To be continued …

Date: 7/21/2016 Day: Distance: start: stop: Elevation: 9300 ft Others Here: none Camp: Winter Park, CO Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported me and followed my progress on this journey.  It means the world to me.   Yesterday, I decided to go ahead and suspend my hike at Berthoud Pass.  Since I had just about the most perfect day possible, I reasoned that would be the best way to finish for this year. I am sorry to disappoint, but as I have already mentioned, the draw of family has become stronger than the desire …

On top of the world

Date: 7/20/2016 Day: 63 Distance: 18 miles start: 6:30 am stop: 2:00 pm Elevation: 11257 ft Others Here: none Camp: Winter Park, CO What a day!  I couldn't have asked for any better. God granted crystal blue skies all the way across the divide today.   I woke to clear skies and hiked the 18 miles above treeline suspended between 11000 and 13000 feet simply enraptured.  It was stunningly beautiful; more so than I am able to convey.  As I descended back into tree line before Berthoud Pass, the dark clouds started to gather and I could see storm clouds and …

Grays and blue skies

Date: 7/19/2016 Day: 62 Distance: 17 miles start: 8:30 am stop: 6:00 pm Elevation: 11257 ft Others Here: none Camp: Herman Gulch ; tenting It rained most of the night and when I awoke at 5:30 was still raining.  I had hoped for an early start but due to the rain I didn't begin until 8:30.  Even with the late start, I was able to make it to Grays summit at 14270 ft by 11:30.  On the way I saw a couple juvenile mountain goats.  There was a fair amount of rock scrambling; perhaps half a mile, though it felt …

Turn right

Date: 7/18/2016 Day: 61 Distance: 8 miles start: 11:00 am stop: 2:00 pm Elevation: 11257 ft Others Here: none Camp: Argentine Pass trailhead ; tenting I slept late and then hung around camp until 11 since I only had 8 miles today.   About 1pm I passed the road to Keystone  which is only a 4 mile walk and it took all my willpower to turn right toward argentine pass.  I want to at least get to Grand Lake and then decide whether or not it is time to go home.   We'll see what happens between here and there. I'll summit …

Head trouble

Date: 7/17/2016 Day: 60 Distance: 20 miles start: 7:30 am stop: 5:00 pm Elevation: 10985 ft Others Here: none Camp: Montezuma road; tenting I have had a difficult time getting myself back in the right frame of mind for this hike.  As a result, I slept in this morning and had a late start.  I made it the 10 miles to Georgia pass by about 1pm.  Since I had 15 miles above treeline I decided to skip lunch and try to move quickly.  It turns out that missing lunch was probably not a good idea. My state of mind worsened …

Back on the trail

Date: 7/16/2016 Day: 59 Distance: 10 miles start: 2:30 pm stop: 7:30 pm Elevation: 11228 ft Others Here: none Camp: tenting It was something of a struggle to get back on the trail after so many days off and after having such a great time with my family.   It was very difficult to walk off down the trail instead of riding back to Texas with them.   However, I knew I just had to close my mind to those thoughts and set my feet on the trail and my face toward Canada.  It was a slow day because my pack is …

Uncle Dale

Date: 7/3/2016 Day: 58 Distance: 14 miles start: 6:30 am stop: 2:00 pm Elevation: 9075 ft Others Here: Linus Cloudbuster, Pellet (CB'S friend who lives in Breckinridge) Camp: Pellet's apartment We walked gown to the Copper Mountain resort this morning but there were no restaurants open before 7am so we continued on our way toward a Conoco on the highway.  It had a coffee shop which delayed our start for the day until 8:30.  While at the coffee shop I learned that Uncle Dale's condition has worsened. Climbed the 1500 or so feet to the ridge and enjoyed a mostly …

Hush

Date: 7/2/2016 Day: 57 Distance: 24 miles start: 8:30 am stop: 7:00 pm Elevation: 9990 ft Others Here: Linus Cloudbuster Camp: Above Copper Mountain Resort; Tenting Mark 4:39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. I know there is a big gap between this post and the last.  I don't have the means to include pictures right now so decided to wait on those.  Also there has been a big change in my plans and wanted to explain so no one …

Waunita Hot Springs Ranch 2

Date: 6/26/2016 Day: 51 Distance: 0 miles start: stop: Elevation: 9052 ft Others Here: No other hikers Camp: Staying with the Pringles I am unable to include pictures at this moment.  I will add them layer tonight or tomorrow (7/4/16). Well, I ended up staying an extra night.  I couldn't say no and believe the rest will do me good. My stay here has been fantastic. Rod and Junelle are such wonderful people.  No wonder they have generations of families returning to the ranch for 20+ years. I surely did need the rest and am so happy I stayed another …

Waunita Hot Springs

Date: 6/25/2016 Day: 50 Distance: 22 miles start: 6:15 am stop: 3:15 pm Elevation: 9052 ft Others Here: No other hikers Camp: Staying with the Pringles Beautiful hike between Marshall and Monarch Pass today.   I am thankful that there was no afternoon thunderstorm. I had only planned to stay one night but Mrs Pringle assumed I would be staying two nights.  How could I turn down this hospitality from such a sweet older lady.  The rest should be good for me, and home cooked meals won’t hurt either.  I plan to go with them to church tomorrow. I only hope …