Section 15 is 117 miles long and runs from Monarch Pass to Tennessee Pass. Part 1 is 78.8 miles long from NOBO Marker 1115.3 to Tennessee Pass.. September 20th - 22nd.
Day 89, 31.7 miles to NOBO marker 1147 (1740 overall)
It was a little warmer than usual this morning and the trail was gentle and cruisey so I racked up some miles right off the bat. I soon reached Route 209 which was newly paved this summer after some nearby avalanches completely wiped out sections of the road. I then began the long climb up Lake Ann Pass, about 3,000 ft over 8 miles. There were a lot of small streams on the way up so at least I didn’t have to carry a lot of water. The aspens were starting to turn yellow which was gorgeous and helped the miles tick by. As soon as I got above the tree line, the wind became ridiculous as I wound up the many switchbacks and it stayed relentless until I made it to the North side of the pass. I flew down the other side like I was on an alpine roller coaster and was determined to hit that 30-mile mark for the day.
Aspens turning yellow.
Brand new road after an avalanche wiped out sections of it.
Heading up Lake Ann Pass.
Lake Ann.
I passed some remnants of the old mining camp of Winnfield as I continued on along Clear Creek. The sun began to set behind some peaks and casted a crazy pinkness in the clouds. As I passed some hikers setting camp they said “it’s getting dark, you should set camp soon!” and I just laughed to myself. They don’t know that thru-hiker life. I filled up on water at a creek and then began the much steeper pass of the day, 2,500 ft over 2.3 miles up Hope Pass. In general, 1,000 ft over 1 mile is insanely steep. This was steeper and longer. I soon had to bust out my headlamp as I hiked up and into the night, constantly keeping an eye out for hammock trees. There was a listed campsite about halfway up and it was perfect; a few big trees, fire pit, and clear cold water about 100yds North. I set camp and made a fire to keep warm as I cooked dinner. A few flurries of snow fell as I enjoyed my meal and went to bed.
Crazy sunset.
Day 90, 24.4 miles to NOBO marker 1179.3 (1772.2 miles overall)
I didn’t sleep too well but at least it was calm and not freezing in the morning. I continued the steep climb and thought it was a cruel joke how the switchbacks hugged the west side of the mountain so I was in the morning shade. When I reached the top I could Twin Lakes in the distance and bounded down the pass towards them. I soon arrived at the junction to take a long and uneventful 11.3 mile loop around Twin Lakes or a 3 mile shortcut across Lake Creek and and a few other streams. The choice was obvious. The ford was not even knee deep and I stopped for lunch on the rocky riverbank on the other side. There was a great view of the twin lakes of Twin Lakes and next thing I knew I was back on the official trail. The Mount Elbert trailheads are on this stretch so the day-hikers were out in strong numbers today. I was feeling a bit too tired to tackle the alt route up to the summit so I decided to save this 14’er for another time. I chatted with Nhandi for a bit when I had service and she agreed to hike Mount Elbert with me next time we happened to be in Colorado in the summer. When service faded out, I realized how few miles I had made today so I kicked it into high gear to crush 8.8 in a straight shot. The temperature began to drop so I stopped to dig out my beanie and gloves and then resumed my march. I planned to go another couple miles but when I reached a clear stream, fire pit, and great hammock trees, I decided to set camp before darkness and relax a little.
House Finch.
Twin Lakes.
If you do this, **** YOU!
The twin lakes of Twin Lakes.
Pretty Aspens on the Colorado Trail.
Picturesque little bridge.
Prints for sale!
Click photo to go to the Print Shop
Day 91, 16.5 miles to Highway 24 and a hitch to Leadville, CO.
Another night of mediocre sleep followed by a big tree trunk blocking the morning sun rays from reaching my bed meant not an enthusiastic start to my day. However, it was a town day so the thought of town food and beer always adds a pep to your step. I racked up some miles and during a snack break I chatted with my good friend Nick who lives in Sweden. The trail was beautiful but uneventful as I plowed my way towards the highway. At one point there was a confusing web of arrows to try to untangled the intersecting Nordic ski trails and closer to the highway was a fancy porch swing. At the trailhead I ran into a huge trail family that I hadn’t seen since Lima, ID, Sultry Bear, Whiz, Golden, Dad Jokes, and crew so I chatted with them for a few before beginning to hitch.
A girl named Eleven picked me up. She had just finished the PCT this year so she was eager to pay her hitches forward and I was the first hitchhiker she had ever picked up. I got to town and was dropped off at the Colorado Trail House which is a hostel ran out of a huge purple Victorian house in the middle of town. Nobody was there but a CT hiker gave me a quick rundown of the rules; basically there are none, just pay Jenny when she is around. I helped myself to some house wine, started laundry, hopped on the wifi, and began catching up on my blog. I met two section hikers who sounded like they just finished a 200-mile stretch; saying how famished they were and how they smelled so bad before having a shower. Turns out they had camped for two consecutive nights. A thru-hikers baseline is so skewed! I patched some leaks in my Neoair sleeping pad and then Jenny gave me a lift to Safeway to do my food resupply. My good friend Neil drove down to chill for the night so we had beers around a little fire pit, chatted with other hikers, and enjoyed the hot tub.
Mount Massive.