Start: Elwood Pass 12.4
Stop: Great Divide 30.7
Today’s Miles: 30.4
Total CDT miles: 732.3
I slept pretty well, for the most part, once I was able to quit tossing and turning. Our stuff stayed dry overnight! I thought for sure being so close to the river would mean condensation all over my quilt. I’ve never been so happy to be wrong!
We were packed and hiking by 6:30, and man oh man did we cruise! We knocked out 13.4 miles to the town of South Fork before 11am! The dirt road we camped off of had stunning views, following along the river. There were lots of campers and vans out camping in gorgeous spots along the water. I’m glad we stopped where we did last night, because I think we took what looked like the last official “spots” along the road.
The very first van that passed me offered me a ride, thinking something must have happened to my vehicle if I was walking this early. I explained I was hiking the CDT and they sounded genuinely impressed. I asked Pebbles if they offered him a ride too, and apparently they only waved at him as they rode by. He joked that he would have definitely gotten in the van if they had asked him.
When we made it to town, we stopped in a fishing store to abuse their bathrooms and to let me buy some Velcro for my gaiters since my new shoes need to have some super glued onto them. I’ll be so happy to have them back! It’s amazing how much crap somehow manages to get into my shoes when I walk. I’ve been lucky that we’ve been on dirt roads and highways since I got them in Chama.
From there, we debated on a food truck.. nothing looked overly appealing to Pebbles, so we kept walking. He picked up his new shoes and things from the post office and we got a few things at Dollar General. I had reached peak hunger level, and the restaurant we picked to go to was over a mile away. Spread out towns blow sometimes. As we were walking, Pebbles went into the Visitor Center to see about the road walk we were going to start this afternoon. I kept trudging along, hungry and irritable.
I did pop into the grocery store I passed, just to see if they had dehydrated beans-to no avail-and then got to the restaurant only 5 ish minutes before Pebbles. I organized my Dollar General stuff into my pack while I waited for him, since they had a huge trash can sitting on their porch. Very helpful!
We left our packs on the porch and went into Gone Rogue to order lunch. I got a fried catfish sandwich, loaded with tomato, tartar sauce, and coleslaw, with a side of tots and a fried pepper appetizer that came with ranch. I loved every single bite! Pebbles got a burger with mushrooms and some other yummy looking toppings-he said it’s the best meal on trail he’s had so far! That’s high praise coming from him.
We left just after 1:10pm, with Pebbles in his new shoes, insoles, and calf sleeves. We made it to the Family Dollar in Del Norte, Colorado by 6pm! That’s over 16 miles in just under 5 hours. It was all highway road walk, which was annoying-but quick. There was no shade, nowhere to pee, so so SO many cars and trucks constantly coming and going the entire time. I was so happy to hobble into the Family Dollar!
We finished our resupply, sat outside for a bit, then hobbled down to this park we’re currently sitting in. It’s got bathrooms and outlets, and tons of gorgeous green fluffy grass.. that we won’t get to enjoy because apparently sprinklers will come on during the night. We have to figure out where to actually set up here soon. I can’t believe we did 30 miles and still have some down time-eating lunch in a restaurant and chilling in this park now. Honestly, I could have had dinner in a restaurant too, but I’m not hungry and as good as a glass of wine sounds, I’m afraid I’m a little dehydrated and shouldn’t risk that aftermath..
But damn, wine sounds so good! Not to mention, we’re also currently in our rain gear because the mosquitos have shown up for Colorado! My God they’re torturous today! Since about 3 miles outside of Del Norte, they’ve made constant attack, and even when we smash their fellow soldiers, they won’t relent. We’re covered in Picaredin lotion and still im swatting like a lunatic. I don’t think we’re allowed to set up our tents here, so, between the sprinklers and the demon insects, tonight should be fun! Ok, that’s all I got for ya! Sweet dreams!
Love the updates ❤️❤️