CDT – Day 72 – Upper Razor Creek Park to Cochepota Creek

7/5/15 Day 72, Upper Razor Creek Park M1984.2  to Cochetopa Creek M2013.4 11,203′

Tent – Nights Spent Alone: 9

29.2, 1355.8 Trip Miles

Mostly Sunny, Rain thunder&lightening

Day’s of Snow: 7 – Day’s of Rain: 24 – Days of Hail: 13

# of Zero days: 6

6:12 to 7:17 pm

Gila Crossings Final Total:  221

Tick Count: 4 (4 more crawling on me)

Wanted List

Mountain Goat

Grizzly Bear

Sasquatch

Black Bear

Bighorn Sheep

Velociraptor

Mountain Lion

Beaver

Unicorn

Critter Count

6 Ground Squirrels

5 Squirrels

3 Chipmunks

Totals

1) 530 Pronghorn*

2) 244 Elk

3) 134 Chipmunks

4) 119 Lizards

5) 116 Wild Horses

6) 81 Deer**

7) 54 Marmot****

8) 50 Squirrels

9) 41 Ground Squirrels

10) 40 Cotton Tail Rabbits

11) 30 Prairie Dogs

12) 22 Horny Roads

13) 20 Pika

14) 17 Jack Rabbit***

15) 11 Moose

16) 8 Snakes

17) 4 Coyotes

18) 5 Moles

19) 2 Fox

20) 2 Porcupine

21) 2 Rattle Snakes

22) 2 Toads

23) 1 Mouse

24) 1 Skunk

25) 1 Weasel

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

Note to self:  Never camp on grass.

Tonight I pushed on as it was so early. I had done 21 miles by 3:30-4:00 pm. The result was being caught out in a vast open space with not one but two storms closing in on me.

As I got water thinking I’d find a flat spot quickly a clamp of lightning popped right over me head. I high tailed it to the nearest trees which looked a lot closer than they were. I wound my way inside the trees back to the trail. At which point I saw a great stand of trees to pitch my tent. I should have known better. Cows had shit all over the dry spots under the trees.

I put on the full rain suit and started walking. I went about another 2 miles and found s couple under their emergency tarp. We chatted a bit and I moved on. Not far though as the sun came out. I stop in the middle of the road and started drying my gear. I got the rain suit dry and Bessy dried a little.

Soon the trees opened up and I was in a beautiful valley. It was the Cochetopa Creek valley. The mosquitoes were bad. I hiked down into the valley but couldn’t find a flat spot. I actually backtracked which I almost never do to came with Jill and Dale who I talked with earlier.

This is where I choose a shitty lumpy spot to sleep. I had to pack clothes into the low spots! We got a fire going and it helped with the bugs some. Jill even gave me a fajita!

The early part of the day had some PUDS and one larger climb but the second half was flat and rolling. The Cochetopa area is spectacular.

I ran into two Tour Divide riders, Rob and Eric. They left Banff Canada 24 days before. We had a  great chat and went our ways. The best part was I was going southbound and so were they but we were going in opposite directions.

I also saw Sterling again who I saw the day before Pie Town. This time I got his contact info.

Sterling

Valley

Lightening

Jill & Dale

Scatman

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Get out there!