The People of Colorado
I have looked at this journal, and even I cannot figure out what is going on. There are lots of pictures of beautiful mountains, with snow on them. Not much else. I better update you a bit.
We could not start our hike at the beginning of the trail. It was closed due to flooding. Colorado got a ton of snow, and then a ton of rain, in May. We changed plans.
Teresa, a new friend, picked us up at our hotel, drove us to her home in the mountains, west of Denver at 8,500 ft.......introduced us to her three dogs, showed us around; where we could shower, do laundry, and cook, if we wished. Gave us our resupply packages that we had mailed to her, told us we could use her Pickup if we wanted to go into the town , and then.............. poof, left to teach a swimming class, while we set up our tents in her yard.
(We had originally planned to meet Teresa at a trailhead, after our first 4 days on the trail. Because of the two closed segments at the start of the trail, we called her from Denver. No problem. She said, she would pick us up at the hotel, on her way home from Golden. Teresa works all day for the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, then helps hikers the rest of her day. Oh yeah, and teaches swimming too.)
Her three dogs settled back to their routines shortly after she left. Their master gone, and three strangers in their home was just a typical day, in the household of a trail advocate, educator, and fellow mountain lover.
She took us to the trail the next morning at 6 AM.
(We had originally planned to meet Teresa at a trailhead, after our first 4 days on the trail. Because of the two closed segments at the start of the trail, we called her from Denver. No problem. She said, she would pick us up at the hotel, on her way home from Golden. Teresa works all day for the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, then helps hikers the rest of her day. Oh yeah, and teaches swimming too.)
Her three dogs settled back to their routines shortly after she left. Their master gone, and three strangers in their home was just a typical day, in the household of a trail advocate, educator, and fellow mountain lover.
She took us to the trail the next morning at 6 AM.
So we started at Segment Three of the CT, carrying very heavy packs. We got overly excited, and hiked too far the first day. I could not hike the second day. Well, I did a total of 4.5 miles, hobbling alone, all day! I started my five day prescription of Prednisone that my doctor had given me months earlier, to bring along on the hike, "just in case". Heck, I did not even need it till the second day! Hahaha.
( Wow. Experiencing the first really hard rain of this trip right now. Glad I am in this tent and that it does not leak. The temperature just dropped 20 degrees, in 20 minutes!)
( Wow. Experiencing the first really hard rain of this trip right now. Glad I am in this tent and that it does not leak. The temperature just dropped 20 degrees, in 20 minutes!)
Anyhow, at my insistence "Airborne" and "Sequoia" ventured on without me. They did nine miles, up and over a little (now) ridge of 10,500 ft. Airborne was seriously sickly the next morning...day three. They got off the trail. Got a ride from a "trail angel" about 80 miles to Frisco. And eventually, both flew home. Now that he is home and feeling better, "Airborne" is convinced that the medication he was taking to prevent Acute Mountain Sickness, from the elevation, is actually what caused his symptoms. AMS is serious stuff, nothing to mess with.......
"Sequoia" went home too, to make sure "Airborne" made it ok, and possibly because the mountain passes toward Copper Mountain, from Frisco were still impassable, at the time. I think it is also possible that "Sequoia" went home because he had already heard my whole life story; and most of my political, social, and religious, opinions..... in the three days that I knew him. ( We did two days of altitude acclimatization in Denver before we started).
"Sequoia" went home too, to make sure "Airborne" made it ok, and possibly because the mountain passes toward Copper Mountain, from Frisco were still impassable, at the time. I think it is also possible that "Sequoia" went home because he had already heard my whole life story; and most of my political, social, and religious, opinions..... in the three days that I knew him. ( We did two days of altitude acclimatization in Denver before we started).
If anyone is still reading this journal....I know that you can relate to poor "Sequoia"! Hahaha. In my defense, all I can say is that I was really....really..... excited about being in Colorado.
So "Airborne" and "Sequoia" were done hiking the CT early.
On my way to Breckenridge/Frisco, I met a whole bunch of hikers on the trail.
One new friend, who now has the trail name, "Bigby", suggested that since their was a mountain of unmelted snow ahead, we go back to Denver, when we got to Frisco, and hike the 28+ miles at the beginning of the CT that were previously closed, but soon to reopen. He is from that area, and volunteered his dad's home as a place to stay.
I said, "Maybe you want to ask your dad first?" Hahaha. "Bigby" is a great guy.
From Frisco, I went back to Denver, rode the lite rail south to Lone Tree, and "Bigby" picked me up at the station. And now I have a whole family of new friends...all of whom are amazing people. Remember....that I told you of the incredible help, kindness, and friendship, that hikers receive from others.
One new friend, who now has the trail name, "Bigby", suggested that since their was a mountain of unmelted snow ahead, we go back to Denver, when we got to Frisco, and hike the 28+ miles at the beginning of the CT that were previously closed, but soon to reopen. He is from that area, and volunteered his dad's home as a place to stay.
I said, "Maybe you want to ask your dad first?" Hahaha. "Bigby" is a great guy.
From Frisco, I went back to Denver, rode the lite rail south to Lone Tree, and "Bigby" picked me up at the station. And now I have a whole family of new friends...all of whom are amazing people. Remember....that I told you of the incredible help, kindness, and friendship, that hikers receive from others.
The closed part of the trail opened on Friday. I stayed with "Bigby's" Family on Friday,
and we started hiking the trail on Saturday..... with a whole mob of other Colorado Trail Hikers.
A herd of hikers had been backed up, waiting for segment one, at Waterton Canyon, to reopen.
"Bigby" slipped and tore (actually two small tears) his flexor muscle, on our second day down there. ("Bigby" is 28, fit, and blazingly fast....and has a career. He is at his parents, and hiking the CT, for the second time, because of a job change.) He had a doctors appointment, could not hike on Monday, so his dad drove me all the way back up to Frisco, a week ago, so I could hike. "Bigby" and I, had initially planned to jump ahead to Leadville.... but the snow melted so fast that The Ten Mile Range near Copper Mountain was declared passable. I picked up the trail where I had left it at Frisco.
"Bigby's" doctor told him that the tears shown on the MRI would probably not get worse from hiking, so he is back on the trail......and I have seen him three times, including today.
A herd of hikers had been backed up, waiting for segment one, at Waterton Canyon, to reopen.
"Bigby" slipped and tore (actually two small tears) his flexor muscle, on our second day down there. ("Bigby" is 28, fit, and blazingly fast....and has a career. He is at his parents, and hiking the CT, for the second time, because of a job change.) He had a doctors appointment, could not hike on Monday, so his dad drove me all the way back up to Frisco, a week ago, so I could hike. "Bigby" and I, had initially planned to jump ahead to Leadville.... but the snow melted so fast that The Ten Mile Range near Copper Mountain was declared passable. I picked up the trail where I had left it at Frisco.
"Bigby's" doctor told him that the tears shown on the MRI would probably not get worse from hiking, so he is back on the trail......and I have seen him three times, including today.
On Saturday he texted a friend by GPS (no phone service), and asked if she and her husband would drive me into Leadville, so I could get to the PO to pick up my resupply box, before the 4th of July Holiday. They did take me to Leadville, and gave me their phone number, in case I needed more help.
Wow!
Oh yeah, and my own gimpy knee has been "mighty gimpy". One day, before I got to Kenosha Pass, which is early in this hike, a woman, that I have never met is approaching me from the other direction....and yells out,
"Hey Hawkeye!!". Then she asks about my knee. She tells me that I can come to their house and recuperate for a couple of days, if I want. She tells me that she just put "Wooly" and "Skunk", back on the trail. They had been at her house for two days, because "Wooly" had gotten fluid in his lungs , at the same spot that "Airborne" got sick. I knew those lads..... so I asked her, if she took in their dog too? And she laughed, and said, "Of course". It turned out that I had met her husband and daughter earlier, on the trail. They are biking and hiking the trail. They rode by me later that day, and her husband asked, "Hawkeye. Are you coming with us? Should we wait for you at Kenosha Pass?"
I said "No, thank you. I think I can make it to Frisco."
Now, all of a sudden, assisted by the magic of Prednisone, my knee is getting better...not a youthful knee, but way better than it has been! Whew!
"Hey Hawkeye!!". Then she asks about my knee. She tells me that I can come to their house and recuperate for a couple of days, if I want. She tells me that she just put "Wooly" and "Skunk", back on the trail. They had been at her house for two days, because "Wooly" had gotten fluid in his lungs , at the same spot that "Airborne" got sick. I knew those lads..... so I asked her, if she took in their dog too? And she laughed, and said, "Of course". It turned out that I had met her husband and daughter earlier, on the trail. They are biking and hiking the trail. They rode by me later that day, and her husband asked, "Hawkeye. Are you coming with us? Should we wait for you at Kenosha Pass?"
I said "No, thank you. I think I can make it to Frisco."
Now, all of a sudden, assisted by the magic of Prednisone, my knee is getting better...not a youthful knee, but way better than it has been! Whew!
So.....I am now 185 miles into this hike, and have made a whole bunch of new friends!
One more thing I should probably mention about this state, in addition to it's beautiful people; (yes..... others not detailed here have helped me too)..... is that Colorado is spectacularly beautiful!!
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