Let’s get it!
After flying to Denver, I spent two nights acclimating to the altitude at my friends’ house in Morrison. Thank you, thank you. Being with friends eased the nerves and helped my body adjust. Tip: I took GasX the first few days and it really helped me get rid of that bloated feeling when you come from sea level. I also drank a lot of water!
Friends are the best
Very early, my dear friend took me to the Waterton Canyon trailhead, after picking up another hiking friend along the way. What a great way to start. Three strong women! My friend from Morrison walked with us the first 6 miles to say goodbye at the point where the road ends and the trail begins! We also had the pleasure of seeing a mom and baby bighorn sheep on the rocky side of the canyon walls. It’s great to see them climbing.
My other friend, who I met last year on a Skurka Adventures trip in Utah, accompanied me for the first 40 miles to Bailey.
Notes from day 1
Great day. I felt good. Bighorn sheep. Black squirrel! Good time. I walked 16 miles, 2500′ of ascent and 1900′ of descent. Average speed: 2.3 mph. We camped at 6,100′ elevation.
Notes from day 2
Why does day 2 always seem so difficult? We did a big climb immediately after leaving camp. We met Willie Nelson (trail name) and his family on the trail. Super cute family with a group of children traveling with a backpack. And based on our conversations with family, my friend got her trail named after her! From now on it will be Chili Crisp! (And by the way, my trail name is Energizer Bunny or EB for short.) Along with the steep climb, we had a long water haul of about 9 miles from the South Platte River to a fire station that provides much-needed water to passing hikers. Before we reached the fire station, storms broke out around us in an exposed area. Lots of thunder but no lightning. Still, the thunder was stressful and we kept a quick pace through that terrain. I saw deer and river otters.
I hiked 13.6 miles, 2600′ of ascent and 1100′ of descent. Average speed: 2 mph. We camped at 7,680′ altitude. I met the president at the camp. That night, my friend and I decided to go to Cowgirl Campground (no tents). Minor error. It rained a little during the night, but I put the tarp over it and everything was fine. I was very tired that night: my watch said I slept 9 hours!!!
Notes from day 3
It’s called Nero when you walk 10 miles or less on a trail, often when walking toward a city. (A zero day is when you take a break from the trail and hike zero miles.) Our day 3 was a Nero towards the town of Bailey. Great day! I saw a snake on the road, but it was relatively small and moved away quickly. I walked 10 miles, 1,750′ of ascent and 1,100′ of descent. Average speed: 2.6 mph. We were sailing!
We stayed in Bailey at the Two Bridges Hostel. Highly recommended. Very clean and nice. We shower and wash clothes. Its amenities include a cold bath room and sauna, which we took full advantage of. There’s nothing better than soaking sore muscles in the cold. And I had the biggest salad with salmon for dinner at the nearby Two Dad’s restaurant. Incredible. I really needed those greens. Met Multifunction in the hostel. And my friend Chili Crisp said goodbye the next morning after driving Multi Function and me back to the trail.
In general I feel good. No blisters. No injuries. Good sleep. Good vibes.
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