CDT Day 46 (7/3/23)

Miles 1059.2 (Red line 1255.1)- 1088.1 (Red line 1284) (28.9 miles)

Verbatim

Today was really exhausting. It was a ton of climbing. Over 8000 feet! I went up and over the tallest point on the CDT, Grays Peak. The summit was beautiful. The trail was crowded as heck. It’s been really annoying having such busy and crowded trail in Colorado. Feels a bit like an amusement park and less like the backcountry. It’s the 4th of July weekend though, and it’s good to see so many people out and moving. Still. There was so. many. people.

Twenty-nine miles was a lot to fit in today. There was some spectacular ridge walking. Tomorrow there will be even more! Although, much of tomorrow will be spent in Winter Park w/Nathan. I’m hoping Sophie comes too. It would be nice to spend time with her, and them as a couple. I’m excited to eat. And to pack out heavy food tomorrow for the short resupply into Grand Lake. I’ve not eaten enough today. I only had parmesan couscous for dinner. I have two bars left for the six miles tomorrow into town. It’s not ideal. But, six miles will happen quickly, and I’ll be eating out of a grocery story while I wait to eat with Nathan. Life will be good.

Having low food means low energy. Low energy means grumpy and angry Andrew (Just ask my friends. I get really hangry). Being angry sucks. Having things to be angry about sucks more.

Post Note

With how significant this day was, I’m surprised to find I didn’t write more. I must really have been tired and angry when the pen was in my hand. I remember this day really clearly. And I can remember that I made camp happen within a minute of hearing loud thunder crash overhead at dusk. I was trying to move further, but honestly where I camped was the best spot for a good while the next morning. I camped right on the trail where it widened. It was shortly after a water source. To have gone further to the formal campsite would have been a mistake. The sites I saw the next morning were in a valley by a stream (COLD) and were strewn with pebbles. The trail where I camped had nice pine duff. Anyways, it makes sense that my writing was short because it had begun to rain (though it stopped shortly thereafter) and was very dark. There was a mine clamoring the whole night through, so sleeping on the trail’s shelf by the water source made for a more peaceful white noise experience.

The morning was a blast! Twister and I were up and at the climb to Grays Peak early. We stepped into the sun as we crested Argentine ridge, a real knifes edge. Twister is from New Hampshire, and I’m from Maine, so we’re two good ol’ northern New Englanders. It was fun knowing how adept and comfortable both of us are at high, precarious, and loose rocky conditions. It’s nice to know you can have confidence in those around you. We were just chillin. Definitely could have died with a misstep.

The summit was a zoo. Lots of people taking lots of pictures. Lots of people living their hip Colorado life and downing a fourteener on a holiday weekend. Whatever. I walked here from Mexico. I don’t care about your hip looking outfit and happy looking relationship and the fact that you get the luxury of a shower tonight. Ok, so maybe I was feeling a bit insecure. There were lots of attractive looking Colorado people up on that mountain. Good for you and stuff. But whatever, I need to keep walking. There’s a Latin phrase; solvitur ambulando, which means “It’s solved by walking”. There’s something to that I think. You can certainly walk with, and eventually through, your challenges. But, it’s also possible to walk away from them. I don’t know if that’s good or not or is something else. Sometimes on the CDT I just had to walk away.

And then Pepé and I walked down the mountain, down the forest road that everyone else we saw on the mountain drove down for a few miles, then along the bike path for another few miles, then over the zooming highway and onto another crowded hiking trail. We took lunch under a tree. I did not have enough food left to eat. I can remember wanting to take lunch in the parking lot to maximize chances of scoring some free food from a day hiker. Pepé, however, wanted to take a shortcut which bypassed the parking lot. No free food. Damn. I was hungry. The shade of the tree was nice though during the heat of the day. I was on the downhill side with my legs propped against another tree. Pepé was on the up slope. Day hikers would be surprised to see me there as they rounded the corner.

Twister and Billy the Kid caught up just as Pepé and I were leaving. Billy the Kid can FLY up a climb when he wants to. I couldn’t keep up with him. I asked him later how he moved that fast. He said he was listening to LOTR on audio book and was at the battle of Helm’s Deep. No better motivation I guess. It was funny to discover I wasn’t the only twenty-seven year old with a fantastical imagination and appreciation for LOTR out there.

And then the rest of the day was just climbing to be up high and then being up high. You’re just going to have to trust me when I talk about this “being up high” stuff. Like; imagine going for a day hike. Except, you go up to the top of the mountain and instead of having to go back down the mountain you just hike the rest of the day at the top of the mountain. You just stay up there until it’s time for bed. Still moving. Still accomplishing the goal. Just views and clear air and wind the whole time. Being up high is immaculate.

There were a couple snow field crossings and then I pooped. Then another mile or so down into the woods where I made my camp.