CDT – Day 55 – Shadowcliff Hostel to M1677.3 High Lonesome Trail

6/18/15 Day 55, Shadowcliff Hostel to M1677.3 High Lonesome Trail 8410′

Tent – Nights Spent Alone: 7

17.7, 1028 Trip Miles

Mostly Sunny w/ late thunder

Day’s of Snow: 7 – Day’s of Rain: 18 – Days of Hail: 10

# of Zero days: 5

6:38 am to 10 am

Gila Crossings Final Total:  221

Tick Count: 4 (4 more crawling on me)

Critter Count

9 Prairie Dogs

4 Deer

1 Elk

2 Chipmunks

1 Moose

Totals

530 Pronghorn*

167 Elk

119 Lizards

116 Wild Horses

102 Chipmunks

71 Deer**

37 Cotton Tail Rabbits

35 Ground Squirrels

27 Squirrels

26 Prairie Dogs

22 Horny Roads

17 Jack Rabbit***

10 Moose

8 Snakes

4 Marmot****

4 Coyotes

4 Moles

2 Rattle Snakes

2 Toads

1 Mouse

1 Skunk

1 Weasel

1 Porcupine

1 Fox

*181 from car, **3 from car, ***1 from car, ****2 from car

I slept in until 7 am. After some discussing we decided on how much food and how many days we needed to reach Fraser, CO.

We packed up and hit the store and PO. The trail meander through Grand Lake and finally exited town and wandered along the east shore of the lake. It really made me sad to think I won’t be going to The Pines for the first time in 16 years.

I love large lakes surrounded by pine forests. The sound of the water against the shore. The color of the water. The way the wind makes currents on the surface. It’s just magical.

At Granby Lake we hit Knight Ridge which was supposed to be a five mile section filled with blow downs. The first three quarters was cleared. Of the five miles maybe half a mile was an issue. During this section which Genny and Seth skipped we saw a moose (bull), deer, elk and the views down to the lake were spectacular.

Even the smell of the woods was magical today.

I haven’t mentioned it yet but both my ankles are stiff right were your foot meets your leg. I think it’s mostly from tying my shoes too tight when they get wet. I think it’s putting pressure on the tendons. Their only stiff when I don’t use them. Like right now in bed.

Other than the ankles I’m just physically crushed. Any steep up hill kicks my butt but everyone else says they have no climbing legs too. My tiredness goes to the core. When it hits I’m done. I didn’t even finish my dinner tonight because at the time I was too tired. It’s like hiking in the White Mountains of NH, straight up but you’re at 10k not 2k.

Tomorrow we push up to tree line below Devil’s Thumb Pass. We want to be as close as we can so we can get across the ridge before any storms roll in.

Scatman

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Get out there!