CDT - Day 78 - Saddle to Meadow – One of Seven Project

7/11/15 Day 78, Saddle M2083.5 to Meadow M2110.1 1o, 536′

Tent – Nights Spent Alone: 10

26.6, 1452.6 Trip Miles

Mostly Sunny,

Day’s of Snow: 8 – Day’s of Rain: 29 – Days of Hail: 13

# of Zero days: 7

6:30 am – 6:45 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

Wolf

Buffalo

Critter Count

34 Elk

9 Marmots

5 Deer

2 Pika

1 Chipmunk

Totals

1) 530 Pronghorn*

2) 281 Elk

3) 153 Chipmunks

4) 119 Lizards

5) 116 Wild Horses

6) 96 Marmot****

7) 89 Deer**

8) 50 Squirrels

9) 46 Ground Squirrels

10) 41 Cotton Tail Rabbits

11) 39 Pika

12) 30 Prairie Dogs

13) 22 Horny Toads

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

I forgot to turn my alarm on last night and we got a late start. It cost us about 2 miles. Neither Rafiki or I wanted to cook and then climb 2 two miles at 7:30 pm. We had already done 26. The reality is we need to do the miles so our last day into Wolf Creek isn’t a monster.

Today started slow and the views were great. As the day went on it got harder and the views became incredible. Today was single handily the best visual day of the trip. It may top all three trails. I’m not sure I want to say that just yet.

Many times during the day I brought myself to tears at looking what lay in front of me. The beauty was so intense. Of course I took tons of pictures but they won’t do it justice. Seeing what I saw today completely confirms my decision to flip up to Wyoming and Southbound back to Cumbres Pass.

I dreamed of the San Juan’s being lush and green. Pockets of snow clinging to slopes and higher peaks. Marmots, Pikas and Elk abound. This is what I have gotten. It’s magical. Words cannot do these mountains justice. One must see them to fully grasp their grandeur.

Scatman

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Get out there!