Date: 7/21/20
Daily Miles: 17
Total Miles: 567
Sadly the porta-potty was locked when we checked on it this morning. It was another really cold night with us camping in a valley. We all had extra layers on as we headed out on the trail.
We started this morning on a dirt road that was quite rocky. The trail the past few days has been really rocky and our heels have really been feeling it. Beardoh’s heels have been especially sore from the rocks. We will probably try to pick up a thin pair of socks in Salida to put over our toe socks for extra cushion.
We had several climbs today that brought us up above tree line. The marmots and pikas were definitely out and about in the rocks in the higher elevations. It is funny to walk along and hear them squeaking around us. They will often let us get pretty close to them before they run off.
The final few miles of the day were through a ski resort near Monarch Pass. Once we were on the roads at the ski resort, it just felt like we were being taken in a very indirect route. When we are getting close to town, it always feels like the trail takes too long. We were able to see our road crossing for miles before we got to it. That definitely makes time feel very slow.
We got to the road crossing around 3pm and started hitching. A guy who was just finishing a motorcycle outing offered us a ride into town. There was another hiker there needing to get into town as well, so the five of us squished ourselves and our backpacks around his two motorcycles in the back of his truck. It was a tight fit, but we were really grateful for the ride.
We are happy to be relaxing in our motel room with a dinner of Subway salads, a big bag of potato chips and cheese dip. Definitely a nice way to end the day.
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