Daily Log: Day 58

Meetup: Day 58 – Tuesday 9/8/2020 – 2213.0 – cloudy, windy, rain, thunder. I wanted to sleep in for 15 minutes, but I got up at 5 am. I packed up and headed out with my puffy on. I started a climb, but the slope is now more gentle. My second climb was a bit steeper, but no longer a long one. I left Colorado and entered New Mexico after 2.5 miles. I saw no sign announcing the State change. I listened to the Boys in the Boat audio book. I got to FDR 87 and to Justin at about 11:30 am. It was still quite early in the day. I encountered no rain during my hike. I had a soda and snack. I set up my tent in the lee side of a large pine tree to protect me from the wind and hopefully snow too. Justin parked the Jeep next to me to further block the wind. The split in my right thumb hurts. My left little toe is bandaged as is my right third toe. We are hanging out.

I put up my tent behind the tree to block the wind. We assumed that the tree may also block any snow too, but that was hopeful dreaming. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)
Justin also moved the Jeep closer to block the wind. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)
At 7 PM the snow began to fall. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)
Soon it began to cover the tent sides. While inside my tent I would hit the sides every 5 minutes to knock the snow off and down. I finally gave up and went to sleep. At midnight I woke up and all the sides were deep in snow. I got my shoes on and crawled out. All around the sides I hand dug out the tent. It took a while. I got back in and tried to sleep, but I was cold. About 3:30 AM I put on my Patagonia base layer, but I was still cold. Snow is still falling and I’m trying to get some more sleep. (Photograph Courtesy of J. Watt)