It stormed most of the day yesterday and I was thankful that I decided to take another day off with my folks. They dropped me off at the Colorado Trail trailhead at 6am and I got an early start on this 20+ mile section.

What a day! The blue skies dried up all the hail from the night before (there was a WICKED lightening storm right over our campground last night) and I flew by the few 14ers along the trail. I had climbed Mt. Shavano when I came through on the Colorado Trail 8 years ago, and was secretly glad I had already been up there; I was immune to the enticing proximity of the summit.

The day was glistening with the recent rain and brilliant green. Everything was green, and flowers were bursting in every direction I looked. Yellow, white, red, orange, lovely.

The walking was easy and the going pretty mild as I wrapped around the eastern side of the Collegiate Mountains.

I had planned to meet up with my parents and Teresa (CDTC WIZARD!) at Mt. Princeton Hotsprings, and by 3pm I had walked into the busy parkinglot, bee-lining it to the store for a soda, icecream and chips. Ahhhhh, processed food. 🙂

We caught up under a shade tree; Teresa had another hiker, Meredith a Colorado Trail hiker, with her and I had a good time getting to know her and getting excited about more trail. I know, you think after almost 1,000 miles that I wouldn’t get excited about trail, but I do! That’s why I’m here man!

We eventually headed back to the RV which was now parked in Buna Vista. After a delicious Salmon dinner and before it was dark outside I had checked out for la la land.

Seeing my parents on the dirt road as I was having one of the hardest days on the trail was like…well imagine what the most relieving situation in the most stressful situation you can imagine. That is what it was like. I was flooded by emotions, flooded by 2 months of mostly solo hiking one one of the most challenging adventures I have ever undertaken, and there was my support team. Does it get better than that?

We wanted to spend some time together and I wanted to recover, both in gear and in body.

I’ve been eating almost non-stop, and it tastes so good. We headed into Salida to hit up a thrift store (I’d rather buy second hand when I have a choice) and got a new tank top and sunglasses, and hit the gear store for a new thermarest, stove (I decided to go canister), tent stake (yep lost another) and to Wally-world (not my favorite place but it has it’s merits) for a new watch, bandana, and a few other items. We had lunch at the local pizza place with Restless and ended up running into the warrior hikers for the first time since the CDT kickoff. Nice!

I’m feeling spoiled and it’s wonderful! Hiking starts tomorrow, but we figured out a plan for the next 4-5 days where my folks will meet me at road crossings and I’ll camp with them at night. Oh bliss!

Got a hair cut

And had a great time catching up

Another sleepless night. What had looked like a soft mossy ground on the ridgeline of the Divide turned out to have many subsurface rocks that seemed to pop up out of no where as I struggled to get comfortable. I found by curving and contorting my body to accommodate the pokey things worked for a while, but as a notoriously restless sleeper, that position only worked for a short while. Oh well, I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

Since I was ridge-top I had reception on my phone soon after hiking and called my parents who were on their way to meet me, I decided I wanted to see them today, this being a really tough week with setting myself on fire, destroying some of my gear, losing and breaking some of my gear, and just plain tired from the 100+ miles from the last few days.

And am I GLAD I did.

I ended up having one of the roughest days on the trail so far. Maybe my legs were really tired from the long miles. Maybe I was tired from not sleeping well. Maybe I was just needing some TLC from my folks…regardless I walked for 12 hours barely eating and not taking any breaks. First I wanted to make good time to meet my parents at highway 50, then I started to encounter snow which slowed my progress SIGNIFICANTLY.

Seriously?

It was patchy and then just down right blanketing the tree-bound north slopes, luckily I had some trusty footprints to follow, who ever had hiked before me kept to the trail like a moth to a flame. Thats always helpful!

I reached Marshall Pass about 11am, and spying some ATVers, I approached them and soon was drinking a delicious bright blue energy drink and posing for photos for the curious Texans. Then a couple of guys from Minnesota rolled up wanted to go for a run on the CDT, and when I informed them it was snow to the south, and looking at the profile for the north and seeing a steady climb, most likely snow to the north, they weren’t sure what to do, but we had a good chat and I continued north. It was only 5 miles to where the Colorado Trail intersected the Divide, I thought I might take that alternate since the next section reaches almost 13,000 and most certainly will have some sketchy snowy exposed sections.

Maybe a mile after Marshall Pass the snow started. And this was knee/thigh deep snow. This was swimming snow. This was tiring 1-mile an hour snow. Ugg.

I pushed on, knowing the sunny exposed slopes near the ridges will probably have less snow. Nope! Snow, lots of snow. I struggled, cursed, walked, just kept going forward, walking, swimming, sinking, postholing, despairing. Again, great footprints to follow, but I must be hiking later in the day than the others and would sink lower with each step. Keep going! Your parents are meeting you!

When I saw the divide and the corniced slope where the footprints went I just had to laugh. You are kidding! This trail takes me places I wouldn’t normally go, but when it’s the only way forward, you suck it up and go.

I have to climb over that?

I reached the crest and breathing hard up the steep exposed slope, praying that the thunderclouds above would wait just another hour or two, I found more snow. And do you know who my constant companions were in the snow? Mosquitos! In what circle of hell do I have to posthole for hours while being bothered by mosquitos??? 

On top

So I made my way to where the Colorado Trail dips down Fooses Creek and just crossed my fingers that I wouldn’t have to cross over some scary cornice to drop down. Wow it was steep, but I saw some footprints going down, I’m not the only one getting out of this snow.

Look closely....butt tracks

Time to glissade! And man, conditions were ripe for a wet avalanche, but I kept to the treed sections thinking they would help anchor the snow, and just went for it…and success! for a while…continue the postholing for another hour, but i knew I would reach dry land eventually! And it was getting later and later. I couldn’t stop. If I stopped I might not start again…keep going!

Thankfully the storm that was overhead waited until I was out of the snow to unleash its fury. It started pouring, but i was on trail. Trail!

But I was beaten. I walked and walked and tried to be optimistic but just felt completely done through and through. I barely made it to the road where my parents rounded the corner on the highway, and started balling. It was so good to see them, especially when I needed them most. I’m 38 and still need my parents, I’m not ashamed!

Oh the joy of sitting down after 12 hours and eating, they had fruit! I hadn’t really eaten all day, the snow taking every last bit of my concentration and energy, I just had no time for food, and I felt like crap because of it.

Oh the joy! My folks had their RV out from Illinois and were in a campground just down the road from where I popped out on the road. Before I knew it I was sitting inside, showered, drinking a beer, and feeling a million years from where i was an hour ago.

Yes.

Each day is rife with it’s own challenges. Today it was the reintroduction of snow…not so deep and steep as to be a real problem, but after the cruising easy miles the past few days I remember how much it tries your patience. Ok it did make for some beautiful views, I’ll give the snow one there, but as I lost my sunglasses yesterday I was not looking forward to sunny snowy meadows. Fortunately I didn’t have to do too much squinting because most of the day was overcast.

As with my lost sunglasses, burned up thermarest, patched but trashy repair jobs on my tarp and down jacket, burned tyvek, broken watch (as of this morning), and lost hankerchif (today too, I swear I thought it was a decent day till I’m taking this tally), in addition to my blisters which need to be kept clean, I feel like I could use the TLC of my parents. It’s crazy, I know I’ve had a ton of days off lately, but man, my gear and everything is breaking down! I think that calls for a regroup day. Oh, and I’m tired of sleeping on the ground with no pad…today I stopped a little early when I was starting to see less and less flat ground without snow, and the elevation just goes higher for miles. A girl’s gotta sleep!

So the folks will be in the area tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll get reception so we can make a plan. Maybe they’ll support me for a few days, meet me at road crossings with lunch? Take me back to the RV at night? I could get used to that! First things first, replace some of this gear I’ve destroyed and eat a big fat steak.

Sunburnt and tired.

Where's the bridge?

It’s not my preferred way to start the day…with a river crossing…even less preferred when it takes you an HOUR to find a way across.

That’s right, the log bridge at Cochetopa Creek was washed out, and in my chacos I tried countless places to cross both up and down stream, but ended up having to go about a 1/4 mile upstream to find a spot, and I still got soaked to my waist…having already half fallen in the icy snowmelt. After a break to put my shoes and socks on numb feet, it was a good half an hour before I could feel them again. Embrace the brutality indeed. You just never know what kind of brutality you are going to get out here.

The walking though, was devine.

Very pastoral, these are the kinds of mountains and rolling hills that I would draw as a girl. Wonderous landscape.

I didn’t escape a quick rain towards the end of the day, and as I crossed highway 114 I rushed to find a spot to set up my shelter against the angry sky behind me, but 2 hours later it hasn’t materialized. Ok by me!

I’m worn out, with these long days plus sleeping on the ground with no insulation is a bear. Thankfully my parents are one their way out here and they can help bring me to a place where I can get some new gear. I patched my tarp with some cuben patches, and the coat with tape, but things are a bit ragged. And I lost another pair of sunglasses when I fell half way in the creek this morning. For some reason this week is getting off to a rough start.

Feeling stupid today. I should not have made that mistake yesterday, the other 100 times I’ve used my stove in the past two months I’ve checked to see that it was out. The line between disaster out here is thin, or maybe I’m just more aware of it.

Anyway, I actually slept well last night despite sleeping with no pad and some burns on my hand and arm. I dressed them and set off up Los Pinos pass and back to swing around and meet the CDT by the end of the day.

Storm coming!

Beautiful meadows, blue sky became dark and I was able to outrun a storm! Or more likely the wind was in my favor.

I finally reconnected with the CDT again at Spring Creek, the afternoon has been lovely despite the threatening clouds. The Aspen down here are absolutely magnificant, and since this is also the Colorado Trail through here the walking is on real trail! Woooo hoooo!

Oh joy!

Camped far above the creek with some gummies to keep me company.

Today was going so well before I lit myself on fire.

Accident with the beer can stove. I burned up my neo air & scorched my tarp in addition to my arm and some other stuff.

I’ll be fine, but can’t believe I did that.

Not going to be a good night’s sleep. Sucks.

Don’t do what I did. Double check that your stove is out before you add more fuel. Or carry a different stove.

I feel like an idiot.

Broke my sunglasses but they still work.

Birthday zero days! I knew when I had a chance of making it to Lake City in time to celebrate growing one year older, that I would take some time off, rest up, eat lots of cake and good things, and hang with Lucky. And I had the good fortune of meeting Annette and Lori who are going to throw a party tonight. I couldn’t ask for more! 🙂

The first day off I did a lot of sitting around, started a Steven King book, caught up on some internet stuff, tried to find a box to ship my skis home, and as luck would have it a nice man from Texas at the outfitter offered me the boxes from his recent purchase of some new blinds for his vacation house.

Hikers rolled in and out, and even a van of hikers heading to Canada to flip.

Handy Andy, me, Bearclaw & Dirtmonger

Good times all around.

My birthday began with a trip to the bakery on bikes, and ended with a cookout at Annettes.

Bikes!

Lucky & me

Cake!

Got to meet Lucky’s family and just had a wonderful day.

As I was watching the light fade away last night I spied something in the meadow below, bear! My heart racing, I started calling out “Hey Bear” so it knew I was here…I watched and waited for it to dart away, but the shape started moving forward and I could see it wasn’t a bear, but a moose! Cool!!

I slept a lot yesterday, what with my 6 miles and all, and it poured almost ALL DAY. In the early morning light I could see a lot of that rain was snow, oh joy. New snow in June.

I had several plans for the day and my plans had plans. But really who can plan on the CDT? What I had for the day were vague ideas of what I would do if certain conditions existed…and back up ideas. Plans on the CDT are for suckers.

So I would hike up to Carson Pass and let the day decide if I would be sking to Spring Creek Pass, or if I would be turning around, or if I would go up and over Carson Pass into Lake City. What I had figured out last night was if I did have to walk into Lake City, that I could piece together a lower route the bypassed some of the up-coming high sections to reach some snow-free walking. Overall I’m over the snow…but if I could have one last hurrah with an epic ski today and tomorrow, well that would be pretty killer. (I have since learned that Mark Trails went north out of Creede, slipped and fell about 200′ trying to self arrest with his ice axe, tore most of the skin off both hands, and walked two days out of the forest to finally get to an ER in Gunnison. This is part of why I want to be done with the snow.)

I was packed up and hiking by 6am. I had camped farther from tree line than I thought I would, but that’s because I never got out of my tarp yesterday to move on. The trail/jeep track went up right away and was climbing to reach the 12,000+ feet back up to the Divide. Here I come!

I was surprised that snow level was so high…hovering around 12,000′ even with the new snow. I could see brilliant blue above! And I could also see dark ominous clouds above too. Which would win out? I would not be skiing the Divide with heavy thunderclouds overhead. No thank you. I would not be skiing the Divide with strong winds or snow. I would not be skiing the Divide with no visibility, not alone anyway. I would be skiing the Divide with nice clear blue skies and views, give me views!

Huffing and puffing I climbed to where the oxygen is much less, I took lots of 30 second breaks to let my breathing catch up with me, and soon determined it was time for the skis. The last mile or so I made my way around an old mine to reach the pass at over 12,300′ (mines at 12,000???? I know, crazy, right?)

Success, or at least part of it, now what would it be day?

Ugg, it started to snow, the clouds coming over the mountains looked angry, visibility was dropping. I guess it would be up and over and walking into Lake City. Ok, lets do it.

Luckily I was skiing this part in the cold morning because I could see wet slide activity around me on the north side of the pass. When the going got sleep I inched my way down by sidestepping down with my skis. I still had my skins on since there was a fair amount of ice among the drifts of new snow, but one of the skis kept picking up huge clumps of snow.

Finally I made it down to dirt and flung off the skis to have a break on the sunny side of the pass. The clouds for now were hovering over where I had been standing just a short while ago, I made the right decision!

Or not…at least not the right decision in taking off the skis right away. I ended up postholing a bit more on the road, it probably would have been worth it to leave them on, but i’m done. I’m really done with all this snow. I wasn’t kidding.

The road was GORGEOUS and walked through glistening aspen trees, towering peaks with snow that looked so picturesque (just don’t try to travel through it) and water everywhere.

I walked past Carson, an old mining ghost town, that explained the mine up on the pass! I guess up to 500 miners lived up here in the early 1900s and got a lot of gold and silver out of the mountains too…until the cold and snow made going on unbearable. Now it sits empty in one of the most beautiful spots in the world.

Walking down the road. Whats wrong with road walks?

Then I meet women who actually talk to me! So many people hardly look in my direction, but they talk to me! And I meet Annette and Lori, two women from Lake City who just happen to know Lucky, my PCT Hostel-owner friend, and are just about the friendliest people I’ve met in a long time. When I mention I want to spend my birthday in Lake City, they say “Party!” Cake and food and such are mentioned and we agree that we’ll celebrate. So wonderful to meet these two on the trail (road)!

Then I’m hiking again, I have about 12 miles to go, and I’m energized by our encounter. I fly by huge mansions that probably only get used a week out of the year, by run-down guest cottages, by views that take my breath away, and as I was moving over for yet another car to buzz by me down the dirt road, it pulls over…Lucky!

He was out skiing this morning and was driving back to town. What a great day, I definitely made the right decision coming down this way. He offers to take my pack and I happily throw it in the back of his truck. I would slack-pack into town (hike without my pack), and it would be grand.

And after a few more hours I’m in town! What a pretty little place this is, all tucked in a canyon, the river is a deep clear blue, the mountains are rugged, yet decked out in their spring green. Lovely.

I see the hostel, but first I see Annette and Lori at the cafe next door. Annette offers to buy me something and I emerge with a chicken salad sandwich and rootbeer. Thanks Annette!!!!! I learn more about my trail angels and Lake City as I wolf down my sandwich, and soon after toddle over to the hostel.

Behind Lucky’s house is everything a hiker could want. REST!

Shower, food, drying out the gear, more food, beer, hikers! There are 5 of us here today, Karma, Lt Dan (& Lt Dan’s girlfriend here for a visit), Handy Andy, and myself. There are gobs of hikers on their way in today, some friends of Handy Andy I don’t know, and Bearclaw & Dirtmonger with a crew on their way up to Canada to flip…yep, a lot of hikers are flipping up to hike south…and it’s Dirtmonger’s birthday same day as mine, so PARTY!

It’s going to be a fun few days off.