My first day of Nero on day 36 of the CDT

This morning I could probably have slept as late as I wanted. But I was planning to return to the path with a couple of other hikers, and we had not yet decided for a moment. I sent a text message to Sprinter to let him know that he was depressed at any time. Then I went to bed for a while and did a little work.

Finally, I decided to go to the lobby to have coffee and breakfast. I made a hot moca and then some cinnamon turn roasted with cream cheese. While I was in the lobby, I really want to meet two people I met briefly yesterday. Let’s see if I can explain this story without being too confusing.

Sprinter, who has been helping me, grew in California. He actually grew with Jeff Garmire’s father. Jeff Garmire is a hiker and athlete from Ultramrathon. In departure, Sprinter met two people, Luke and his girlfriend/wife whose name is escaping me. They are also friends with Jeff Garmire, and somehow all this arose in a conversation between them yesterday.

This morning I met these two people, Luke and their girl. They stayed in the same motel and were at the continental breakfast. I ended up talking with them for a while about the triple crown of the calendar year, and things like that. Apparently, Luke and Jeff are very close and Jeff really approached him repeatedly during his recent FKT attempt. After talking to them for a while, I returned to my room to relax and eat.

I love the CDT because everyone is on its triple crown path, at least many people. It was very nice to talk to these two hikers.

Then, around 10 in the morning, I grabbed my things and met Sprinter and the other two hikers returning to Monarch Pass. I needed to return to the beginning of the Boss Lake path, which was on the madness of land. And the curious thing was that the other two hikers decided to come for the trip! Although it would have been easier to leave them in Monarch Pass first.

The road was definitely crazier last night in the dark. But this morning, it was completely uphill for the mile and a half back at the beginning of the path. And in daylight, I could completely appreciate how absolutely crazy it was the way. We were all laughing and shouting while we advanced. Then, when we were at approximately a quarter mile at the beginning of the path, Sprinter stopped to let me out. It was then that the road became really crazy and made more sense for me to walk.

Absolutely impressive foliage. I have been really blessed in Colorado, at least in this regard.

But the moment was absolutely wild and correct when he left the car, another car stopped. It was an off -road vehicle that climbed into the lake. I joked about wanting to enter the car to save me the room of extra mile, and one of the hikers with whom I was asking the guy. It was called Scott and had no problem to get on the car.

Be exchanged in the car of a stranger to go to the last quarter of this crazy road.

The funniest thing was probably how short the trip was. Because your vehicle is destined to go on roads like that, we had no trouble getting to the beginning of the path. I felt I blinked my eyes and we were there and left the car. But I appreciated not having to climb the rock hill if I didn’t have to do it. Scott headed to fish next to the lake and had told me how he and his son ran ultramarathons. He said I was going to look for me and continue my trip.

From there, I turned on my watch and began to walk south again. I had to walk the mile and a half back along the dumping road to pothole to go to the main road. Then it would only have about 5 or 6 miles along the Royal Camino to reach the Monarch pass. Today it will be a single digit day! I don’t remember the last time I walked something less than a marathon. The shortest day I have made in the continental divide Trail was the day of 26 miles so far.

It was a really pleasant and easy walk along the way today.

I flew down the rock hill and left on the main road in a short time. Then I just did some work on my phone while walking. And I could enjoy the beautiful foliage that surrounded the road. There were so many arrested cars enjoying the leaves. It was flat walk during the first mile or so. Then the climb to the monarch pass would begin. Which is approximately 1700 feet of gain in more than 2 to 3 miles. However, the good thing about climbing on the roads is that the qualification is perfect.

Time spent incredibly fast while I moved away from the road. It was the perfect qualification in which I could still speak or sing if I wanted to, even while going up. So many cars led to me while climbing the steep hill. I always wonder what people think when you see you physically uphill up on a mass hill along the way.

Today I configured this reminder on my phone. And my mind flew me!

He had not started today until some time after 10 in the morning. And it seemed that it would end before noon! I want to relax as much as possible today, so it was exciting. I ended up climbing the top of the hill and arrived to Monarch Pass. There is a large visitor building there, but it has never been open any of the time I’ve been there. When I entered the parking lot, I could see Sprinter’s truck with some chairs around him. And they were really other hikers!

It is official, I have reached the end of the bubble. Only judges by the few hikers that I have already passed, the writing in the trails of trails and the handful of hikers who were in the city. I cannot believe that the people who began in June and July have reached. I knew this would happen towards the end of Colorado and the beginning of New Mexico. But for so long that seemed incredibly far away. It is very surreal to be here in real time.

Monarch pass!

However, the wildest was that he really knew one of the hikers who was sitting there outside the truck. His name is effervescence and we met several times on the path of the Apalaches in 2023. I recognize it immediately, but I had trouble remembering the exact cases in which we met. Sometimes I can remember moments like that to write everything. But it can also be difficult when you know someone a couple of times different and you have more than one story in mind. There was another hiker sitting there called Stider. And they are its two triple crown paths, which is very exciting.

I joined them out of the truck and we left and talked. Being in the presence of other hikers feel like a blessing at this time. This is really everything I have wanted for so long. While we sat there, another hiker arrived called Djour. I actually returned to the road to continue walking. And Stider had also continued again and was planning to continue walking today. Fizz would go to the city at night and definitely directed me to the city.

Strider, me and Fizz (from left to right).

In the hour more or less that we sat there on the path, some dark clouds were surrounded and it seems that it could assault. But that seems to be a daily fact here. There is a very good possibility that the weather only explodes. However, he said that he should probably go to the city to avoid dangerous conditions. And among all of us we convince him not to be on the way tonight. Strider ended up continuing and, finally, Sprinter led Fizz, said my return to exit.

Return to exit with saidur and Fizz.

I was excited to return to the city and simply relax. In addition, I still planned to replenish and wash clothes, so I had some things to do. The funniest thing is that it doesn’t matter if I only did 7 miles today. Due to starting a little later and keep having tasks to do, I can never rest as I should. And this happens every day free that I have taken all this year.

It is very difficult to achieve the rest that I really need here. In theory, I should spend the whole day in bed, if my nap sleeps and updating my sleep. But there are always some tasks to do, something or another to do and, of course, some editions to do. When I returned to the city, I decided to join my clothes. Then I actually entered the Jacuzzi and talked to my mother on the phone while I soaked. I always have to be doing two things at once.

After entering the jacuzzi, I went to start my clothes, but the machine was full. So I set up a timer to return. But when I came back, someone else had gone in front of me. So I ended up leaving my bag of things on the washing machine to affirm the domain. I just don’t have time to wait all day to wash clothes. If it is going to be too much, I will simply not do it at all. Fizz and Djour approached at the same hotel because it was actually a good business and there are multiple jacuzzis. So I coined in the room and did some work for a while. Then he finally tried to wash his clothes again. And let Fizz know that I could throw his things with mine if you wanted, because everything was taking so long.

It’s great to see someone I met on another path. It simply seems to have spent a lot of time since I have seen a familiar face here that is walking. I have definitely met friends recently, especially during the last month or two. But I have not really met too many hikers on the path that I knew. That is one of my favorite things about hiking. Finally, the washing machine opened and Fizz and I could do our things.

For the rest of the night, I went to bed and tried to rest. I was so tired and almost immediately knew I had lost the day. It should have been stricter about time and everything so that it could really have been duplicated and used the day. But you live and learn. Or you simply live, because it doesn’t seem to be learning. Sprinter wanted to go to dinner, but I didn’t have the energy in me. I said that I would probably be lying throughout the night because I was exhausted. And I still had to do some work.

However, Sprinter is an absolute saint, and said he understood that I didn’t feel to eat. But he offered to grab a restaurant in the city and bring me what I needed. He even ended up going to Walmart and grabbing a couple of things for me, such as the contact solution and hot hands. Lately I will not go without hot hands! It has been so cold, but they have made a big difference.

That was very ridiculously friendly on his part and makes me incredibly grateful how much he wants to help. Sometimes I feel bad when people want to get out of their way and help me. But it makes me feel better when I see him bringing joy. I can only expect someone to leave their way this year to support my trip, it is because it does something so much as for me. And for me, it is priceless and incredibly useful.

Being able to stay in the room and relax was a real gift. I went to bed and did a little more work. Then, after a while, Sprinter came with dinner, snacks and a couple of good ideas. Truly everything that might have needed and more to stay in the room to spend the night and knock down calories. It could simply have been a better situation. I ate and rest and tried to go to bed as soon as possible. It seems that tomorrow morning I will try to have a quite early start. Because I have some big mile days ahead to go through Colorado in a timely manner and return to Oregon to finish the PCT.

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