Thursday, September 26th

Thursday,  September 26th. Day 100

Today's miles = 18.5 Total CDT miles = 1, 511.4

I didn't sleep much last night.  There was an animal around the tent last night that kept me up.  Between that and the temperature last night it was a pretty bad nights sleep. I tried to get up early as always but the air smelled like winter which did not help my motivation level. I felt like a thru hiker this morning.  My body hurt, I was hungry, I was cold... (ok,  enough complaining). But after about a mile of hiking I forgot about all of that when I started to see the views of the snow covered mountains I was climbing. The snow made it harder to hike but it sure was a pretty sight. The trail was up two passes in the morning (each at above 12,000ft) for the first 6 or so miles but then it was a good bit of downhill to the road. It was also freezing this morning up at elevation, but that too got better with the decent. The hike down to the road was beautiful. The snow was on the mountains on the horizon but the trail cleared off below 10,000ft. The leaves had their Fall colors and the sun actually came out.  I would have put sunscreen on if I had had any.  Once I got the road I began hitching immediately.  I got a ride in about ten minutes from a Mexican that didn't speak any English driving a yellow VW Bug. The ride to town was silent.  He dropped Baboon and I off outside the Safeway and we walked over to Pizza Hut. I suddenly realized that I hadn't eaten in over nine miles of hiking.  While at Pizza Hut I got a hold of Molassas, a guy I met on the AT two years ago that is here in Leadville going to school. He stopped by and picked us up after we were done eating and took us to his place to shower and relax.  Around 8:30 we went over to the distillery to meet some of his friends. I wasn't in bed until after midnight.

Wednesday, September 25th

Wednesday, September 25th. Day 99

Today's miles = 19.4 Total CDT miles = 1,492.9

I managed to get myself up around 6:30am today to try to get on the trail early. Honeybee drove Baboon and I back to the trail and we were hiking by 10. I didn't like saying goodbye to her. She's such a sweet friend I don't want it to be another two years before I see her agiain. She walked on the trail for a little while with Skipper (the chocolate lab) before parting ways. The first 13 miles today were on a bike path. It was still senic and beautiful AND I got to walk right through the town of Frisco, where I ate lunch. Right as the bike path turned back into trail I ran into Panama and bethany. I haven't seen them since Grand lake. The CDT is now also the Colorado Trail so the trail has been more nicely maintained. I can only hope it stays that way for the rest of Colorado.  I'm camped tonight halfway up the climb to a pass. The nights have been getting dark around 7:20 and with the sun also goes any warmth that I had previously had. So, I stopped hiking early today so that I could get into my sleeping bag and warm up. Tomorrow I have to hike over two passes in the morning but I believe the rest of the day should be a little easier. 

Tuesday, September 24th

Thuesday, September 24th. Day 98

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1, 473.5

Today was another wonderful day at the farm. I slept in until almost 9am and relaxed the rest of the day. Baboon, Honeybee, and I went to see 'Prisoners' at the theater and ate a lunch of popcorn. Milk and Honey then took Babon and I out for Mexican. I was sleeping by 9pm. I'm trying to get back on the trail relatively early tomorrow. Another baby duck hatched today so I spent a good part of the day invested in him. Time well spent!

Monday, September 23rd

Monday, September 23rd. Day 97

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1, 473.5

I woke up in the barn this morning around 8:30. I tried to fall back asleep but couldn't even despite my fatigue. I made it down to the house for some coffee and I made myself a veggie and egg scramble with eggs gathered from the chicken coop earlier this morning. I think it was by far the freshest thing I have tasted since being on trail. I spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the farm animals. I got to play with a 12 hour old duckling (ducks are my favorite animal of all time), cuddle with a chocolate lab, feed 11-week-old goats, watch the hens protect the duck eggs they were given the care of, feed horses carrot treats, and meander around with the turkeys. It was a pretty awesome way to spend my day.

Sunday, September 22nd

Sunday, Septmber 22nd. Day 96

Today's miles = 10.1 Total CDT miles = 1, 473.5

I woke up earlier than usual this morning. I had motivation to get started and hike over the pass, over a 13,300ft mountain peak, down the mountain to the highway, and in my friends car. My friend Honeybee (Dori) lives here in Colorado and has a little farm. Her recent husband and she hiked the AT the same year as I did and I had the pleasure of becoming friends with them. They have offered to pick Baboon and I up and let us stay with them on thier farm for a few days! So, that was all the motivation I needed today to get my ass out of my sleeping bag.

The climb to the pass wasn't horrible. It was on a car trail the whole way up. It was a beautiful sight from the top in that it was still early morning and the mountains were still waking up. Once I got to the pass it began to snow. I still had 1,500ft to climb to the peak and it continued to snow the entire way up the mountain, down the mountain, and until I got low enough in elevation for it to turn into rain. It then continued to rain almost the rest of the way down to the road.

Honeybee and her husband, Milkman (John) were there waiting for us just a few thruway exits over. Somewhere in the communication we had messed up our location but it didn't take them long to get to us. They pulled up and handed us sandwiches and beer! After a few moments we all piled in thier car and road to their farm. They set us up in the barn loft with couches, a ping pong table, a pool table, guitars, a key board, and a climbing wall.

Honeybee made a pasta packed with tons of fresh veggies and homemade sauce and we got to relax the night away. I also had my new phone shipped to her house so I had a new toy to play with. Minus the altitude sickness earlier in the day today was pretty stellar.

Saturday, September 21st

Saturday, September 21st. Day 95

Today's miles = 10.5 Total CDT miles = 1, 463.4

I didnt leave the hotel until check out and by the time I got a ride back to trail it was after noon. The trail was at elevation (12,000-13,000ft) and uphill, of course. I knew I could only really hike around 10 miles today unless I wanted to camp above 12,000ft so I took it easy today. The trail was absolutely beautiful yet again and just as cold as the past few days. I camped on the side of a car trail around 11,400ft. It was still light out when I set my tent up for the night. I am loving the views in Colorado but not loving the elevation. I still have been experiencing horrible altitude sickness and it really makes these climbs miserable for me. Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight being this high up...chances don't look good. The sun was beautiful on the mountains at my camp spot!

Friday, September 20th

Friday, September 20th. Day 94

Today's miles = 23 Total CDT miles = 1, 452.9

Last night there was another moose that was swiming in the water. I thought it was way too cold for anything to be in the water due to the fact that it froze last night but those animals are big so I guess it doesn't bother them. I got hiking by 7 or so because I knew today was going to be a hard day. There were a lot of inclines at high elevation. The wind was horrible today as well. I had on almost all my hiking clothes today to try to keep out the chill. The trail was beautiful today, though. The more difficult it is the more beautiful it seems. It took all day today to hike the miles....

We ended up hitching into a trail town that we were originally going to skip. We stayed the night, ate some sushi, and got a good nights sleep (finally!).

Thursday, September 19th

Thursday, September 19th. Day 93

Today's miles = 14.6 Total CDT miles = 1,429.9

It rained ALL last night. It didn't stop raining for a second. I woke up more times than I can count last night and had a hard time falling asleep again because there was a resident moose next my tent most of the night. I woke up around 7am and by the time I had my coffee, oatmeal, Luna Bar, orange juice (that I carried from town for this morning), multi vitamin, calcium pills, probiotic, and digestive enzymes it was 8am. I wasn't hiking until 8:40am.

The morning was frigid. The cold weather has officially begun. There was snow on the mountain peaks this morning. Normally this time of year on a Northbound hike it's the final push to finish the trail. But because I'm going Southbound I still have 1,000 or so miles to hike. The fortunate part about this, though, is that once I make it through Colorado I will be in the desert again (can't believe I ever used the words fortunate and desert in the same sentence). The desert will be cold at night but hopefully nice during the day. I was all bundled up this morning when a train if cars came splashing through the puddles on the car trails. I had no idea why so many cars would be on that dirt road at the same time. A few moments later they had parked and a whole class of elementary school kids came plowing out of the cars. It was a school field trip. Once I had made my way through the swarm of kids and got on the trail I realized that it was uphill most of the day (seems to be the trend). About a mile later three horses came down the mountain. The first and last carrying hunters and the middle horse carrying the head of an elk. It was staring at me...glaring...with it's tongue out. I couldn't help but wonder where it's body was. It puzzled me for the next few miles. Throughout the day I passed a handful more hunters. I was mostly in a very pleasant mood today and so I found myself whistling or humming while hiking. Those hunters wear all that camouflage so naturally I didn't see them until I was quite close and by that time I had already scared away all the animals. I don't think they cared for me very much today.

The whole hike today was in the trees and there was plenty of water. The only thing that could have made today better was if the sun had come out more. It was cold all day even while hiking. I cut the hike today a bit short because the upcoming trail is exposed, waterless, and at 12,000-13,000 feet. I did not want to camp under any of those circumstances let alone all three. So, I settled down next to a beaver pond on a nice flat patch of land...quite good real estate for a tent. I'm hoping to get up early-ish tomorrow and get a head start on the climbs.

Wednesday, September 18th

Wednesday, September 18th. Day 92

Today's miles = 19 Total CDT miles = 1,415.3

I wanted to get up this morning to meet Flyboxer, Lush, Man Party, and Captain (all fellow Southbounders that I caught up to) for breakfast but those crazy f*ckers were meeting at 7am!!! Who gets up on a town day at 7am?! Well, apparently everyone but me. Even Panama and Beth woke up to meet them and have breakfast. I finally got up at 9 or so and took the shower I skipped last night before heading to The Fat Cat Cafe for a breakfast of my own. After breakfast I did all my town chores... resupply and post office (thanks mom for all the goodies!).

It began to rain around 11am so I hung out until it stopped. It was after noon before I got hiking. About an hour later it rained on me anyway and continued to rain the rest of the day. The trail in this section is said to be destroyed. So, there is a car trail you can take that will get you around the lakes. I decided to walk the car trail today instead of the destroyed trail. The car trail followed around 3 beautiful giant lakes and was relatively flat. It would have been quite pleasant had it not been raining on me. There was a beautiful rainbow over the lake that brightened my day, though.

Tonight I'm camped at a little primitive campground but it has a privy, picnic tables, and a water faucet sticking out of the ground so it's all I desire for the night. Well, perhaps I would desire for this rain to stop.

Tuesday, September 17th

Tuesday, September 17th. Day 91

Today's miles = 31 Total CDT miles = 1,396.3

I woke up relatively early and began to hike. I wanted to make it to Grand Lake today. I got to pack my things this morning without the rain beating down on me and I knew then and there that my day was going to be OK. There was some elevation today for sure that took a toll on my energy level but I was motivated to make it to town. The trail in Colorado so far has reminded me of the Appalachian Trail a little. There are a lot of pine trees and it always smells like Christmas. The mountains are rounded and green and the trail is steep!! The difference is that Colorado has views! There was a climb today up to a pass that took me up to 12,000 feet. There is obviously none of that on the AT. After the pass the trail was almost all downhill into Grand Lake. I passed a sign about 8 miles from town that was welcoming me to Rocky Mountain National Park. I had John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High, Colorado" song stuck in my head the rest of the day. I made it to Grand Lake and spent some time exploring the tourist trap that it is before settling down for the night in the hotel there. I wanted to camp in town but there were no camp grounds. Inmgine that, in Rocky Mountain National Park there was no where to camp around town. I ate microwave food for dinner in the hotel. Much too tired to write anything more. I didn't even shower tonight. It will have to wait until morning.  The blog is suffering lately but the miles are not. Must sleep.

Monday, September 16th

Monday, September 16th. Day 90

Today's miles = 33. Total CDT miles = 1,365.3

I woke up this morning, hitched back to the trail, and hiked. It didn't rain all day today which was amazing!! The trail was steep as I expected from Colorado. I set up camp in the dark although it was dry. It's been a long time since I've set up camp without it raining. I had forgotten how pleasant it was. Much too tired to write more. Must sleep.

Sunday, September 15th

Sunday, September 15th. Day 89

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1,332.3

My Brother, Baboon, and I had coffee and breakfast at the Bagel shop followed by a game of putt putt (which I won) and the movie "Lee Daniel's the Butler" at the movie theater. Drinks and Nachos followed shortly after at the sports bar and eventually Thai food down the street. Batman was on TV tonight at the hotel so my day was complete!! My brother left to drive back to Denver late tonight to catch his early morning flight back to Oregon.

Saturday, September 14th

Saturday, September 14th. Day 88

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1,332.3

My brother got into Steamboat Springs around 2:45am and took up a spot on the floor of the motel. We now had 5 people and two dogs in the room. Baboon, my brother, and I all went out for breakfast before catching the movie "Family" at the movie theater. We all ate popcorn until we were sick. We had diner and drinks at the brewery before heading to the hotel for the night. It was a good TV night.

Friday, September 13th

Friday, September 13th. Day 87

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1,332.3

I knew I was taking a zero today because my brother is flying into Denver tonight and then driving the three hours to Steamboat Springs to visit. I love waking up in the morning when I know I don't have to hike all day.

I had some breakfast across the street at the bakery then began taking care of some trail business. My pack broke a few days ago on trail. The frame actually snapped in a few places. It's been difficult hiking with it the past few days with it being that way. I was able to call Osprey (the company that makes my pack) and they agreed to replace it. They told me to go over to the Ski Haus here in town and I could get my pack from them and they would send a replacement to the store. Well, the store didn't have my pack so Osprey told me to pick any pack I wanted instead. I ended up with a heavier but more durable pack that also has more padding. It's a womans pack!! It's the first time I've ever had a woman's pack. I'm not sure how it's going to work out for me.
After my trial business (resupply, laundry..etc.) I staying in the Motel the rest of the night except to go out for a slice of pizza. There wasn't anything good on TV tonight but there is a place in my heart for trashy Television so the night was alright.

Thursday, September 12th

Thursday, September 12th. Day 86

Today's miles = 31. Total CDT miles = 1,332.3

I woke up early, packed up in the rain, got followed down the trail by two sheep dogs, forded a river, and hiked in the rain all day. The trail was sloppy and very slippery all day. The water was all brown from all the rain the area has been getting and even filtering it did not take the color out. I've taken to masking the color of the brown water with drink mixes.

I put my head down today and hiked, hiked, hiked. I had a few nice Batman daydreams to keep my mind occupied throughout the day and by the time I reached the road to town I was beyond ready to have a beer and a warm shower.
We got a ride from the first car to pull over and the two men dropped us off right in the center of town. Steamboat Springs is quite the ski town and there was everything I could have wanted there including a free bus that goes from end to end of the town every 20 minutes!

I took a nice warm shower, ate some Thai food, and fell asleep watching "Pal Joey (a Frank Sinatra hit)! It was a hell of a day.

Wednesday, September 11th

Wednesday, September 11th. Day 85

Today's miles = 20.4 Total CDT miles = 1,301.3

I woke up late today because the rain was still coming down. I, of course, didn't want to get up and pack up all my gear in the rain. It was miserable and cold all morning. Eventually I got moving and began to filter the brown water on the side of the car trail. As I was filtering Bethany and Panama came by. They had camped a few miles back last night and had gotten an earlier start this morning.

4 miles into the day I officially left Wyoming and entered Colorado! HALFWAY for the CDT!!! It stopped raining just long enough for the sun to pop out for a few moments as I crossed the border. The sun didn't stay to play very long and right as I hiked on from the border it began to pour. It poured the rest of the day. The second I entered Colorado the trail went straight up! It was uphill the rest of the day except for the last few miles. About 3 miles from where I wanted to camp the sky opened up and the rain came down so hard I couldn't see past a few feet in front of me. The whole trail became a river. Once I gave into the rain it actually became kind of fun except for how cold it was. Bethany and Panama were at the spot I was planning on camping at tonight so I set up not too far from them for the night. It didn't stop raining the rest of the night.

Tuesday, September 10th

Tuesday, September 10th. Day 84

Today's miles = 17 Total CDT miles = 1,280.9

I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the cabin. The last thing I wanted to do was get up and head back out into this storm that has been going on for days. By 8:30 I was eating breakfast at the cafe with Baboon, Panama, and Bethany. By 10:30 I was on the side of the road hitching back to the trail. The first car to pull over was the sheriff. He asked us where we were going. We replied, "Bridger pass". He followed it up by saying that he wasn't going that far and that it was illegal to hitchhike in the state of Washington. Baboon and I replied that it was in fact legal as of July 1st. He said he would have to look into it and told us to be safe up in the mountains as the rain storm is suppose to continue for days. The next car to pull over was a man named Jerry who turned his car around to give us a ride to the pass despite his not heading that way. We threw our packs in the back of his truck and Baboon sat up front while I sat behind the seats curled up next to Princess. Princess was the sweetest of sweet dogs I've ever met. She was old and perhaps ill but she curled right up with me and nudged herself closer to me. She let me pet her and love on her the whole ride to the pass while looking at me with the sweetest face possible. I was sad to leave her when we got to the pass.

We started hiking by 11:15 or so. I wasn't very motivated to hike but the chilly weather definitely kept me moving. I still don't have all my warm weather gear that I sent ahead so I was a bit chilly. After Steamboat Springs I'll have it all back. What I do have to keep me warm is a hat my mother made for me and sent to Encampment. I was complaining that I cannot find a hat that is suitable for the trail and fits my head and hair. She made me a dreadlock tube out of wool (stays warm when wet) lined with fleece (blocks out the cold wind). It's the perfect trail hat and I can let my hair hang out of it or fold it under to turn it into a complete hat. I can't think of something better for the trail. Major points for mom!!...yet again. It began to storm a few hours into the hike and didn't stop all day. The trail was muddy, rocky, and uphill. A lot of the trail today was not a trail and there was just the occasional post or cairn to lead you in the right direction. With all the clouds and fog today they were a bit difficult to follow.

I am camped along the side of a car trail tonight. Setting up in this downpour was less than enjoyable and putting dry socks on in my tent was the highlight of my day (except for meeting Princess). I keep a pair of socks just for that occasion.

Monday, September 9th

Monday, September 9th. Day 83
Today's miles = 12 Total CDT miles = 1,263.9
I slept in this morning because I did not get any sleep last night. I fell asleep finally around 3am and slept until 4:30 when Baboon's alarm went off. An hour and a half was not enough sleep so I went back to sleep for another hour or so before I finally decided that I couldn't stay in my tent all day. It was still raining when I ate my Poptart all curled up in my sleeping bag. It hadn't stopped raining since it started last night around 7pm. It mellowed to a sprinkle as I was packing up this morning and continued to sprinkle until I reached the road to town. The hike to the road was pretty easy after Bridger Peak and I was able to get to the road by 11am despite how tired I was from having not slept very much last night. By the time I got to the road the sprinkle had turned into a storm and the rain was flying in every direction due to the crazy winds. The wind was bone chilling and after about 5 minutes standing on the side of the road at Battle Pass I couldn't feel my hands or feet. I had my umbrella but the rain was coming at me from every direction it seemed. It was perfect hypothermia weather! I had sent ahead most of my warm gear to Steamboat Springs to be able to carry all the water for the desert so I didn't have essential gear items that I usually carry. But I was in the desert up until yesterday and who would have thought a storm like this would have rolled in? I was done hiking and trying to hitch into town but unfortunately no one was picking us up. Probably because they didn't want dirty wet hikers in their car. But it was freezing and I was just about being blown over...did no one have a soul?? After about an hour of torture standing there I decided that I most certainly would get hypothermia if I didn't make an effort not to. So, I took shelter in the privy at the pass and made some hot tea for Baboon and I. We took a break from hitching to try to warm ourselves up before trying the hitch again. 2 1/2 hours later a man finally stopped and drove us into town. It was by far the most miserable and cold moment I have had on the CDT so far. I couldn't believe how the weather changed so drastically in the matter of a day. I was in the desert one day and by the next morning stuck in a storm on top of a pass with a wind chill below freezing.
The man drove us to the post office to pick up our packages then drove us to Riverside. Riverside had a bar and we were both in need of a drink. While in the car we saw Panama and Bethany walking on the street. They told us they got a cabin for the night and to go there and warm up. So, we went to the cabins first. The cabin was 50 dollars for two double beds and a bathroom. We definitely got what we paid for but it did the trick. I got a warm(ish) shower (after a late lunch across the street) and a bed to curl up in. It's amazing how quickly you can forget how physically miserable you felt when you're in dry clothes in a bed. I forgot instantly that I was frozen to the bone in a storm. Same goes for the trail in general. After a trail you go home and a few weeks later you forget just how miserable moments and days can be out here. You forget all the pain and discomfort. Then moments like today happen and you wonder why the hell you ever came back out here on a trail. And then a car stops, lets you pile in, and takes you to a town where you can shower and sleep in a bed then suddenly your ready to get back out there again. Funny how that is.
Once I was in bed after my shower I was in bed for the rest of the night. Baboon, Panama, and Bethany went across the street for dinner and drinks... and I laid in bed. I was exhausted from having not slept and being in the storm. I didn't eat. I didn't move. Eventually I feel asleep.

Sunday, September 8th

Sunday, September 8th. Day 82

Today's miles 32 Total CDT miles = 1,251.9

I woke up early this morning trying to beat the heat of the day which I knew was coming. The entire day was mostly on a car trail but it was most certainly not flat! The whole morning seemed uphill. After about 20 miles on the car trail it turned back into a regular trail for the rest of the day. Once the trail turned back into a trail it also suddenly stopped being the desert. There were trees and green things. The more I hiked the more like a forest it became. There was even a delapitated shack on the side of the trail.

By 5pm I was totally shot and didn't want to hike another step but I kept going until 7:30. I wanted to get as close to the road to Encampment as possible. The end of the day was in the rain hiking straight up the side of Bridger Mt. I camped among pine trees in the rain just a few hundred miles shy of Bridger Peak (11,008ft).

Saturday, September 7th.

Saturday, September 7th. Day 81
Today's miles = 19.3 Total CDT miles = 1,219.9
Baboon and I left the hotel around 11am attempting to catch the bus downtown to the post office. It was on our way to the bus stop that we realized the bus doesn't run on the weekend. It was also then that I realized the post office closes at noon on Saturday's. We were a few miles away and had to walk there before noon...we made it with time to spare. I needed to send ahead some gear so that I could carry the 8 1/2 liters (18.1 pounds) of water for this 50 mile waterless stretch. I sent ahead warm weather gear to Steamboat Springs Colorado, as we are in the desert. After the post office we headed over to Buck's Watering Hole for some lunch before heading out. Panama and Bethany met us there and we all procrastinated leaving town. Eventually, Baboon and I somehow found the motivation to leave and it was about 10 minutes later that it started raining. Aren't we suppose to be in the desert?? We hiked in the rain on the road (which is the CDT) for a while before a car heading the other direction asked us if we wanted a ride...back to town. I thought about it for a quick second before I remembered that staying in town won't get me to the Mexican border. So, I wiped the rain off my face, tried to steady myself in the strong winds, and continued to lug my pack and the 8 1/2 liters of water up the hill.
Eventually the rain stopped long enough to dry me out and immediately after I was dry I began to burn. I now have blisters on my arms from where I burned the other day. I called it a day around 7:30pm - a bit early but the the water I was carrying really took a toll on my already badly injured back. I set up the tent just in time to watch the lightening storm across the horizon. It stayed across the horizon for the remainder of the night.

Friday, September 6th

Friday, September 6th. Day 80

Today's miles = Zero Total CDT miles = 1,200.6

Panama and Bethany rolled into town around 11am today after I had eaten my Burger King breakfast. I had planned on hiking today but needed no convincing to stay another night. The four of us and the two pups all got a room for the night and I mostly just sat in bed next to the air conditioner. I went out around dinner time to get microwave food for dinner then continued to bum out on the bed for the rest of the night.

Thursday, September 5th

Thursday, September 5th. Day 79

Today's miles = 26 Total CDT miles = 1,200
6

Today was like any other day in the desert; hot, waterless, sandy, and all over miserable. We got into town late and stopped at Pizza Hut before checking into a hotel at 10pm. I ate while falling asleep. I didn't shower or do anything but crash on the bed until morning. Today was a blur. I think the sun fried my brain.

Wednesday, September 4th

Wednesday, September 4th. Day 78

Today's miles = 19.3 Total CDT miles = 1,174.6

I woke up earlier this morning than any other morning on the CDT. Dare I say that I had more motivation to hike this morning than any other morning on this trail. I was so starved for water and wanted nothing more than to make it to Benton Springs. I had to wake Baboon up...twice. I was the one with my head lamp on this morning packing up in the dark. We hiked the 3 miles to the spring in record time (for how dehydrated and hungry we were) and sat by that precious water for an hour and a half drinking all we could.

After we drank and filled up our bottles again we began to hike once more. It wasn't long until I saw a herd of wild horses off to the right side of me. They noticed me there and stopped to stare. There were about 7 or 8 of them and they kept a close eye on me. As I would hike they would trot ahead as to keep me in view. This went on for about 30 minutes until they finally lost interest.

The day was hot today and there were no clouds. Every step was in the exposed sun. The trail was a car trail made completely of sand today. It was like 19.3 miles of walking on the beach. Every step is harder to take when your trudging through deep sand. Around lunch time I reached my second source of water for the day and stopped to eat and fill up my bottles. I grabbed 3 liters for the 9 mile stretch to the next water; a resevior. About 4 miles in I realized that I hadn't really drank any of my water and stopped for a break. I accidently sat on my hose to a water bladder and every drop of my water drained into the sand. I didn't realize until I got up after my break. I now had 5 miles left to hike to water uphill on a road made of sand in the hot sun without a drop of water. Monkey shared some of his so that I could make it the 5 miles and when we got to the resevior all I could do was jump in I was so happy to see the water. After my little swim I had to pick off all the amphipods (little baby shrimps) that had stuck to my skin before I filtered a liter of water. I didn't move from this resevior the rest of the night.

A baby Short Horned Lizard and the actual Oregon Trail.

Tuesday , September 3rd

Tuesday, September 3rd. Day 77

Today's miles = 27 Total CDT miles = 1,155.3

I didn't quite make it the 30 miles to the water source today but I made it pretty darn close. The water is 3.3 miles from where I am camped tonight.

This morning leaving camp I had 15.4 pounds of water on my back on top of all the weight of my gear and four and a half days of food. It wad a miserable weight to carry. It was a miserable trail to hike today. And it was a miserable sun to do it all in. It was almost unbearably hot today in the sun and with there being absolutely NO natural shade I turned to my trusty umbrella to better the situation. Unfortunately, the desert is a very windy place and it prevented me from using the umbrella as much as I would have liked. Yesterday I got a bit too much sun on my arms and I was sure suffering from it today. I invested in a short sleeve shirt in Lander and my only long sleeve at this point is a thermal. I had nothing to put over my arms that would have also been suitable for the desert heat. So, I wore my rain jacket backwards so that only my arms were covered by it. It worked in protecting my arms from further burn but it was hot!

By 5 pm I had hiked 20 miles and was exhausted from the hike but mostly from the heat and lack of water. I tried to ration my water as best I could but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that no matter how well I rationed I just didn't have enough water. I did my best to hike through the dehydration but only made it 7 more miles, 3 miles short of that glorious water. One of the main reasons I stopped for the night was the thunderstorm brewing in the distance. Two nights in a row in a land where it typically only rains once a year, I got rained on!  I set up my tent on piles of decayed cow shit yet again in the dark and rain.

I went to bed before I had a chance to eat. It was already 10:30 pm, I hadn't eaten or drank in hours and miles and I was too weak and thirsty to bother with food. I curled up in my sleeping bag and went to bed with a thirst I had forgotten was possible since after the desert on the PCT.
I couldn't wait to sleep because it meant that when I woke I would only be 3 miles (one hour) away from precious water.

Monday, September 2nd

Monday, September 2nd. Day 76

Today's miles = 15.1 Total CDT miles = 1,128.3

This morning as I was packing up my stuff to begin hiking I see a North Bound hiker crossing the bridge over the stream. I waved and in return he said, "Spins?!". I couldn't see well enough to make out who it was but by the voice it sounded like Stylz. Stylz is a guy I met in Damascus Virginia while thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. I then ran into him again on the AT somewhere in New England. Stylez also hiked the PCT last year and I actually finished the trail the same day with him and lent him my rain pants (as he had to hike back to Hearts Pass after the PCT in a snow storm). He then mailed my pants back to me with a thank you hat that actually fit my hair! I have not seen Stylz since the last day on the PCT and here I am standing in the middle of the Godforsaken desert and he comes walking up. He joined Baboon and I for breakfast as we talked about the trails and the water situation for the desert. He had attempted a North Bound thru hike of the CDT this year but had to get off in Colorado due to a family illness. Now he is just back out here for however long, I'm not sure.

After talking to Stylez for a while I finally got on trail around 10am. The hike today was hot and dry...it being the desert and all. Qball and Saftey Officer, two fellow South Bound thru hikers whom I had yet to meet came walking by this morning while I was taking a break on the side of a car trail. I talked to them for a bit before they took off again at a pace that could almost be called running. The rest of the day was uneventful until around 5pm when the clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, and the sky let loose. Now, I am in the Divide desert basin. I was unhappy about yet fully prepared for the heat, the dry air, and the almost complete lack of water and shade. What I was not prepared for was a full blown thunder and lightening storm with winds strong enough to knock me off balance. Ironically enough, this afternoon before the storm Monkey was listening to an audio book about the Geology of Wyoming when I overheard it say that it rains about once per year in the Divide Basin. Imagine that. The winds were so strong that I could barely set up my tent. I set up surrounded by piles of old cow shit. I couldn't touch the ground without touching it. In the end I didn't care. I was in the middle of a storm in the desert where I was easily the tallest thing around for miles and I knew I needed the safty of the tent. The cow shit mattered less at that moment.

I'm camped at the last water source for 30 miles. I need to bulk up on water and hike as far as I can tomorrow to get to that next water. It's the going to be a rough day tomorrow for sure.

Sunday, September 1st

Sunday, September 1st. Day 75

Today's miles = 16.6 Total CDT miles = 1,113.3

I did not want to get out of the bed this morning...so I didn't for a while. It was 10 or so by the time I walked over to The Oxbow Cafe. It was 11:45 before I started hitching out of town back to the trail. Panama and Bethany were already at the road trying to hitch so Baboon and I sat in the grass out of the view of the street as to not interrupt their attempts at hitching. It was about 5 minutes later that a man in a beat up old pick up with no tailgate stopped for them. They signaled for us to come over and the four of us and the two dogs crammed into the back of this truck. We were all hanging on for dear life as the driver drove 80 down the highway.

There is a town called South Path City which is an old mining town that never really had it's time to flourish, even when it was in it's so called prime. The town is one street with about 20 buildings (including homes). In the 60's the State of Wyoming began to buy the land and turn it into a historic site; restoring the buildings and keeping them furnished with all the original stuff. They now open to town for tourists allowing them to walk around the city and go into all the buildings. I didn't want to pass it up so I spent a few hours exploring the town and watching the informational video's in some of the buildings and reading all about the history of the Wyoming mining rush.

Around 4pm I started hiking for the day. It was mostly road walk. The sky was cloudy which was amazing being that this whole section from Lander to Rawlings is the desert basin. It's suppose to be the hottest section of the entire CDT and the driest outside of New Mexico; and to have natural shade is unheard of. I had to night hike for a mile or so to make it to the first water source out of town. I don't like to dry camp and I didn't have enough water to even if I had wanted to. Panama and Bethany were suppose to make it to the water tonight as well but they never arrived. There is an alternate you can take that is longer than the CDT but offers more water and shade that they were thinking of taking on account of the dogs. Hopefully they took that and are alright. I may run into them tomorrow.

I'm camped next to the water in a grassy area covered almost completely with cow shit. There is no escaping it and I can hear them mooing in the distance. My new dislike of cows makes this a very unfortunate situation for me.

Saturday, August 31st

Saturday, August 31st. Day 74

Today's miles = Zero. Total CDT miles = 1096.7

I woke up to the sound of Panama vomiting in the bathroom of the hotel. He had a rough day today. Baboon was a bit better than poor Panama in that he was actually able to eat some breakfast at the Oxbow Cafe this morning. It was at the Café that Baboon looked at me and said the word, 'Zero?'. Panama and Bethany had also decided on a zero and we all went back to the room to relax. I spent most of the day relaxing but did go back to the Lander Bar for lunch. I got some ice cream and went back to the motel to watch some TV and sit in bed. It was a good zero.

Friday, August 30th

Friday, August 30th. Day 73

Today's miles = 13 Total CDT miles = 1096.7

This morning was freezing!! It hasn't been that cold in the morning in a while. But once the sun came out today it warmed right up and got rather hot. Today's hike was mostly on a dirt road and in the exposed sun. It was my impression that the trail to town was suppose to be mostly downhill but I was very wrong. It was one little climb after the next the whole way into town.

We managed to get ahead of Panama and Bethany so we left them a note on the trail saying that we were going into Lander and soaking in the hot tub. They originally were not going into town as they had a box sent to South Pass City (Not a city - it's a historical site that used to be a functioning city) but because of our note they decided to join us.

I had to jump a barbed wire fence to get to the road to hitch into town and the moment I crossed the street with my thumb up the first car to drive by stopped and Baboon and I piled in. It was a man from Lander driving a pick up and he gave us quite a bit of information about the city then dropped us off by the Pizza hut. I had the salad bar and some pizza and then headed over to the Holiday Lodge to get a room for four people and two dogs. Panama and Bethany showed up just as we were getting a room and we all showered, laundered, and went to eat. We went to the Lander Bar which serves the beer of the brewpub right next door and hung out there most of the night. They had a 'Hungry Hippy' sandwich (which was kind of embarrassing to order) that was a pita toped with avocado, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, and a homemade sauce, served with waffle cut fries!! It was wonderful! Around 10pm or so half of the bar turned into a rave with horrible music and kids dancing with glow sticks. The four of us just sat at the normal bar side observing the craziness  that was going on. Bethany and I left the bar around midnight and left the boys to their own demise. They closed down the bar and returned to the room sometime after 2am, stumbling, knocking things over, and waking us up. I knew then and there we wouldn't be hiking the next day and fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Thursday, August 29th

Thursday, August 29th. Day 72

Today's miles = 20. Total CDT miles = 1083.7

This morning I woke up at Clear Lake. We got hiking around 8am or so. The hike from Clear Lake to Deep Lake was a giant rock sheet that went up for a mile or so. It wasn't the best way to start a morning but the views were amazing. After all the climbing from yesterday I was kind of0 hoping today would have been a bit mellow but Temple Pass was a horrible climb. We climbed up from a lake to another lake. Then we climbed from that lake to another lake. From that lake to Temple Pass which was a rock scree straight up the mountain. We had to cross a boulder field to get to the trail and once we did the trail was steep and full of loose rock. The last 3/10th of a mile up the pass was more boulder fields and the climb down was just as steep. It was 11am by the time I got down and I had only done 5 miles for the day. Luckily after Temple Pass the trail did mellow a little bit and I walked through a valley for the afternoon. I took lunch at a little lake around 1:30. I still wanted to get in 20 miles despite how slow moving the morning was, so after lunch I started to huff it a little to catch up on some ground. There were a lot of cows and a lot of cow shit infested water sources at the second half of the day but I try not to think about it when I'm drinking it.

We got to a car trail which marked about 19 miles from the road to town. 3 miles into the car trail I came across a campground (if you want to call it that) that had a privy and a trash can. It was a free campground of about 10 sites. There were a few families there for Labor Day weekend so I talked to them for a while and learned that Panama and Beth took a longer route over a mountain that would lead them to the road to town. Baboon and I on the other hand decided to continue on the car trail to the road.

We had dinner at the campground then night hiked to another campground just like it (but more remote looking) 3 miles farther. We set up next to a privy which we stored our food bags in because we didn't want to hang. Looking forward to town tomorrow.