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.
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.