I had entered snow again at the end of the day yesterday, and found a dry spot in the midst of soaking meadows, slushy snow and streaming creeks. The mosquitos wouldn’t leave me alone so I sat in my bug condom most of the night and cowboy camped with it covering my head…it worked perfectly!

The night hadn’t done much to stiffen up the snow, but no matter, FINALLY a lot of the snow is consolidated, so you can walk on top half the time, and the other half is still slushy, but not very deep anymore. It makes the travel much quicker but still dicy from time to time.

In the first two miles of the day I was finally out of the snow, and had some really pleasant forest walking. The tread was mild, and I just filled up on some water when I spied what looked like a cooler. Could it be? Could it really be???? Trail magic? Something so pervasive as the cooler full of sodas on the AT and PCT were non-existent on the CDT….until this one!!!!!!! Rootbeer, lots of kinds of sodas, a trail register. Amazing! I forgot to look at the Trail Angel’s names, but thank you, whoever you are!

Then I thought I would hike to a bench I remember near Camp Hale, I remember it because of a sign stating this segment of trail is maintained by NASA and the FBI. What????? Anyway, made it there for lunch then dropped down to the old training ground for the Mountain division of the military years ago (still live munitions, careful!)

The climb up to Kokomo Pass was long and hot, but I made it expecting nothing but a sea of snow on top, but to my surprise, it was over half melted out, and didn’t look that daunting at all.

The next few hours passed as I made my way through and around the snow patches, and I found a quaint little spot to camp about 5 miles before Copper Mountain. All and all a good day on the divide!

Lost the post!

It was a beautiful day. I would just hike in the morning and meet my folks at Twin Lakes around lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon with them as they were headed back to Illinois in the morning.

Everything was green, everything was alive.

The day passed quickly and soon i was walking along Twin Lakes. A reuben sandwich at the food cart was exactly what I needed when I arrived in town. I had a few care packages, thanks Dave & Barb, Missy, Mysterious Corvallis blog reader, and Boomer who sent me a new pair of poles (and a Goodife Beer from Bend!) Thanks all!!

The rest of the day was chill and we grilled steaks in honor of fathers day tomorrow. I’ll miss my folks, this was an amazing way to spend the week, a real treat.

It was a chilly morning when I attacked my first climb of the day. Fortunately the cool kept the sweat at bay and I was pleasantly surprised to see the trail was fairly level most of the day. Yes, I’ve hiked this trail before, but at 8 years since, I found there were many views I could recall, and many I could not. I was able to identify a spot I camped before, and even a spot I had found a toy gun placed in a bush at head level…that had been disconcerting, my 2007 fall hike had coincided with hunting season and I can only surmise the hunters weren’t too keen on hikers scaring their “game.”

I remember this!

Oh Pine Creek, you sure are purdy

But it was a blissfull day. Camping with my parents at night means burgers, boiled eggs, and fruit for my trail food. A girl could get used to this! But I have them for 2 more days and then they head out. Hopefully this gold-carpet trail treatment will fuel me up for the next 2/3 of the trail. 5 months or so is a long time to be living in the woods…its nice to have a bit of civilization thrown in there.

I only had 18 miles to make today, so it was a relaxed day of hiking in the sunshine. I like saying that. Looking at the map and the fact that the trail brushed up against 11,800′ I was sure I would encounter more snow, but in fact the open canopies had already allowed most of it to melt off.

I met my folks at Clear Creek Reservoir and we headed to a Leadville campground for the night. I had planned to meet with Meagan, a former Outward Bound Odin Falls co-worker who now was placed at the Leadville basecamp for a beer, so relaxed for a few hours before headed out on the town with a bunch of other OB folks.

I passed 1,000 miles today! Only 2,000 more to go!

The forecast was due to be sunny and hot, bring it on baby!

Oh, there was a decent amount of climbing today and I sort of regretted that hot weather enthusiasm, but seriously, 90 degrees is much better than lightening storms. I sucked it up and kept hiking.

The morning was mild as I wrapped around Mt. Princeton, and I even got to meet MIG (Made in Japan), another CDT thru-hiker for the first time. Then as I was approaching Cottonwood Road I met up with Farmer and HD Momma, 2 of our Warrior Hike CDT hikers this year. Great peeps, and like the rest of us, they are trying to figure out the smartest way to go on hiking this trail as there is still considerable snow around these mountains

HD Momma & Farmer

I had heard from a day-hiker that there was considerable snow up on the shoulder of Mt. Yale, but sometimes day-hiker snow is different than thru-hiker snow…so I wasn’t sure what I was in store for.

The climb up was long and steep and I fantasized about coke, ice, and coke and ice. I met a few other hikers near the top who said it was about a mile of snow on the north side of the pass, but I was happy to see this snow was quite a bit milder than the previous snow I’ve encountered. Yes, there was maybe a 1/2 mile of solid snow, but all the footsteps made for a pretty easy postholing adventure. The snow was only about knee-deep at most, and I was able to make good time through the slush.

The trail down to Silver Creek Trailhead where my parents were meeting me was steep, and I was glad my knees held up to the challenge. Sometimes the downhill is harder on the body than the uphill. But I finally turned the corner to see them walking to meet me, lovely! I love this supported hiking…I know it will end in a few days, but I’m going to live it up while I have the opportunity!

To the RV!

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.