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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@ScatmanAT
Get out there!
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