorms to contend with, so I was able to hike until sunset. I still have about 41 miles to go to get to Monarch Pass, so I won't make it tomorrow in time to pick up my package, but may aim to get close enough that I can roll in at 8am when they open the following day. Another awesome day in Colorado!


Alex

September 1, 2013

September 1, 2013
Busk Creek to Boswell? Gulch
28 miles

I must have gotten a good nights sleep last night because I woke up without an alarm at 5am. I briefly thought about going back to sleep for another 15 minutes, but decide instead to get going and use the extra time to make some hot coffee.

On trail at 6am, the miles were some easy Colorado Trail miles through nice pine forest. The first 12 miles went by quickly and I soon found myself at a trailhead. After checking the map, I only had about 7 more miles to go to get to Twin Lakes! It was a nice surprise, as it was less than I thought it would be, and I felt renewed purpose to continue hiking.

Once in Twin Lakes Village I went to the general store to pickup my resupply and also enjoy some ice cream and cold drinks. The new owners at the store have some chairs and tables set up outside, apparently just for hikers, with a bottle opener and power strip conveniently located. I took advantage of both and enjoyed sitting down for a while.

Just as I was getting set to head out a rain shower deterred me and instead I wandered through the visitor center and then stopped in at the Twin Lakes Inn for a late lunch, just before they closed (2:30). I comfortably watched a couple showers pass through while enjoying a hot meal.

Towards the end of my hiking day after hiking around the Twin Lakes, I came across a family unit consisting of a mom, dad, and four young kids. The mom asked how far I was going, to which I responded, "all the way to Mexico." She said, "of course, I could tell by your look." She then told me she hiked the AT in 2000 where she met her husband and father of the four kids. It was a poignant moment as I could see a pang of jealous longing in her eyes, a longing to go back to the days she was on the trail or perhaps a longing to embark on another thru hike. Then the look left and she mentioned something about having a different kind of adventure (the family kind). It reminded me of just how lucky I am to be have this opportunity to hike the trail. Something I need to keep in mind on the difficult days when I question why I'm out here.




Alex

August 31, 2013

August 31, 2013
Cooper Mtn to Busk Creek
36 miles

Today was a good day for a hike. The first bit of hiking was mostly a gradual uphill as I made my way through Searie Pass. The trail then leveled out for a while and I took the opportunity around 9:15 to set up my tent so it could dry out in the sun since things were a bit damp this morning from a combination of the rain last night and condensation inside my tent. Not long after my dry out break, I ran into three people doing a section of the Colorado Trail from Tennessee Pass to Copper Mtn. The trio consisted of a mother (Mrs. Chatterly), her son, and his girlfriend. We chatted for a while and they were offering me all kinds of things both food and non-food related. I did something I don't normally do and declined their offer because my food bag was still bulging with food for the next couple days. During the course of the conversation Mrs. Chatterly said if I was ever in Colorado Springs I should look her up and she would be happy to house me. She even took my picture because she said not many people stop to talk with them. Her son and his girlfriend also offered a place to stay if I was in Fort Collins, where they live and work for Otter Box. Such nice people! Encounters like that really make my day and put me in a good mood.

After that the trail meandered around and up a little more before descending through Kokomo Pass and continued down along a creek for a while. Eventually the trail headed up again toward Tennessee Pass. Once at the pass I was excited to see that there was indeed trail magic there for CT and CDT hikers! The trail magic is restocked by the Leadville hostel. Since it was the first box of trail magic I have seen since starting the hike I took full advantage and drank a Dr. Pepper, ate a bag of Cheetos, a package of Ho-Hos, and a moonpie. It was delicious. After that fuel up I continued down the trail.

With the weather as volatile as it has been I never really know how far I will end up hiking in a given day should a thunderstorm decide to strike. Fortunately today the clouds did little more than rain off and on, and I wasn't exposed on the divide either. Because that was the case I was able to get in a full day of hiking. It felt great to finally be able to hike all day again.

Tomorrow I will walk through Twin Lakes for a resupply and continue on down the trail. I am really enjoying the proper tread of the Colorado Trail through this section and look forward to the rest of it!


Alex

August 30, 2013

August 30, 2013
Breckenridge to just South of Cooper Mtn Ski Resort
15 miles

Today was a nice easy day. Sort of. I took advantage of having hot water at my disposal and took another shower, followed by breakfast of French toast, eggs, toast, and tea, that was included in my stay at the Fireside Inn.

I failed to pick up new socks yesterday so I walked around town to find an open shop, then proceeded to head toward the bus station to get back to the trail, which I finally did at 10:30. Not the earliest start, but oh well.

It was a nice 2,500' climb over the first 7 miles or so, which would have been just fine, however, as I was nearing the top of the ridge a thunderstorm started to rumble. Again it was a race to get up and over before major weather hit. Once on the other side of the ridge I half ran and half walked trying to drop elevation, but the weather caught me and I enjoyed a healthy amount of rain and hail on the way down.

There were a fair number of other people also heading down to Copper Mtn including an older couple who were doing a day hike along the CT and a couple about my parents age that I ended up hiking with and talking to for about 5 miles into the resort. Ann and Don live in Breckenridge part of the year and spend the rest of their time other places. Ann is Swedish but has a place in London, while Don just finished a trans-America bike ride from Virginia to Florence, OR, averaging 60 miles a day. They were fun people to run into and even ended up buying me a croissant and hot chocolate once at the resort!

While at Copper Mtn I was also able to get ahold of my sister and FaceTime with her family in Michigan. I even saw the brand new baby, my niece, Amaya! It was great to see the Egle clan and I hope to get out there after finishing the hike to visit in person.

After that I headed back out into the light rain and hiked about a mile (maybe) before deciding to just set up camp and call it a day. It will be a couple of big days to get to Twin Lakes, but I'm hoping for better weather that will be conducive to hiking, i.e. no thunderstorms.


Alex