Day #40-Back to an oxygenated environment once again. Miles hiked: 16.9

The storm had subsided this morning, but the temps were still bitter cold-well below 20 degrees. I was initiated into backpacking by a close family friend on a sub-freezing traverse of the Smokies, so I’m no stranger to frigid mornings. Nonetheless, trying to cram sore feet into shoes rock solid frozen isn’t exactly a fun time. But today there is town, so up the pass we went to the high point of the CT—just over 13,200 ft!

The ridge walk this morning was exposed, windy, and bitter cold. However, this is again the suffering we choose and what strips folks down to their essence in journeys like this. What a gift. 

By early afternoon, we’d made it to Spring Creek pass and Mushka and I thumbed down a pickup to whisk 6 cold, weary hikers down the hill to Lake City (after nearly an hour with no takers). 

Once in town, it was a feeding frenzy and a zero for tomorrow was declared to heal our bodies and minds. 

Goodnight from an adorable 1-room cabin in a cozy little RV park. 

PS-Happy Birthday to Gusha as he rings in his 33rd trip around the sun! 

Day #39-Rainbow kitten surprise. Miles hiked: 26.1

I’ve been pretty darn resilient through these hard days, but today my body and mind have just been tired. However, check out this final wave goodbye to the southern San Jaun’s just before meeting a completely new biome.

Once we did meet up with the CT, the climbs became less steep and the rocks gave way to high alpine grasslands. I even saw three elk, a pica, and three marmuts! 

After lunch, those familiar CO afternoon clouds rolled in and brought us quite a surprise. Some gentle flurries sparkling with sun turned into a gnarly snow event. We still had 13 miles to go, so in we went over exposed ridges with piercing wind and sleet/snow. 

The motto of the CDT is “embrace the brutality,” and this is what it means. However, after enduring the brunt of the pandemic during medical school with isolation and constant death around me every moment, this is a welcome change. Finally, a brutality that is simple-a snowstorm that will give way to sun instead of an interminable trauma. 

Needless to say, I was very thankful for my little tent and sleeping bag once evening fell and the storm raged on. I may or may not have eaten an entire bag of pretzels inside my quilt and called it a night. 

Day #38-At it once again traversing those San Juan’s. Miles hiked: 26.6

Thankfully the trail today had much less snow and sketch factor, making for a much more reasonable walk. There were still huge climbs, rocks, and wind strong enough to knock me over if I didn’t have sure footing, but this is the crucible of the CDT afterall. 

But the team trudged on and enjoyed a lovely visit from “sun daddy” in the morning to warm our faces. After lunch sheltered in some willows near the top of a high mountain pass, the clouds began to roll in.

Colorado weather is highly unpredictable, but today the temp started to drop and the whipping wind attempted to steal any semblance of body heat. On go those layers! 

With some sleet starting to fall, we did make it to a lovely little campsite deep in a pass with the only tree cover we’ve seen for miles. 

One more day of this rough trail and we’ll reach the Colorado Trail (CT). According to Gusha and other hikers who have come through CO before, reaching the CT makes a huge difference in trail conditions as much of it was built to be a hiking and mountain biking route. Once merged, we’ll follow the CT for several hundred miles. 

Goodnight from our little perch in the San Juan’s! 

Day #37-The hardest fought 24 miles of my life to date. Miles hiked: 23.9

Waking up in the woods and not in a comfy little town always makes me ready for adventure, and today that’s exactly what I needed. After coming out of New Mexico crushing 30 miles or more each day with time to spare, it’s been difficult to readjust expectations for how fast or far I can hike. With Rocky terrain, huge elevation change, snow, and not a lot of oxygen to breathe as we are consistently over 11,500 ft, it’s not a lot in this section. 

However, expectations out the window, the only way is forward.

Today we scaled a ridge with lots of exposure and amazing views all morning before arriving at Knife’s Edge just after lunch. You can most likely imagine how it got its name, and you wouldn’t be wrong. After several steep snow fields in the bowl preceding, we arrived at the main event and decided to create our own “low route” to increase safety.

However, even this gave me the scaries, especially when I slipped on a scree field (loose rocks and boulders) and had to roll across sea lion style. More holes in my shirt and pants and abrasions to my skin were made. But we made it across!

After Knife’s Edge there was still work to do with several more climbs and chances for me to get caught up to my chest in a post hole…all part of the fun, right? 

Needless to say, I was physically and emotionally exhausted by nightfall but slept extra well. Back at it tomorrow! 

Day #36-Goodbyes and hellos and more snow. Miles hiked: 21.0

We were sad to leave our RV park oasis this morning, but a nice stale Coors made it better. I am in Colorado after all, right? 

The owner of the park graciously took us on the 30 minute drive back up to Wolf Creek pass and on we went again into the San Juan’s.

The climb was unremarkable at first, but we soon found ourselves on the north face of the ridge with plenty more waste deep snow to wade through or hopefully scoot across. This is definitely ics axe and microspikes terrain. The spikes give you so extra grip and the axe can save your life if you start to slide via “self arrest,” or digging in the spike like your life depends on it to stop the fall. 

Nevertheless, we completed a pretty exciting little climb to find ourselves over 12,000 ft again and feeling on top of the world.

Gogo has decided to take an alternate route called the Creede cutoff to avoid more sketchy snow and rough climbs, so we said goodbye to her at the trail junction, but will be happy to see her again soon! In other news, we reconnected with another hiker Gogo and I met early in New Mexico named Nanners. Glad to see him again and have him hang around for the next few days. We make a good team!

We fought hard for our 21 miles today, so Goodnight from a small meadow near some still-frozen alpine lakes.

Day #35-Poking around Pagosa Springs and an accidental zero. Miles hiked: 0.0

Today was our chance to actually do town chores since we came in, ate, and immediately got sucked into the hot springs last night. We thought that entailed a simple trip to the post office to bounce a box (send it to the next town), outfitter to get Gogo new shoes, and groceries before hitching back to trail. But then we found vegan pizza…

Eating a plant-based diet is a choice i joyfully make knowing that it’s a very practical way to live a more environmentally sustainable life and practice kindness towards myself and all other living things. However, it does limit my choices in town food (thus the hiker trash grocery stop+motel kitchen approach I’ve adopted). But today friends, I did the math and ate 3.1459 square feet of vegan pizza and a salad and everything else in sight at this restaurant.

There was a food coma afterwards. No more hiking occurred. Not much else to report, so Goodnight from the local RV park. 

Back into the San Juan’s for 117 more miles of gnarly climbs tomorrow! 

Day #34-Snow and ridges and springs. Miles hiked: 17.2

There was more snow predicted last night, but it ended up not being a huge issue as it was truly just a dusting this time. However, with multiple risk assessment strategies, we did split into two pairs (also welcome to Mushka, the newest addition to our crew!) for the hike today. 

Mushka and I took trail and found lots of beautiful views. Gogo and Gusha took road and found hundreds of blow downs and a river marketed as a road.

The views were incredible, but it did still take most of the day to make it just 17 miles (which, for perspective, is how much we’d accomplish my early afternoon in the desert). 

When we approached the Wolf Creek ski area, we found the north-facing, snow-covered terrain that makes skiing fun. It made hiking through it extra extra fun.

Nonetheless, we found a great ski hut that was miraculously open. What a treat!

After all of the adventures, we finally made it to Wolf Creek Pass and got to pose for some tourists at the divide.

Not much to report for the rest of the evening besides the entire hiking population enjoying public hot springs in downtown Pagosa Springs and adult beverages together, but we are thankful for another chance to rest.

Day #33-This is why you need a graceful bailout. Miles hiked: 30ish?

I woke up this morning dreaming I was suffocating. When I woke up, I realized it wasn’t such a dream as my tent was sagging with almost a foot of snow. So much for the 2 inches that was predicted with only a 30% chance of precipitation.

We knew we had some major terrain to cross so it was definitely a solemn vibe leaving camp, but the show must go on as we climbed into the high alpine above tree line.

After it took 3 hours to walk less than 2 miles and we found some avalanche terrain we didn’t want to mess with, it was time to find a way to get low and out of danger. Backpacking is all fun and games until it’s not, which is why I preach the importance of having a plan B. Plan B today was descending from the ridge and walking out on the road to get out of the accumulation.

Thankfully the sun did come out which helped a ton with moral.

Amazing what a few thousand feet of elevation does for snow conditions!

We weren’t the only group who got sketched out, so it ended up being a group of 6 hikers walking the alternate.

Conditions should improve tomorrow so we’ll be back on trail, but thankful to be walking with others who believe equally in adventure and respect for how unpredictable the mountains can be. 

Day #32-So much to snow. Miles hiked: 20.3

Well-the cowboy camp last night didn’t work out quite how we’d hoped. At 1 am, everyone starting grumbling with the unwelcome feeling of ice pellets/rain invading our sleeping bags. However, it was short lived so we rolled over and decided to just dry our stuff out at lunch.

In any case, we’re definitely high in the San Juan’s now with snow fields all over the place. In the morning, they’re still frozen which makes microspikes actually work for traction.

As the day progressed, another wave of weather came in with it. We didn’t think much of it at first, but the sleet turned to ice and then snow.

However, this is a thru hike so the show must go on (or else you die, right?).

Thankfully, we live in a time and space when outdoor clothing is pretty great and boy was I thankful for each piece of my layering system on this last section.

In other news, check out this Mtn chicken—doesn’t mind the weather at all!

Goodnight from a frozen lake at almost 12000 ft.

Day #31-Colorado Rocky Mountain High. Miles hiked: 22.1

The smoke cleared out and we decided to make our way into the mountains again today. Given the fire closures, we decided to hike 14 miles of road up to Cumbres Pass since we didn’t actually get to that spot on foot. As far as road walks go, it was beautiful!

Ten miles into the road, we finally left New Mexico and entered Colorado. After a month of desert, what an exciting moment!

With fresh battery from town, I definitely cranked up some John Denver shortly after this.

Once on trail, CO made it clear that it was a new world. The wind was whipping across the ridges and there were snow melt streams and huge drifts everywhere. However, I’ve wanted to hike in CO my whole life so here’s my chance!

Goodnight from a cowboy camp just below tree line. 

Day #30-Sweet rest. Miles hiked: 0.0

Not much to report today…I didn’t even leave the hotel room. There was eating, sleeping, working on professional stuff, and getting packs organized for CO.

In we go! 

Day #29-Here come the Rockies. Miles hiked: 15ish, but who’s counting?

This morning was a joyful march to coffee in the next town on our 40 mile walk to Chama. However, we quickly discovered that gas stations in these parts open when they’re good and ready, not at the posted hours. No problem though, we can always brush teeth on sidewalks in the meantime.

The rest of the road walk wasn’t too eventful, besides passing a huge train of asphalt pavers spewing fire to lay down new road. A new hazard for this hike indeed.

In other news, those mountains in the distance are the San Juans, the beginning of Colorado. Seeing them get ever closer with each passing mile sent chills down my spine, especially as I reflect on our last full day in New Mexico. What a journey it has been to traverse the desert, toughening my feet and my resolve with each mile, but what a journey it is still to come.

Speaking of journeys, I finally found a cow I can pet!

Once in Chama, it was time for the typical town chores including resupply and laundry. Thanks to Dave and Lala Smith for the box of treats and my apologies to the other patrons at the laundromat for my getup. 

However, if you want to wash the only set of clothes you have, gotta get creative on how to cover up haha.