CDT Day 75: July 19, 2025
Start: 1528.8
Stop: 1549.6
Today’s Miles: 20.8
Total CDT miles: 1221.4
I’m in WYOMING!! As if Colorado wanted to make sure we went out with a bang-it started thundering and lightening around 8:30pm and then raining around 10.. and it didn’t stop until after 2:30 in the morning. I’m so glad I set my tent up last night! I almost didnt, but when the lightening and thunder kept going and going, I decided not to risk it. Redline didn’t and ended up having to cover himself with his tent to stay dry. If he had gotten up to set up his tent, all of his sleep stuff would have been soaked before he could get the tent up and everything inside.
He didn’t seem too bothered by it, I’d have been a mess! Funnily enough, I was dreaming about helping him set his tent up in the rain.. so when I woke and saw him rolled like a burrito with his tent draped over, I felt bad. When I told him about it, he just laughed. He’s such a good natured guy, everything just seems to roll off of him.
I slept good because of the rain, even though the lightening felt very close and it would sometimes wake me up with how bright it was. I ended up sleeping in a little and leaving camp just before 7am.. but when I woke to start packing, Wolf and Pika were already awake. They must have a morning routine that includes breakfast and coffee and waking up gradually.. to where I have to just get up and go since I can’t eat breakfast for an hour after I take my Synthroid. I left before them and enjoyed knowing everyone would start passing me soon enough.
Wolf passed me while I was trudging up a near vertical dirt road.. that thing was STEEP! I didn’t have to stop and take breaths though, I just kept moving, albeit very slow. Colorado had to make sure to get in one more stupid climb before we left.
I took a wrong turn just before the border and had to backtrack little bit. In that time, Redline had passed me. So, when I got to the border, it was Wolf, Redline, and another hiker, Thomas, already there. We whooped and hollered and danced at the border, happy as hell to be done with Colorado and the crazy steep climbs.
Firefly and Pika weren’t far behind us. And then Lone Wolf showed up, too. We took pictures, drank Jack Daniel’s honey whiskey, and celebrated the victory that is another state completed. I have a continuous footpath through two states now! I really hope nothing happens to mess that up.
Slowly, we all started to pack up and start hiking. I decided to camp with this group again, because I didn’t want to push 26 miles and try to hitch alone. We’re camping 4.7 miles from the highway, and in the morning we’ll hitch into Encampment. I’ll have to resupply and charge my power bank, but other than that, I’m good to wait for a shower and laundry and a bed until I get to Rawlins.. it just depends on how everything goes.
I think I’ve talked myself into doing the 24 hour challenge, where you see how many miles you can make in 24 hours. They’ve all been talking about it, and I think I’m going to give it a try. The only thing is trying to decide what time of day to start it.. because it ends in a road walk and if possible, I’d like to end in Rawlins and in a hotel bed. But, if I get there at say, 1am, that might mess up the checkin process since it’s a small town. I need to think on this some more.. if I hitch out and make it 10-14 miles, then sleep some before getting up at an odd hour to start the challenge, maybe.. but I know me and I know I probably just won’t wake up until sunlight.. sooooo. I’m torn on what to do. I’m sure these guys will help me figure it out.. I really hope to do it with them, even though they’re all way faster hikers than me.. which makes me think if I start when they do-I may never seen them again. That would be so awful.
Maybe I’ll gain some clarity tomorrow! My feet ache and I’m super tired, time for bed! Goodnight yall.
