Clutch, Dayhiker, Tourist and I got back to trail early afternoon and got a quick 15 miles in up from Cumbres Pass before dark. The elevation and lack of sleep affected our legs as we climbed above 12,000 ft (3660m), but we pushed through it and we're rewarded with great northward to the 10,000 ft plateaus and mountains that we will walk through for the next month or so.
The snow has melted considerably since the early starters walked through 3-4 weeks ago and we were only left with patches of slushy snow, fields of mud and ankle deep water on the first and second days. We saw a lot more wildlife than previous sections, regularly encountering elk and deer, and got to see a pair of grouse sitting right on the trail.
We found a campsite on he north fork of the conejos river - possibly the best camp spot i have ever had hiking. We slept on a terraced slope under pines and faced eastward, looking up to the divide and back down the lush grassed and forested river valley. To the north a crescent moon was setting just after sunset in a deep blue sky against bright red whisps of cirrus cloud. It was surreal.
The next day was the hardest we have had on trail. We started with a steep 1000 ft route finding mission through forest up to the saddle above the fork, followed by a series of snowy side slopes and a couple of passes. A few sections were steep and sketchy walking accross slippery snow, but we shared the lead taking turns kick steps in the snow and went slow across the dangerous sections. I was impressed when thinking about the early starters who had an extra 3-4 feet of snow to walk through on the same section. The whole day we had amazing views of green river valleys and snowy mountains. If this is only the start of Colorado, I can't wait for what is in store for us for the rest of the state.
706 miles and 44 days down. Pagosa Springs, CO.
