Day 7
@mycrazyadventurescalledlife
Mile Marker 109.8 to 128.6 (18.8 miles)
"Colorado High Point"
The Colorado Trail Marker
The rain eventually stopped late last night and it got a bit chilly again early this morning.
I had set my alarm earlier today to get a head start. It's still dark outside. No rain as I was sipping my hot coffee and granola mix.
As I was packing inside my tent, rain came back, along with the wind. But at least no lightning and thunder. I checked my Garmin, 100% rain now and 20% at 8am. Temp 40, 36 degrees with wind chill. I'm at mile marker 109.8, going up 1300 ft to the highest point on the Colorado Trail. Could be a totally different story up there. So I decided to wait for a few minutes.
The goal is to at least go 10 miles today over the exposed ridge, to the next water. I still have enough food for two days, though I only have Idahoan potato flakes as my hot meal. I can be creative with that with my bars.
View as I was going up to the high point
I'm writing this section of the trail now after the fact. I hiked all the way to Hwy 149 and got a hitch to Lake City. So thrilled about finally being able to get some rest after seven days straight on the trail. And so, back to the events from this morning.
Rain finally stopped around 6:30am. Within minutes the birds started chirping. That was my cue. I looked outside and I saw blue skies. I quickly packed up and got going.
As I hiked on the dirt road section, I heard coyotes howling in the distance. I also saw a moose in the far distance, which I initially thought was a bear. As I was nearing the high point, clouds started to roll in. But no lightning or thunder evident. Thank goodness. I kept pushing. I told myself I just needed to get to the high point and it'll be downhill from there.
A little celebration at the High Point of the Colorado Trail
Yay I reached the high point of the Colorado Trail! Wooop wooop! No one around me for miles!
After a little celebration at the highest point on the Colorado Trail, I quickly moved on. Clouds and rain continued to dominate the sky. But alas, there were actually two more high points I gotta go over before I can finally be at lower elevation. And even then, which I discovered later, was still very exposed.
In this section, I only came across two bikepackers who were struggling to stay on their bikes because the wet rocks were so slippery. And a bit later, I met a couple thru-hiking with their dog.
A bikepacker struggling on wet rocks.
Clouds rolling in and out revealing Lake San Cristobal and the trail dropping down below to the right
When I got to the spring, I got confused with the comments on Guthook. I thought there was a better flowing spring by the Yurt (which is actually just an empty platform), but there was just that one spring in the meadow.
After getting water in the spring, I continued to look up at the sky so I could decide what to do. I listened and no thunder. I took a little quick break by the trees and decided to push for the highway.
Great hiking weather on this open landscape.
Jarosa Mesa
I'm glad it wasn't sunny or else this section would have been super hot. No shade at all. I saw two deers at Jarosa Mesa. As I was getting closer to the highway, the trail became a dirt road. But today, it's a muddy dirt road covered with sheep poop. Terrible way to end the day. Upon arriving at the Spring Creek Pass at Hwy 149, I stepped into the cold creek to clean my legs and my shoes. It was cold but I felt a lot better.
Almost done for the day.
And now, my least favorite, hitching. It's always a hit or miss. It took a little over an hour before I finally got a ride, from a Triple Crown trail angel living in Lake City. Also got to meet Cache 22 on this hitch, who is bouncing around on the CDT. He maintains the water tank in the Hat Creek Rim, on the PCT. I told him how it was dry when we passed that section in 2017, and that my friend Trailname had to get water from the cow pond. He said he was on vacation that week.
P.S. I was a bit disappointed while I was hitchhiking. All these Texas cars/trucks going in Colorado to enjoy the great outdoors, yet ignoring backpackers, passing us, letting us stand on the side of the road, in the rain and cold.