15 Sept - Hot tubbed it last night and then went out to grab a late burger. Back and asleep by 2200. Slept well. Up by 0630 and downstairs for coffee/breakfast. Repack and sit in the lobby to blog 11 days worth of stuff. Leave by 1100. Walk to the coffee shop for juice and a burrito. Walk to the bus stop and catch a ride @ 1347. Only hike 5.7 miles. Camped up high on a random mountain.
Day 82 - Woke up having to pee on the 16th at like 0200 in the morning. Back to sleep off and on till around 0600ish. Rolling by 0730. Make a 2,500 foot climb up to the ridge and then down to Copper Mountain resort by lunch time. Grab a green chile burger, fries and a PBR. Charge my device some and say hello to a CT thru hiker. Make the push up the well manicured and ski lift packed mountain. Stopped for Mac-n-cheese about 8.5 miles from Leadville. Feeling better with good food all day and easier climbs. The next most challenging will be the San Juans. It’s getting colder and I’m glad for my wind pants and sweater. Staying out where I am due to rain. Currently at mile 1786.8.
Day 83 - A Colorado Trail hiker camped by me last night. He’s currently ahead as I had to go to town (Leadville). Up and rolling by 0625. Pushed 10.8 miles to Tennessee Pass trailhead. Entered the historic Camp Hale prior to the pass. It’s an old WW2 10th Mountain Division training area. Cool shit. Hitch a ride from Rambler to the Safeway. Resupply, call Galaxy and head to the Pizza Hut for lunch. Hitch out of town….. the wrong way for 5 miles. Get out, hitch back to the correct intersection with a Czech Republic guy who barely speaks English and then finally hitch with an old 3rd Battalion Army Ranger back to the proper trailhead. Get some pics of the 10th Mountain Division memorial across the street and then get back to hiking. Make it to mile 1804.3 and make some tacos for dinner. Decide to stay out. 17.4 miles for the day.
Day 84 - Late start on the 18th. Relax and slow day. Some climbs and descents. Stopped for a big lunch and again for dinner at a creek. Currently at mile 1823.8. Only 19.5 miles. Doing these slow days to meet up with Patt High tomorrow at Twin Lakes. I think there’s a dinner and laundry involved. After the visit I really need to pick up my pace more.
Moving a little earlier on the 19th. Leave by 0625. Only 7.6 miles to the trailhead, then another 2 to Twin Lakes. Good cell service most of the day. Stop at a picnic table to dry my gear and blow some time. Arrive in town by 1045. Patt arrives by 1100 and says hello to all the other thru hikers that are lounging about. Load up and stop into town for sandwiches and to eat in a park. Push to the house, Walmart, post office for my box, house, Safeway, dispensary and then back to the house. 24$ Oz ❤️ IYKYK.
Grill and have a feast of burgers and all the things that come along with them. Cheesecake and PBR to wash it all down. Cowboy camp on the deck by 2200 and sleep well.
Day 86 - Up on the porch around 0400ish. Use latrine and plug in battery. Grab an orange juice, repack my gear and pass the time till daylight. Let the dog out to do his business and head out for the trail by 0715. Stop by McDonald’s and grab a pumpkin coffee and some burritos. Get back to the Twin Lakes general store/trailhead by 0845. Walk the road for a mile and take a cutoff to rejoin the CDT in a mile. Conduct a “river crossing” and then meet Early Bird. She is a Triple Crowner and set the Colorado Trail FKT last year. She’s taking my plea before the council in regards to the legality of my AT home in 2020. It may be that my hike of the Appalachian Trail will not be counted and I would have to do it again. There’s less than 600 Triple Crowners and I want to be a part of the club. Back to the redline and make a 3,000 foot climb up and over Hope Pass ( 12,532 ft.). A steep descent, rolling climbs, then another climb up to Lake Ann Pass (12,595 ft.) 26.9 miles for the day and sitting at mile 1858.3. Supposed to be shit weather for the next 2 days and I will play it by ear whilst hiking.
Up at 0600 and hiking by 0700. Pleasant morning and I love the 7 miles to the Mirror Lake alternate. Taking it due to the nasty weather. Don’t want to be above 12k and above treeline for 16 miles while storms roll in. Pushed another 7.4 miles down the alt for a 14.4 mike day before the rain came in and rained my day. If the weather improves I’ll try to roll out early in the A.M. Chilling in my tent and writing/watching movies. My tent is leaking and my pack stays are ripped, Lessening the support my pack provides to my shoulders. Also somehow managed to forget my pistachios at the last trail stop. ***Im sorry trail 😟*** Attempting to bypass Buena Vista and get ahead my dismal schedule. The weather and my stupidity aren’t helping matters.
22 Sept- Hiking by 0630. Raining all day. Stayed warmer using my sweater under my rain jacket. 14.4 miles hiked in the Mirror Lake alt before finally rejoining the CDT. Went over multiple 12,000 foot peaks and high points along the alt. Lunched underneath the shelter of a USFS campground shitter and then pushed on for a total of 17.42 miles. Wish I could’ve done more but happy with what I got all things considered. Camped up at 12,039 feet. Only 1 pack of pre made Oatmeal from Galaxy left and some coffee. Getting up early to crush in to the Butterfly Hostel.
Days on the trail: 88
Miles completed: ~1,904
Location: Hwy 50 close to Poncha Springs, CO
Zero days: 6 (4 of those with Galaxy)