HIGHLIGHTS
Miles traveled: 22.3
Lift gain/loss: 4100/3200
Point learned: Grouse live in Colorado; I’ve never seen one before!
Fauna worth mentioning: Sharp-tailed grouse
Human Encounters: Brad; sharon
Low: how tired I felt this morning
Stop: A break at the fire station!
TRAIL DIARY
I woke up at 5:30, packed up, and started the hike at 6:30. I was feeling sore and tired, but then I remembered I had Alani powder and ibuprofen. After 400 mg of ibuprofen and 100 mg of caffeine, I felt like I had the strength to take on the day!
After walking 5.5-6 miles through the woods, I came across the North Fork Volunteer Fire Station! The first thing I knew about the Colorado Trail was that there was a fire station along the trail, and the volunteers were kind enough to let hikers fill up their water on site. I scooped up 2 liters of fresh, clean water, drank the rest of my caffeine, snacked on a packet of tuna and omelette, and then headed out again.
Fire station stop signage.
Fire station faucet and bench; My first rest stop of the day.
At the end of segment 2, there was a toilet that I desperately needed. After using it, I spoke with a kind woman named Sharon. A widow originally from Illinois, she now lives a nomadic and solitary life in her mobile home. She is currently a camp host and part of her responsibilities is cleaning and stocking the pit toilet.
She told me that her friends worry about her, that she travels and lives alone. “But,” she replied, “this is the life I want to live.” He also commented that he is in a unique phase of life, trying to decide where and how he wants to spend his final years, once the nomadic life becomes too difficult.
Meeting Sharon was a pleasure!
After leaving Sharon, I hiked the rest of Segment 3 and stopped for 30 minutes at a stream to filter the water. Filtering 2 liters of water takes about 20 minutes. I found it to be the perfect time to pull out my seat and take the time to stretch out, watch for wildlife, and plan my next stop on the water. (I specifically observed the ants collecting debris from the forest floor during this session.)
A nice break taking a steam while filtering water.
At the beginning of segment 4, I found Reid’s magical trail (gallons of fresh water!) and sat down to rest for an hour and stop for dinner. It felt so good to get up and take the backpack off my shoulders for so long!
Reid’s trail magic: gallons of fresh water, on a dry segment of trail.
I made the most of this easy water source, made dinner, and filled my water tanks.
Then I walked a few more kilometers until I reached segment 4, found a campsite and went to bed.
Camping 2!
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