Day 46 – The Sign
Day miles: 13.6
Trip miles: 889.9
Last night didn’t go too well. After I fell asleep, I woke up at 11:30PM completely on the ground. My sleeping pad had deflated. Since it is a new pad, and since I had over 3000 miles on my old version of the same pad, I thought maybe I had not tightened the release valve enough. I blew it back up, checked everything, and went back to sleep.
An hour later, I woke up to a cold sensation on my back. It was the ground. I blew my pad up again, and this time I could hear air slowly leaking from the valve area. Thereafter, I woke up about every hour, cold and needing to blow the pad up again. Rats!
It was way too chilly to accept sleeping on the ground, so I knew I needed to go into Salida to get a new pad. I went into Salida in 2019, so fortunately I knew it was a big enough, outdoorsy enough place where I would be able to find something.
My original plan had been to hike about 10 miles to the dirt road junction where I could walk another 1.6 mikes to the highway into Salida. The Monarch Mountain Lodge is there, and I planned to eat at their restaurant and pick up the resupply box I sent there.
I decided that I would stick with this plan, then hitch into Salida to find a new sleeping pad. I could also get a new shirt. I had a huge rip at the back of one of my sleeves. I considered trying to sew it, but it was way too far gone. The shirt had a lot of miles on it, so no real loss there. The sleeping pad, on the other hand was a mystery! I only just picked the new one up in Grants, and the Thermarest Neo Air Xlite is kind of the thru-hiker staple.
I finally stopped the cycle of blowing my mattress back up and sleeping for an hour, and hiked out of camp at 6AM. The miles before descending to the road were exposed and beautiful. There was an interesting plaque near the top at over 12,000 feet. There were remnants of prehistoric walls there. It was essentially an ancient killing field. The walls were built to corral game animals (elk, deer) and push them into a gauntlet. Humans would hide behind them with spears while others would go off, form lines, and spook the animals in the direction of the corral. So, it was basically like a really early version of an amusement park where they force you through the gift shop at the end. In this case, the gift shop was a slaughterhouse.
Honestly, the prehistoric “walls” just looked like a few low rock piles. It amazed me though how elaborate that setup and the execution of the corralling must have been. All of those age old survival skills began to disappear with the onset of the agricultural revolution. Imagine for just a few minutes what it might feel like to be hunting in such a manner at high elevation. You’d be dealing with wind, snow, sleet. Your adrenaline would be pumping, because you would NEED those kills to survive. Your tribe would be depending on it as well. But hey, no pressure – if you don’t kill any animals at least the views are nice, right?
On the descent down I passed some beautiful alpine lakes. One was a deep blue, fed by melting snow. I crossed a dirt road and a couple had just pulled up on ATVs. They were planning on fishing for trout in one of the smaller lakes. It seemed so idyllic (maybe not so much for the trout). I was quite hungry, and started thinking about baked trout and smoked trout dip.
I made it to the road crossing where I would head off trail towards civilization. Two hikers were there. One was on the phone, so I didn’t catch his name. The other one said with a fine accent, “I’m The Austrian. That tells you everything you need to know about me.” He then let loose a big grin. I can only imagine that an Austrian probably has a lot of hiking and mountaineering skills. I made a mental note: must visit Austria some day.
I walked down the road and made it to the Lodge by 9:30AM. A sign noted that breakfast was served until 10 – sweet! I grabbed my resupply box and got situated in their small dining room.
The menu was short but had enough options. I ordered a breakfast sandwich, cinnamon bun, and coffee. When the breakfast sandwich came out wrapped and I saw that it was very small, my heart sank. I asked if I could order a breakfast platter as well (eggs, toast, bacon), but was told the chef wasn’t taking more orders). Bummer! I then asked if maybe they had more cinnamon buns and could just bring out a cold one. I was told the chef had left. Bummer! It wasn’t quite 10AM yet, so I wondered if I would be ushered out on the hour.
The breakfast sandwich was so-so. It honestly tasted like McDonald’s. All in all, the microwaved breakfast sandwich at the Monarch Crest Store yesterday was better, and they also had cinnamon buns. What I learned through this experience was, if you want to send a box and avoid going into Salida, send it to the Monarch Crest Store right at Monarch Pass. You can eat their slightly expensive concession food and it will be comparable to the Monarch Mountain Lodge food without the 3.2 mile round trip hike to get there.
Even if I had done this, I still would have had to go to Salida. I didn’t have much of a cell signal at the lodge, but fortunately just down the street was a hiker hostel called the Butterfly House. I walked down to see if I could ask the proprietors about gear shops in town.
The hostel had a very homey vibe. The owners weren’t there, but three other hikers were: a guy from London named Waldo, and a couple whose trail names I can’t recall. They were super friendly and got me set up with the Wi-Fi password. Waldo was one of the original hikers who helped to find water sources on the Grants to Cuba road walk. Towelie knew him previously from the Colorado Trail and sent him the GPX files for the route. Waldo had done it on his own and passed back info for us, which was very helpful. Unfortunately, he didn’t have as good an experience as us. Too bad he wasn’t with our group- he would have gotten to meet all of the Sandovals!
I found a gear shop in the middle of Salida online, so I at least knew where to go. I then called Backcountry.com, the retailer from whom I purchased my defective pad. If you haven’t used them before, they are really great to work with. They understand things like mailing packages to General Delivery post office addresses, and their return policy is excellent. I explained what had happened and that I couldn’t wait for an exchange; rather, I requested a refund and told them I would pick something up locally. No problem! They didn’t question me or nickel and dime me. They really have been great over the years.
They immediately emailed me a return shipping label. I will need to find a UPS store at some point to send the old mattress back. Unfortunately the UPS store in Salida was closed until Monday. But, all in all, so far so good!
The couple was getting their things together to hitch into town. I told them I’d probably see them at the road, and walked down. Within minutes a guy stopped and offered a ride. I felt bad leaving the others, but they hadn’t left the hostel yet and this guy had so much stuff in his car that only one seat was available.
I double checked to make sure the passenger door had a handle on the inside (I never should have listened to a podcast about Ted Bundy in New Mexico…), then hopped in. The guy’s name was Scott and he was visiting from Louisiana. He said he had given a hiker a ride to the pass that morning. He had a bunch of outdoor gear in his car. All in all, he was just a really nice dude. He dropped me off right downtown by the outfitter, Salida Mountain Sports. It’s an 18 mile hitch into town, so I was amazed that I had gotten that lucky.
The store owners were very friendly and showed me right to what I needed. I was hoping to get the same sleeping pad. Despite the new one dying on me, I was convinced it was a fluke. Unfortunately the outfitter didn’t carry that model Thermarest, but they did have the Uber Lite model. I had never purchased the Uber Lite before because of its $200 price tag and the fact that it wasn’t as “hardy” as the one I normally use. But, desperate times call for desperate measures, so I bought it. Who knows – maybe I would love it and it would last forever….
I looked at the hiking shirts, and the sun hoodies seemed like the best options. I tried on two, and picked a blue one by Prana. Again, not cheap, but I needed a quality layer to hike in every day. I liked the idea of the added warmth of the hood, though I realized it was intended for sun protection.
Sadly, I unceremoniously threw my other shirt in the bin. It had been a great shirt. It was a classic button down. I liked its breathability between the buttons (I often unfastened one or two when hot) and the vents in the back. It dried quickly and layered well. But, it’s life was over. So long old friend and I will see you on the other side. Sorry I sent you off full of my putrid hiker stench.
The proprietors of the shop really were fantastic. They made gearing up quick and painless, other than the money I dropped in there, which I would have had to pay regardless. If you’re ever in Salida, drop in and check out their store!
I walked down the street next in my new threads, headed for Amicas, a pizza place the store owners had recommended to me. I sat at the bar where there was room for my pack, and ordered a giant salad and their house root beer. The bartender was very friendly and made small talk. Oh, and yes, you read correctly – I ordered a salad! I decided it was high time I got some nutrition, and the salad came with chicken and two pieces of bread. It was actually quite incredible! The house-made root beer was excellent as well.
I used my town cell signal to check the weather forecast. Rain. Bah! Colorado was trying to kill me by a thousand cuts.
The bartender suggested I try hitching back to the pass from Walmart, so I paid my bill and started my walk out of town. Salida is off of route 50, with a bunch of spindle streets that lead into the center of town along the Arkansas River. I walked out to route 50 and over to Walmart, which is close to the adjacent town of Poncha Springs.
I secretly hoped someone might see my pack, know what I was doing, and offer a ride. But, it was Saturday and people were out and about merrymaking. I am not sure how far it was to Walmart – maybe a couple of miles. I went in to use the restroom and buy a Zero bar, then sat outside the store with my pack and ate.
I was then also secretly hoping someone would offer a ride, but that didn’t happen, so I went and stood just before the exit to the main highway and tried thumbing it. I saw a couple of people walk over and set up at the actual light with a sign asking for money. Hmmm. That probably wasn’t going to help me, even though you would think a pack and trekking poles might differentiate me a little bit.
I could tell pretty quickly that it was not a good place to hitch. There was no where for someone to stop without holding up other vehicles. So, I walked back to the Walmart entrance and thought.
I decided what I needed was a sign – something people could read on their way out of the store. I had a sharpie marker, but I needed a sign itself. I went back into Walmart and saw a guy breaking down cardboard in the produce section. I asked if I could have the cardboard and he said “sure!” I then went outside and wrote on it as best I could: “Hiker to Monarch Pass?” I then added “pretty please” and a heart. Why not? I figured my target market was anyone who knew what Monarch Pass was.
I then put on my pack and stood at the Walmart exit holding my sign and smiling, trying not to look like some deranged looney. After a few minutes, a guy in civilian clothes walked up and said, “if you’re going to ask for money, you need to move out to the road.” I almost responded, “can you read??!!”, but instead said “I’m not asking for money; I’m a hiker trying to get a ride to the pass. There’s no bus that goes there.” Satisfied, he said “oh, ok then” and went into the store.
I stood there with no luck for about 10-15 minutes, after which a nice man approached and said he could give me a ride to Poncha Springs when he was done shopping. Poncha Springs is the next town over on the way to the pass. I thanked him and figured it was better to take that ride if I had no other options.
Then, a Walmart employee came out and told me I had to take my sign up to the road. “We can’t have anyone asking for money or soliciting here,” he said. I again explained that I was actually a customer, and now just needed help with a ride to get back on trail. In fact, I would actually pay someone reasonable gas money if they would help! He did not care. He told me to take my sign and go scratch.
I suppose I understand where he’s coming from, but this little exercise made me feel some empathy for people who do make signs asking for help. I’m sure they feel like second class citizens standing by the road holding up their signs. I was glad I was not in that situation, but also suddenly very cognizant of how quickly people jump behind rules and policies rather than just taking a second to try to understand and help.
I agreed to leave, though as the guy went back inside I figured I would just put the sign on the ground (where it would still be readable) and sit and wait for the man who offered a ride to come out. But, before I could do that, a lady coming out of Walmart who overheard me taking with the employee said, “What is it you need help with?” I explained the situation to her, to which she said “Let’s get you up there,” offering me a ride to the pass. I almost couldn’t believe it, but I followed her like a puppy dog to her car. Before I knew it, we were on the way.
Her name was Donna and she lived in Buena Vista, but had come down to go to Walmart. She said she also had 10 acres in the Leadville area. Donna was an ultra runner and mother of two girls, and she worked in executive placement for a well-known firm. To be honest, this is not the typical profile of someone who usually responds to a thumb out. That made me even more grateful that she took the time to care.
It was a pleasant ride back to Monarch Lodge and she gave me her number in case I needed help over the next several sections. I was thrilled and expressed how appreciative I was. One minute I was an undesirable, holding a sign being shooed away. The next I was comfortably back at the trail access point after a ride in a Subaru over pleasant conversation. It had certainly been a roller coaster day!
I hit the dirt road back to the trail with pep in my step, despite the baby gorilla of food I was now carrying, along with my two sleeping pads. I felt good in my new shirt. I knew I wouldn’t make that many miles, but I could make some.
I hiked along and the sky started to turn grey again. All I knew what that meant, but the flat spots around me were exposed and boggy. I was climbing towards Chalk Creek Pass and decided I would head to the other side where I would descend and hopefully find tree cover.
On the other side of the pass, the Grinch clouds were waiting. It started to rain, lightly at first, so I got my rain jacket and garbage bag rain skirt on. I sped up, knowing I needed to go farther down to tree line.
The thunder started to crack and the rain picked up. It hailed a bit, then rained as the wind kicked up a notch. My rain jacket was already starting to wet out. I noted to myself that I might need to replace it as it seemed to be welcoming, rather than repelling, rain.
I ducked low and scampered along down a dirt road as the thunder cracked. I kept going and then quickly checked my map, trying hard not to get water on the plastic bag my phone was in (that makes it very hard for it to respond to touch). I realized I had missed the trail turn off. Shoot! It didn’t really matter – I just needed a place in some trees to pitch my tent. I looked up from the road and, seeing trees and potentially flat ground, I dashed up the meadow.
I hid behind a large tree that helped to block the slanting rain. There were no camp spots here. I checked my map again and realized that the road I was on was actually the old CDT route. I didn’t have to backtrack -I could follow the road back to the trail in the morning. I checked one of the junction waypoints and there was a reliable comment that just 0.2 miles down the road were two flat spots for tents. I had no idea if they would be mud puddles or decent, but at least I had a lead.
I crouch-ran back across the meadow and down to the road as the lightning flashed and thunder cracked. Sure enough, there were two camp spots that weren’t too bad. I tried to set up as much as I could under a tree, but didn’t do a great job in my haste. I was soaked, cold, and trying to move quickly so the inside of my tent didn’t get too wet.
I threw my dry stuff in my tent, left my soggy pack underneath my wet vestibule flap, stripped off my rain jacket, which was wet like a sponge, and set that on top of my pack. I then dove in, closed the vestibule door, yanked off my shoes and socks, and zipped myself in.
I took off my new shirt, which was soaked,and put on a dry base layer. My shorts weren’t too wet somehow, so I left those on. I then blew up my new pad, got under my quilt, and made my dinner so I could get something hot in my body.
The Colorado mountains are a cold place to be wet! The cold had pierced my core in a way that was very uncomfortable. I cursed myself for not just stopping early and pitching camp. At the same time though, I thought I had more time before it would rain.
The excitement of the day had worn off. I knew I needed to get my rain jacket dry tomorrow before another storm hit. I would have to see what the weather was doing in the morning. I wouldn’t be able to get too early a start as it would be cold putting on wet clothes. Meanwhile, my tent was filling with condensation. I did my best to wipe it down with my sun bandana periodically. This helps keep it from accumulating and dripping down into my quilt or other things.
It had been a busy, eventful day full of highs and lows. I was grateful that I had sorted out my broken gear and for the rides and food in town. I was, however, a little stressed about getting soaked out. But, I was in my tent and had a hot meal and I would figure the rest out in the morning.
Day 47 – The Big Soak
Day miles: 15.8
Trip miles: 905.7
Sigh…. I’m tired of being wet and cold. That is my thought as I type this, laying in my tent at 8:41PM. It has been raining for 7 hours. But, let me start from the beginning.
I woke up around 6AM. It was no longer raining, but there was a heavy fog hugging the surrounding mountains. The taste of moisture in the air was palpable. It was not the morning I had hoped for.
I stayed in my tent for a while. I made coffee and actually ate my oatmeal hot for a change. I swabbed the condensation in my tent. I heard voices go by as I studied my map – probably other CDT hikers.
Today I would hit a 16 mile stretch of trail that would be exposed the entire way. It was said to have incredible views, but also a bad place to be during a storm. The weather outside already looked bad, but fortunately there was a lower elevation route option on ATV roads called the Mirror Lake Alternate. I knew I would take that route today, as there was no way I wanted another exposed ridge rain storm.
I finally got going around 8:30AM. I put a silk base layer on under my damp sun hoodie. It was still cold having it on, but after 10 minutes it was tolerable. My rain jacket was still soaked, so I wrung it out and walked down the trail with it draped over my trekking poles, waiving it back and forth like a flag to help it dry. I put my wet socks back on because I figured my feet would just get wet again.
I marched down the trail waiving my rain jacket. There was so much moisture in the air though that I don’t think this helped. Finally I sucked it up and just put it on. I needed my body heat to dry it out. This took a little time, but actually worked.
After an hour or so, my hoodie and rain jacket were dry. I was cruising along and reconnected with the CDT via an old alpine railway corridor. There was a sign about how dangerous it was to drive those trains. I can’t fathom how they kept the tracks clear of deadfall.
There was another sign about a competition between two different types of snowplows that the railway used to clear the tracks. The traditional method was a rotary blade plow, but large rocks buried beneath the snow would occasionally ruin the blade. Then a guy invented a centrifugal plow that rotated like a corkscrew. The idea was that it would push rocks aside and the blade would not be damaged.
Railroad officials decided to hold a contest. Unfortunately for the centrifugal plow, it was derailed multiple times due to heavy ice on the rails. Railroad officials decided the tried and true rotary plow was the way to go. I guess they just bought minors replacement blades, but the plaque did not go into those details.
The day for a little nicer as I went over two small passes. Occasionally the sun would peek out from behind the fog and clouds. I crossed a few snow fields, but nothing alarming. The day was going well. I even decided that wearing that silk base layer would really help during the next rain storm.
I made it to the junction with the Mirror Lake Alternate and saw 4 CDT hikers. A lady headed off on the high route; the three guys were taking the alternate. They had been drying some gear out in the sun. Apparently they had also gotten caught in the storm last night. One of the hikers, who was French, showed me where the hail had actually cracked the screen protector in his phone!
I left them at the junction and carried on my way, anxious to make miles. A few ATVs came down the road. I climbed up and up, and when I got to the top of the pass, staring back at me from the other side was a massive Grinch cloud. It was actually less a cloud and more an entire storm front. It was dark and menacing.
I checked the time: 12:30. I descended down the road a bit farther before stopping to prepare for the rain. I left my base layer on under my sun hoodie, added my now-dry rain jacket, donned my rain skirt, and marched into Armageddon.
The rain began while I was suiting up. It started light but quickly escalated to fervent hail. It rained and rained and rained. Thunder cracked and lightning flashed. The road was completely flooded out in places, especially around Mirror Lake itself. The lake had flooded over into the road. It didn’t matter – my feet were already soaked.
I was soaked to the bone and getting cold. I had one thing on my mind – pit toilet. I was close to Mirror Lake Campground and it was reported to have a pit toilet. I hoped so could warm up inside until the rain passed.
I slogged my way to the campground and hopped into the pit toilet and shut the door. It was small, stunk (it’s a pit toilet after all), and while warmer than outside, was not that warm.
I decided to take my layers off and wring them out. Water poured out of them, but this was a mistake because I got really cold. I started shivering, and realized I was going to need to pitch my tent.
Just then someone tried to get in the toilet, but I had locked it from the inside. I recognized the French hiker’s voice and opened the door. I told him he could come in, and then I dashed out to find a spot to make camp.
The options were poor for setting up in the rain, but I just needed to get warm. The rain came down and my hands shook as I set up my tent. It felt brutal. I stripped off my rain jacket and left that outside in the vestibule of my tent with my soaked pack. I left my wet socks on top of my wet shoes, climbed in and started stripping layers. I was shaking, so it felt so good when I finally got my tights and puffy jacket on.
I made myself a coffee and then some hot food. My feet felt like ice blocks, so I put dry socks on them. I sat under my quilt giving myself a moment to warm up.
I felt silly for stopping at 3:30PM, but I also knew that to go on was a sure fire recipe for hypothermia. I cursed the weather and sat in my tent looking at maps.
This campground was exactly the type of place that I hated to camp. It had picnic tables, and there was an entire can of pinto beans someone had dumped out against a tree next to my tent. These tend to be the places where animals show up for opportunistic meals. But, I had no choice.
It was still raining when I fell asleep. I wished I had gotten some water on the way to the campground, but I had enough to make it to tomorrow. I was definitely feeling down and out. This time my shorts, hoodie, and base layer were all soaked, along with my rain jacket. The thought of dealing with them in the morning turned me off, but I knew I would have to.
I really need a bright and sunny morning tomorrow. I will probably have another late start since I’ll need to wear wet clothes. Surely sun is on the way? I probably need to replace my rain jacket. I will think through the logistics there.
Today I was most grateful I got to a place where I could set up my tent and that I didn’t succumb to hypothermia. I would love to be done with these soaking rains however. Please Universe bring on the sun!
Day 48 – The Amazing Weather Day
Day miles: 25.5
Trip miles: 931.2
It had finally stopped raining by the time I woke up. My tent was soggy with condensation and my wet clothing. I peeked outside. It was very foggy but I could see patches of blue sky beyond that.
I took the little bit of water I had left and made coffee. After I ate breakfast, it was time to do the thing I dreaded most – put wet clothes on. My base layer was still soaked, as were my sun hoodie, shorts, and rain jacket. I made sure all of my other gear was as prepped as possible, and then I put all of my wet layers on. The worst was struggling to get that base layer top on. It stuck to my shoulders like tape and pulling it down was difficult.
Once that was done, I was, of course, cold, so I took my tent down at light speed and started briskly down the trail. I made a stop at the pit toilet, of course. Might as well take advantage of the amenities!
I did not see the other guys around, so I ventured that they had moved on in the rain to find a better spot to camp. I am pretty sure I passed them as I walked down the road. Unfortunately, I walked down the road a bit too far and missed my trail junction. I was about .3 miles down, so instead of backtracking, I climbed straight up the side of the mountain until I ran into the trail. It was difficult, but efficient.
I began to warm up after a while and my clothes started to radiate steam as my body heat slowly burned up the moisture in them. I was still down in the valley, so for several hours I was stuck with low-lying fog. But, after a while that gave way to sunshine, and around 11AM I found a good spot with lots of rocks and sun where I could take a break and dry out my gear.
I spread everything out to dry. It looked like I was hosting a yard sale. I sat and had lunch and enjoyed the warm sunshine. Yesterday seemed almost like a bad dream that hadn’t actually happened!
I ran into a couple of dirt bike riders that asked me a bunch of questions. They were curious about my hike. I cruised on through the alternate, shaving off 3 miles by bushwhacking, following a social trail, and then fording a small river. I did this hoping to at least get to the base of the next pass before afternoon thunderstorms moved in.
Overall the Mirror Lake Alternate was pretty, but nothing stellar. It served a good role as a bad weather alternate though. I walked out through a lush valley and then rejoined the CDT.
So far the weather was holding well. It was beautiful out! As I walked throughout the day, I noticed fresh powder on some of the taller peaks. It was pretty to see and probably would not last long before melting.
I climbed up and up through an aspen forest, making my way to Lake Ann Pass. I wanted to get up and over this if the weather stayed nice. There was reported to be a slightly sketchy snow traverse at the top of the pass, but I worried more about the weather as the afternoon wore on.
I passed a hiker named Shuttle whom I had met in Lake City. I kept climbing up and up the steep switchbacks until finally I got to the top of the pass. The views were stunning, but I noticed a storm on the other side in the valley. I couldn’t tell if it was coming or going, so I pressed on.
The snow traverse wasn’t bad. It was a little steep and a fall would have been far less than ideal, but I’m getting the hang of these crossings now and didn’t need to to use spikes for this one. It didn’t phase me and I quickly made it across.
I fell coming down the loose rocks and scree at Lake Ann Pass, but fortunately did no major damage. I think that was my first fall of the hike, which is kind of amazing! Views of snow-fed Lake Ann on the way down, with the snow striped mountains behind it, were breathtaking.
As I descended into the valley and began to hike along a roaring creek, I realized the storm was headed away from me. This gave me great relief – I might just have a dry day after all.
The valley walk was gorgeous. I played Goldilocks with campsite selection until finally settling on a spot beneath several huge fir trees. It looked like it had good coverage if it rained, but also low potential for overnight condensation. I made my home for the night and downed my dinner like an animal.
I was so incredibly grateful for the good weather today. It was a big morale boost and everything felt right with the world again.
Day 49 – Twin Lakes
Day miles: 22
Trip miles: 953.2
I woke up and made coffee. Yesterday had been a good day. I hoped that today’s weather would follow suit. I left my little campsite under the fir trees and got moving.
The valley was covered in a frosty dew as I boogied along to get warm. I ran into a group of men at a trailhead trying to figure out which direction the Colorado Trail went. I told them I was hiking the CDT but the CT shared the same route and pointed back in the direction I came, and where I was going. They insisted it went a different way, so I just said “OK” and kept going. I even pointed to a signpost with the CT blaze on it. They probably had maps from 1985….
The next order of business was to get out of the valley by hiking up and over Hope Pass. This must have been named because everyone who starts climbing it hopes it is over soon. It was incredibly steep, such that I spent the entire first section where there were no switchbacks hiking completely on the balls of my feet! I was relieved that I hadn’t tried to climb Lake Ann Pass and Hope Pass in the same day. Hope Pass was definitely one of the toughest climbs I’d had in a while.
On the way down, the Grinch clouds began to appear. More accurately, they were hiding in wait on the other side of Hope Pass. I ran into another hiker from the UK named Straight Mike. He was from Yorkshire and was sitting on a rock above tree line because he had found cell service. It’s a thing we do sometimes given cell coverage in the Colorado mountains is spotty.
We said our hellos and he asked if I was taking the “shortcut” to Twin Lakes. I didn’t know what he was taking about, so I said I hadn’t heard about it. He told me there was a junction with another trail that cut off about 7 miles and went around the west side of the lakes rather than the east. I told him I hadn’t looked ahead at all the waypoints in FarOut (the map app most CDT hikers use), but the idea stuck with me.
On the one hand, I had hiked the regular route before and knew it was beautiful – why not do it again? On the other, I had been trying to take different routes where possible, so trying something new was appealing. Shaving miles also meant I would get to Twin Lakes sooner. I needed to spend some time charging electronics there before hiking out. This was also attractive.
What ultimately swayed me to take the alternate was the weather. 10 minutes after I left Straight Mike, the Grinch clouds let out a mighty roar and proceeded to start dumping their celestial drool upon me. By the time I reached the junction for the alternate trail, the decision was easy.
It was cool to see the Twin Lakes from the west, though the views were not nearly as good as one would experience hiking the “pure” CDT. On the regular trail, there is a much nicer backdrop of mountains behind the lakes. On this alternate, the views were through trees. It was pleasant enough though and passed by a pond with a massive beaver lodge in it. At that point, the thundershower had almost passed, so I stayed still there for a while, hoping a beaver might show itself. No such luck.
The trail crossed a beautiful river and ended at a parking lot by the road into Twin Lakes. Whether you take this alternate or the CDT, there’s a short road walk to the Twin Lakes General Store.
Twin Lakes is less of a “town” and more a cluster of buildings. There’s an inn with a pub/restaurant, the general store, a visitor’s center, a food truck that serves prepared food (sandwiches,burgers, etc.), and a food truck that apparently sells microwave burritos. There are probably a few more things, but nothing that stands out. There’s no window shopping; Twin Lakes is a junction. There’s a police cruiser that stays parked there with a mannequin inside to make it look active. You get the drift.
For a hiker, Twin Lakes is great because it is right on trail and has food and outdoor outlets for charging up electronics. The store is pretty pricey, but so are a lot of general stores at the smaller towns (Lake City, for example). I blew through about $70 there on a 3.5 day resupply and snacks to eat while charging. But, the convenience was worth it for me, and the people there are super nice.
When I showed up, there was already a group of hikers in an area with tables and chairs. They were all people I had not met before. Two did not have trail names. I met a Canadian named Pilgrim, a Hungarian girl whose trail name I have forgotten, as well as a guy who I think was her significant other. The father of one of the guys without a trail name was there to meet his son with food and had driven there all the way from San Diego. He offered me a Gatorade, which I happily accepted.
We all chatted for a while, so it bugs me that I forgot all the names, but my memory ain’t what it used to be. I walked down the road to get a reuben and onion rings from Punky’s food truck. I pretty much inhaled it. I also ate two Blue Bunny ice cream cookie sandwiches from the general store. Then I ate a Milky Way and drank two sodas.
I sat and charged my electronics outside and downloaded some podcasts to listen to. I’ve been trying a new (to me) one called Smartless with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes. So far I like it. Those guys have always cracked me up, though Bateman’s more serious performance in the series Ozark is acting genius.
I called Gillian as I hiked out, and coincidentally saw Waldo hiking into town at the same time. I have no idea how I got in front of him! I told Gillian that I ate so much food and too many sweets at once. I felt like I might barf on the trail as I climbed up and away from Twin Lakes. She said, “you’ll be hungry again in 4 hours.” She was right.
I ran into Shuttle in town and then later down the trail as the food sweats started to ease up. At some point, she kept going and I pulled up to camp on a ridge at a hard bend in the trail.
I immediately had to dig a cat hole on the steep hill behind me. It was quite the balancing feat. After that I felt a lot better, and, as predicted, hungry for dinner.
It took me about 30 minutes to get my tent opening zipped shut. Long story short, I sent my tent to Zpacks to have the zipper repaired before I started the trail. It would zip, but then open up again behind the zipper pull. No bueno. Despite their “repair,” on night 3 of my hike it started to do the same thing again. I have been making do, but it is clearly getting worse.
This is also nicely coinciding with the awakening of Colorado’s state bird – the mosquito. While trying to get my tent to close, I was also defending the castle gates, waiving my hands wildly at any blood-sucking pterodactyls that tried to swoop in. I will need to contact Zpacks to see what my options are. I don’t think this zipper is going to make it to Canada. There’s always duct tape or Velcro.
I fell asleep to the footsteps of a few late hikers probably pushing to set up for a climb up Mt. Elbert in the morning. I didn’t climb Elbert this time. I did in 2019. It’s Colorado’s highest peak. In 2019 I climbed up a snowfield in my snowshoes to get to the top, where everything was covered in white. I just didn’t think I could top that, so I let it be this year. I’m not much of a peak bagged, to be honest, and if I do bag a peak, I’m unlikely to do it again. That’s just me.
I was grateful that the weather cleared up today, for Twin Lakes’ hospitality and the company of other hikers. I was also thrilled that the weather cleared up. I went to bed dry!
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