Meetup: Day 64 – Monday 9/14/2020 – 2305.9 – clear, sunny, hot. I woke at 5 am. I packed up, ate breakfast and was on trail about 5:45 am. I started with a descent and a flat. My first and only climb was steep and hard to follow. I had lost the trail. But then near the ridge’s top I saw a sign to my right “Horses left” and “Hikers right”. I had found the trail again. At top the ridge was flat. Later on I was trying to follow the trail but I lost it again. I was deep in the forest. The track was obscured by many blow downs. I wondered if I’d get lost in there, but I just keep pushing forward and using my Guthooks app to confirm my location and direction time and again. I made it through, but it slowed me down. I sent Justin an InReach message saying I’d be late [“At 2312.2, very slow going, expect me to be later than planned.” Sep 14, 2020 1:46 PM]. Then I had to cross a meandering stream a number of times. In the hot late afternoon I arrived at Rio Chama parking lot where I found Justin at 4 pm. It was a long day. We had PackIt Gourmet pizzas. I added pie, cookies and tootsie roll pops as dessert too. Tomorrow’s hike starts with a 3.7 mile climb. There is no water on this section so I’ll start with 3.7 L and conserve conserve conserve.
