Month: June 2024

We had a 7:30 am shuttle back to the trail.

They forgot us. That made Happy & I decide to rethink our plans and check on alternatives.

Happy’s summary of today.

So we started the low route to Twin Lakes.

While it has some road walking in it, it also took us around the fire currently blocking some of the trail, avoided two peaks over 12,000 feet and was much shorter. That made it a great choice.

Much of it also runs along the Arkansas River. I’m so glad we have bridges rather than fords.

As we were going along we ran into Jeeves, a trail crew member from the group we met before in New Mexico. He shared his dog with us.

Jeeves is a true trail Angel.

We also met Larry the Log Man again. Last time we saw him was on the PCT. He is a great guy.

We updated our food supply a little. With the shorter trip to Twin Lakes we did not need as much food as we would have had we hiked through the fire (ok. We don’t really do that sort of thing).

After we got into Twin Lakes we rested on the patio.

After soft serve ice cream and a hamburger and properly resupplied, we hiked out of Twin Lakes to the red line and set up our tent as the rain began to spatter.

Tomorrow we begin on the hike to Leadville, our next resupply location.

But for now we are safe and dry and warm, tucked in at a great campsite looking down at the trail and the lake.

It was a good day.

We had a great night. Some rain but no condensation and a beautiful sunrise.

We had about 7.3 miles to the trail head where a local trail Angel was to pick us up.

We had rain falling on us in blinding sunlight like brilliant falling stars. A little sleet, a little rain.

We made good use of the bridges.

Caught a ride into town, made it to the outfitter to buy Happy new shorts and a new base layer bottom (the old bottom was wearing out with lots of holes).

I also picked up more aquatabs for water purification.

For now we are eating a light dinner, recharging batteries and getting ready for tomorrow.

We got showers at the laundromat, did laundry, napped at our room at the Super 8, and bought food to get us to the next town (Twin Lakes).

Our shuttle picks us up at 7:30 am.

It was a good day.

Happy Six (Win) had several bad days.

Altitude sickness.

Coming down off the mountain.

Monarch Spur RV & Campground was fine and we took a zero but she still wasn’t feeling it.

We decided to take the Colorado Trail Alt and walked the mile from Monarch to the trail head and headed up.

The first day was kind of bleak and the trail wasn’t inviting.

Then we had early rain and lucked out that there was a great campsite handy when the rain began to fall.

More rain.

We called it a day. Some other hikers came along and we invited them to stay in the area.

The new group included Magic Beans and Taint Sap. The later was told by his tramily that you can’t change your trail name and you have to accept whatever you are given.

I asked if any of the tramily were his friends.

We got up early.

Got on the trail well before 6:00 am.

We hiked to a resort that had breakfast.

We hiked.

It was beautiful.

We passed a trail Angel’s house. They were inviting anyone to come in that might need anything.

The reduced altitude, the wonderful trail and beautiful views revitalized Happy.

We stopped a little early to avoid rain but still had better than 17 miles. We are at around 10,000 feet 10,012) and had just short of 3,000 feet of elevation climbed today.

We have reservations in town, a shuttle set up and full plans. Just a shade over seven miles to hike to our shuttle.

We can hear the thunder but we are tucked in and set up. Ready for the incoming storm. We will be warm and dry.

With greatly improved morale. The trail is grand.

Happy’s perspective

We took another zero today. That puts us at three so far —more zeros than we’ve ever taken on a trail before.

Fran dropped Sweetheart off at the trail and went for a hike.

Yesterday we got to see charming Salida.

The water is high enough the pedestrian bypass under the bridge here is flooded.

The sky was wonderful.

Today we had already completed shopping and laundry.

We got to look at high water levels.

We explored the campground a bit. Picked up mail and Happy used the grill to grill some steaks.

There has been a lot of serious rain. Turns out it has been heavier than usual.

We also looked at alternative routes north that are a little lower in altitude—turns out the Colorado Trail splits off a little.

The two trails overlap where we came into Salida but they diverge going north and then come together before splitting up again.

Looks like a perfect solution to the altitude sickness issue.

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Other updates. My new hiking gloves arrived. The fishing gloves I got from Amazon lasted more than a thousand miles. Just no longer for sale.

My new Topos are nice. It was about time to replace them. The Topo gaiters are great. They work like they should.

The trailer we rented to stay in for our zero is really nice. Full kitchen. Separate bathroom and bedroom.

Television and fireplace.

Sitting area, couch and dining room.

We are just learning about the options out there.

Looking forward to trail tomorrow.

We got out of Sagueche with a shuttle from the motel where we stayed. We started on the trail with some steep ups and were soon kissing 12,000 feet.

Reel, with snow.

Probably the last snow left.

With the heat and hard climbs, Happy got altitude sickness at an altitude we’ve both done well at.

We took it seriously, turned around so we hiked down Dutchman’s Creek Trail.

The trail was steep and rocky and the footing was bad about half the way. I had a pole break on me.

The trail doesn’t display correctly on many apps and maps. But the flowers are very pretty. It is definitely spring.

We camped at lower altitude and then in the morning we continued all the way out to Highway 50.

It was beautiful weather.

Come morning we packed up.

Because a bridge is out hitching is bad at Highway 50. Happy used her Garmin and texted a shuttle that picked us up near Sargent’s.

We are now at Monarch Spur RV campground doing laundry and getting ready to pick up a resupply. I got my new shoes from the office with no charge from them.

When I broke one of my BD hiking poles I took a fall on Dutchman’s. I’m doing just fine but it was quite the surprise.

Beerman’s wife Fran is next door to us (first time we saw her since the Great Basin) and Sweetheart (the German hiker) is sharing her space. She has her Casita and he has a DuplexXL he plans to replace with a Durston.

Happy’s notes.

We are staying in a trailer. We’ve talked about using a travel trailer and this is a good chance to try one out.

The one we are renting is palatial.

We are taking a zero. Will go out to dinner with Fran & Sweetheart and do some resupply.

Will also rethink.

We passed on hike naked day. Just hiked in our clothes instead.

We finally hit the last campsite for a seven mile stretch and got set up just before the rain hit.

Then the rain poured down. I had not anchored a flap right and woke up to a puddle of water of more than a liter inside the tent.

Luckily after it was bailed out nothing else was wet and I fixed the problem.

I slept safe and dry until the morning and we started on our way.

Happy summarizes the last day

Up and up and up.

Finally we hit the pass and headed down.

Beautiful vistas and lovely aspen.

We dried out what was wet (our tent and the tyvek groundsheet).

Then more walking.

Then we hitched into Saguache. It took almost 45 minutes. A wonderful Mexican (nationality) family picked us up and we made it to the store just before it closed and bought three days resupply to get us to Salida.

Then we had pizza at the only restaurant open today. The motel was “no vacancy” but “the lodge” (an old motel) was willing to rent us a room even though they are closed for renovations.

We started north on a forest road while Swiss Cake & Saint took off and we did not see them again. Their goal was the Creede cut-off.

We went up and up. The trail bobs up and down to almost 12,000 feet then down to the 9000s and then back up.

We saw a snowshoe rabbit.

We walked up and down for miles.

Mostly forest road with light traffic.

The trail took us by a superfund site.

The retaining pond was bright with toxic chemicals.

But there were beautiful vistas.

Then more ups.

I should have counted the PUDs. It was a lot of them.

Then some on and off light rain as we took an alternative power easement going down.

We picked the only good campsite in miles (though we didn’t know it) and set up at 4:00 or so.

It was then rain and lightning until around 6:00 am.

With hail that kept melting as it hit the ground.

We put on rain gear and packed up and started south during a break in the rain. It would rain and hail on us until around 9:30 or so.

The tread was fairly straight and downhill.

Finally the rain quit falling on us in spite of sunny skies about ten miles out of Del Norte.

An angel got us to the post office where Happy’s new shoes were.

We then walked to the Windsor Hotel and dropped off our bags.

Then to the grocery store for two days of resupply.

It started to rain so we dropped over across the way for a warm drink (for Happy) and ice cream for me.

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Found out a hiker we know blogs for The Trek. TBD’s blog

Doing laundry.

Then back to the Windsor.

Where all the rooms have sponsors.

Then early to bed, early to rise and two days to our next resupply.

Happy’s summary of the past few days.

So we left the campground at 6:00 am or so.

From the campground to Platoro is a well used dirt road that follows the Conejos River.

Due to bad signage we ended up at Skyline for lunch. Good thing as the restaurant we were looking for was closed.

Internet was not free but was a charge by device and megabyte so we passed on their internet.

Owner was very friendly.

We had done fifteen miles by 11:40 and the wind was really rough. We were really taking a beating.

So we got to Gold Pan for a resupply and showers and internet. JJ took great care of us.

More hikers and one biker here too.

Vegetables and meatballs and garlic bread and beer (I had Rootbeer) for dinner.

Our shuttle dropped us off at mile 0.0 of the green line at 8:29 at Cumbras Pass.

We started hiking.

We stopped for lunch. We needed the break and the people were wonderful at Red Bear Haus.

Then we got to a camp ground at mile 20.5 on the alt.

Where people invited us to dinner.

And we set up our tent.

Tomorrow we hike a little slower.