Chapter 13
@mycrazyadventurescalledlife
Day 13, July 20, 2021
Mile Marker 186 to 208.2 (22.2 miles)
"Not My Favorite"
The trail is not always pretty
This section was not my favorite at all, at least the first half of the day. The trail goes up to a peak with no view at all, then follows the ridge on a trail that is also travelled by motor bikes, which destroys the trail.
Honestly, that is one part of the CT/CDT that I don't like.
For those who actually ride their dirt bikes on this trail (or any hiking trail for that matter), knowing it's the trail where people walk or ride mountain bikes, I ask the question as to what kind of gratification does one get blazing through the trail with a flick of their wrist, generating both noise and air pollution, on a trail where people actually sweat and work hard, using nothing but their individual human body, to get from one point to the next. That is why I prefer human powered recreation than motorized ones.
When I was in Lake City, the majority of CT hikers warned about not getting water at Razor Creek. When I got there, the water was perfectly fine. It's clear and not infested with cow poop. The thing I learned is that the herd of cows constantly moves therefore it could be terrible one day and it could be fine the days after. Thankfully it was great when I passed through. And therefore, I didn't have to go to Baldy Lake to get water, which I heard was a steep hike back to the trail.
Going up towards Sargents Mesa
A little sprinkle every now and then. At around 2pm, I noticed I was moving much slower than normal, as I kept pushing my lunch break. After half an hour, I finally decided to stop and have an actual break. I found a clear spot under a tree 20 ft from the trail and laid my mat and cooked some ramen. During this time, I saw a SoBo and I yelled, “I like your shirt!” We’re both wearing the same shirt and color. We had a small conversation in which he later uttered “Oh you’re going NoBo, you must like pain!” In which I replied, “I guess so!” Lol.
I managed to evade the thunderstorm today as it mainly stayed to the Southwest. Non-stop thunder echoed but luckily it was far away.
The hike towards Sargents Mesa was beautiful as there were a ton of wildflowers. A feast to the eyes. And even when dark clouds came close to the trail, I was glad that the mesa wasn't above tree line so I was not concerned about potential lightning if one was to occur.
At Sargents Mesa
Mt. Ouray in the distance
Lots of cows towards the end of the day. In some sections I had to navigate around them, as they were peacefully grazing the land. Though honestly, hiking in the cow poop section is not ideal because cows tend to walk on the trail and leave droppings along the way. And when it's raining, oh man it's a cow poop/mud combination.
Upon arriving at Tank Seven Creek junction, a lot of CT hikers have already settled in. This is quite a popular spot. As much as I wanted to join the party, I also wanted some solitude that night. After getting water, I decided to keep hiking another half mile. Sure enough no one was there. And I must admit, this is a better campsite for NoBos. It was quiet and since it was not in the valley, I avoided any condensation.
As I was setting up my tent, it started to shower. Glad I set camp early. Hiking in the rain late in the afternoon is not preferable.
This would not be the CDT without the cows. lol
End of Chapter 13