Author: kaulua26

September 9th, 2019 Mm 1960.3 to Monchego Creek mm 1994.5 Distance in miles: 34.2 0610-1830 The elk call all night and there are also some coyotes making a racket so close for the longest time. While half asleep, I mumble something about them shutting up and they actually do, as if they were close enough to hear me. But it’s a very peaceful night overall and I wake excited to hike. We hope to do a big day to be well positioned for taking on the start of the San Juans the following day. We start in the very first light, now so late that I still need my headlamp at 6 am. We walk through more meadows at the[…]

September 8th, 2019 Monarch Pass mm 1935.8 to mm 1960.3 Distance in miles: 24.5 1000-1900 It’s time to get back on the trail. I think 3 days off was maybe too much. My parents drive us up to the pass in the morning and we all say goodbye again. It hurts much less to part with them this time, knowing things are going well at home. I will see them again soon. We head down the trail and for awhile, I’m in a funk. I feel sick from the car ride and somehow also a bit dizzy. How could I loose my fitness for the trail so quickly? I’ve felt better doing back to back to back 30’s than I[…]

It’s not often that I get to take a zero along the trail that coincides with being home. As a result, we end up staying a whole 3 days! I had only planned for 2 but it’s too easy when you have a free place to stay and lots of food to eat. Also, it’s good to spend time with my parents. If you’ve followed this blog since the beginning, you’ll recall that my hike nearly ended when my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma cancer. The prognosis was grim but he decided to try a new immunology treatment, which has resulted in his cancer going into remission. When I see him now, just 2 month later, he looks[…]

September 4th, 2019 Abandoned Cabin mm 1923.8 to Monarch Pass mm 1935.8 Distance in miles: 12 plus about 3 on a road-walk detour 0715-1400 I wonder all night if it’s going to be possible to hike on the divide in this weather. We can walk out to the highway on a jeep trail if it’s too bad, saving a 12 mile stretch for when we come back. We get a late start, lingering in the protection of the cabin. But there are blue skies when we step out, so it makes sense to walk all the way to Monarch Pass this morning. Except that we miss the turn from the jeep road up to Boss Lake and walk most of[…]

September 3rd, 2019 Cottonwood Pass mm 1894.1 to Abandoned Cabin mm 1923.8 Distance in miles: 29.7 0620-1840 We did a big day yesterday, meeting our mileage goal. I sleep very well as a result, even though we’re camped at 12,000′ with little cover and next to a road. The weather couldn’t be better and I’m shocked at how comfortable it is at this elevation. I’ve been so much warmer than I was on the Colorado Trail, even though it’s a month and half later in the season. This is the best time of the year to be hiking in Colorado. We start up the trail and are immediately hiking along the divide as the sun rises. For those wishing to[…]

September 2nd, 2019 Hope Pass Lake mm 1865.3 to Cottonwood Pass mm 1894.1 Distance in Miles: 28.8 0620-1840 I wake up so happy to be starting this stretch. I hiked it as a section a week after completing the Colorado Trail. There’s another route that goes around the eastern flanks of the Collegiate Range, but I didn’t care for that much. This route is so much more beautiful…one of the best trails I’ve ever hiked. Today the trail goes up over Hope Pass, past the valley below Mt. Huron, then up over Lake Ann Pass. It then winds along the western flanks of the 3 Apostles and into the Texas Creek valley, climbing up to Cottonwood Pass. The following day[…]

August 31st, 2019 Tennessee Pass trailhead and Hwy 24 mm 1818.7 to Willow Creek mm 2841.8 Distance in miles: 23.1 1200-1950 I drag my feet getting out of town. There are the usual distractions like food and people in the hostel to talk to. One lady is hiking the CT but says she never wants to do another thru-hike again. She just isn’t into it. I kind of wish I had her problem. I have the opposite dilemma of not ever wanting my thru-hiking to end. We have to walk outside of town to a junction to get a ride but once we’re there, a guy with a bunch of kayaks and a bike pulls over for us right away.[…]

August 30th, 2019 Jacque Creek mm 1798.6 to Tennessee Pass Trailhead and Hwy 24 mm 1818.7, then hitch to Leadville. Distance in miles: 20.1 0620-1400 We have another easy day to town again. In fact, I haven’t done my usual 30 mile day in almost a week and I’ll admit, it’s been kind of great. We head up the creek valley early and are surprised to meet a CT hiker, Palisade, up and at em early, too. We hike with him to the top of Searle Pass and then across to Kokomo Pass. These were my highest passes yet on the CT and today they feel like child’s play. We hit Kokomo by 9 am, whereas it took me until[…]

August 29th, 2019 HWY 9 mm 1780.8 to Jacque Creek mm 1798.6 Distance in miles: 17.8 1100-1900 We’d like to take a longer rest but it’s expensive around here, so we decide to head back to the trail. Had we planned better, we could have slack-packed the section from the highway to Copper Mountain. But it involves too many logistics, so we just lug our heavy packs up and over the Ten-Mile range. I bought way too much food at Walmart the night before and am angry with myself for my poor planning as I set out. I’ve not done this section yet because there was a fire closure 2 years ago. The trail is nice and graded but there[…]