Day 7 July 5th Monday Day of reckoning!
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| cold morning camp |
We break camp, what a cold morning! It took us a while to get going. The sun doesn't get to us in the mountains until late with the evergreen canopy. On the cold mornings that makes it that much harder to get going early. The hike started out as usual. Carl taking pictures of flowers and John favoring his knee we make slow time. Today I am feeling the disappointment of not being able to fulfill my goal of getting to Durango. Even though, I am still in denial slightly and have every intention at this point of still doing it. After about 7 miles John informs me he is going to hitchhike into Breck today rather than wait till tomorrow when the trail dumps us right in town so he can catch the fireworks. He convinces Carl to join him and explains his plan to me. This is the moment I accept John isn't going to do the Durango trip. I say " How can you shortcut the trail and say you made it to durango?" He says, "We still have to hike". I am pretty frustrated at this point. The final decision is Carl and John are hitching into Breck and I will continue on the trail as I do not want to cheapen the experience by taking short cuts.
They were going into Breck to see fireworks and drink. I feel pretty let down at first but I realized that John is here for John and if it weren't for the fact he stuck to the plans of doing this trail to begin with I would have not done it myself since my life had taken a different turn recently, but wanted to still be there for John. So I came to terms on this hike by myself with it. I still didn't know how it was going to work out for me. Since I couldn't go on by myself unless I came across a filter pump and something a tad warmer/dryer in shelter. So options, stay on trail until John is done, go on by myself or finish up in breck and get a ride myself back home. I will think on it. I am hoping to get more fish but up to this point no spots to speak of other than that one. This hike started out pretty mild but at mile 14-15 the ups begin again. I decide to get as close to breck before I camp as possible making our 10am meeting more possible without getting up super early. Grueling ups, mile 18 I finally make it to Horsetooth creek to re-up with water and find a camping spot. Of course the clouds are beginning to build to the west. A nice little creek and I re-up. The book says there are some spots about .2 up the trail. Now the wind picks up and starts gusting to 30 or so. Definitely the windiest day yet. As I continue up the trail looking for a camp spot I finally plateau and see a nice camp spot that is already taken by thru bikers. "Damn it!" I think as I say hello to them. I really should have talked to them more. I will regret not doing so. I continue hiking. The wind is really blowing now and this is when I realize I am in a completely dead forest. Killed by beetles I see maybe one live tree out of 100.
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| a view of dillion |
As the gusts come in I can hear branches breaking. My head on a swivel I quicken my pace worrying that a tree could come down pretty easily. Now with the approaching rain clouds, I know I am going to have to use my hammock and fast. With all these dead trees I have very few options on where to stop. I keep going and now at about mile 21 I am completely exhausted. If I stop I will not move again. Finally, with nothing left I stop. Throw off my pack and stumble around setting up my hammock. I look at the skies and looks as if its going to clear. I am glad but I still have to put up the tarp to protect me from the wind. As soon as I put it up and got into my hammock I hear it. "NO!, rain begins to hit my tarp. A storm had creeped up on me! I have to jump out of the hammock and secure the tarp and move all my gear under it with me. "Urg!!! Another cold damp night. I can not get a fire going with all the dead trees here. Its going to be a long night. Luckily john had given me a base layer so that should help with warmth.
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| At Georgia Pass |
Once settled in my hammock I go over the days events. I wondered if it was my pace ... but it was John that would want to push on if I remember. The fast mileage and lack of prep, johns knee began slowing him down. I could tell he was questioning the challenge. I tried to SOFTLY encourage without being an ass. No, I don't think it was my pace. Time for sleep.
Met a Guido today on the trail. Coming from Breck, said he was hiking to Denver then would get a ride back to Konosha pass to hike to Durango from there. When we approached each other on the trail I said "Howdy!" and stopped. He stopped and said "Hello, You thru hiking?" "Yep" I respond and say " My name is longshadow." As I outstretch with my arm to shake hands. He doesn't respond and says, "I don't shake on the trail, what have you done since you have washed your hands?I respond "Makes sense I guess." I did think it odd that you'd worry about the hands of others in the wild. Later found out after he talked to Cirque and the professor and told them he's had trail sex a variety of times. Hummm but won't shake hands. Ok. Well, I hope tonight will be warmer.
