reaching Monarch Pass

Mishap and I were walking early, and soon found Lemonhope, Leftovers and Gargoyle camped a bit further up. Roughly as a group, we make our way up and over multiple passes to reach a junction for a popular alternate route up San Luis Peak. It was a no brainer for me -- I'll stick to the standard route! I was plenty tired already from all the climbing. I went down into a long valley that arced to the north after five miles or so. 

For the next few days, we'd spend much time below  10,000 feet. The next day, Mishap and I crossed a great plain. We spent a lot of time laughing and joking, which was a great distraction. I told her the story my mom often told about me falling on the ground and acting hurt, saying "look what you made me do!" Later, in the middle of a giggling fit, she did the same. Hilarious day... Oh, we also hit 1000 miles on the official trail.

Mishap targets a butterfly.

The next day had punishing elevation gain and loss on forested ridges with little water. The trail was full of awkwardly shaped rocks, and mosquitoes began to attack. I ended up with bites all over my shoulders and arms. For the fifth day out from Lake City, we finally climbed back into mountains, making a scenic tour along s great curving ridge that finally brought us to Monarch Pass at the end of another long day. Gargoyle and I got a ride into Salida from a nice retired couple. They dropped him off downtown, and I found a motel with a room on hotel row. Mishap and Leftovers arrived at the pass an hour or so later and got a ride to Haydukes Hideout, a unique volunteer donation based hiker hostel out by the Walmart. I'd stay there the next night happily.

We met for pancakes in the morning and a trip to Walmart in an aging truck loaned to Mishap by the owner of the Hideout. Later, I'd use the truck to pick up all Amazon package with new shoes, and a replacement hiker spoon and headlamp to replace the ones I lost in Silverton. Also, Mishap gave Leftovers and I a lesson in choosing a greater variety of food at Walmart. We ended up with a huge food bag for the next four day stretch to Twin Lakes.

Google, Mishap, Leftovers and Gargoyle at breakfast in Salida.

Haydukes Hideout. Washer and dryer, shower, kitchen, places to sleep on the floor or outside.

Gargoyle and his resupply at Walmart.

But this was appropriate, because we needed to eat more food with the enormous elevation gain and loss in the typical Colorado hiking day.

Sunday night we got take out Thai food, watched TV, and prepared for the next, harder stretch of trail. Blueberry sent me a picture of an intimidating snow slope below Lake Ann Pass. I'd mailed my snow gear forward, and was a little worried about navigating it.

gulp. Okay....

I trusted that it would work out. In the morning, a couple from Indiana picked all four of us up and took us back to Monarch Pass for our trip further north.

hitching is working really well in Colorado.