Mileage: 18.6 miles (1040.7-1059.3)
We got an earlier start by around 7am, but not before having our Mocha coffee which we had discovered the day before by combining two of my coffee with one of his mocha packets. It's really good. We started the day with a steady climb, passing by the trees we had hidden under the night before. The two stakes I thought I'd lost the night before were still laying under it.
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| Our tent setup under a pine tree |
Once we gained the ridge, we walked past a few different alpine lakes, still icy from the seemingly endless winter. Native cutthroat trout were feasting on the stoneflies which were emerging from glass-like water. We admired the towering Collegiate Peaks above: Oxford, Belford, and Missouri. As we began our descent the clouds began collecting over us, ominously hanging over us with a faint promise of rain.
At the bottom of a long series of switchbacks we came to a campground with a river running along side it. We stopped by an RV and a nice couple from the Adirondacks gave us some water, which saved us from having to filter it from the stream. We chatted with them for awhile and were thankful for a respite from the sun in the shade of their camper. We headed over to the stream and across the bridge we sat down in the shade. I was pretty dirty from the past two days of hiking so I stripped down and bathed in the crisp, fast-flowing stream. The water was frigid, having just melted off from the mountain tops 4,000' above. Almost immediately after I started scrubbing, six kids walked up with their grandfather, fishing poles in hand. I crouched down and tried to pretend it was possible I was wearing a bathing suit, but we all knew it wasn't. That fact was that I was exposing myself to a bunch of children under the age of eight, when they were just trying to have a nice afternoon fishing with Grandpa.
Once they moved up the bank and out of sight, I continued to scrub, and fully submerged myself in the quick flowing stream. Afterwards, I sat in the shade and I cooked up some lunch to prepare for the last climb of the day. Once we went up and down that peak we'd meet Jason's wife, Kat, and go into town for a hot meal.
It was a pretty tough climb and me and Jason ended up ascending different speeds. Jason said it was like the tortoise and the hare - Jason went slow and steady with short breaks, while I went up in quick sprints and lay down in the pine needles napping while Jason walked right by. Only later did Jason tell me he had seriously thought about turning around and calling Kat to pick him up at the last trailhead. I admired that he stuck with it when he really didn't have to. It's one thing for me to hike this stuff after more than two months of walking - but to come from normal life and then put on a 35 lb pack and go 18 miles a day, up and down thousands of feet, isn't easy. On top of that, out of all my friends who've said they'd hike with me, Jason was the first, so I have to give him that!
After a long climb, we reached the top close to 12,000 feet. We had great views, but the clouds that had rolled in earlier were starting to produce thunder near us, so we had to start moving down. I could tell every muscle in Jason's legs were starting to hurt, but he kept moving. On our way down we passed some teenage boys, which I told Jason he should be proud of. Looking down the valley towards Buena Vista we saw lightning bolts striking in the distance. I said we should hurry and Jason said he was going as fast as he could. Realizing my mistake, I didn't suggest we should hurry after that. A mile from the parking lot Jason said he saw Kat pull-in to the trailhead. I was skeptical and said it really could have been anyone, since everyone and their mother has a Subaru in Colorado. He was sure it was Kat.
We reached the trailhead a little bit before 6pm, right before the rain. Jason gave Kat a big hug - he was right about the car - and we made a plan to go into BV for some food and beer. On our way there we saw one of the most vivid rainbows any of us had ever seen. Me and Kat were marveling over it, while Jason was too tired to care. He just said, "Yeah, it's pretty." The purple was so purple and each stripe was so thick, seemingly emerging from a rock outcropping off in the distance.
Jason treated us to dinner which was entirely too kind as he'd already given me such a gift by spending a few days with me in the woods. I had a double veggie burger topped with loads of cheddar cheese and a couple beers to wash it down.
Once they moved up the bank and out of sight, I continued to scrub, and fully submerged myself in the quick flowing stream. Afterwards, I sat in the shade and I cooked up some lunch to prepare for the last climb of the day. Once we went up and down that peak we'd meet Jason's wife, Kat, and go into town for a hot meal.
It was a pretty tough climb and me and Jason ended up ascending different speeds. Jason said it was like the tortoise and the hare - Jason went slow and steady with short breaks, while I went up in quick sprints and lay down in the pine needles napping while Jason walked right by. Only later did Jason tell me he had seriously thought about turning around and calling Kat to pick him up at the last trailhead. I admired that he stuck with it when he really didn't have to. It's one thing for me to hike this stuff after more than two months of walking - but to come from normal life and then put on a 35 lb pack and go 18 miles a day, up and down thousands of feet, isn't easy. On top of that, out of all my friends who've said they'd hike with me, Jason was the first, so I have to give him that!
After a long climb, we reached the top close to 12,000 feet. We had great views, but the clouds that had rolled in earlier were starting to produce thunder near us, so we had to start moving down. I could tell every muscle in Jason's legs were starting to hurt, but he kept moving. On our way down we passed some teenage boys, which I told Jason he should be proud of. Looking down the valley towards Buena Vista we saw lightning bolts striking in the distance. I said we should hurry and Jason said he was going as fast as he could. Realizing my mistake, I didn't suggest we should hurry after that. A mile from the parking lot Jason said he saw Kat pull-in to the trailhead. I was skeptical and said it really could have been anyone, since everyone and their mother has a Subaru in Colorado. He was sure it was Kat.
We reached the trailhead a little bit before 6pm, right before the rain. Jason gave Kat a big hug - he was right about the car - and we made a plan to go into BV for some food and beer. On our way there we saw one of the most vivid rainbows any of us had ever seen. Me and Kat were marveling over it, while Jason was too tired to care. He just said, "Yeah, it's pretty." The purple was so purple and each stripe was so thick, seemingly emerging from a rock outcropping off in the distance.
Jason treated us to dinner which was entirely too kind as he'd already given me such a gift by spending a few days with me in the woods. I had a double veggie burger topped with loads of cheddar cheese and a couple beers to wash it down.
On the way back we passed a sign for Cottonwood Hot Springs and I told them to just leave me there. It was only a few miles from the trailhead, so I figured I could get a hitch back in the morning. It was incredible - the pools were made out of beautiful stonework and they had five, each at varying temperatures, from very cool to almost scalding hot. I settled in the second hottest pool and lounged, soaking my sores away. It was the perfect ending to an almost perfect day. I even had the dorm to myself and the promise of breakfast in the morning. It was a bummer to be going solo again, but I felt really lucky to share the last few days with Jason. I hoped he felt the same.
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