Start: 1350.2
Stop: 1373
Today’s Miles: 22.8
Total CDT miles: 1065.4
I was awake, bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6am! Something about knowing town is within reach makes me move-which is nuts, seeing how I just had a week away from hiking. Whatever, I am who I am!
I packed quickly, annoyed at having to pack my tent.. cowboying really is so much easier, and was walking before 6:30. I had stopped short of a cabin yesterday, complete with a privy and drive up dirt road-and seeing it this morning made me glad I camped a little before it. There were 2 vehicles there and no where good to cowboy-and I don’t think you’re technically supposed to tent camp there (maybe not where I did either, but to be fair, I didn’t see the sign stating that until after reaching the cabin).
The trail for the majority of the morning was easy dirt woods and it meandered with the mosquitos mostly downhill. With my bug lotion on, I didn’t have any issues with bites, I just hate their buzzing sounds near my ears. Mid morning, after a steep descent of perfectly maintained switchbacks, I came up to a stunning lake, the first of three or four for the day! And those lakes came with day hikers and campers galore!
I spent the next hour walking around Monarch Lake saying “hi!” every 30 seconds. I stopped and chatted with 2 different people, both very excited to see a CDT hiker. I loved it! I passed an Amish family with the girls all in dresses in different shades of blues and purples.. they were super friendly, too. I was giddy as all get out!
I got to the ranger station and privy that is at the entrance to the lake I just passed, used the privy, then headed down the dirt road. At some point I came across a general store connected to a campground and decided to snag a soda and a sandwich. Mountain Goat, the girl who booked it passed me yesterday morning, was there! We talked a bit and then I kept hiking.. eating my sandwich as I walked instead of waiting for lunch.
I just knew I needed to keep moving to make it to Grand Lake. Lake Granby was a looker, as I started my climb of the day around the right side of the lake. As I kept going uphill for no reason in my opinion, I kept looking out over the lake at the perfectly level dirt road on the other side. I had to remind myself that THIS is the trail, and it cuts between two lakes so I’ll technically get to Grand Lake faster, even if this stupid climb is miserable.
Mountain Goat caught up to me, and as we’re chatting and walking and I’m trying to breathe-a storm rolls through. The sky drops out, hail and rain and so much thunder. I never saw lightening, but of course as it hit, Mountain Goat and I were about to walk out into the open, tree free bald at the top of this climb. So, we waited it out in the trees. Thankfully, the storm came and went within 10 minutes. We started hiking again, and she’s so fast-I haven’t seen her since!
At 3pm, I had to sit in the shade with my shoes off for awhile. Both of my heels are blistered to hell, my right big toe feels like it’s bench pressing my body weight alone, and the balls of both feet throb. I’m not kidding, something has to give! When I started walking again, I wasn’t able to stop the limp. Each step hurt like hell, but I was worried about the terrain to put on my crocs, I still had to walk around Grand Lake before getting to the real paved roads of the town itself.
By 5pm, I had limped around the lake, managed to get to my motel, check in, and get those damn shoes off my feet! They were aching so bad, I just laid on the bed, dirty, for 15 minutes before mustering up the energy to shower. My feet are so cooked. It’s scary. Ughhhh.
Anyway. I love the Big Horn Lodge. A simple room with everything I needed and a shower with excellent water pressure! I got clean and then wrangled up my dirty clothes inside my sleeping bag liner, put on my rain gear, and walked through town. I was initially going to go to the gear store to look at shoes, but then realized they closed at 6.. it was 5:55 and I didn’t want to be that person that took up their time at closing. They don’t reopen until 10am, so it looks like I’ll get to leave late tomorrow!
I carried my dirty clothes with me to dinner, since food was all I could think of at the moment. Sagebrush BBQ had an excellent Memphis style pulled pork sandwich! I got an extra side of baked beans because the portion that came with the sandwich looked like it was a ramekin for ketchup, not my side of beans.. and yall-I devoured it all! Plus like a liter of Mountain Dew. That waitress was impressed.
With a full and happy belly-and a caffeine high-I made my way to the laundromat. It didn’t take long at all to wash my clothes.. while they were washing, I got a Gatorade and some lotion next door at the little grocery store. I was going to resupply there, but their prices were outrageous.. I honestly shouldn’t have gotten the drink and the lotion, but my face looks insane (dried out from getting burnt the last few days) and I was thirsty while washing clothes.
Now, I’m back in my room, unable to sleep, but unwilling to be productive. The WiFi won’t load my pictures for my posts to my blog, so I gave up on trying to get some of them updated. Maybe I’ll have better luck in Steam Boat Springs, which will be my next town. I think I’ll just lay here, feet propped up on pillows, and watch some TV! Goodnight yall!