Miles 13.1 Camped at mm 376.7 It seemed like rolling hills at first, with a little pink in the sky and a little facial edema to accompany the lovely morning. The clouds swirled around over there all bustling about, ready to rain, but not on us. It looked like the high point must be just up that next pass. We took a bunch of photos of the pass. It looks intimidating, all looming and eerie. Read more…
Miles 5.7 Camped at mm 363.6 We spent the morning trying to charge things. Stone’s battery bank surprisingly seems to be holding a charge despite going through the washing machine yesterday.We talked all morning about our visit last night with Ruthless, an author for The Trek. She was full of imagination and wonder, yet grounded and thoughtful. We both wanted to be just like her when we grow up.We caught a ride back to trail Read more…
Miles 10.7 Camped at Lake City, CO River Fork RV Park You’re Dying. WAKE UP! My heart said.My eyes opened. I couldn’t breathe. I thrashed around a little like a fish. I lay on my back. I sat up.You’re gonna die. This is it. DO SOMETHING! My heart said.SHUT THE FUCK UP AND CALM DOWN! My brain said.I reached for my can of Boost oxygen. I was so scared. I couldn’t breathe. I put it Read more…
Miles 11.2 Camped at mm 347.1 We keep getting up at the same time, but the sun keeps sleeping in later and later.“REE” said the little pika, hiding in her hole.“RAA” said another one, standing on his rock. I wanted to tell him to curl his tongue and touch it to the roof of his mouth.“Try again! REE!” I said to him.He ran into his house.Pika pika everywhere. They are my favorite. With their little Read more…
Miles 12 Camped at mm 335.9 The moose and her baby were right next to the guy’s tent. The next door neighbor guy who pulled in super late last night. We figured he was sleeping in and hoped he’d stay thataway. The moose and her kiddo finally went down to the creek and mucked around down there for a while.We packed up but we couldn’t see how the guy got to his tent spot. There Read more…
Miles 19.3 Camped at mm 323.9 Anji bought a container of oxygen for me and some pepper spray for herself while we were in town yesterday. Yes, you can buy canned air. Mine is called Boost. We were supposed to buy a pulse oximeter too, but we both get anxiety in grocery stores, so that little item was forgotten. We’ll get one in Lake City.It was 32 degrees last night and our tents were frozen Read more…
Miles 2.1 Camped at mm 304.6 We got up around six and snuck into the living room of the hostel so we could start writing about the horrible man on that horrible day we were assaulted. He’d stolen enough of our time and energy, so it was time to write about it, post about it, and let it go.We wrote for a few hours and then I was off to Urgent Care. My third Urgent Read more…
Miles 17 Camped at mm Wanderlust Gunnison Hostel We slept for the second night in a row above 11 thousand feet, and I woke with what felt like a dehydration headache. I drank a bunch of water.We walked through a cloud, and shadows from the trees hung in the air.A fox caught something in the trail, and unable to give it up, just stared at us while it arranged the animal in its mouth for Read more…
Miles 18.3 Camped at mm 285.5 Sunrise was stunning, and my face was a little swollen from altitude this morning. But my shadow seemed to keep up with me pretty good, and we saw Misty on trail with her husband Bill, and pretty soon we all came across a herd of bucks which seemed unusual and beautiful to me, so that was fun and magical.The mist rolled over the mountains like an ocean wave that Read more…
Miles 13.9 Camped at mm 267.2 We had to walk 1.6 miles from the hostel back to the highway, and we got a hitch from Carlos within 2 minutes of sticking out our thumbs. He was great company, and after going with him to take shoes to his daughter at school since she’d opted to wear slippers but needed actual shoes, we were off to the trailhead.He was sufficiently horrified by the story from yesterday, Read more…