Hiking Together: Meetup: Day 24 – Wednesday 8/5/2020 – 1666.9 – clear, warm, monsoon clouds afternoon. Justin will be hiking with me today. I woke first at 4:45 am, packed up and started hiking at 5:35 am until Monarch Lake Trailhead where I stopped to wait for him. He woke at 5:30 am, drove the Jeep to the Monarch Lake Trailhead where he parked the Jeep and joined me. We started on the flat and then in two miles we started climbing 2000’ for the next 3 miles. After the climb we had many smaller ups and downs. We stopped for snacks twice, and for a 30-40 minute lunch with only 2.5 miles to go. After lunch we met a hiking family who told about climbing Grays Peak and how steep and perilous it was. They recommended the Silverthorne alternative. We arrived at our campsite about 3:15 pm and put up our tents. We discussed the two alternatives. I’m leaning towards the Silverthorne alternative. I’ve got to make a decision soon. It is right after Berthoud Pass. It really is nice to have Justin here to discuss my options with me.
Me sitting on a log at our campsite with my tent in the back and Justin’s tent in the front. Tomorrow I’ll continue southbound whereas Justin will return northbound to the Jeep at the Monarch Lake Trailhead. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)We are right next to the trail and a stream. For the rest of the afternoon groups of day hikers pass by. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)
Meetup: Day 23 – Tuesday 8/4/2020 – 1652.3 – partially cloudy, sunny, hot, cloudy. I woke at 5:10 am, Justin drove me to the trail, and I was on trail at 6:10 am. A little later than my normal daily start time. I was slack pack hiking along fine by the lake shore. Then after 2 miles the trail splits. While I’m hiking I’m listening to an audible book. I come to a fork in the trail. One fork is blocked with cut tree trunks so I go the other way. The trail is clear and easy. After a while I check and I AM OFF TRAIL! What?! It’s been 0.7 mile since the junction. Back I go to the fork. The actual trail was the blocked fork. Argh! And it has lots of blowdowns – no wonder it is blocked. I just lost 1.5 miles or wasted about 35-40 minutes. Grrrr! And then later I think it merged into the same trail. Maybe I could have continued on the first trail. Oh well. It was a mess. After a while later I meet two 300-mile section hikers – Queso and Chips. I chat with them a few minutes and moved on. I get to the last 5 miles which is a 600’ climb. At the top I stop and tell Justin via InReach these delays have set me back about an hour [“Ok i am running an hour late” Aug 4, 2020 12:27 PM]. He’s said that he’s having problems getting a campsite. I’ve finished my audible book and started another. It’s hot and I haven’t had my second morning snack. The campsite is in sight but stop and eat a Clif bar and drink my lemonade. At 12:15 pm I arrive to find Justin waiting at his Jeep. He and I wait to see if any site opens. He meets a couple who have reserved a site but are moving to another one. So we pay and take over their old site. Justin needed to find out about overnight parking, because he is planning to hike with me tomorrow and afterwards he can return to the parked Jeep the next day. He doesn’t need a campsite just a parking spot. While he is away I set up my tent. Just as I’m finishing a family pulls up and says they have a reservation for this exact site. Oh my what should I do? I tried to explain that Justin set all this up, but he’s not here. We walk over to the campground manager, where Justin is, to resolve the conflict. Luckily she found us another spot. So down goes my tent, we move, and I put my tent back up. Finally we are settled. Justin helps me plan the next four days with climbs above 13K. Dinner was great: Trout with Rice. Yum! We chat and enjoy each other’s company.
A subtle CDT trail marker on a walkway in the town of Grand Lakes CO taken by Justin after dropping me off for my slack pack hike around the lake to Arapaho Bay Moraine Campground. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)Great trout with rice dinner by master chef Justin. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)Our final campsite at Arapaho Bay Moraine Campground. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)
Meetup: Day 22 – Monday 8/3/2020 – 1639.8 – clear, cloudy, no rainy, gusty winds. I woke at 4:45 am and Justin drove me back to Bowen Gulch at 5:45 am to slack pack to and through Grand Lake CO. It’s about 10 miles. I needed a break from all the climbing which was wearing me out. I got to the Grand Lake Trailhead via the RMNP Alternative. While hiking I saw a moose cow and its calf. Then he picked me up and we went back at the Winding River campground to relaxed. Justin made a tasty and very filling sandwich: toasted bread, bacon, egg and cheese. Yum! I did some chores – laundry and free hot showers. The shower was wonderful – a highlight. It’s helping me feel less stressed. Oh and tonight is ribeye steak, and corn chips with bean dip. He is such a great cook. I am very spoiled.
We didn’t have time to do much planning. Justin and I live one day at a time. So when he tried to get a wilderness pass to hike in RMNP we were unsuccessful. Instead there is a bypass AKA an alternative which I slack packed today. As I rounded a corner I came upon a moose and her moosling (cow and calf). Quickly I snapped this picture and moved on. All the moose that I’ve encountered so far are not frightened of people so they do not run away. Instead these massive animals just stand there and stare back at you.
Moose cow and calf in Rocky Mountain National Park
Meetup: Day 21 – Sunday 8/2/2920 – 1612.5 – clear, sunny, hot, cloudy. I woke late at 5:12 am and was on trail at 5:55 am. Today I had three climbs. The first was on a forest road and I missed a turn. I was at the “top” and eating a snack when a mountain biker comes up. We chat and he rides off. I look at my location and realize I’m not on the trail. I had missed the turn off about 0.2 miles back and down. The trail had split from the forest road and I was so focused on climbing that I went right by it. Down I went, got to the actual trail, and up I climbed again. The second climb was hard too. I had to do 25-counts. Then on the last climb I was nearly there, only 0.5 miles, when I heard a voice. It was Justin and saw him walking towards me. He had climbed 3000’ over 7 miles to get to Bowen Pass. He brought Cokes! We ate lunch and proceeded to hike back to his Jeep! It took 3 1/2 hours back and we got there at 4:00 pm. He drove us to the Winding River Resort where we are staying tonight. I need a break so tomorrow I’m slack packing 10 miles to Grand Lake CO on an alternative route because we can’t get a permit to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. At the end he’s going to pick me up and we will stay overnight again at this same campground. The day after that I plan on slack packing again beyond Grand Lakes CO. This is all to give me a break which I desperately need. These climbs have been wearing me out! We had pancakes for dinner and now I’m stuffed!
A happy selfie after our surprise meeting just before Bowen Pass in the trees behind us. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)On the way down from Bowen Pass Justin and I encountered our first moose. We waved our hands over our heads and yelled at it, but the moose just stood there – unflappable. So after a few minutes of impasse we went off trail through brush and over blown down trees until we passed it and then continued on our way. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)Waiting in the Jeep with a big smile on my face as Justin signs us into the Winding River campground. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)A few days ago Justin asked if there was anything I wanted for dinner so I suggested pancakes and sausage. He came through! (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)Our campsite at Winding River. Me in my ground-based tent and Justin in his roof-top one. I am preparing Justin’s day-pack for the next day’s slack pack on an alternate trail around Rocky Mountain National Park. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)
Day 20 – Saturday 8/1/2020 – 1595.6 – clear, cool, clouds in afternoon, no rain, but threatening. I woke at 4:45 am and was on trail at 5:35 am. I started wearing my down vest, but quickly took it off. I was too hot. The climbs were very tough. They were about 2500’ straight up. I did lots of counting to 25 steps with pauses to catch breath. I went from pole/cairn to pole/cairn straight up the side of mountain through grass, scrub brush and rocks. It was very very hard, slow and exhausting. However, I saw wonderful views though. I summited Parkview mountain around 10:45 am. Then it was very long descent on a knife edge and switchbacks. I started to get hot with the sun beating down. It took forever to get to my next water, but there was no place to put up my tent. I hiked on but rain clouds looked threatening so tossed down my tent on a slope. Ugh! And then it never rained but I’m here and settled. After resting a bit I walked back to get more water. I sweated a lot today. Now I’m sitting in my tent chillin’.
Panoramic picture with Parkview mountain in the distance. If you zoom in you’ll see the building on the summit.
