Zoso
So this is the trail, all 487 miles of it. I’ll be starting at Waterton Canyon and proceed southwest to Durango. So far I plan on 4 stops to resupply at Breckenridge (mile 104.4), Beuna Vista (215.9), Creede (342.6) and Silverton (410.7). There’s also a chance I might stop at Twin Lakes Village (175.2) since it’s so close to the trail . . . .I’ll see how my feet feel. I have a 40 day window to make it to Durango or my flight home will leave without me . . . With a couple days of zero miles I should be averaging 15+ miles a day which while sitting in my comfortable home typing away seems doable. You can find my itinerary here.
My plan is to fly into Denver arriving mid morning then mail my luggage back home (duffel bag/gun case) and pick up some supplies that I won’t be able to board an aircraft with (stove fuel). Hopefully I will make it to the trail-head by early afternoon and get a few miles in before it gets dark . . . . standby for my first post!
June 26 – Night before departure.
After sorting and scrutinizing my gear to many times to count my pack weight is 25lbs with all my gear. It is more than I had planned but my need for camera gear has won over reason so far. My initial hike before resupply is planned for 8 days so my pack gets another 10lbs of food. I have a water capacity of 6 liters which when full during dry segments will add another 13lbs. To top it off my stove fuel will add another 20 oz. Yeah, my pack could weigh in at the high forties. Good grief!
My flight departs at 6am tomorrow….arrive Denver at 10am. I’ve decided to stay overnight in Denver to give myself time to find some final supplies and mail home my lugguge. My journey begins Sunday morning. I’m pumped. :)
Hello from Breckenridge! July 4
I’m glad to have completed 20% of my adventure and to finally be in cell range so I can post some piks.
Just to let everyone know…I’m doing great and thanks to the good folks at Advil and Aleve I’m able to persevere.😁 The trail isn’t what I expected with the endless climbing being the surprise. It’s like being on a Stairmaster for 10hrs a day with 45 lbs on your back. Now that I’m out of the wilderness I’m mailing home 10lbs worth of gear…including my gun (I’d sleep through a bear attack), emergency transmitter, camera ( my phone covers it), and a few pounds of odds and ends. I’ve learned the key to this hiking thing is all about weight…..and too much of it can sour the experience.
So these are representative of the daily scenery so far….photos do the landscape almost no justice. After crawling to peaks for hours the summit’s are just beyond words. I really wish that I had my girls around to share them with.
I have met some characters on my journey too. They have all been very kind and I kindred types. A med student from of all places Miami has issued me my trail name…..Heavy Metal. She thought my gun warranted it …..Hard to argue with her. In return I gave her the name Chapstick after she confessed to have lost hers, then miraculously found one on the trail, cut off the top part, then proceeded to use it! I thought the name was kind.😉
So that will be it for this first post. I’ll submit more in a few days….my next stop will be in 112 miles. The trail ahead has been closed due to weather but I’m hoping it will be open by the time I get there. So far it’s been sunny during the AM hours with cold rain, lighting and lots of hail thereafter. Fun!
P.S Fell asleep last night to the sound of coyotes howling! They were close.
Love to all…..
Heavy Metal