Day 19 August 5; 15 miles
The storms blew back through overnight, but nothing too crazy. We all slept well, expect Mike, who was nursing an injured knee. Prior to the trip he was receiving injections to help stave off arthritic pains, but they only do so much… I foresee a knee replacement in his future. He was contemplating bailing out at Buena Vista, especially after a fall a few miles into the morning.
After yesterday’s climbs, we were all hesitant to get to what looked like a monster climb in 3 miles. At the base of the mountain by a trailhead, we stopped to have breakfast when a lovely woman rolled up and asked if anyone needed a ride into town. After much reflection, Mike found it to be the right time to call it and took Fullbird up on her gracious offer. A very teary goodbye (or see you later?) was had by all. I have a feeling we’ll see Mike again.
Because we have an awkward food carry situation right now, we scheduled a pickup with Fullbird on the other side of the mountain to take us into Buena Vista for a small resupply to get us confidently to Salida. I’ve also noticed I’m losing weight and hungry all the time. Hiker hunger has officially set in. And while I purposely tried gaining some weight in preparation for this hike, I think I’m running out of reserves. It’s insane how many calories are burned during thru hiking and while it may be impossible to keep up, I have to beef up my calories. So a resupply is necessary. We were so thankful for Fullbird’s offer… we just had to get over the nasty climb.
And what a truly nasty little climb it was. It took a decent amount of time to conquer it. With steep grades and hot sun, we welcomed in the building storm clouds if only to block out the grueling sun. Eventually we got to the top and David and I decided to go the extra 100’ to the very tippy top for an excellent view. There I was able to coordinate with Fullbird (we now call her Mamabird) for a later pickup. This was where David parted ways. He’s tacking on quite a few more miles today to get to Princeton Hot Springs for a nice relaxing nero day tomorrow.
With less pressure to make it to the trailhead so soon, we carefully managed the steep descent to county rd 306. During that time we did get rained on, but we were on our way into town so who cares.
Mamabird was ready to grab us soaked drowning baby birds and took us to get some groceries as well as actual food. Having hiked the PCT with her sister and niece last year, she knows how difficult trail life can be and now finds fulfillment by giving it back to needy CT hikers. She even let us into her home to fill water and dump trash. Had she not have family coming from New Zealand tomorrow, she would’ve even offered us a spot in her house for the night! What a true angel. And I think all those prayers from home are being answered because we have been nothing but blessed by the folks we’ve met out here on the trail.
After a huge dinner and goodbye to Mamabird, a bad batch of weather started rolling in. We originally were going to hike a few more miles, but being exhausted from two tough days and not wanting to get caught in a storm, we quickly set up camp right by the trailhead. And as I type this out now, it’s loudly thundering right over us and pouring rain, so I think we made the right call. The next few days look very forgiving, so I think we’ll be able to make up some miles and even have a rest day soon! And just like that, a group of about 30 soaking wet kids, likely Boy Scouts, just rolled up looking for a space to camp. Poor things are waiting out the storm before setting up camp. They might be in it for the long run, but hopefully it ends soon so they’re not loud when it’s time to go to bed, we all need our sleep!
Day 20 August 6; 15 miles
What an odd night. With the storm lasting hours, I was in and out of sleep starting at 7pm. I was shocked when nothing woke up me up – not Sheena or the 13 people who showed up in the middle of the storm setting up camp. It was lights out for me until my bladder forced me out of the tent, only to come back to a migraine that lasted all night. When I woke up in the morning I was shocked to see all the tents surrounding us. What a good crew – they were so quiet and respectful!
We started off the morning with a small climb that was so much more manageable than the previous 2 days. The grade was forgiving and the clouds started rolling in shortly before we reached the top. We had lunch and were able to dry out our soaking gear. Just in time for the rain! We had a good downhill where we experienced on and off rain with thunder. If anything it really made the mountains look mean, shrouded in clouds with lightning striking the granite.
Towards the end of the descent to Mt Princeton, we had a decent road walk. At one point we were walking on a cliff edge with blind corners, not the most ideal place for a walker, especially with the rain. At this point it became a matter of safety. I lazily put out my thumb to see if anyone would want to give two hikers who smelled worse than a wet dog a short ride to the hot springs. Sure enough, on the first try, Bruce stopped and offered a ride, quite surprised that we only wanted a 1/4 mile hitch. He offered to take us to our final destination (our campsite for the night, not Durango – though I’m sure he’d drive us that far even!) but I wanted to walk the last 2.4 miles. What I didn’t realize was those miles were also on the road. D’oh!
So after a quick snack at the Mt. Princeton hot springs we were on our way avoiding cars on the very busy no shoulder road. Soon we turned onto a small county road running parallel to a busy river that was lined with the cutest little cottages.
Eventually we made it to our destination, bootleg campground. And wouldn’t you know, for the third night in a row we made camp with seconds to spare before getting poured on with a side of deafening thunder. This time the storm got a little spicy and threw some hail our way. This is quite honestly getting old, would love for some good weather to come back our way.
Day 21 August 7; 8 miles
After a night of on and off rain, the universe decided to wake me up with a wickedly nauseous stomach. I won’t go into too much detail, but thank god Sheena brought a whole pharmacy with her. We both haven’t been feeling great the last day or two, we’re hoping we picked up a small bug from somewhere and not the infamous giardia.
Just a small note on how small the world is, at dinner (impeccably timed between rain), I spotted someone with an Eagles hat. Having sold Eagles merchandise (hats specifically) for a few years in college, I can spot them from a mile away. Turns out he’s from the next town over from me. Lots of South Jerseyians gracing the trail with our presence!
We set out for what was expected to be an easy day with small and manageable climbs. Unfortunately for me, my stomach made every step feel like an effort. I had no energy and my muscles did not want to work to get me moving normally. With long rest breaks required every half mile not only for exhaustion but bathroom breaks – I knew something was wrong. We formulated a plot to ask anyone we saw day hiking to potentially take us into town.
During a rest two ladies on horses (of all the horse poo we’ve seen on this trail, we had yet to see a horse – until today!) strolled by us. After talking and petting the horses, Sheena asked if they could take us into town. If we could coordinate our end times, they’d be happy to. We had 2+ miles to get to the trailhead by foot vs their steeds, so the chance of meeting them was unlikely but worth the risk.
With the only thing I could stomach being fruit snacks, I felt a little better after talking to the ladies. But it didn’t last very long. I was right back to walking like I had a few too many drinks and feeling even worse. Knowing we probably wouldn’t make time getting to the trailhead (it was an additional 1.5 miles), we ran into a woman waiting for her husband and daughter hiking a falls trail. We let her know we were meeting someone to get picked up, but wasn’t likely to happen. She said if we were still at the trailhead when they came down, they would take us.
Turns out we didn’t make it in time for the horse ladies and thankfully the family was happy to give us a ride. They were such a nice family from Florida visiting for the week. With it being such a bumpy ride, I had to work at not throwing up in their rental with such a queasy stomach. And I was successful! They were so kind and friendly, we couldn’t thank them enough for their generosity.
I have a saint for a cousin who lives in Salida who was gracious enough to host us as we recovered. I showered and am planning on going to bed super early to help fight off whatever is going on in my body.
No pictures, I barely even remember this day!
Days 22/23: off days in Salida
I woke up the next morning at 6:30am. I have never slept that much in my life. Almost 16 hours! I felt refreshed but my stomach was definitely not where it needed to be to get back on the trail. We decided to take at least 2 days off trail to recoup, it would be a disaster to push forward with a bad stomach and total food aversion. I have already lost 12 pounds at this point, I’ll be running low on reserves soon!
I went to urgent care where I was given antibiotics as a precaution for girardia. Really hoping it clears up before that happens!
The rest of our time in Salida we putz around, exploring the town and going shopping for resupply. By the time Friday rolled around, I was feeling up to eating. We had breakfast with Stephen, someone I met on Instagram who has also hiked the CT in addition to the PCT and AT and has also ridden the transam and the southern tier. Talk about a resume! He happened to be in town and we picked his brain for CT tips all while I accidentally insulted his mother. Debbie sounds like a lovely woman who raised an excellent son.
We also were reunited with David who just wrapped up his section hike, only to return to the trail next week to complete the whole trail! After back to back 25+ mile days, he was understandably famished and we enjoyed a good dinner with him while also picking his brain, without insulting any family members.
We are going to slackpack tomorrow in an attempt to see if we’re truly ready to be on the trail after the last few days. With easy elevation and a light back, fingers crossed we’ll be okay!
Day 24 August 10: 14.4 miles
Feeling better, I was ready to test the waters with a slackpack day. Tess was kind enough to brave a rocky unpaved road to get us up to Marshall pass trailhead. We said see ya later and headed out on our way.
When we reached the summit of a short climb, we were greeted with epic panoramic views of mountains and green valleys. We also were accompanied by what felt like thousands of mountain bikers, for whom we constantly had to jump off trail to prevent a wreck. While they were obviously having fun and enjoying a nice Saturday ride, it was concerning as a hiker how fast they were going around blind turns. Luckily we avoided any fatalities.
After a few pictures, we were ready for our 8 mile descent. It was quick and unnoteworthy aside from Sheena meeting some women who offered us a ride back into Salida. Soon, however, we realized they were taking the west route while we opted for the east. Alas, another opportunity gone with the wind.
After an uneventful descent down to rt 50 (encountered one small storm and a lot of sad soggy hikers who have spent the last few nights getting dumped on), we were ready for what was expected to be a long hitch. According to everything I’ve read and everyone we talked to, I thought it would take no shorter than 20 min to get a ride into town. Without much time to spare, we got right to it and wouldn’t you know, we got a ride in 1min30sec. A new record!
Shane and Braxton were on a father son road trip before Braxton was headed to his freshman year at Kansas State this week. They were on their way back to Kansas from Durango when they decided we didn’t look like axe murderers and gave us a ride to town.
In all, I feel about 85% back to normal. I’m still a little queasy with certain foods and appetite hasn’t kicked in fully, but I’m certain with time I’ll be back to full capacity. I’m confident that getting back on the trail tomorrow with a full pack is the right move, and should things go awry there are bailout points along the way.
After dinner, showers, and arranging a ride back to the trailhead for the morning, we’re off to sleep for the last night in a bed for a while.
Day 25 August 11: 16.6 miles
What a sad morning. I said goodbye to the comfiest bed I have ever laid in, Tess’ 3 amazing cats that medicated my pet need, and Tess. I cannot thank her enough for her hospitality and kindness during our stay in Salida. She was integral on getting us healthy and back on the trail.
Because she’s flying back home this morning, she wasn’t able to give us a ride back to the trailhead. So we arranged for a taxi and we were on our way.
With our next resupply close to 90 miles away, we have a very heavy food carry to get us there. After yesterday’s light pack, that food felt like a ton. But luckily the elevation profile for the next few segments looks forgiving for not only the heavy food, but also for picking up miles.
The day started with heavy fog right out of Middle Earth. It did start to lift after a few hours and we knew we were entering the dreaded “cow patty” section. This is where the water is scarce and the water that is available is contaminated with cow poo. Yum, just what an unsettled tummy wanted! So along with a heavy food carry, we knew we would want to stock up on water too, just adding to the already busting packs.
We’re upping mileage in an attempt to make it to Durango by the 24th. We’ve been out here long enough, no need to drag it out!
My appetite has not returned and I am a little worried about losing more weight. I’m definitely losing muscle (but when men would routinely comment on how jealous they are of my arms, I’m happy to lose a bit of muscle), and I’m not sure how sustainable living off reduced calories is when we still have well over 200 miles left. I still feel strong and capable- but for how long? Hopefully my hiker hunger comes back soon!
We ended the day a little shorter than anticipated when a good camping spot showed up. We ate dinner, reacquainted ourselves with a bear hang, and are ready for bed. Hopefully no cows come along in the middle of the night!
Day 26 August 12: 17 miles
I don’t even know what to say about last night. We went to bed with clear skies, convinced that we evaded what most other hikers weren’t so fortunate- the nightly rains. When preparing for this trip, I was ready for daily afternoon storms, after all July is monsoon season. What I was not prepared for were nightly terror sessions with abundant lightning and buckets of rain. But sure enough, at 11pm I was awoken by paparazzi lightning and booming thunder. What was so specifically odd about this storm was there wasn’t any rain or wind. It was so still. But up here, if there’s lightning you want rain, as wildfire can be sparked with just one strike – and there were thousands of them. Some a little too close to our tents. But alas, after about an hour, the rains came and didn’t stop for what felt like the entire night. Great – another wet morning with wet gear.
I can’t speak for the view for the vast majority of today’s hike, as I was forced to keep my head down looking at the trail to manage the excessive amount of rocks. I understand why they’re there – for drainage and to prevent erosion, but my goodness are they beyond annoying. Careful attention has to be paid lest you roll and break an ankle.
In addition to rocks, there was an abundance of wild raspberries that lined the trails! Now I’m not one to go off and taste random berries I see out in the wild, but I know a raspberry when I see one. And wow were they good. Tart and perfectly ripe, I had my fair share and left the rest for the bears.
Afternoon storms blew through soaking us with rain, but they were short lived and we kept our fingers crossed that there won’t be any more 11pm lightning storms tonight.
Today was one of those days where I really missed home. I miss my cozy house and all the animals that live there, my friends, family, and particularly badly, I miss my old routine. Being out in the wilderness is definitely difficult (but rewarding) and really makes you yearn for just simple routine. If only I could not have to worry about going back to work!
Officially hit 300 miles today, only a few hundred more separate us from returning back to normalcy!
Emilie Bikes and Hikes 