Today we begin the 5th leg of our Colorado Trail adventure, hiking from San Luis Pass near Creede down to Molas Pass near Silverton. The next 68.1 miles will largely be above treeline, so we are crossing our fingers that we will get a good weather window that will allow us to finish this stage in only 4.5 days. It’s a little ambitious for us, but we are feeling strong and hope we can do it. It all starts today with Day 31, so here goes. (more…)
It’s Zero Day in Creede, and we have big plans to do very little! If we are taking two nights in the Snowshoe Motel, we are going to make the most of it, starting by sleeping in and enjoying the comfort of a soft bed for a change. Then it’s time to saunter down to check out the much-talked about breakfast. (more…)
Every so often, as I toss and turn, I take a peak outside the cocoon of my sleeping bag and see that it’s getting light outside. I nestle in anticipation of Alison’s alarm going off, but the moment never seems to arrive. Why is it so light outside? (more…)
When we woke up this morning, all cozy in our sleeping bags, we had no idea how cold it had turned overnight. The temperature on my watch read 32.5 degrees, and, when I step outside to make coffee I find that there are ice crystals on the tent fly. This is not the first time on this trip that we’ve camped low in a valley, so we have come to expect that it will be colder down here. But this is certainly the coldest morning on the CT by far! (more…)
Over the last three days, we have been averaging 15 miles/day, which is getting us to Creede a little faster than we had planned. Our motel reservation is for Monday night, and we only have 41.2 miles to go over the next four days, which means that we need to slow down. The only problem is that the scenery in this leg of the CT isn’t the most inspiring, and it is relatively easy terrain. So, if there is any place that we want to speed up, this is it. (more…)
After our longest day on trail as backpackers yesterday, I was curious to see how we would rebound, especially since the hard day ended with a cold rain and us huddling in our tent for warmth. The alarm went off at 5 am per usual, and we bounded out of bed, seemingly no worse for the wear. Go figure. (more…)
According to the Colorado Trail Foundation’s Data Book, this next leg of the CT between Salida and Creede is going to be a bit more challenging for us to find good water and campsites than what we experienced in the Collegiate West. Case in point: today, we either have a rather short day of just over 7 miles or a really long day of almost 18 to reach our next guaranteed water source. Seven miles isn’t going to cut it, so we are going to have to push it and make some big miles today. Here’s hoping the weather and our legs hold out for us. (more…)
It’s time to get back on the trail again after a relaxing zero day in Salida. We grab one last quick shower and dash off to the Little Red Hen Bakery to grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich. My eyes are bigger than my stomach, and I can’t resist trying the cinnamon roll and a French roll as well. When will I ever learn? (more…)
Zero Days are some of the most anticipated days for any thru-hiker. They offer a chance to step off the trail, sleep in a real bed, eat some real food, get clean and take care of all the little chores that build up while spending a week in the woods. The only problem with town days is that they are always way too short. We never have time to do everything we want, and so it was in Salida. (more…)
We set the alarm a little early this morning (4:30), so we can break camp and hit the trail early. We are eager to get to Salida for a couple of nights of R&R, but we still have 9 miles to cover as the data book told us that Hunt Lake was the last viable camping spot with water before reaching Monarch Pass. (more…)
