The Unpolished Princess

Start: Leadville 

Stop: 1209.8 

Today’s Miles: 17.6

Total CDT miles: 938.3

I slept like crap, constantly feeling like I couldn’t catch my breath and like I was suffocating. It’s probably the elevation mixed with a little panic, but man I don’t like it. I had to keep telling myself to take slow, deep breaths, talking to myself like I talk to some of my patients struggling to catch their breath. Leadville is the highest elevation city in the US at over 10,000 feet-but still, I’ve been way higher than this before. It’s frustrating for sure.

I woke up a little after 7am, wishing I could drift back to sleep, since I seem to get my best sleep in the few hours before being required to wake up. Pebbles was up, too, and we quietly grabbed our gear and stripped our bunks. I used the bathroom and packed up my stuff, had some coffee and some toast. I weighed myself before eating, too. I’m down roughly 16 pounds since starting. That’s pretty exciting!

We started walking towards the grocery store to resupply by 8am. I didn’t get a whole lot, I still have a ton of food from the last stretch that I didn’t eat thanks to the awesome trail magic we got near Twin Lakes. I did get a pre made sandwich and a drink, and sat outside to eat it while Pebbles finished his shopping. He organized his food while I finished my sandwich, and then we started walking out of Leadville. 

The road walk was scenic, and the clouds helped shield us from the worst of the sun.. which thank God because my face is already peeling from getting burnt the last few days. There were some gorgeous snow studded mountains in the distance and grassy hills with a river running through them up close. To be a highway, it sure was pretty. 

We stopped and ate lunch on the side of the road with some slight shade and the river nearby. I was technically still full from my sandwich, but we weren’t doing many miles today, so sitting and stretching and just not walking felt great. I’m also struggling with a little bit of cramping, so the easier day was a blessing. We probably sat there for well over an hour, if not closer to two. I didn’t mind a bit.

We continued the road walk until it reconnected with the trail, well-a dirt road and then the trail. It was pretty in a wooded kind of way, nothing exceptionally jaw dropping, but pleasant all the same. Minus the guys on motorized dirt bikes whipping around playing loud music at one point. We finally got to where we planned to camp and there was already someone set up there. Then, as we passed them, there was someone else walking ahead of us. Just around the corner from the first spot, we saw more and that’s where we are now. 

It’s wooded with shade and a pretty creek running down below. We’re kind of slanted, but who cares? These days we aren’t very picky. It’s early, barely 6pm and the sun won’t set for another two hours. There’s no point in going farther though, because of the trip home on July 1st.. if we go to fast, we’ll end up passing the spot we plan to get off trail at-which we already have set up: a trail angel to hold our packs and take us into Frisco, our bus tickets from Frisco to Denver, our hotel in Denver the night before our flight home to Atlanta- so I can run the Peachtree Roadrace on July 4th! It really won’t do us any good to push miles and hike past that pick up spot.

So. We’re sitting around, hanging out, a little bored. Who would have thought it was possible? Maybe I’ll go ahead and make my dinner, maybe it’ll help ease my cramps some. Until tomorrow, friends. 

Today’s Miles: ZERO

Total CDT miles: 920.7

I never sleep that great in dorm style rooms, I think I’m just too old for that these days. Although, I will say the bed itself was comfortable. 

I was awake around 8am and Pebbles made us breakfast.. chorizo and egg burritos with cheese, so very yummy. And coffee. Since he did the cooking, I washed the dishes. It’s really not a bad gig. 

A little before 10am, we walked downtown to the Melanzana store. Right when they opened, we were greeted and shown to the appointments side of their storefront. Melanzana makes all of their own outdoor wear-like hoodies and such, right there in the same building. They’ve built up a reputation for quality and exclusivity, only letting you purchase a certain amount of products at a time (2) and by appointment only-which is booked six months out.. unless.. you’re a thru hiker!

They will still let you walk in and shop their overstock without an appointment, sizes and colors not guaranteed. We walked up to the appointments side, had to give our trail names and show pictures of us at the New Mexico and Mexico border, and then we were allowed to shop. I found a teal hoodie I liked, Pebbles found a dark orange one he liked, and we called it good. I wore mine out of the store.. it was a little chilly in the shade. 

We walked around the downtown area, in and out of stores, basically just killing time until this popular pizza spot that Tina and Larry raved about opened. I wasn’t quite hungry for lunch yet, but the place apparently packs out fast and waits can be over an hour sometimes. 

We walked into a gear store, just looking around, when I hear a “PBS?!?” I kid you not, MashedPotato, from the AT, was standing there! He was working at the store, and now lives in Leadville with his girlfriend! It was so wild seeing him, in this cute city of all places, but the more we talked the more it made perfect sense.. he was living in Denver before, so Leadville isn’t a stretch by any means. 

We caught up and he showed Pebbles and I some spots coming up on trail, and we eventually said our goodbyes. I had such a crush on him when I was hiking the AT, it was nice to see him happy and doing so well, to see him in “normal life” even if it did kind of suck to have him see me sunburnt and full on hiker trash. Thankfully, he’s used to hiker life, with Leadville being such an active and cool city.

From the store, we headed to High Mountain Pies. We placed our orders and went to the back patio to anxiously wait for the pizza everyone has been raving about. I got an olive oil based pizza with basil, roasted grapes, feta cheese.. balsamic somewhere in there, too. So good. Pebbles got the carnivore and it looked delicious! I also ordered the focaccia bread, and it was to die for! So damn good. The dough was perfection in every way!

After eating, we made our way over to the Mining Museum, a must stop for Pebbles-with him being a geologist and all. It was four stories of mining and drama. I enjoyed the stories and videos, I think he liked all of it! Ha. I ended up sitting outside when I had seen enough. I like museums, but I tend to be very quick when it’s not something I’m in love with. Pebbles took his time and I think he got a lot of out it.

We walked back to the hostel and I ended up taking a nap, that was sadly ruined by new people checking into our bunk room. Why am I never allowed to have uninterrupted sleep? Eh, when I realized the time, I reminded Pebbles about the bingo night sign we saw earlier-and we ended up walking back downtown to play. 

Pebbles one a round, a whole $5, and out of the trillion games we played, I only came close like twice. It was still a fun time though. I might need to look into bingo at home! Ha! Probably not. Anyway, it was dark when we made it back to the hostel. At 9:30 I finished off my left over pizza and headed to bed. Let’s hope for some decent sleep tonight! 

Start: Colorado Trail 150.7

Stop: Leadville (Inn the Clouds Hostel)

Today’s Miles: 26.3

Total CDT miles: 920.7

Our day started with a climb out of the campground, but it had switchbacks and pretty views, so it wasn’t terrible. The terrain feels more dry and desert like-and yet it’s also muggy. Weird stuff. Thankfully there were clouds in the sky blocking the sun, or it would have been much hotter!

We ended up backtracking a little after taking a wrong turn. Otherwise, it was very hilly but smooth going to get to Tina and her husband Larry. They were waiting for us at a trailhead parking lot 9.7 miles from where we camped! We hung out with them, talking and eating hotdogs, potato salad and chips! What is it about trail magic that just makes everything better? The food was delicious, the company was awesome. Talking with them had me so excited for all that’s to come. Tina is planning to do the Portuguese Camino and Andrea and I just so happened to be texting about doing the same thing THIS MORNING. Talk about getting a sign! 

We eventually told them our goodbyes and started hiking towards Twin Lakes. Before we made it to the trail, the wind picked up and we watched the rain drop in sheets across the lake-and then it dropped in sheets across us. Awesome. It’s funny that we were so hot and muggy two hours prior, and now we’re soaked and chilly. Bleh. 

Because of the rain, and the clouds looking like they weren’t planning on passing us any time soon, we decided to take a backroad to the highway to go into Leadville, Colorado tonight instead of going up and over a huge pass in a storm, sleep in the rain, and then have to hitch into Leadville tomorrow. Yall know I’ll do just about anything with the promise of trail towns and restaurant food! 

We road walked for what felt like forever. Three different women stopped to ask me if I wanted a ride into town, I said no every time but that maybe they should ask Pebbles up ahead-no one asked him.. so he started walking behind me, and a guy turned around and asked me-but not Pebbles! It was pretty amusing to me, but he was ready for a hitch and to forgo the road walking! Haha, sorry dude-my continuous footpath is still intact!

We stopped at a gas station for a snack and ate it outside the store before continuing to walk the highway into Leadville. When we got close, my stomach started turning in knots! I think the gas station sandwich was probably bad. I started to get the tingles and sweats, and then I saw the sign for a motel up ahead. Pebbles kept walking towards the hostel we planned to stay at, I all but ran while squeezing my butt cheeks together to the motel! 

The sign inside said “no public bathrooms,” but when the man behind the counter saw my panicked face, and I started to beg, he just pointed and said, “down the stairs, in the laundry room!” I barely made it with my undies intact! Yall. This is embarrassing, but I absolutely destroyed that bathroom, and the poor woman doing laundry in there had front row seats to my unplanned trumpet concert. Yikes. God, please bless that man behind the counter and his poor coworker! I obviously left it clean, but no one should have to hear a stranger go through all of that while trying to work. 

Anyway. Feeling 100 pounds lighter, I left the motel and continued walking through Leadville to Inn the Clouds Hostel. Downtown is so cute, with pretty houses painted funky colors-fun yard signs and tons of awesome flowers. I even passed a bunny on one of the side streets! I made it to the hostel at 6:30pm and Pebbles and I got checked in. We picked our bunks in room that holds 8 people, and then we ate some left over food that a previous family staying at the hostel left for everyone: spaghetti! Free spaghetti! You’d think I’d learn my lesson after so recently having a stomach issue-but, who can turn down free spaghetti?! Not me! 

We ate, showered, and did our laundry. We’re going to zero here tomorrow and go to a store tomorrow that makes nice fleece hoodies on site. And we’re also going to eat at a pizza place that Tina and Larry raved about. I’m pretty excited! I’m pretty sure I won’t sleep all that great in this bunk room tonight, but knowing I don’t have to hike tomorrow makes it ok. Ha. Goodnight, yall!