Day 5: Miles 54.3-71.0
Today’s walk was generally uneventful. There were some beautiful views as we climbed and then descended to Kenosha Pass, however the grade was fairly gentle. However, one interesting thing that happened was in the last 2 miles before camp Millipede ran over a snake that was in the trail that he didn’t notice. This new biggest mile day (which won’t last long) finally ended the greatest trail magic known to man. Smurf, the camp host at Kenosha Pass, had a cooler full of sodas, teas and Gatorade next to the hiker’s box. When we walked up to their RV, we were greeted with multiple hammocks and tons of lawn chairs to lounge on, along with fresh juicy peaches.
A view before descending to Kenosha Pass.
Smurf also informed us that he would be making tacos for dinner, and when they were ready, there was a huge group of probably 8-10 hikers waiting. The once chatty seating area quickly fell silent as we all ate the tacos and fries presented to us.
The incredible tacos that Smurf prepared for us
I slept like a rock that night, exhausted from the long day, and the temperatures stayed pretty good all night, so I didn’t wake up cold once.
Day 6: Miles 71-89.9
I told you the longest day wouldn’t last. Today was going to be tough, as we needed to hike from Kenosha Pass, then climb a brutal 2000+ foot climb to the top of the ridge at Georgia Pass, then hike all the way back down the other side to where the next good campsites were. This ended up being just under 19 miles, and the climb didn’t start until mile 6, when the heat of the day was just starting to take effect.
A distant preview of Georgia Pass, which we would climb later that day.
This climb, even though it took me almost 4 hours, was worth it as we broke through the tree line for the first time and had some absolutely beautiful views at the top to take in during lunch. At the top I saw Millipede and other hikers from the night before, who were moving much faster than me. They had already been there for 30-45 minutes when I showed up, so they started moving forward while I ate.
The ridge we reached at Georgia Pass!
After the longest 5 mile descent of my life, I again reached the first very good water source from the start of the climb, but due to the lack of campsites and mosquitoes, Millipede and I opted to hike a little over 2 more miles to a slightly further away water source with more options. This was where we found Sam and Luke, who were two hikers we met at Kenosha Pass, as well as Spider, Picasso, and Shady, who the centipede had hiked with before but somehow had never met until today.
Officially at the CDT!
Tomorrow will be a relatively short walk into the town of Breckenridge, and if Bailey’s experience was anything to go by, I can’t wait to have another day in town besides my first full zero.
Day 7: Miles 89.9-102.7
Mile 100!!!! And also Breckenridge!!!!! We woke up early this morning to try to get to Breck in the early afternoon. We had about 13 miles that started with a 2 mile, 1000 foot climb and ended with an 11 mile descent to the (extremely expensive) ski town of Breckenridge. Along the way, we crossed mile marker 100, which is a huge milestone, and waiting for us at the trailhead was none other than One Shoe, who greeted us with cold water and a shuttle, so we didn’t have to take the bus. We all stopped for lunch, where I devoured a big bowl of Pad Thai and an apple pie smoothie, and then split up because we all had different hostel plans/reservations.
The Pad Thai I bought once in Breck.
Unfortunately, this will probably be the last time I see Millipede, Vista, Spider, and Washboard for a while, since they move much faster than me and also don’t take a full zero. Hopefully we can meet again at some point, but just in case we made a family group chat so we can keep in touch. Later that day we picked up Nebo & Co. and had delicious pizza for dinner while watching the United States get eliminated from the World Cup. Some laundry, a shower and a soak in the jacuzzi was just what we needed after a grueling last few days. I hope to have a day to relax and heal my sore muscles.
(Left to right): Vista, Millipede, Washboard and Spider standing at the 100 mile marker.
Days 8-9: Double Zero
After analyzing some forecasts, trail conditions, and general scheduling logistics, I decided to stay one more day with Nebo & Co. and hike with them for the foreseeable future. This way not only will I be able to walk with people I’ve already met and been walking with, but they’ll also be able to do some more leisurely days of walking, which I’m very okay with, especially considering some of these weird left leg/foot pains I’ve been having.
On the 8th we went to the post office to pick up her replenishment box and then called REI so Molly could get a new pair of shoes. We finished our afternoon of errands by grabbing snacks at Walmart, and while I was there, I bought a new pair of $10 sandals to use as camping shoes. I’ve been very jealous of everyone who’s had them so far, and I’m excited to let my feet breathe while sitting at camp each night. Once we got back to the hotel, we ordered and packed all of our food for the 6.5 days we will be in the collegiate mountain range.
Incredible sunset seen from Silverthorne.
Day 9 began with a drive to Twin Lakes, but along the way we made a stop in Leadville at the Melanzana factory. I told myself going in that I wasn’t going to buy one, but I’m a weak man and feeling how pretty the fabric was and that I would probably never have the chance to own one again, I gave in and spent the $100.
Unfortunately, it was time to say goodbye to One Shoe as he returned home to Texas after dropping us off at Twin Lakes. He helped us tremendously with transportation to and from the trailheads and also giving us space to stay for days 7 + 8.
Monopoly with Mary Poppins and GoGurt!
The rest of the day was spent at the Twin Lakes lodge playing Monopoly and Scrabble, before finishing this beautiful double zero with an outdoor dinner with a beautiful view of Hope Pass, which is what we will climb tomorrow.
Dinner on a side trail, looking toward Hope Pass
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