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Aug 1, 2017. Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, CO
Met first SOBO thru hiker (no trail name yet) around 6 PM. Took picture of him: English guy.
Mile 1464: 15 mile day, 19 to go. Mostly road walk coming up.
Test: left phone on all day in airplane mode: 100% down to 86% at 8 PM.
CDT Route choices ahead!
First SOBO (Southbound) hiker!
Aug 2, 2017. Arapaho National Forest, CO
All day road walk to Hiway 40: 19 miles. Then quick hitchhike 25 miles on 40 to Steamboat Springs. Contacted both Leo Atkinson, who was in Washington but son Dusty in town, and Ken Kowynia.
Hi there!
I see you!
Aug 3, 2017. Steamboat Springs, CO
Miles to Encampment (Hiway 70): 1485 to 1569: 84.
I've lost 20 pounds (down to 155). Pack weight: 30 pounds, including 15 lbs food for next section.
Staying with Ken, who barbecued a steak for me, and wife Wendy provided the salad; also corn on the cob. Visit from a moose in the garden. Repaired shirt with Tenacious tape (both shoulders torn) given to me by Dundee. Spent most of day talking hiking equipment and travel with Ken (and later talked art with artist wife Wendy). Bought new shoes (3rd pair): Altra, size 12.
Aug 4, 2017. Steamboat Springs, CO
Bought a new notebook. Mailed hearing aid to Caren. Knock Knock in town: we'll meet for Happy Hour at Scratch, then Wendy's art show at 5.
Knock Knock and friends didn't show: they went tubing and got cold and wet and scared off by lightning. So spent time at Scratch with Ken only, and then over to the art show. Dusty picked me up and drove me to his lovely condo/apt a few miles outside the city.
Aug 5, 2017. Steamboat Springs, CO
Easy zero day. Typed more notes into Apple Notes. Visited where Ken and Clarice were married. Afternoon movie with Dusty (pretty awful). Clarice cooked lovely meal. Bed by 10.
Aug 6, 2017. Near Steamboat Springs, CO
For Encampment / Riversides:
Hiway 70, mile 1569
Saw and videoed a moose with young. Great weather. Started at 1487 at noon. Easy, flat, no-rock trail. Camped by stream at 1499.1. Rain at 11 for awhile. Then violent, cold hail at 2 PM. Pitched tent at 3. Hail/rain until 5. Now 5:45, and still in tent. Mile 1510 -> 11 miles. Goddam rain!
2017 CDT Moose.MOVAug 8, 2017
Stopped by rain at mile 1526: 16 miles.
Three rains today. Wore skirt most of the day, but shorts still got wet. No big deal though. Getting better at handling rain - and accepting it. A couple on the trail gave me almonds, a chocolate bar, dates, and a can of oysters in oil: yum!
Stopped to eat more often. More snacking. Not as pooped at end of day? But it was an easy day. Had one of Dusty’s Indonesian version of ramen: very good!
Aug 9, 2017. Mt. Zirkel Wilderness, CO
Stopped at 1543: 17 miles.
Three rains during the day, but none over one hour. Passed SOBO mother with two 8 (?) year old girls (probably not doing the CDT). Easy ATV trail (at least for hikers).
Beautiful wildflowers amidst burned-out trees.
2017 CDT wild flowers.MOVAug 10, 2017. Wyoming!
Rain at 6 AM, but stopped by 7. Fingers crossed: Wyoming today!
Stopped at 1558: 15 miles.
No rain all day - but took wrong turns twice. First water source in WY no good: had to go until 7 PM for water. But overcast, cool, so no big deal. Blowdowns on both sides of the border really bad. At border: sign saying Welcome to Wyoming; for Colorado a license plate.
Aug 11, 2017. Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest, WY
Met Frankenstein and Fly Balz (?) at end. Easy hitch with both at Hiway 70 to Encampment -> R.V. Park. Nice tent area, flat and grassy; good laundry; ultimately 8 hikers for dinner. Also “Dirty Bitches” annual outing. Also motorcycle gang finishing long offfroad road trip. Friday: $3 beers at The Mangy Moose.
Aug 12, 2011. Riverside, WY
Zero day. I love this place. Huge meals at restaurant, ice cream pints at only store across the street.
Aug 13, 2017. Riverside, WY
Zero day, unless my iPhone gets totally charged soon. Could leave tomorrow, but then getting tight to hitchhike to eclipse for next provisioning (Rawlins).
Phone charged by 3. Hitched until 3:45.
Walking back to town, picked up by section hiker Susan at mile 1569.6.
Walked until 7, to mile 1574: 4 miles! Midnight was ahead of me but camped a little sooner, so I passed him. Really nice guy - but where’s his wife Animal?
Aug 14, 2017. Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, WY
Ended at 1387: 13 miles. Rain, really tired, and nasty fall negotiating blowdown: right arm and leg, lots of blood. Time to stop early (5 PM) and relax.
Long phone call with Irv: no cancer! And will find a way for Caren to store her car.
Trail was often blocked by blow-downs
Aug 15, 2017. Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, WY
Stopped at 1599 at around 3 PM: hail, wind hit hard. One lightning struck so close I could smell the smoke. Only 12 miles.
Aug 16, 2017.
What a contrast. Beautiful weather, easy flat ranch road, only about 15 minutes of rain. Stopped around 7:30 at mile 1621: 22 miles! 30 miles to Rawlins.
Aug 17, 2017. Near Rawlins, WY
Another easy day, with one exception: “head into a pasture” was a bit too vague. I took the adjacent road. Lovely open landscape, occasional antelope, even some cacti and horned toads a la New Mexico. Saline lakes, saline water, maybe Kool-Aid next time?
Camping in sagebrush at 7:30 PM (started at 6:30 AM). Final mile: 1646: 25 miles! Only 5 miles to Rawlins.
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