CDT day 53-Miles Hiked today: 38
CDT total distance traveled: 1850
Total trip miles: 6730
Avg temps: 60s
Injuries: hamstring Achilles
Pain:
Exhaustion level: moderate
Favorite meal: frito pie from monarch crest store Colorado has become my second home over the last couple years. Not Denver but the entire state. I used to work long hours all week and then escape to one of the many mountain ranges in the state every weekend. Now immersing myself within them full time brings a smile to myself. My legs are tired and sore but I love traversing these high ridges and peaks. Unfortunately as the weather continues to change to resemble ski season more closely than summer I am carrying a similar repertoire of clothing to what I had back in April on the Appalachian trail in Maine. It seems like so long ago and in a nostalgic way of this trip going full circle it is a bit comforting. For the first time in nearly 6 months and 5,000 miles I had to wear most my layers and my ski gloves this morning to combat the cold. Luckily once the sun was up I could delayer and got to realize this isn’t Maine weather in April that doesn’t get over 45 degrees. It was a beautiful day as soon as it warmed up. The sky was blue, the trail clear and my pace quick. I always make a point to remember on awesome days like these how hard it has been on occasion. At one point I was praying for a trail free of snow, another for less than 100 dead logs across the trail and yet others for less ice and less mosquitos. Considering the obstacles, September hiking although cold in Colorado is some of the most enjoyable especially with the weather I have been getting! Today the 2k foot climbs and descents were just a little too steep to get comfortable on as I stayed north of two miles high. With this said I put off taking breaks until I made it to Monarch Crest store where i had a resupply package. I wanted to make sure I made it before it closed and it didn’t end up being an issue. One reason I like resupplying at these small businesses and mailing myself packages instead of traveling into the larger towns is that it gives me more time to relax instead of messing around with hitchhiking into a town. For example I took an hour break today and felt fully energized at the end where it would have taken me this much time to hitchhike into town. I finished the day off by walking a ridge at 12k feet and enjoyed the sunset before setting up camp and getting some house chores done. Tonight’s task was sewing up a couple holes in my shorts pockets with dental floss.
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