Day 10 July 27; 15 miles
After having a great and filling dinner with Mike and a night’s rest in an actual bed, we woke up ready to take on the day of slackpacking.
For those who don’t know what slackpacking in, it’s when you leave all your gear at a safe place where you finished your previous day’s hike, take transportation up the trail, then hike back. It’s favorable because you can get in a lot of miles with a lighter pack. We thought this was a great idea, and even convinced Mike to join us.
We caught the bus over to Copper Mountain and after an unnecessary mile road walk, we finally found the trail. And it was all serendipitous because guess who we saw crossing the street just as we were approaching? KDog! We were so excited to see him looking strong as ever. After a short hello and goodbye, we set off for the day.
The first 5 miles were a climb. An unrelentless climb. People suggest slackpacking because it’s easier to get a big climb out of the way early and enjoy a less intense descent back to Breck. Boy, were we served a lesson. We quickly realized that maybe this wasn’t the best idea, the grade of that climb was aggressive even with a light pack. But it’s the decision we made and we were gonna stick with it.
After a few hours we made it above tree line and what a sight that was. It was dizzying how exposed we were and with one misstep we would surely meet our maker. We could see for miles which commanded frequent stops just to take it all on.
During our ascent, we ran into many people we met on the trail. Because we were going the opposite direction, we were met with many confused looks. We saw the Lobbyist, Ben and Matt of the former Foursome, Chickadee, Liz, and Gizmo.
We finally got to the top and took plenty of pictures, elated that the climb was finally over. But soon dread took over. It was already early afternoon and we still had 8 whole miles to address. Sure it was all downhill, but 8 miles is 8 miles and we were already fatigued from that Appalachian graded climb!
But we troopered on. After outrunning a nasty storm, we arrived back at the bus stop at 6:46p, just one minute after the bus. Shucks. We had to wait a whole hour before the next one. This day just didn’t want to end! Luckily with good conversation that hour flew by and we arrived back at the air bnb exhausted and ready for bed.
Looking back on it, I would not choose to slackpack this segment. It wasn’t worth the aggravation, but hindsight is 20/20. We got to know Mike (aka skyline aka jolly rancher) really well and saw what an inspiration he is. At 70 he’s kicking butt! I’m sure one day we’ll look back on this day with a smile, but that will probably take a while.
Day 11 July 28 13 miles
After the long and arduous journey slackpacking yesterday, we decided to take advantage of warm beds free from bear threats and sleep in a little. And a few cups of coffee help wash down whatever the heck yesterday was!
We had to take the bus back to Copper Mountain to pick back up the south bound route. Mike is taking a few off days in Breck with his family, so I’m sure the next time we see him he’ll be well rested body and soul.
But alas we must trudge on. We had a little later of a start with an unsure plan mileage wise. We have two passes to get over both of which are very exposed at over 12k’. So, like most days, we decided to wing it.
When we got above tree line we were greeted with one of the most gorgeous views. Sprawling green rolling hills with Sierra flavored mountains in the background. I would think I was back on the JMT if not for all the green surrounding me.
After passing Janet’s Cabin (no vacancy) we crossed over Searle Pass. Past this point we considered setting up camp for the night, as we were exhausted from not only yesterday, but the past 10 days of hiking without a rest day. But being over 12k’ and the wind kicking up, we didn’t want to risk a sleepless and freezing night – though for once we weren’t threatened with rain! There was a beautiful blue sky smiling down on us all day. We made the decision to forge forward and push to below tree line. We knew we were in for another late night, but that’s just a part of backpacking.
We crossed over Elk Ridge, then actually descended to Kokomo Pass. The views were enough to make you involuntary break into singing, “the hills are aliveeeee with the sound of….” But no one actually wants to hear me sing.
Soon we made it to below tree line and found the first acceptable place to camp. It isn’t remotely close to flat, but it’ll do in a pinch. We set up camp, ate, and pulled off a frustrating (though beautiful) bear hang. After that it was dark and time to be reacquainted with our tents and sleeping bags. I’m sure I’ll be dreaming about the delicious food (blueberry pie!) I’m missing out on for family Sunday dinner, but mostly sad I’m missing out on niece and nephew time! Those kids are gonna practically be adolescents by the time I get back!
Day 12 July 29; 12 miles
I really like this campsite. Yes it was a last minute decision made in exhausted haste, but it was quiet, free from animals, and not incredibly cold. I’m expecting to be cold every night moving forward, it’s just what level of cold will I be? Mild? Moderate with shivering? Or maximum with minimal sleep? Last night was mild and manageable, though the sloped ground didn’t promote great sleep.
But the trail doesn’t care about how well you slept so we got ourselves moving right along. The first 5 miles were all downhill and we finished them relatively quickly and stopped for a long break by Camp Hale bunkers, a WWII training camp for the 10th mountain division of the US Army. Pretty cool!
The rest of the afternoon was a relatively gentle climb up to Tennessee pass, nothing really to write home about.
When we got into camp (early this time!) Sheena realized she had service and was able to talk to Steve. Ever the brilliant mind, Steve suggested he drive the 15 min to pick us up and spend a night indoors and he’ll drop us off in the morning. What an absolute brilliant plan! Shower, pizza, ice cream, a bed, and coffee in the morning? No brainer. We hustled down to the road and awaited Steve.
Day 13 July 30; 13.8 miles
After a night of indulging in pizza, ice cream, and TV, I went off to bed early and had a wonderful night sleep. When you wake up in the middle of the night not knowing where the heck you are, you know you were in a deep sleep.
Got up early to enjoy a cup of coffee or two and to get the pack ready for a little jaunt in the woods. And that’s about all it was. Some nice views, some steep climbs to get there, and ran into a lot of new and old faces.
With a lighter pack the miles felt much easier and we were ready to be picked up at 4:30p. Thankfully, Sheena’s neighbor was able to grab us so we could enjoy an evening and night complete with tacos, can’t ask for a better way to end a long almost 2 weeks of hiking. We’ll have 2 days off in Leadville as Sheena catches up with real world things and I plan the next few weeks as well as bag the highest mountain in Colorado – Mt. Elbert!
Off(ish) days July 31- August 1
Four whole nights in a bed and four days of real good (and coffee!). Going back to the trail is going to be tough after spending all this time being spoiled in Leadville!
Wednesday I walked into town and planned out the next few weeks. We have some big mile days in our future! Because of time and resupply concerns, we have decided to take the Collegiate East route, as it isn’t as treacherous and has more resupply options, lending itself to lighter packs which is always a plus.
Thursday I decided to take on Mt. Elbert – the tallest mountain in Colorado and second only to Whitney in the contiguous United States. I originally was going to do a side trip up it, as its trailhead is right off the CT. But since Sheena lives so close to it, I decided to seize the opportunity of doing it on a rest day!
It’s a 10 mile out and back route with over 4k’ of elevation gain to the summit of 14.4k’. And it was every bit as tough as you can imagine! Air is thin up there and there are some hefty stretches of over 22% grade. But with time, rest, and persistence I got up there before 9am. It was the most beautiful day – blue skies, 70 degrees, and no wind! So unusual for being that high, I really picked the right day!
There were a lot of folks at the summit, including two women I recognized! We met Kristen and Yvonne a few days prior on the trail. From Switzerland and Germany, they are used to beautiful views! I spent some time at the summit before making my way down. While I could spend all day up there, I had things to do to get back on the trail the next day!
Those things included dropping off our resupply package at Twin Lakes. What a beautiful little town! Driving up to it almost took my breath away with the towering mountains protecting the lake twins underneath. I can’t wait to go back!
Day 16 August 2; 15 miles
4 nights of sleeping in an actual bed and days of eating actual food have made us spoiled. Getting up early to get back on the trail was only worth it for the coffee. Steve saved the day again and dropped us right where we left off Tuesday and we were on our way back to the depths of the forest.
Can’t say this segment lent itself to too many views, it was primarily in the trees. But that’s okay because it was not super strenuous. With rest breaks we were able to cruise into camp at a decent hour. The best part of the hike was walking with views of Mt. Elbert right in front of us. I could even see the exact trail I went up and down yesterday! I knew Elbert would be special, probably why I knew to name my welcome bear after it!
Something of note I forgot to mention in the first 100 mile blog. I can now add hummingbirds to the list of birds I’ve been attacked by. And unfortunately for me, it’s a long list. Birds seem to hate me as much as I hate them. But of all the birds, hummingbirds are the only ones I actually really really love. So imagine how upset I was when I am constantly being attacked by them out here. And there are a ton of them. The most egregious event was one flew right by my head (you can hear their fluttering wings from a mile away) and landed in a tree just feet away from me. We had a mini stare off where I called him a pretty boy and wished him well on his search for nectar. Well he must have taken offense because that small little torpedo of a bird launched itself off that branch and went straight for my head. It was absolutely terrifying. I soon noticed that hummingbirds fancied my head and although I didn’t have any more kamikaze attacks, they loved hovering around me. That’s when it clicked – they don’t actually hate me, they think my head is a flower! I am never without my red Phillies hat, which looks a lot like a hummingbird feeder. I was so happy when I made this connection. Though I’m sure they’re not happy to come out empty beaked (there’s not much in my head – and nectar sure ain’t taking up any valuable real estate), I’m happy my truce has been made with the hummingbird population.
With a good dinner, great bear hang, and a good hour to finish a book (bringing a kindle was worth its weight in gold), I was off to sleep by 9pm. Pretty good day in my book!
Day 17 August 3; 20 miles (10 walked, 10 hitched
Even after all those nights in a bed, there is something comforting about the coziness one finds in a tent. While KDog thinks my tent reminds him of a coffin, I do find great peace and solitude inside that little tent. I would much rather choose to have a toilet than a bed. But all that to say I enjoyed a great night sleep and wasn’t cold for once!
We set out early for a 6 mile walk to Twin Lakes. I dropped off a resupply there after Elbert and was excited to go back. But after carrying only one day’s worth of food, getting a heavy resupply is going to be a wake up call. That’s just the nature of the beast.
It was a relatively mellow walk into town, but a fortunate one for as, as we bumped into Gabby and Ava. We spoke to them for a little and arrived into town together. That’s where we saw Mike! We caught up and he told us all about his wonderful visit with family. He also told us he was apprehensive about doing the collegiate west, as the last few days have been a struggle. I suggested hiking the East with us, as it’s less strenuous and many options to bail out should misfortune arise. He agreed (to his wife Sally, you’re welcome – I’m sure you were worried about him!) and just like that the three amigos were reunited.
Talk about misfortune- we also ran into LifeSaver, who we saw in the beginning and figured he’d be practically done by now. He unfortunately suffered from a pretty severe infection that landed him in the hospital for almost a week. I couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if things took a turn for the worst when out in the wilderness. But at 19 he has youth on his side and seemingly can bounce right back from near death.
Back in late June there was a substantial wildfire that greatly affected the Twin Lakes area. For a while, both the East and west collegiate routes had significant detours. Prior to today, there was a lot of misinformation about which was opened when. Turns out the East has an 8 mile detour in place through exposed highway and county roads. Being that it was in the 90s, blazing hot, no shade, and no water, walking the detour was out of the question. We decided we were going to hitch it then and there, and with the general store telling us it was currently the busiest day of the year, we figured getting a hitch may not be so hard.
That’s when I remembered Gabby telling me her wife would be picking her up around noon. I relayed the information to Sheena who felt comfortable asking if we could join and get dropped off at the end of the detour. Fortune favors the bold and while mike and I were unsuccessfully sticking out our thumbs for a ride, Sheena gave us a thumbs up that we had a ride! And before we knew it 6 of us stuffed into a Subaru and we were on our way. And we couldn’t be more grateful because wow that road looked treacherous, hot, and dusty. We passed one unfortunate soul huffing it but with Gabby stuffed in the trunk, we had no room to offer her.
When we were dropped off we realized that the hitch took off 10 miles of the hike, giving us a good excuse to have a shorter afternoon hike and a good reprieve at camp. With it still hot and exposed, we again were grateful for our fate. And the views were incredible, some of the best so far. Upon coming to the ridge of a climb, we were greeted with one of the most beautiful canyon sights. Cloaked in green, it felt like we were in the middle of a fjord in Norway. Very magical.
We got into camp late afternoon with plenty of time to soak our feet in a creek and just relax. Again, could not have asked for a more perfect day.
Day 18 August 3; 15 miles
After a great night of sleep on an actual flat surface, I was ready for what the day was to bring. And that was some pretty hefty climbs. We had David join us. He’s segment hiking the trail throughout the summer and liked our 15 mile/day plan so he decided to join the crew.
4500’ climbs over a few miles is pretty aggressive, and we afforded a lot of time to complete them. Thankfully we managed and completed 15 miles before 6pm, just in time for the heavens to open. We had just enough minutes to set up our tents before the big show started with drenching rain and loud thunder. Luckily it didn’t last long and we all emerged from our tents eager to eat dinner. We also showed off our bear hanging skills and taught David the fine art of finding the perfect tree, tossing the rock over (though he has impeccable aim – just ask any squirrel – they curse his name), and heaving and hoing until it’s perfectly nestled high up in the trees. We have become bear hang masters.
Today was a super long day, but we have officially gotten 200 miles under our belts. The next few days look like they could go any which way, hopefully everything goes in our favor.
Emilie Bikes and Hikes 