Start: 1373
Stop: 1405
Today’s Miles: 11.4
Total CDT miles: 1076.8
I finally fell asleep after 1am, and didn’t move until after 8:30! It was GLORIOUS! I packed up my stuff, except for my food bag, and then quickly walked down to the other grocery store to resupply. Check out would either be 10 or 11, half the stuff said one and the other half said the other-so I had to get my food and repack everything by 10, just in case.
I was walking out of the motel, keys returned, by 9:45. I waited for the gear shop to open at 10 and was their first patron harassing them about shoes! During all of this, Pika-who Pebbles and I met on the PCT, messaged me about just getting to town! Wolf would be in soon, too! We decided to meet at the gear store and then go get lunch together, saving room for Wolf and the rest of their trail family!
I must have tried on every single shoe in that store. The girl helping me, Rae, was wonderful and so patient. She’s thruhiked before so she understood my frustration. We tried every brand they carried, we tried new insoles in my shoes, we tried new insoles in new shoes-none were working! They either hurt my toes or were too wide at my heels-which I already have the flipping blisters on, so that didn’t help.
She joked about sandals, and then it hit me. It’s 4 days to Steam Boat Springs. I can get some sandals to try out during this stretch, and if I hate them, I can try to find new shoes in the next town. Rae did say the store in Steam Boat had several other brands that they don’t carry, too. So, yall, I walked out in a pair of Tevas with my socks. Lord help me.
They graciously held my pack and my old shoes to mail home (so mom can return them to REI for me, they still look great, they just hurt my damn feet). They even gave me a box that my shoes would fit in since the Tevas box is too small. I thanked them profusely, and Pika and I headed off to get lunch. I had just missed breakfast, but that’s ok. I got Mozzarella sticks and a burger with fries. Delicious. Pika got a veggie burger and a milkshake. Also fantastic.
Wolf got there about half way through our meal, and immediately had me laughing. She ordered some food, too, and we all three ate and caught up and laughed. It was so much fun and those two almost had me thinking I’d stay in town again and hike out tomorrow. I didn’t-but damn I wanted to. I have a feeling they’ll end up catching back up to me, so, maybe I’ll get to hike with them in the near future anyway.
After we ate, I said my goodbyes, got my pack and stuff to mail home from the gear store, and walked down to the post office. I mailed my shoes home, I talked to a sweet man about my hike for about 10 minutes, then headed down the road that would eventually reconnect with the trail, in about 6 miles and through Rocky Mountain National Park. I could have taken a trail to do the same thing.. but it was through a burn zone and I’d have to backtrack through town again. No way.
As I walked, it started to rain.. it waited until I was technically far enough out of town for it to be inconvenient to turn back. If it had started sooner, I’d probably be writing this from the Big Horn Lodge instead of by a stream alone in the woods. Oh well. The trail once I reconnected with it was gentle with lots of water around. It made for pretty pictures with the stormy skies. The rain only lasted an hour or two, off and on, and now laying in my tent, everything is dry. My socks may be an issue with the sandals-getting wet constantly, but whatever.. it’s worked so far-11 miles wasn’t short in new shoes! Although, the terrain being so easy might be giving me false hope.
I’m praying the next few days go well in the sandals and I’m able to hike 20+ miles each day. Steam Boat Springs will be a town I have to hitch into, so, timing needs to be good for that last day, otherwise it’ll be like today, a late town leave time making for a shorter day of hiking out. Tricky business. I’m setting my watch alarm, we’ll see what time I get up and moving tomorrow! Sweet dreams!