Our last true zero day on the trail…hmm, how to spend it? Well, laying low and taking it easy for sure. After last night’s late night fun, a little sleeping in is certainly in order. And now that I have a name for it, my tibial tendonitis suggests a minimum of movement. Ah, but hiker hunger, even on an off day, motivates us to escape the motel room in search of the one thing America does better than anywhere else in the world—breakfast!

We hobble down two blocks to the Brown Bear Cafe, only to discover that they are suffering a power outage and have no way to cook food, so we hussle over to the Bent Elbow and enjoy a leisurely Sunday brunch. I ask our server for a bag of ice to try to ease the swelling in my left shin, and he graciously obliges.

After eating, it’s back to the motel room to kick the feet up and work on the blog. We are really motivated to get a week’s worth of posts done before our friends, Rob and Amy, drive up from Durango to join us.

After some time icing my shin and writing, I get a little stir crazy. We figure out our resupply needs, and I shuffle down to the local market to pick up a few items for the trail. We opt for a light lunch, and so I also pick up an avocado, hummus, a peach and a few drinks to have a little picnic in the room.

It’s a pleasant and quiet day working out of our motel room. We listen to music and enjoy the gentle breeze wafting through the windows as the train whistle toots every so often. Rob and Amy text to see if we need any last supplies before they leave Durango. They are a little over an hour away, and we are getting excited to see them.

We first met them in Africa a few years ago when we climbed Kilimanjaro. We’ve hiked with them in northern India, and each visited each other in Durango and Chicago. They just returned from a month of trekking in Peru, so we are eager to hear about their adventures.

When they do arrive, it’s just like old times, and the four of us start chatting away about everything. They were kind enough to bring us a few important items: a block of cheese, dried mangoes and, most importantly, a spare set of hiking poles, since one of mine failed yesterday.

After they check into their motel, we stroll around Silverton, which they have been to many times. We go get an ice cream and hear about Peru. They had the same amazing guide, Eliseo, that we had a few years ago when we hiked in the Cordilleras! It brings back such good memories of that trip. They were able to do some climbing as well and summited Diablo Mudo, an 18,000+ foot peak. Their pictures are amazing.

Then it’s back to Avalanche for a celebratory beer. It’s much quieter here on a late Sunday afternoon, and the sun is shining. We chat about our experience on the CT so far, the challenges and the pleasant surprises. They will join us for the next three days on the trail! We discuss our plans to hit the trail tomorrow.

For dinner, we head to Teller restaurant for some fine Mexican fare—got a load up on carbs and guacamole before getting back on the trail. We’ve been chatting non-stop for hours, but it’s time to turn in at a reasonable hour so we can get back on the CT for the final stretch—the last 75 miles from Molas Pass to Durango.

We can’t believe how fast the past 36 days have flown by, and we can’t wait to spend a few days on trail with our old hiking buddies!

Day 36 Stats

Starting Point: Silverton
End Point: Silverton
Mileage: as little as possible
Segment: N/A
Date on Trail: August 5, 2018