Approaching the San Juans

I arrived in Salida, Colorado on Saturday the 26th, and I have been staying here at the Simple Hostel. The weather for the last week has been cold and snowy, but it looks like the weather will be nice for the next few days until Wednesday and Thursday, when a small system moves through the area. This means that I will be attempting to hike the CDT through the San Juans here in Colorado.

This is a big deal, since one never knows what to expect for weather in the San Juans. I have had people tell me that it can dump 6-feet of snow in a day there, or it can be sunny and dry there until November. One does not know what to expect, but I figure that it's worth a shot. I have purchased some additional clothing, so that I can get through the snow, and bear the colder days, if they do come.

I am also approaching the end of Colorado. I figure that I have another 10-12 days here. I have loved hiking in this, my native state. I have appreciated the great and beautiful scenery, the history, and the people here. I will say that I have been disappointed with all the development (roads, powerlines, houses, mines, etc.) here in the mountains, and the environmental devastation wrought by mining. Some of the creeks up here in the mountains have been poisoned by mines, making some of the rivers uninhabitable to fish and other wildlife. Frankly, I have to be careful which creeks I draw water from, so that I am not ingesting chemicals and toxins. I think Colorado has a lot of challenges before it to clean up its rivers for all who depend on them for water and recreation.

Rough Weather Heading Into Twin Lakes

I hiked into Twin Lakes this afternoon, and I am glad to get out of the cold weather for a night.  On Sunday, a front moved through the mountains, bringing with it rain, snow, wind, and colder temperatures.  I was so chilled, I thumbed a ride at Tennessee Pass to Leadville, where I stayed at the the Leadville Hostel, and warmed up. 

I went back out on the trail on Monday, and the snow was falling at a pretty good clip.  Eventually, it stopped, and the sun came out, warming the day up to 40-degrees.  I camped at Halfmoon Creek that night, where temperatures fell into the high 20's.

I did not let the weather dampen my determination to climb Mt. Elbert (14,433-feet), which is the highest peak in Colorado, and the second highest peak in the contiguous United States behind Mt Whitney in California.  It was cold, snowy, and windy up at the top, so I spent maybe 5-minutes up there.  I scrambled back down Mt. Elbert, where I cross-country hiked through snow that was knee-deep in some areas, and then I followed the South Mt. Elbert trail down to the CDT.  It was quite the adventure, but I survived.

I will try and get my trail journal updated in full in Salida, Colorado, where I plan to take my next zero day.  While there I will update my videos on YouTube and pictures on Flickr.  Expect updates again on Sunday.

At the Doorstep of Colorado's Front Range

After a wonderful break in Steamboat Springs, I resumed my hike through the Rabbit Ears and Never Summer Ranges in Colorado.  About 11-miles of that hiking was on US 40 and State Route 14, which was very precarious road walking (yuck!), but thankfully the rest of the mileage kept me up over 10,000-feet, which made for very scenic walking.  Certainly the highlights of the last section were climbing Parkview Mountain and skirting Ruby and Cascade Mountains on the boundary of the Never Summer Wilderness.

I have been resting in Denver at my brother's house for the last two days, but I am heading back on the trail today, where I will rejoin my companions for a 106-mile stretch through Colorado's Front Range, which will likely include climbs up two 14,000-foot peaks (Gray's and Torrey's Peaks).  Hopefully, the weather cooperates over the next five days through this fabled section of the Rocky Mountains.

In Steamboat Springs... Hiking Never Summer Range Next!

I am in Colorado!  Yes, I am back in my native state, and I am loving the hiking along the Continental Divide.  The weather has been great, the scenery is outstanding, and I have seen a ton of wildlife.  Up to this point, I have liked this trail more than the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails combined!

I had a wonderful hiking experience in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, and the group I am hiking with decided to take an unpublished, double secret hiking route around Mount Zirkel.  You can read about it here.  Needless to say, we deviated from the official route, and followed the true Divide through the wilderness area.  It was awesome.

I will be leaving Steamboat Springs on Sunday morning, and I will be heading toward the Never Summer Range, and Rocky Mountain National Park, which is east of here.  The trail will start to bend south again towards Grand Lake, where my brother will pick me up on Thursday afternoon.

I just uploaded photos to my Flickr site, and my trail journal is completely up to date, so check them out.  More updates to come on Thursday!

Dry, Warm in the Great Basin

I just walked into Rawlins, Wyoming, where I am staying at the 1st Choice Inn.  The last day and a half has had abundant sunshine, and it's been arid and dry.  However, the first three days through the Red Desert were mild, and afternoon thunder showers frequently chased me.  I survived it all.

The group I am hiking with managed 30-miles a day through the desert.  I have read that one is to "hike 30's and get the desert over with,"  but I have to say that I was very impressed with the abundant wildlife in the Great Basin of Wyoming.  Coyotes, wild horses, antelope, horned lizards, and a badger were among the many animals I saw roaming the desert.  I saw a lot of cows roaming the desert too, fouling water sources that are unfortunately not protected by fencing.  The BLM has erected fences around some very important springs, but one day I had to drink some nasty cow-ass water over a twenty mile stretch.  Despite treating the water with Aqua Mira and flavoring it with Crystal Light, I gagged down the water and stayed hydrated - miraculously.

A couple highlights from the stretch: Visiting South Pass City, which is an old mining camp town that Butch Cassidy used to frequent.  I was amazed to know that in this small mining town, there were three saloons for cards and drinking.  I guess there was not much to do in Wyoming back in the late 1800's.  The other highlight was a drive-by visit from a guy named Bob, who shared cold PBRs with the group, and who claimed he had lost a half a million dollars worth of guns, ammo, and fireworks confiscated by the feds who raided his ranch a few years ago.  Apparently, he spent time in Leavenworth until 1971, and he has not been able to catch a break from the law since that time.  Hmmmmm...

I am leaving Rawlins tomorrow, and my next stop will be in Encampment, Wyoming for a quick resupply (I have been told that Encampment is not the place to spend time).  After that, I will continue my hike into Colorado, and I think I will cross the border on the 31st or 1st of September.  I will take my next zero day in Steamboat Springs.  Wow!  I cannot believe that I am almost in Colorado.  Hike on!

I Flourished in the Wind River Range

I am in Lander, Wyoming, resting up from an eight day, 146-mile stretch through the Gros Ventre and Wind River Ranges - it was awesome!  You can read about the day where I thought I was going to die climbing Lava Mountain, or look at my potentially award winning photo in the Winds.  Sometimes there are great risks out here on the trail, but the rewards (i.e. stunning views) are worth it.

I am taking the day off here in Lander, where I will re-supply, catch a movie at the theater, and simply enjoy being in a new town.  On Sunday, I will get back on the trail, and I will begin my hike through the Great Basin in southern Wyoming.  This is the well-known desert area along the Continental Divide Trail, which has long, water-less stretches and blistering temperatures.  I plan to power through it, hiking 30-mile days, so I should be in Rawlins by Thursday.

It is looking like I will enter Colorado by the 31st of this month, which should put me on track to hike through the San Juans in southern Colorado before the snowstorms hit in late September - early October.  At least I will keep my fingers crossed that there will be an Indian summer down there.  Who knows?

All I can say is that I am having a great time out here, and I am thriving on this harsh, but beautiful Continental Divide Trail.

Food Poisoning, Beat Up Body, But Hey, It's Worth It!

Hello Everyone!  I am in Dubois, WY, and I am doing well, in spite of what I titled this blog entry.  Yes, I think I suffered food poisoning somewhere in Yellowstone.  I am not sure where I got it, but I managed to hike 60-miles, despite feeling like poop.  You can read more about it on my trail journal entry here.

I got to Dubois, and the first thing I did was lay down.  My legs are trashed.  I've been hiking for 11-days straight, and I really prefer a sabbath in there after 7-days, so I am hoping that will happen after my next stretch through the Wind River Range.

I am still having the time of my life.  The pace of the hike is comfortable, and I am surrounded by a bunch of great people.  Everyone said that I will get lost on this trail, but I am here to say that I have not been lost.  On this trail, I am finding myself.  I love being outside, and I enjoy being in the wilderness.  It has its moments, but do we not experience moments in the real world too? 

Sometimes I feel like I have died and gone to heaven, and I pray for many moments not to end.  So I will continue to enjoy "paradise," and I will be sure to proclaim how great it is.

Yellowstone Just Around the Corner!

I am totally loving this CDT hike!  Yes, there have been a lot of bugs, grueling climbs, lack of water, and did I mention bugs?  Oh yeah, I did.  Anyway, I am very close to the Wyoming border and Yellowstone National Park, and I am looking forward to the change of states.  Montana-Idaho has been adventurous and remote, but I am looking forward to some easier walking - at least I have heard that the hiking there is easier.  I have just updated my trail journal, and I am now about to load some new videos on my You Tube channel.  I will try and thrrow some pictures on my flickr site, but I may run out of time.  I will make additional updates when I arrive in Dubois, Wyoming, but that will be in about 10-11-days.  I might be able to make some updates in Olf Faithful Village, but I am not counting on it.