Continental Divide Trail 

Jun 18, 2017.  Chama, NM

• Natasha the biker: nkzella@gmail.com

• 21 mile road walk.  Left couch at 5:30 AM, arrived at Elkhorn Lodge, Chama at 8 PM.  Barely able to walk.  44 miles in two days.  Along the way, passing motorists offered: pepsi with ice, popsicles, beer, water.  Wetting down my bandana.  I will miss this part of New Mexico.

• Sent Father's Day photo of bearded me to family.

Jun 19, 2017.  Chama, NM

• Where next?  CDT versus Great Divide Alternate?

• Eclipse: Aug 21, Dubois, WY: mile 1940.

• Now: mile 811 -> 1129 miles in 13+31+1 days = 65 days => 17 miles/day.

• Great Divide Alternate:

- 13.6: cross Conejos River

- 28.5: Lake Fork campsite

- 35.7: Platoro!

• Food: 2 lunches, 1 dinner,1 breakfast: subway cheese, 1 liter Gatorade, True Moo chocolate mile

• Water: 13 miles -> 2 liters

• Better: 

- Elwood - CDT to Creede Cutoff: 863 -> 895 = 32 miles

- Hike to Platoro on Great Divide: 35.7 miles

- Hike to Elwood: 15 miles

- Hike via CDT to Wolf Creek: 17 miles

- Hitch to Pagosa Springs on Hiway 160

- Hitch back, hike CDT o Creede Cutoff: 14 miles

- Creede Cutoff to Creede: 27 miles

- Creede  to CDT: 13 miles

- CDT to Monarch Pass: 86 miles

- Hitch to Salida

Jun 20, 2017.  Spectacle Lake Campground, NM

• A little cloudy - maybe won't be as hot as yesterday, which was around one hundred degrees.  Road walk ahead for 36 miles, not much water except river 1/2 way.  Not looking forward to this - heat wave supposed to last a week.  I hope I chose correctly: CDT to Pagosa Springs still seems risky.

• Fosters Hotel / Bar / Restaurant was great: $55 room a bargain (great A/C).  Guy last night treated me to Bud with Clamato: very refreshing!  He delivers the liquor/beer to all the stores in Chama.  Called Ron & Nan Moore last night: he's had some rough medical problems, is now retired, but continues to keep himself occupied with work.  Am I the only one able to let go of work completely?

• Camped at Spectacle Lake Campground, after being driven to Cumbres Pass by Ralph. Wouldn't take $$, so I gave him ten bucks.  

• 19 miles, last part along the Coneja River: lovely green fields, aspen, cottonwoods, cows, no trash on road, and not hot: COLORADO!  (but mosquitoes for the first time...)

Jun 21, 2017. Platoro, CO

• Tent, new sleeping bag: A+.  So roomy and comfortable.  Swiss Miss and honey nut cheerios with Nido for milk, then across the road to fill two liter bottles with water at Spectacle Lake (same name as the campground), with purifier tablets, and I'm off: from 7 to 5, beside the Conejo River, raging from the extra snowfall.  Signs say fishing limit is 2 trout, minimum 16 inches (!).  Two cars stopped and offered me beer, which is good, because my destination Plaoro is a dry town.  Now sitting in the only restaurant, the only customer, with Shaq from the Bahamas serving Dr. Pepper (five refills), roast beef sandwich, fries, and blueberry cobbler a la mode.

• Decision: Night at campground on the way, or in Platoro Lodge ($55)? Answer: the latter.  Then breakfast there, buy supplies at general store, and head out at a decent hour.  Only need food for 32 miles!

Jun 22, 2017.  Platoro, CO  

• Up at 7:20, breakfast at only restaurant.  Couldn't finish the mountain of greasy fries.  Then food for two days at only store (first try: cookies, chocolate bar, danish).  On the trail by 9:30.  Uphill the whole way, but not hot, I felt good, no real shoulder pain.  Lovely multi-colored volcano mountains on the way.  Made it to Elwood by 6:30, now cozy in new sleeping bag in tarp tent: so comfy!  Posting to CDT17 group says walk from Wolf Creek Pass north is tough.

Jun 23, 2017.  South Fork, CO

• Actual CDT trail to near Wolf Creek Pass, but blowdowns and snow really tiresome.  Slipped down snow once: around 100 feet.  Lots of scratches from climbing over blowdowns.  Got to Wolf Creek ski area, decided not to go up and over the pass.  Instead, walked down ski lift on to hiway, hitched to South Fork with 2 minute wait (Pagosa Springs too touristy).  Checked into hiker-friendly Wolf Creek Ski Lodge (mgr Bob), showered, borrowed bike to Ramon's Mexican Restaurant for lunch, then malt shop for chocolate malt.  Hot tub later in the day.  Great wifi (finally!) in the motel.  Uploaded all photos, emailed people, talked to groom Peter Twist by phone at his wedding party.  Even able to watch last two episodes of Better Call Saul!  Caren in Grenada, Rachael at wedding, Dana busy planting 100 marijuana plants.  What a family!

Jun 25, 2017.  South Fork, CO

• Decided to stay another day in South Fork (body still a bit creaky).  Late lunch at Ramon's (shrimp cocktail).  Current decision: attempt Creede Cutoff (3 days).  If too difficult, either turn back, or hitch to Del Norte via South Fork (160 miles), then follow Great Divide Alternate north to CDT (66 miles).  Another 50 to Salida cutoff (hiway 50): 116 miles.

Or:

- Creede tp CDT: 13

- CDTtp Great Divide Alt: 34

- GDA to Hiway 114: 12

- 114 to Squache: 15

- Total: 75 iles

• Saquache to Salida; 45 miles

Jun 26, 2017.  near Creede, CO

• Tried hitching to Wolf Creek Pass for about an hour, and then, lo and behold, who should walk by but Team & Infinity!  They talked me into walking to Creede along the Elwood Pass Alternate (about 25 miles) instead of my plan.  No snow!  Yessss!  Walked along lovely Rio Grande Valley for around 15 miles to a lodge for the night: stayed in same room (bunk for me) with Team & Infinity.  Many travel stories!  They have lived in Uganda, Canada, Hong Kong, etc. with the State Department; Peace Corps in the Marshall Islands; did the PCT; biked (tandem) 19,000 miles to the 4 corners of the U.S.; etc.

Jun 27, 2017.  Creede, CO

• Hiked another ten miles to Creede - I stopped on the way for breakfast at the Blue Creek Lodge: the waiter, after learning of my CDT effort, paid for my breakfast anonymously!  (But I found out and thanked him profusely).  Checked into the Snowshoe Lodge: $40 in a bunk in the laundry room - NOT great.  Met lovely 21-year-old drama student at a bar, told me about the Repertory Theater, which I attended in the evening: songs, poems, stories of mining days in Creede.  Also, met Annimal in bar: she and Midnight are in town.  Hope to see them tomorrow.

Jun 28, 2017.  Creede, CO

• Will stay another day in Creede, but in a real room.  Food on hand:

- 3 top ramen

- cheese

- salami

- mashed potatoes

- powdered milk

- 2 granola meals

- 6 snack bars

- 6 Swiss Miss

• Must buy for 7 days

• Breakfast across the street with Midnight, Animal, Mrs. T, Testament.  After enormous breakfast at Snowshoe Motel (not a great night in the laundry room, but only $40).  Hung out all day.  Bought new shorts.  Visited Mine Museum.  Saw Fire Department carved into cliff.  Bought food for 7 days.  Went to Rodeo (bull riding, kids on sheep, etc.)  Then dinner with Mrs. T and Testament.  Perfect weather - ready to go tomorrow!

• Asked a guy at the service station if he could give me a ride to the rodeo.  He said he had just given 3 others a ride.  So I started to walk, and he pulled up and offered me a ride also.  Good old Creede.

• Many Texans in town, some coming here every summer for years (fishing, weather).

Jun 30, 2017

• Up and off at around 8; stopped at 1039: 20 miles!  To go: 1100-1039 = 61 miles = 4 days.  

• Tomorrow: stop at Lujon Creek (15 miles ahead): at start of big climb.  

• On Colorado Trail for the first time (it is around 500 miles long, from Durango to outside Denver).  Saw half dozen CT hikers, first SOBO encountered.  More women than men, singles than couples.

Jul 2, 2017

• Gavin Stewart, 970-551-0483, gavinbsteward@gmail.com.  Amazing colorful outfit.

• 6 AM (no breakfast) to 6:30 PM.  Camped at mile 1100: 25 miles!

• Brought way too much food, but hiking longer distances.  Secret: more hours.

• Threatened to rain, but didn't.  Cloudy rain in distance.  Cold most of the day -> easier to hike.  Hope it's the same tomorrow.  Charging phone for 1st time since left Creede: down to 36%.  4 days, not bad.

Jul 4, 2017.  Salida, CO

• Sean Geisler (970-260-9057) gave us ride from Monarch Pass to Salida.  I talked him into picking up Dundee as well.  Then shared a 6 pack in Salida beside the Arkansas river, watching kayakers do maneuvers.

• Jon Csakany ("Sack-a-Knee"), rollingwolfthunder@gail.com.  Custom box truck conversions.  Met at Amica for lunch.

• Also at Amica: Joey Ernst, 970-403-5772, Durango CO.  Manufactures biking bags: Bedrockbags.com.

• Chozen: 801-834-4899

• Indy: 717-372-8554.  Free ride back to trail?

• Great 4th of July.  Huge fireworks display, then gathering of hikers at hostel: biggest ever (around 15).  Hostel was full, so Dundee & I booked a room at a local motel.  Walked to it from downtown: a horrible, hot mile.  Taxi from now on.

Jul 7, 2017

• Up and out early, before everybody else, and in particular Dundee, my Guide & Master, who is really fast.

• Three passes, snow patches no big deal,  But weather on top of last pass (around 12,500 feet) was really rough: 40 degrees, wind, snow/hail, wet trail.  A serious challenge, but I made it.

• Camping in big flat field at around 11,000 feet. Another delicious meal a la Dundee, plus mini snickers, peanuts, Pringles, Swiss Miss, and a shared puff of a joint from the Salida dispensary.

• Ended at mile 1.1, Mirror Lake Alternate.  Total: 18 miles.

Jul 8, 2017.  Tincup Pass, CO

• Up early and off without breakfast again.  Saves at least an hour.  Just start snacking and keep it up until dinner.

• Dundee caught up with me and showed a lake spot on the map: 19 miles.  Perfect.  We hiked alone all day, and met at the campsite.  No real passes (yesterday there were three), just a lot of plodding along, also bicycles and dirt bikes, ATV's, and even cars.  But the cars better be fit for the trail: an ordinary passenger vehicle tried to climb the Tin Cup pass, and got stuck with one wheel hanging over the edge.  

• Stopped at mile 20.3 of Mirror Lake Alternate: 19 miles.

Jul 9, 2017. Lake Ann Pass, CO

• Big day.  Conquered Lake Ann Pass (12,595 feet), with a huge climb upon the south side, then a horrendous descent on a 40 degree rocky incline, going around the giant snow cornice at the pass.  The word is "sketchy" - but we did it!  We think this will be the last seriously difficult pass moving forward.  We handled Colorado!

Jul 10, 2017. Twin Lakes, CO

• Off to conquer Hope Pass, around 12,500 feet, but no big deal at the top (like at Lake Ann the previous day).  Still, around 3,000 feet vertical climb, often with the trail just jeading straight up, and of course plenty of rocks and tree roots to keep me from having a regular pace.  Down the other side, then around 15 miles of road walking to Twin Lakes.  Saw a beaver swimming in a pond: my first ever!  Loads of CT hikers on the trail, heading south. 

• Dundee very happy with the day, although we didn't cover that many miles.  And I found us a room In Karen's home, all the other public accommodations being full.  Huge expensive dinner at the only restaurant in "town".  Rained hard during dinner, with rain forecast the next 10 days.