Day 73- A Tale of Two Climbs

Tuesday June 26, 2018

E Fork Eagle River(1203.4) to Miner Creek(1228.4)

25 Miles

Total Miles: 1300

Elevation: 10,556 feet

I slept pretty well last night. The night started off really warm. I woke up a little before midnight and couldn’t get right back to sleep. I ate a snickers bar and gazed at the stars. Within minutes I was asleep again. I only had 25 miles to hike again today, but they looked like hard miles so I didn’t allow myself to sleep in. I was camped next to a group campground last night. I took full advantage of the privy before hiking out. My knee was sore and swollen, but fully functional. My back was a different story. It was really tight and I was a little concerned about how I would hold up. I did what I always do when I have an injury, pop some vitamin I and ignore it. That strategy has served me well in the past. The first few miles of the day were really cold. Camp was located in a valley and next to a body of water. I had started off without my puffy in preparation of my first climb. I didn’t realize that it wouldn’t start for a few miles. I was hiking slowly to allow my back a chance to loosen up. I was rather chilly for the first thirty minutes. 

Cool looking clouds. I thought it looked like a dome

The story of today was that I had two really big climbs. One to start the day and another to end the day. Ever since leaving Lake City, each day has thrown more elevation change my way. I thought that my injuries would slow me down, but I knocked out the first climb in my usual fashion. It was a rather enjoyable hike. The early part was in the trees with the last little bit taking place above tree line. 

First nearly 3,000 foot climb

Last little push before the top

Baby, don’t you want to go... Kokomo Pass

The rest of the morning and afternoon I would slowly lose all of the elevation that I had just gained. The hike was spectacular though. I went up and down little hills and hiked next to a river as well. The down ended up being more challenging than usual. I had to watch every step because of my angry knee and my back felt every step. I was glad when the trail leveled out for awhile. I came across 16 SoBo Colorado Trail hikers today. I seem to be in the SoBo CT bubble. I also came across six people on mountain bikes. I was amazed to see what they were able to ride up. Some of the terrain was really steep, but they kept peddling away. I also ran into two trail maintainers, Dave and Bob. We chatted for a few minutes and Dave offered to pack out my trash. Score! I have been able to get rid of most of my trash everyday on this section. 

Dave and Bob

On my way down the pass

Wildflowers really going off

Mt Valhalla in the distance(such a cool mountain name)

Healthiest forest I’ve seen in a while 

A few miles before I was to begin my other giant climb, I began hiking around the Copper Mountain ski resort. From most of the mountain I could hear and see Interstate 70. I much prefer the solitude of my home mountain, Telluride. I do enjoy hiking on ski mountains though. 

Chairlift. Big mountain range in the background is my other climb for the day

The closer I got to the base of Cooper Mountain the more it dawned on me that I might be able to get lunch there. Unlike Monarch Crest, this resort looked like it was still open for the summer. I asked a passing CT hiker if they had gone down the mountain and gotten food. Her response almost made me do something violent. She rudely told me that she wasn’t out here for food and town stops. She came out to enjoy the mountains. I simply responded with, “let me know how that works out for you after 1,300 miles of hiking. Oh, yeah you are only hiking 450 miles. Have a good hike.” I think I came out the winner of that verbal exchange. As it turned out the trail went right by the resort. I walked less than three tenths of a mile to get a burger and a beer. I think this is the first time in 1,300 miles that I have gotten lunch on trail! 

Quick lunch break

Stopping at Copper Mountain Ski Resort for lunch only set me back an hour. Although once I started climbing a giant mountain I slightly regretted my decision. I should have given myself some time to digest that burger. To say my stomach was upset would be a massive understatement. Today was also the hottest day I’ve had since I’ve been back in Colorado. It took me slightly longer than forever to climb that damn mountain. 

Climb #2 

After leaving the resort I hiked around their golf course. I wouldn’t like to play there. Interstate 70 seemed to surround most of the course. Our golf course in Telluride has amazing views and very few roads. 

Yellow tee box at Copper Mt

Copper Mt. Resort

It took me almost three hours to hike up the mountain. That might be the slowest I’ve ever gone uphill. Eventually I made it to the top and I could see the Breckinridge Ski Resort. The front range of Colorado definitely isn’t lacking for ski resorts. By the time I started down the mountain my knee and back were very stiff and sore. I made sure to watch every step so as to not hurt my knee again. There was nothing I could do about my back except to take my time. About halfway down I hit a really large snowfield, but with some creative route finding I was able to avoid walking in it. 

Quarter mile snow field 

Looking back down on Copper

View of Breckinridge 

Pretty flowers

More wildflowers

I found a place to camp five miles before the road to Breckinridge. I’ll be meeting my Aunt and Uncle at a trailhead first thing in the morning. I think after Mt. Elbert and today’s hard climbs I’ll really enjoy my nero and zero day. After setting up camp I made the mile marker for 1,300 miles hiked. I celebrated with a nip of Crown Royal whiskey. All in all today was another good day! 

1,300 miles down, 1,500 to go 

 "Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." 

- John Milton

Day 70- Yup, Another Zero Day

Saturday June 23, 2018

Twin Lakes, CO

Total Miles: 1229.9

Elevation: 9,700

It is a good thing that I have learned to be flexible while on trail. I really didn’t want to take another zero day so soon, but due to logistics and scheduling it was warranted. Turtle and I really wanted to find a place to stay in town for tonight. Unfortunately, Twin Lakes is a tiny resort town in a very popular area of Colorado. The town only has about 25 rooms for rent. During prime tourist season all of these rooms were already taken. We were going to shower, leave our packs, and day hike Mt. Elbert. Plan B was to hike Elbert with full packs and get a few cdt miles in. Obviously that did not happen either. 

I slept great last night. Since the original plan called for just a day hike and coming back to town I didn’t bother setting an alarm. I didn’t wake up until 6:30. I was surprised that the road noise from the nearby highway didn’t keep me up. Since we were camped in tall grass, next to two lakes I woke up to severe condensation and frost covering all of my gear. The sun was shining so I set everything out in a parking lot to dry. It didn’t take long. While we waited for a food truck to open we checked into lodging arrangements. That was when we discovered that plan A wasn’t feasible. 

We changed gears to plan B, getting lunch and hiking out later in the day. The problem was that we couldn’t get lunch until noon. Turtle went for a nap, while I finished writing last nights blog. Most of the other hikers we were around finally hiked out of town. They had been there for a few days. I spent the morning in front of the general store. I was able to charge my electronics, write my blog, post it, and sort my food. The morning went by very quickly. When noon rolled around Turtle and I got lunch. By the time we had eaten and paid it was after one o’clock. I was hesitant to go and hike the second tallest mountain in the lower 48 in the afternoon. Bad weather can roll in at that elevation. Turtle suggested that we just take a zero day. A zero day hanging around a general store located on a busy highway didn’t really appeal to me. Especially without the benefit of a shower. We rejoined the hikers that had arrived in town today that were at the store. They had just met a trail angel who offered them a place to camp next to the trail and a home cooked dinner. They declined the offer because they had plans with friends in Leadville, CO that night. The angel left his phone number before leaving. I told Turtle that he might be able to provide us with showers and we should call him, thus a new plan was born. 

Randy, the trail angel, is camping really close to the trail for a few months. He loves helping out cdt hikers. Turtle called him and he offered to pick us up, let us shower, feed us dinner, give us beer, and cook us breakfast. I was really set on at least hiking to the base of Mt. Elbert today, but showers, food, and beer sounded pretty good to. While we were waiting for Randy to pick us up a few others hikers came in. Ripple and Clouds are an older married couple from England. Brightside is an art teacher from Mancos, CO who I had met in Lake City. They were all hoping for accommodations in Twin Lakes and decided hanging out with Randy was a much better option than camping behind some trees next to a highway. We were all picked up by Randy and his dog Chloe and transported to hiker heaven. Randy has an awesome setup on BLM land close to the trail. We got hot showers, brautworts, sausages, beer, and most importantly great conversation. Randy lives in a camper that is completely off the grid. He is able to hike, fish, and camp wherever he chooses. He seems to really enjoy hanging out with hiker trash. It was a great evening. 

Hanging out at Randy’s campsite 

Randy, one of the kindest and coolest trail angels I’ve come across

After Turtle and I hike Elbert tomorrow it will be a mad dash to make it to Breckenridge to meet my Aunt and Uncle on time. Those of you that followed my AT blog will remember them. BFG and School House Rock(Uncle Tom and Aunt Liz), drove all the way from Nebraska to New Hampshire to visit me on the trail. I’m glad that this time around they don’t have to drive as far. I’m really looking forward to our time together. 

Random pictures: 

The end of my purple hiking shirt

Roadwalk into Twin Lakes, notice that there was no shoulder

Cool mountain pass from a few days ago

No idea when this was taken. I just think it’s a cool picture 

"Too many spend too much time trying to live in a fixed point, when our lives are an unfolding journey. Taking on new challenges is how we fix the world." - Arturo O'Farrill

Day 69- Thou Shall Not Pass

Friday June 22, 2018

Prospector Gulch(1128.8) to Twin Lakes(1155.9) 

27.1 Miles

Total Miles: 1229.9

Elevation:9,226 feet

I wish I could say that I got the best nights rest ever last night, but that would be a lie. I slept great until about 2 o’clock. That is when I heard a strange noise. I heard a very heavy tread close by. I grabbed my phone and turned on the flashlight. I scared the crap out of a bear. It looked at me and I looked at it. We had a very nice staring contest. I shouted, “hey bear!” and it took off running. Considering the fact that I had a snickers bar right next to my head and my food bag laying a few feet away, I didn’t get much sleep the rest of the night. As soon as it was light out I packed up and got moving. I had to finish hiking up the rest of a mountain. My legs were definitely feeling the elevation change from yesterday. It seemed to take much longer for me to get into the groove today. Shortly after starting I had a stream crossing. Unlike on the pct, I’ve mostly been able to find a dry way across. 

Mild stream crossing 

For the first eight miles of the day I walked through the forest on beautiful trail. All of the blow downs had already been cleared for the season. This area is one of the most popular spots for day hiking tourists. I appreciated the nice trail. Once I emerged from the forest I had a relatively steep climb up to Lake Ann Pass. This is the first pass that I’ve hiked since leaving Pagosa Springs that had significant snow. I had to hike over a cornice to get back down to the trail. The best way to describe a cornice is the snow that gathers on the peak of the roof on your house. It was a steep 10-20 foot high cornice. I was unlucky to hit it so early in the morning while it was still a sheet of ice. I just took my time and made sure every step was solid. A fall wouldn’t have killed me, but I would have been pretty bloody. 

Cornice on Lake Ann Pass

Black line indicates route I took down

Upper left a hiker is visible coming down 

I made it down just as a storm blew in. I dropped back into the tree line just as it started to rain. Luckily, the rain was very short lived. It really only sprinkled for about ten minutes. As I was getting my rain gear out, Action Jackson, Z, Slingshot, and Cleansweep hiked past me. This would be the theme of the day as we leapfrogged each other. We all hiked the pct in 2016, but AJ is the only one that I know. Almost as soon as they hiked past me it stopped sprinkling, so I hiked on without my rain gear. The next several miles were super creamy. By creamy, I mean close to flat. The Collegiate Wilderness has been full of lots of ups and downs, but the scenery has been spectacular. I have been surrounded by lots of 14,000 foot peaks. I plan on hiking Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado and the second highest peak in the Continental US after leaving Twin Lakes. It is located right off of the trail and I just can’t pass up the opportunity. 

Coming down from Lake Ann Pass

Creamy trail

The next pass to tackle for the day would really test my endurance. It was most definitely the steepest mountain that I have climbed since the Appalachian Trail. I gained 2,400 feet over 2.4 miles. That equals an astounding 1,000 feet/mile of elevation gain. Luckily, I really enjoy things like this. I had a couple of trail runners fly past me one mile in. I decided to see if I could keep up with them since they were just hiking up. I pleased to say that they only beat me by a minute or two. Once I got to the top of the pass they rewarded me with brownies. I think they were slightly impressed that I kept up. 

Surprisingly fun climb

The views from the top of the pass were nothing short of amazing. I spent almost thirty minutes taking them in. Eventually 30-40 mph winds sent me running away. 

View to the south. Huron is 14,003 feet

View to the north

Feeling pleased with myself

I hiked down from Hope Pass as quick as I could. Town was only about six miles away. I didn’t have high hopes of getting in shower or laundry, but I was excited about food and resupply. My hiking shirt is also completely shot and I had a new one waiting for me in town. I made it down from Hope Pass in record time. I was about to begin the road walk into town when a Colorado Trail hiker passed me going southbound. I had my head down and only briefly looked up to say hello. I took two steps before things clicked. I knew this hiker. Flowers and I hiked the pct the same year, but never met each other on trail. We actually met in Telluride via other thruhikers. I wished her luck on her hike and pressed on. The hiking community is so awesome the way things like this frequently happen. 

Flowers and I

The town of Twin Lakes consists of a tiny general store and three lodges. The lodges are comprised of a B&B, some cabins, and an inn. They were all completely booked. I gathered my packages from the general store. My food resupply was exactly where it should of been, but my Amazon order was missing. After almost an hours search it was located behind the counter. It had been opened by an employee. This was a very shady situation, but I couldn’t really complain. In the end I got the package and nothing was missing. I’m super excited to have a new shirt, the downside is that I couldn’t get my usual purple. For the first time in my long distance hiking career I’m not hiking in purple. I guess my purple Oakley sunglasses will have to suffice. 

New look

Turtle showed up a little before dark and we went to the only restaurant in town for dinner. Dinner was excellent, but for $23/dish I didn’t expect anything less than excellent. With zero options for lodging we made due with camping behind some trees next to the highway. We are camped in high grass and next to a lake. It’s not a matter of if everything will be soaked by condensation, but how soaked. I guess I’ll find out in the morning. 

"Well, a wiser fellow than myself once said, “Sometimes you eat the b’ar, sometimes the b’ar, why, he eats you.”

- The Stranger (The Big Lebowski)

Day 68- Spectacular Summer Solstice Saunter

Thursday June 21, 2018

Hancock Pass(1096.8) to Prospector Gulch(1128.8) 

32 Miles

Total Miles: 1202.8

Elevation: 10,610 feet

I slept like a log last night. Turtle told me the Fox came back in the middle of the night. He yelled at it and turned his flashlight on to scare it away. I never heard anything. I was up and out of camp before six o’clock. My plan was to hike twenty five to thirty miles today. It wasn’t until a few miles into my day that I noticed today was the summer solstice. In the hiker world the summer solstice is also known as hike naked day. That is not something that I participate in. I decided instead to hike my longest day yet, a 35 mile day. In the end I would fall short of my lofty goal, but not for lack of trying. Today was the most elevation gain and loss that I’ve hiked on this trail. It was also one of the most beautiful days. I started off by walking on an old railroad line. The railway has long since been abandoned, but the old tread made for easy hiking. 

Informative sign

Easy tread

Once I left the railroad behind the fun really started. The theme of the day was to hike up and over a steep mountain pass, then drop down into a basin, then do it all over again. The passes and surrounding moutain landscapes were amazing. It was a difficult balancing act to take it all in and still make good time throughout the day. I was lucky that today was the longest day of the year. I needed every minute of daylight to come close to achieving my goal. 

Still on the railroad

Heading down from the first pass 

I felt really good today. Yesterday was kind of a struggle. I had expected to feel really refreshed after having a zero day, but I felt exactly the opposite. I guess I just needed an extra day to readjust to the rigors of thruhiking. I spent the first half of the day completely isolated. I didn’t see another soul from the minute I left Turtle, shortly after breaking camp, until fifteen miles into my hike. I was able to hike for three hours, roughly nine miles, without taking a break. I found a lovely spot, out of the wind, ate a snack, put sunscreen on, had a tinkle, processed some water, and smoked a cigarette. I was able to do all of this in under fifteen minutes. Sometimes instead of counting minutes, I count miles lost. Typically in fifteen minutes I’m able to hike roughly one and a half miles. I timed my break so that it came just before starting another big climb. My legs were nice and refreshed from my break and I knocked out a 1,500 foot climb quickly. I was rewarded with a spectacular view from the top. 

Blue bird day

Almost the same picture as above, but with the corresponding mountain peaks overlaid

Panoramic view

Around mile eighteen I was starting to fade. I took another break and ate a few bars and had some caffeinated Mio. I also allowed myself a thirty minute break. The wind had really picked up so I made sure to find a good spot out of the wind. Just before taking my break I ran into two older guys out for a day hike. I was going downhill through some scree, while they were climbing uphill. We had a nice, but short chat. They informed me that there were two other thruhikers just ahead of me. I was hopeful that I could catch up to them by the end of the day. 

Hiking though the scree field 

 It a bad place to take a break

I spent most of the day listening to a podcast about WWI by Dan Carlin. The name of the podcast is Hardcore History. I’ve really enjoyed listening to historical podcasts. I feel like I’m learning something while I hike. I ended up catching up to the other thruhikers around mile twenty two. I had met them last week. Chippy is a female hiker from Australia and Duesces is a guy from Colorado that used to work at Crested Butte. We would spend the next few hours playing leapfrog with one another. By this point of my day I was stopping every hour or two to take a break. The elevation change was really starting to take its toll on me. 

Semi-sketchy snow traverse

Cool little alpine lake

I love the Peak Finder app

So nice to know what I’m looking at

Mile 24

I took another long break at Cottonwood Pass. This is usually a very busy County Highway, but the road is closed this summer for construction. I spent my break chatting with one of the construction workers. He was very familiar with the area and told me all about the mountains in this area. He also used to live in Telluride, so we chatted about living there. I still had eight miles to go and it was getting late in the day. I summoned my remaining strength and hiked on. 

Cottonwood Pass from above

I had a relatively short section of uphill, followed by a very long downhill. Once I hit the downhill portion I went through a nice forested area. Most of my day was spent above tree line and I enjoyed being in the forest. Plus, since I was going downhill I was able to just cruise. 

Nice green forest 

About three miles before the end of my long day, I hit a rather large stream. I couldn’t find a dry way across and I didn’t relish the idea of getting my socks and shoes disking wet at the end of the day. I resigned myself to taking the time to take them off. The water was really cold, but I was in and out pretty quickly. Once I hit the other side I had to stop and dry my feet and put my socks and shoes back on. It was at this point the Action Jackson and three others caught up to me. They decided to cross in their socks and shoes. They barely even paused to say hello before flying past me. 

Wet crossing 

There were two other crossings ahead, but I managed to find a dry way across. Once again the guys just plunged straight through. I caught up to them just as they were setting up camp. I decided to hike on a little farther. I just don’t care to camp with more than one or two people around me. For some reason I don’t sleep as well in large groups. The downside of this decision was I had to climb another steep hill. My legs were absolutely shot and it seemed to take forever. I finally found a spot to camp, although it was less than ideal because there isn’t much flat ground in the area. I was just too beat to search any longer, so I made do. 

I discovered that I had passed 1,200 miles so I made a mile marker before cooking dinner. 

The miles are coming fast and furious now

Dinner consisted of another homemade dehydrated meal, grits, bbq chicken, onions, bell peppers, and banana peppers. Even though I slighty burnt the grits, it was still pretty good. I’m guessing that I’ll sleep well again tonight. 

“Life’s ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals-think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want.”

-Marsha Sinetar