Miles 14.1 Camped at mm 138.9 The first dusting of snow on the tippy tippy top of the pass was yesterday. Today, August 13th, The Frost had dropped to the grass under our feet. Spring went straight to autumn. The tips of some fancy leaves have turned red now, and thistles have lost their royal purple robes. I wore my long johns all day. The sun stretched long fingers across the valley to gently touch Read more…
Last time I saw someone with plantar fasciitis this bad, I had them leave with a cast on one leg and a walking cast on the other, the Orthopedic Clinic told me at the time. So if I were not going to hike the Colorado Trail, you’d cast me? Yes, she said. That would be my recommendation. Chances of you rupturing at least one fascia while you’re out there on trail are 50/50. Just be Read more…
Miles 5.5 Camped at mm 124.8 … 11,270 feet I rolled over. It was 6:40 am. Shit. No, not “Shit”. We’re having a more relaxed morning, and then we’re going to trail, Anji said. Okay, fine, I said, and got us some coffee. We blogged and posted and read stuff out loud. We talked to our people and ate yogurt and pineapple, and whatever else seemed like a reasonable morning snack, and then we hugged Read more…
We started out by sleeping in. So we didn’t have to take the bus to Copper Mountain, which would’ve taken 2 hours, we agreed to split an uber with Rushmore and Watercolors. Except all the uber drivers slept in too and we couldn’t get a ride, so eventually we rode the bus to 1st Bank and then walked under the freeway and started hitching. We got a hitch, surprisingly quickly, by a nice woman named Read more…
Miles 0 Camped at hostel in Dillon, CO I kept waking up thinking I’d never sleep again, except I’d fall asleep again almost immediately. 11pm, 1:30, 2:15, 4am, 5:12, 6:45. Finally, I made some coffee and sat in the living room in the morning sun and played around on my phone until Anji got up. We blogged for an extrodinarly long time, and Pterodactyl Man told us all about how last night he learned how Read more…
Miles 0 Camped at hostel in Dillon, CO I woke up at 3am and knew that was it for me. I felt pretty sick and knew there was no more sleeping. I went out to the living room to mess around on Facebook Around 4am, John carried his stuff into the living room and started chatting with me about this and that and nothing and everything and eventually gave me the phone number for his Read more…
Let’s talk a little about adventure. The true nature of it. Mostly what you read is the good parts. The parts that are the most interesting to write about. To read about. To hear about. You don’t really want the grit. It’s too whiny or complainy or pouty. But it’s all there. The blood and the swelling and the pain and the mental anguish. And that’s all part of it too. It’s wrapped up in Read more…
Miles 15.4 Camped at hostel in Dillon, CO Dark forests and grassy hillsides and windy, roundabout trails led us into valleys and out again. The mountains watched us go. All unimpressed with our pride and progress. We had 10 miles to go without water. We filled up with four liters of water and headed up the pass. Just to find water one mile later. Worthless Water Carry. But that’s okay. It’s better that having no Read more…
Miles 16.4 Camped at mm 88.3 We slept in until 4:30. Then we were hiking by 6:04. Out power banks had charged to 100% overnight, and it was a complete success. Anji cut the backs of her fancy Merrell water shoes off with her pockt knife and we laughed a lot and I took pictures. We skipped our way along. Well, okay, we huffed and puffed our way along… After we’d been on trail for Read more…
Miles 14.7 Camped at mm 71.9 I coughed some more and woke myself up again. Oh God, I’m So Sick. So, So Sick. I coughed and coughed this juicy deep cough and wasn’t sure what to do with myself. My head felt like it was going to implode. Suddenly, I realized it was the altitude. We were camped at close to eleven thousand feet. I had High Altitude Sickness… Finally, I heard Anji’s alarm go Read more…