Colorado Trail: Day 5 – The hike

HIGHLIGHTS

Miles traveled: 19.3
Lift gain/loss: 3100/3600
Human Encounters: Brian (trying to do the CT in 21 days); Dan (trying to finish CT by July 10)
Low: Low energy in the morning due to lack of sleep.
High: See my family! Completed segments 1-6 a day earlier than planned!

TRAIL DIARY

I made a hot breakfast this morning since camping at 11,000 feet was my coldest campsite yet. I have been very impressed with my Sea to Summit Spark 15*F bag; I haven’t been cold while sleeping yet. It was nice to have a hot cup of coffee and breakfast burritos made with a freeze-dried backpacker meal.

About 2 miles into my hike, I stopped at the Middle Fork Swan River to filter water. There I met a fellow CT hiker, who is visiting the US from the Czech Republic in order to hike the CT. He was very excited to find out that I was from Nebraska and a quarter Czech.

After seeing the potential for camping around the North and Middle Fork Swan River, I really wish I had continued the extra 2 miles yesterday to camp in that area. I would have been with other people and probably slept much better.

Trail markers near the Middle Fork Swan River. For approximately 314 miles, CT and CDT will share the same trail.

After 10 more miles of hiking, Reid and Rocky found me during my hike! Reid provided *trail magic* with a homemade breakfast burrito, cold beer, energy drinks, and candy. I couldn’t eat everything he brought, so we shared beer and a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup with Brian.

Reid’s Trail Magic: A Breakfast Burrito, Cold Beer, and Cold Alani (as Rocky Looks Wistfully)

The whole family on the go! ~CT mile 96-100

We all walked the 4 miles back to Horseshoe Gulch, which turned out to be mile marker 100 on the CT!

100 miles down, 400 to go!

From Horseshoe Gulch, Rocky and Reid set out for a different trailhead, while I continued along the Colorado Trail to complete the final 4 miles of Segment 6.

At the end of segment 6, Reid and Rocky picked me up and took me back to Leadville. Then we went out for steak and wine at Quincy’s, which I had been dreaming about for days.

At Quincy’s in Leadville, I ordered the largest filet.

After dinner, I took care of my feet. Literally every toe has a blister besides the right heel. (I tried really hard: putting prophy tape on all known frequent hot spots; putting tape on each new hot spot; wearing toe protectors + socks; and retying my boots in a way that gave my toes more room. It seems like all the blister prevention methods that work for others don’t work for me.)

Tomorrow I will take my planned day zero in Leadville. I’ll slack pack segment 7 (Breckenridge to Copper Mountain), but I may add an extra zero day somewhere to allow my feet to heal. I will also be getting rid of my current hiking shoes (Topo Athletic Trailventures) and returning them to REI. I’ll look into other shoe options, but I may prefer my Altras (Lone Peak ALL-WTHR). I also get blisters intermittently, but not to the degree I’m currently experiencing. The downside to my Altras is their zero drop sole which usually irritates my Achilles tendon.

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