Notes
Waking up in the hostel was super comfy compared to the trail but I still pretty much jumped out of bed to pee and get the day going. Lucas got laundry started and we took off for The Baker and The Biker at the recommendation of our sandaled friends yesterday, who were there with the German hiker from Simple Hostel. I chatted with Dad on the phone for a few minutes before breakfast as well. Breakfast was absolutely great, I had a big oat milk latté and a pile of eggs, carnitas, salsa verde and hash browns called A Hot Mess. Ted got a smaller omelette and Lucas got a burrito but somehow they split a Hiker’s Benny after finishing those. Afterward we went back to the hostel to dry our clothes (my socks only, I washed my shirt and shorts in the shower yesterday) and then Ted and I went to the mountain sports store to get gloves. Those will probably feel pretty fantastic in a day or so. We bumped into the sandal folks and German dude again there and finally learned their names, Z, Shepherd and Camp Finder. Back at the hostel we packed up and rolled out to the Safeway for 2 more days of food so we were set through the end of the trip. We then walked out to US 50 to try to get a hitch. A man flagged us down from a side street ahead of us and gave us a ride to Poncha Springs where he said it would be easier to get a hitch to the trail. We learned he used to be a burro racer, which is sport that involves 26-37 mile trail races tied to a donkey. It apparently originates from 2 guys saying “I bet I can get my ass over that pass before your ass.” So cool. In Poncha we spent about 5 minutes with thumbs out before a CT hiker from Minnesota who had aborted her hike picked us up. She was headed to the Monarch Crest gift shop to pick up her box of food and then fly home. We repacked a little and Lucas and I got ice cream sandwiches then we took off, hoping we remembered how to hike and, if we did, we could do so on such full stomachs. We had no problem and quickly we’re above tree line and enjoying the views. We saw a couple hikers and a couple older ladies who looked to be almost 80. In what might be our greatest hiking achievement, the bag of Lays (sour cream and onion) on my pack burst as we approached 12,000 feet. I was pumped. We went on to do a bunch of climbing to hit 12,500 and lots of this was dream ridge hiking for me. It really was fantastic and I think it will get even better as we keep going. We dropped quickly toward some small ponds and we passed some snow on the way. I felt maybe 5 raindrops all afternoon and we were very chatty which was nice. Ted got a little too much sun and toward the end of the day thought maybe the altitude had him feeling not great at times when we were super high. We pushed to the Boss Lakes trailhead to get away from the bugs by the lakes and get a little extra done today. We saw a CDT NOBO camped near us, soaked our feet a little, then made dinner and called it a night. I’m trying to sleep with one door half open to see if that reduces condensation in the morning. I also realized today that the highlight of most days really is the hiking for me more than anything else. The surroundings are just so beautiful. Of course doing it with Ted and Lucas is great. Killer birthday.
Late add: Ted and I saw a big ol bunny with dark fur and tall white boots by our campsite.