Day 69: Mt Princeton Hot Springs to Monarch and Back again

Mileage: 30.1 miles (1072.9-1103)

I had set myself up for another long day by staying at the Hot Springs. Veronica, the lady who offered me the ride, and I headed out around 8am towards Monarch Pass. Along the way we made a detour through Salida so she could check out the town. She had been interested in relocating so was checking out different towns in the Arkansas River valley where she might like. She was a massage therapist, so actually had ended up at the hot springs to check it out and see if she'd enjoy working there.

We stopped at a gas station in Salida and I grabbed three breakfast sandwiches out of one of those spinning warming machines - I figured they had to be horrible for me, but I was really hungry and something fatty and salty sounded good. Along the way up Highway 50 back towards Monarch we ran into quite a bit of construction. We both were miffed at how many workers were there and how little work was getting done regrading the road. We also saw some Bighorn Sheep, the first I'd seen on my trip. They were fatter than any sheep I'd ever seen and I mused that they needed to lay off the grass.

Some fat Bighorn Sheep we saw along Highway 50

 We reached the top, a little over 11,000' by around 9am, and I thanked Veronica for the ride and wished her well. She took my picture by the sign, below. I had decided to take the low route (the Colorado Trail, aka Collegiate East), which would take me directly back to Mt. Princeton Hot Springs in about 30 miles. The only problem was I had to walk the road for the first 8 miles because the CT had split off from the CDT a few miles before and continued down a valley to Southeast. The road was narrow and windy, so I was careful to lookout for cars as I walked. I found the best strategy was to walk a little bit in the road as the car approached so they'd give me more room and then step off to the side as they got closer. Otherwise, the cars would take as much room as I gave them and come way to close for comfort.

Monarch was way less snowy and greener than last time around

 After a couple hours going downhill in the hot sun, with the smell of asphalt all around, I finally made it back to the trail. I'd met a biker coming from the East Coast along the way and had contemplated stealing his bike so I could ride it downhill. But then I figured I probably wouldn't be able to balance, so I just settled on taking a selfie with him.

I was glad to finally be back on trail, but it headed straight uphill and the hot sun was still baking my back. The south-facing slope was almost entirely devoid of shade, so the only place to go was up to find some shelter. A few ATV riders passed me on their way down and one older fella said he wished he could do what I was doing. Sometimes I don't know what to say in these instances and can only manage to mumble how lucky I am. What do you tell an older person who wishes they could be young again and do all the things they wish they had? I only hope when I'm older I'm too tired from everything I did when I was young to wish I did it any other way.

I made it up and into the shade of the Cottonwoods by about 1pm. The grade leveled out and I wandered up and down the gentle foothills, which eventually lead to north to the Collegiate Peaks. To the West I could see Mt. Shavano and Tabeguache rising out of hills. After climbing for awhile, I began my descent towards the creek which flowed from the snowmelt off Shavano. At the bottom there was a campground, where I was able to score some drinking water from an older couple from New Mexico. They had been out for a month in their camper and I admired what they were doing. At this point in my life I detest RV's, but I could see when I got older that they'd be a nice way to travel. I would just want a Westphalia though, one that I could park anywhere and not need to be tied to the filthy RV parks, with their gas and electric hookups, like tentacles sucking you back to the very thing you're trying to escape. The couple gave me some fresh cherries as well, which were probably the best thing I'd tasted in weeks.

From the campground I head back up the hill, trying to make good time so I could meet Alex and Margi in Twin Lakes by 8pm. I kept humming along, putting on some music, to pump out the final ten miles. Along the way I met another CDT hiker, whose name I can't recall. He was moving pretty slow, saying he was weighed down from his zero days in Salida. I told him the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs were a good place for a meal. I also told him to sit at the bar after my experience.

The trail was mostly downhill, except at the very end, when it made a surprise 500 ft. ascent up a hill that I thought could have easily been skirted. I ran down the switchbacks, with the white Chalk Cliffs once again looming over me, as they did the night before. I couldn't believe it'd been less than 12 hours since I was last there - my legs and body were telling me it had been much longer. I walked down the road a few more miles back to Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, admiring the beautiful houses and log cabins along the way. I tried to imagine what it'd be like to have a house here, so close to everything wild. Wolves and bears would be as common as raccoons. But so were tourists, and hikers, and bikers, and ATVers, snowmobilers, and the like. You'd have to get used to sharing.

I made it back to the hot springs a little before 7:30pm. I refilled one of my water bottles and rushed up the road to try to get a hitch back towards Twin Lakes. After about 10 minutes a lady who worked at the Hot Springs picked me up and said she could take me north of Buena Vista, just 20 minutes south of Twin Lakes. After she dropped me off I called Alex and Margi and we agreed I'd wait there for them. Without even sticking my thumb out, three hippie girls stopped in their Subaru, headed for Leadville. I hopped in and tried to get ahold of Alex to tell them I'd gotten a ride, but they didn't have service. I told the girls we should be on the lookout for an orange or silver Subaru and they said that could be pretty much anyone in Colorado. Seeing their logic, I asked them to drop me off, and thanked them for stopping.

Right as I got out, Alex and Margi pulled up, nearly whizzing by me before they realized it was me. I got into Margi's new Orange Subaru and we ended up heading south to Buena Vista to grab beer and pizza. I told them stories of the last week and was happy to once again be with old friends. After dinner, which was my treat, I drove us back to Leadville as Margi was too tired and Alex maybe had one too many beers. I avoided hitting a Grey Fox who was standing in the middle of the road and just hoped the deer along the side wouldn't jump in front. Though I wasn't to blame for their other two cars breaking down, I certainly would be here, even if the deer jumped right out in front of me.

Luckily, I got us home safely, and we all fell asleep after another long, but wonderful day.