Day 67 Getting it done

25.4 miles

Last night must have been one of the warmest on trail. During the night I had to strip off layers and open up my quilt. It made for a comfortable and deep sleep although warm air overnight usually means a hot day will follow. 

Sure enough, on waking, the warm air still hung about, capped underneath a heavily clouded sky. The humidity hung thick in the air and certainly felt like the sky wanted to dump some moisture. I expected storms to develop through the day. 

I wore long pants for the first time since Day 3. Why? The mosquitos were horrific yesterday. Every rest stop required quickly pulling on my rain pants to prevent them from biting. I wasn’t going to risk the same today and couldn’t be both with the hassle of constantly putting on and taking off rain pants; and they are simply too hit to walk in. 

Low on water after a morning coffee I took the opportunity to fill up and filter water at the first water source. Filtering is necessary even though the creek line I was drawing from looked crystal clear originating from snow melt. It takes a while to filter and feels like a chore but I am not going to risk getting crook with Giardia or other stomach bugs by not filtering and spending time off trail to recover. I also want nothing to do with the American health system. 

It was while filtering that I met Pitstop from the UK who had just strolled in from the way I came. It turned out he camped fairly close to where I did but neither of us saw the other. He stopped to collect water and filter as well. 

We hiked and talked for a couple of hours and it was great to enjoy some company for a change. 

There were still significant snow drifts along this section of trail, reluctantly clinging to winter and not wanting to give into the summer sun. All were hard packed and easily crossed. 

Just before lunch we ran in a long stretch of tree blowdowns which slowed progress down. Most required bushbashing around off trail and the. reconnecting with the trail. We bitched about how some sections of trail were completely unloved and unmaintained only to run into a group of six volunteers shortly after. 

Unfortunately they were restrained from using power tools and had to cut everything by hand. Apparently its about the noise in Wilderness areas which I don’t get this at all as being so close to Denver as the crow flies, you can hear jets overhead every 5 minutes. Often you have to double check and listen a second time as initially the planes sound like thunder. I would much prefer a properly cleared trail and ad-hoc chainsaw noise over partially cleared trail and no mechanical noise. 

We helped the volunteers push a large log they had just cut off the track. The beauty of softwood – it is light. 

My stomach was saying it was time for lunch. I looked at my map and saw a creek line in 0.6 miles ahead and said to Pitstop I would stop there for lunch. He intended to push on for a few more mile but things were about to change. Just as we were approaching the creek I said “this is me. I’ll catch you up trail”, only to spy car with a sign in the windshield with those amazing words ‘Trail Magic’. You little ripper. This changed Pitstops plan to keep going too. 

This is where we met our host Happy. She hiked the CDT last year and wanted to provide trail magic for others for a few days. Already seated was First Gear who was camped just ahead of us this morning. 

So in the middle of nowhere and completely by surprise, the best kind of trail magic. We were treated to an endless supply of fresh cooked pancakes until we said no more. Coke, beer and Gatorades were on offer in addition to fresh fruit, cookies and chips. I smashed a coke craving something sweet in the heat and tucked in to several mandarins. Ah the fresh tasty juice of those mando’s was amazing. Incited by Happy a beer was stashed in my pack to carry out and drink at the Wyoming border tomorrow. 

With a full stomach and after many gracious thanks I departed to continue for the day. It was around 1 pm and I still wanted to hike another 12 miles or so to put in a 25 mile day. 

It was stifling hot still and felt like being back in the desert. Zero breeze to assist in cooling. I don’t think I have sweated so much or drank so much water since the New Mexico desert. My chest, neckline and hood were all covered in dried sweat patches lined by salt crystals which looked disgusting. 

The afternoon was a struggle but by slowing placing one foot in front of the other my body did its thing and kept moving forward while my mind was distracted with podcasts. 

I made my 25 mile, making it to Trail Creek to top up water for the 3rd time today. Again while filtering Pitstop caught up to me but would continue on. He is headed directly to Rawlins without a stop in Encampment and has 6 days of food to do it. This will mean back to back 30 mile days for him. I initially I thought of doing the same over 7 days but basically didn’t want to have to carry 7 days of food, instead breaking the journey to 2 x 3.5 day sections between Steamboat Springs, Encampment and Rawlins. 

Pitstop and I parted ways and I moved off the creek line away from the mosquitos to find a suitable spot to camp on higher ground. Higher ground didn’t really help with the mozzies. They are in plague proportions in any areas with moisture and lush vegetation. I couldn’t get my tent pitched quick enough to escape. Once protected by mesh walls I did not leave the tent for the rest of the night doing everything from inside including cooking dinner.