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.

It’s almost 8am and I’m still in my sleeping bag. That’s right baby! Lazy day!

Well, I do have several thousand feet to climb today to reach treeline just below the divide near Carson Pass, but still, in miles it will be a short day, so why not linger over coffee and oatmeal, read a bit of my Harpers Magazine, and blog?

Right now I am sitting below a little blue window of sky, but the clouds around me are heavy and thick with rain…and snow. The peaks around me show some new white stuff crowning their tops, which will probably make for better skiing tomorrow and the next day. It’s strange to be in the middle of a section and be making such short miles, but as I mentioned, being caught above treeline in a storm is the worst place for me. I had that happen not far from here on the Colorado Trail in 2007. I camped above treeline near Stony Pass and was woken in the middle of the night by a terrifying lightening storm with nowhere to hide. That is not going to happen again, so I relax, catch up on sleep and fiddle around in my tarp.

Note to self: lots more packrafting opportunities up this way, we’ll never run out of rivers, creeks, and lakes to explore…

****

2pm – I’ve been in my tarp for 3 hours. Just as I had made my way up the Lost Creek Trail to a junction where I could choose between hiking up to Heart Lake or further up the canyon to the last few trees, it started to rain and I realized with only a few more miles at best it would be a good idea to take an early lunch.

I had just started to set up my tarp when it started raining harder, hailing, and the lightening started up. It was close again, and I crouched in my tarp pleading with the lightening to leave me alone.

Ahh, now three hours later it hasn’t stopped raining, and I think I could stay here. I don’t have a ton of miles to do tomorrow, and I should be able to knock them out. I didn’t want to stop this early…but where is there to go really? I’ll do some more reading, napping, eating all my good snacks…

Not the most exciting day ever but then again the thunder storms keep rolling in.

I slept in a bit this morning. Thunderstorms and heavy rain are on tap for today and tomorrow, so I’ve decided to take a few short days and wait for the weather to pass before jumping up on the Divide. 13,000 is not somewhere I want to be in a Colorado thunderstorm.

I was on some beautiful backcountry roads, and enjoyed a misty and partially rainy morning as I watched birds, the ever present water (I’m tracing the orgins of the Rio Grande River on this hike!) and the sky that just could not make up its mind about what it wanted to do today.

One car out of all the cars that passed me today stopped to find out what I was doing, I would have thought it would have been more…I’m carrying skis!

I pitched my tarp for an early lunch and ended up taking a nice long one, complete with nap.

The afternoon passed quickly as I walked along Rio Grande Reservoir and started getting closer to the divide. Tomorrow I would hike up and try to camp as close to tree-line as I can, and then the next day I’m up and skiing! The weather is supposed to calm down by then, and I’m looking forward to the views.

It’s an early night by Lost Creek, and the rain stopped for a bit too.

We woke after a great night’s sleep and I made a list of my resupply as Mark Trails and I drank coffee in the town park.

Creed

I figured 5 days of food for whatever I get up to, that would be plenty to head up to the Divide at Pole Creek, or some other route that looked good.

After resupply we said our good byes and we both headed our seperate directions. I walked the road south and west out of town…I knew I would have a lot of road miles, and AFFIRMATIVE, the feet are pounded.

I could not have had a better day of views though, wow! At one point some young girls pulled over to ask me what I was doing, and I had a good time seeing the gleam in their eye as I discribed my hike.

The last phone booth alive

Just as I was getting ready to drink some muddy snow-melt, I convinced myself to walk to the next set of buildings in case I could get water from a store or person up the way. I’m sure glad I waited cause there sure was a store and I had just made it before closing. One Sprite and Milkyway later I was on the porch filling my water when Doug, a guy who worked there who had seen me hiking a few days before, had dropped off some trail magic at my pack…beer!

Yes! How nice!

I walked a few more miles to where I would take forest service road 520 up to the Divide, and pulled off to climb a bluff and make camp.

Thamks for the beer Doug!

It was a quiet, introspective, and calm day of walking.

First warm night I’ve had on the trail in a while! The lower elevation felt great, my cough hasn’t been bothering me, and I don’t even have to zip up my sleeping bag all the way. Life is good!

We walked a few miles into South Fork to grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich, and continued on up the road.

Road road road, walk walk walk, road road road, walk walk walk.

We picked up more trash…Mark Trails has a different meaning for Hikertrash, and I think his version is pretty awesome too. Hikers picking up trash. hiker trash

Mark Trails Hiker Trash Tour

We ate lunch river side (the very swollen Rio Grande that is) and just had walked a little further when we came across the Blue Creek Inn…pie and a beer? Don’t mind if I do. You gotta accept the serindipity of the trail.

All aboard!

So then Creede was within reach, so we walked to Creede. Upon arriving we met Skip, the local judge who advised us on where to sleep, and we had tasty sandwiches at Tommyknocker, the local bar.

It was a good long day….I prob have one more before getting back up on the divide, and Mark Trails heads north from here. Real snow-free trail is in our near future, hope we can find some.

I could tell no one was in a real hurry to leave town this morning, so when I woke near sunrise, I happily rolled over and went back to sleep.

After another great breakfast, we packed up and made it all into the car by about 11am.

Barbara and Lulu were great hosts

We cruised by Rusty’s house (Whiptale’s band-mate who was housing Mark Trails and First Man) and soon had more hikers and packs in the car, although I think we smelled better this time than when he picked us up.

Pagosa Springs, hikers, packages, pizza, and then we were in the car again with Lot who would be hiking north on the trail with Restless and #2; Mark Trails and I would hike north on the highway.

We said our goodbyes and hit the pavement.

Whiptale, one of the most amazing trail angels ever!

The road walk was filled with sillyness, which a good road walk should, and we gave into the serendipity of the road which included rootbeers at the Wolf Creek Inn, and whatever else we could get up to on a road walk.

Picked up wierd trash

And i scoped out the water for packrafting potential.

Why not embrace the luxuries of the road if that is the trail.

Make it what you will!

After waffles and many cups of coffee I sat down to look at my route choices coming up. The divide remains snowy and somewhere I’m not sure we belong at the moment. I think I will piece together some more roads, and then climb back up on the divide around Stoney Pass. There is a short cut called the Creede Cut Off that will whisk you up the trail quickly and avoid some snow, but then a huge section of trail gets cut out, the route bulges out to the west in a riot of mountains and ridges. I didnt want to miss this, so will walk roads below the higher mountains, and then meet up with the trail where I have walked before. When I hiked the Colorado Trail in 2007 i walked the trail north of Stoney Pass, and remember perfect terrain for my skis. I won’t miss the scenery, and I’ll get to spend some more time on the planks. I think its a grand plan, and the other 4 seem to be formulating their own strategies. I’ll most likely be alone again for this stretch, but I quite like the solitude, peppered with hiking with others. The best of both worlds!

AND if I time it just right I should be in Lake City with my old friend Lucky (PCT 2006) for my birthday next week! WOOT!

We had a birthday party for Whiptale, the ribs were DELICIOUS, and cake and lots of goodies to fill our bellies with.

Durango breweries are cheeky

Awesome people, good people, you can’t find better people.

The next day I caught up on the ‘ol blog and set out to take care of this cough (interestingly enough it is much better in town..maybe the elevation or cold was making it worse?) and the nurse determined it wasn’t an infection or anything, so I have an inhaler for the next section and some heavy-duty cough syrup. Hopefully that will help clear this thing up.

More errands took up the rest of the afternoon, and we got to relax in style tonight with a huge pasta dinner (and banana splits!) and movies (In the Heat of the Night & A River Runs Through It).

Trail (er road) tomorrow, it will be good to walk! All fattened up for another stretch.

Thanks Whiptale!!

Just some hikertrash hanging out in Durango

Another bad night of no-sleep. The cough has GOT TO GO. I will take care of it in Durango.

I headed back on the road a bit, I had scoped out a short-cut on the map, if I could cross the river in the valley and climb up the steep banks to the highway, I would only have about 4 miles to make it to Wolf Creek Pass this morning. I figured the snow melt would be at a minimum this morning and I would have the best chance of making it across.

I was just rounding a bend in the road when I heard a hoot and holler…The boys are back! Apparently deciding to go back up on the divide wasn’t the best decision they ever made, and in between moments when they thought they might die, they spied a bailing point to get out of the snow and onto the road I had been walking. I was relieved to see they were ok, and as they were regaling me with chilling tales of their snowy feats, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I had made the smart decision, the right decision. There is too much trail up ahead to take risky risks in these mountains. To enjoy the trail I need to not feel like I might die several times a day. But hey, that’s just me.

The guys had already scoped out my short cut idea, and informed me it would be a bad idea to cross. Ok, bummer, our other solution was to walk 3 miles to where the road intersects the highway, and then back up 7 miles to the pass. BLAH.

We had just enough time to hike fast to make it to the pass for 10am when I had arranged to meet Whiptale.

Walking, walking with skis on my pack, trucks wizzing by, honking, strange looks, walking, tired.

The pass!!!!!!!

I had made it before Whiptale, and threw down my pack and went over to inspect the sign. THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL. We don’t get much recognition on this trail, and this sign made me glow with pride.

The guys made it up and Mark Trails noticed a can of diet soda perched on the concrete..surely forgotten by some passing tourist, but OH WONDERFUL DAY, it was full and unopened!!! Trail Magic!! We did a little dance and carefully opened the can to share it among the 4 of us. Trail Magic!!! The little pleasures are so so sweet.

Then Whiptale drove up and out popped First Man! He had been hitching in Pagosa Springs, intending to head to Alomosa, when Whiptale drove by. I had been a bit worried about him as he had entered the mountains 2 days before we did, without snowshoes. I had suspected the 30 miles of postholing had been him, and I was correct. He was beat up and ended up spending 24 hours in his tent one day to wait out a storm. Embrace the brutality!

Now there were 5 hikers and our Trail Angel that needed to fit in the Suburu. But we did it with Mark Trails snug as a bug in the back of the car with all our packs. Ha!

We stopped in Pagosa for a huge lunch and we learned it was Whiptales birthday today! What a guy to drive up and pick up a bunch of smelly hikers on your birthday. So lucky to have a friend like this.

Oh the land is so green and lush. Wow. Before we knew it we were in Durango and settling into our rooms. Showers and lounging and getting ready for the night…Whiptale’s band, Running Out Of Road, would be playing a show at the Balcony. The bluegrass band was made up of fellow adventurous folks and amazing musicians.

The thru-hikers descended on the bar and danced, reveled in the sights and sounds of modern life, and I even got to catch up with Amy, my former boss at Southwest Conservation Corps…I had lived in Durango 8 years ago for a few seasons to lead trail crews, and it felt good to be back on my old stomping grounds.

Durango, you are amazing!