Day 18, 25.7 miles!!

300 miles!

What a day! I actually wasn’t planning on going this far, but limited water sources had a different plan! Wow, when I look back at pictures from this morning it feels like 3 days ago! I’m super tired as it’s almost 9pm already as I type so I’ll try to be brief with today’s post!

My tiny light is super bright! 

I am totally sick of this “trail” type!!

Recent hail in a freezing cold valley!

Ahhhh sunshine 

I left right at 6am this morning. I knew simply because of the extremely rocky trail that I would not be making a 10x10 as I had to take my time and choose each step wisely! On the first water source I met David. He’s in his 70’s and this is his 8th or 9th time hiking the whole Colorado Trail! Truly an inspiration! I realized that when Ace and I popped up to Cottonwood Pass Saturday morning, I saw him there with his wife! 

David 💪 

Looking forward to hiking through allll of these dead trees and inevitably having to pick out camping spots in them! 

Skiiiiieeeeetch! 

Raspberries!!

So many dead trees! This was 50% of my views today! 

Bean! As in “string-bean” 🥰 

Farewell Rio Grande! I wasn’t quite aware I was hiking within your realm! 

Hello Gunnison! You cow pasture, less water, super hot and exposed section, you! 

This is about where I hit mile 300. And where the trail turned to hot, dry, and exposed road for the rest of the day!!

Even some highway walking! 

In cow land I like to play a game called “Pick up Stix” But not sticks…

I think I broke my record today! This one was a monster!!

I wonder if these are the interesting type? 🐄 💩 🍄 

This one was taller than me!!!

Road break… trekking poles are up so cyclists don’t hit me! 

What in the Dr. Suess is going on with that tail!?!

What 12+ miles of exposed road walking in the afternoon will do to your legs! 

This was a legit water source! (A little cleaner feeling to the left across those logs where it first hits the jeep road…) Still yellow though! 

Ah! A perfect flat campsite!! …waaaait a minute…

Throughout the day I was leap frogging a hike I met yesterday named Andrew. We started on the exact same day! He started 2 hrs after me and we’ve literally never seen each other until yesterday! Crazy! We are going the same pace though this section so we may see each other tomorrow. He is getting off the trail for a day or two in Creede (before Lake City), as his family has a house there! 

Andrew, a cool dude! Just had his 37th birthday three days ago on the 12th!!

Sorry I didn’t write much content! I do have a lot of thoughts through the day that I mean to flesh out into the blog, but alas, I tired and it’s past my bedtime! Today there were rocks, cows, roads, and a lot of dead trees! Tomorrow there’s hopefully 20+ more miles hiked! 

-Thanks for reading!