Date: 8/3/20
Daily Miles: 7
Total Miles: 782
Once again, the rain was gone by morning and we were met by blue skies. It was pretty chilly and we started off with our wind pants, mittens and windshirts.
We only had a few miles to do this morning and the terrain was pretty gentle…more of the rolling ups and downs that we have had the past few days. As we got closer to the road, we started to see the day hikers coming out.
We could see the road starting about two and a half miles before we got there. We always have a sense of urgency when we can see the road…as though if we don’t get there fast, we’ll miss the car which is destined to give us a hitch. Not very rational thinking, but it’s in the back of our minds.
When we got to the road at 9:30am, we only had to wait twenty minutes before we got a ride. The guy had driven by us, then turned around and picked us up. Yeah!
We got into town around 10:30am and luckily were able to get right into our motel rooms. We basically just set our stuff down and headed across the street to get breakfast. After a seven day stretch we are happy to be in town.
I’m really enjoying your posts and look forward to receiving the email with the reports on the section you’ve just completed. I don’t know if I just missed it, but I was looking for the worrisome patch of trail that the Old Lady Hiker had warned you would be rough. Somewhere after Lake City, as I recall, after the CT and CDT split.
It’s possible, maybe even likely, that a single, elderly woman will experience something entirely differently than will a group of four younger hikers and that she will remember it as being especially difficult. Maybe a spot like the Knife Edge. It’s also possible that when you took the alternate (where you saw the large elk herd) that you unknowingly avoided the section she was referring to.
Or do you think it’s somewhere after you return to the trail following the stop in Pagosa Springs?
TJ
Thanks for your comment TJ. Often it is a question of perspective, as you mention, and even something as subtle as the direction a hiker is going to have a different experience. The stretch to Chama from Pagosa Springs wasn’t too challenging, with the exception – short of some non-obvious trail that is marked by cairns. 4 sets of eyes can make route finding a bit easier 🙂