What a late start. We didn’t get into camp till half past seven, so I took a little extra time getting ready. Hogged Up and I mutually agreed on going our own way. It’ll give her and John quality hiking time together and honestly, I’m ready to venture out solo for a few days. I like taking the higher routes, and Hogged Up would rather take the lower paths. It all works out and we both get to hike our own hike!

Today had tons of elevation with peaks, ridges and mountains to overcome, literally. I headed towards Berthoud Pass and into Vasquez Peaks Wilderness. The route was covered in fir and spruce trees for the first few miles. Then it opened up to Alpine Meadows with lots of rocks, some scree and my not-so favorite, bouldering.

I was watching the clouds and knew I had little time to get up and over the summit. Sundial and Spirit caught up with me as I started the switchbacks that seemed to go on forever. I climbed to over 12,000’ only to realize there were a few more peaks to bag. After an hour or so, I arrived at Stanley Mountain 12,499’ . It just couldn’t squeeze out that last foot.

Once I was headed down, it started snowing. This is my first bonafide snow flurry. I’ve had ice and hail, rain and slush but no snow! I was covered from head to thighs with layers of warmness. It felt so nice having snow instead of rain. Light, fluffy white cotton falling down on me. It lasted a minute or two and then, as fast as it started, it stopped. Must be God warning me of what’s ahead.

Vasquez Peaks Wilderness lives up to its namesake. There are peaks and mountains in every direction. They are so colorful with the different mineral deposits and multi-colors from the trees changing seasons. This will rank as one of my top ten favorite days in Colorado!

The downhill was a bit much. The tips of my toes were feeling it as it was a pretty intense vertical grade. To the south was Lower Urad Reservoir which was dammed up like Hoover! Then this huge mining operation was southwest from the trail, directly below me. It looked so out of place in the midst of this vast and rugged wilderness.

After a few more miles, I found a home for the evening. It was up on a bluff protected by trees, with a wee little creek below. Home sweet home. I have everything I could need or desire. I pitched my tent and like clockwork, a little sprinkle showered my tent. Nothing too crazy but just a warning of more to come.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ NLT‬‬

Frost was everywhere. On my tent, on the ground, and in the meadow. It was hard getting out of my Durston because it was so cold outside. But we had some miles to do, and time was wasting. Hogged Up was busy readjusting the planned miles and found a better way. A short cut?

Once on the trail, Hogged Up and John led the way. We had planned to meet up at the first water source. The trail was good, but the road was better. It didn’t shave any miles but cut down on some unnecessary elevation. We already had a ton of climbing ahead, so any help we could get, I was onboard. And for a super bonus, there was a trash can along the way so we emptied our garbage, and our unneeded weight.

Once we merged back onto the CDT, we headed towards the creek. There was some great views this morning and one being Devils Thumb. It was well named, quite menacing and towering above everything else. Hogged Up and John stopped for lunch and I was a bit behind them. They are faster so my lunch break gets cut short. You would think this should spur me to walk faster!

We headed up towards Devils Thumb and climbed 2700’ in about three miles. The first two miles was through a burned area until we were above tree line. Then the terrain turned to Sub-Alpine and then my favorite, Alpine. There was soft mosses, grasses, willows and tundra. The views were expansive. Our original itinerary was to camp at tree line, but everyone was feeling good, so we pushed onward.

At 12000’ , I realized this was gonna be a long day! Hogged Up and John were long gone, and I was traversing some exposed and windswept mountain tops. It was incredible with views to Keystone, Dillon, Breckenridge and all places between. The only thing on the peaks besides me and Norman were pikas and tiny white butterflies.

This was one of the first ridge lines that I wasn’t either walking in the rain, shrouded in clouds or being chased by thunderheads! It was such a perfect afternoon and I had it all to myself!

I met up with the crew at Rollins Pass. I climbed over the cattle fencing and Hogged Up grabbed my pack. Just as I was getting settled for a break, they were up and ready to go. Here lies the problem. I am slower and they are faster. These two are the same ages as my two grown children, which makes them much younger than I. So I am not in any way, shape or form going to keep up with them. So I stayed put and asked if I could indulge in a ten minute break? Five minutes later, they had their packs on and ready to go. Well, at least I had five minutes.

We headed down the road and found our water supply, and made camp a bit later than usual. But we did the miles, the weather was amazing and I’m snug in my tent, and going to sleep well tonight. As I look back on today, I need to reflect on my weaknesses. My pace is not John and Sabine’s pace. I can’t and probably shouldn’t try to keep up with them. Especially if I want to continue this sojourn without being sidelined. But with all that being said, God is with me and He has a plan. He is building me and I just need to allow myself to accept where I am and who He is, in me.

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a gorgeous night I had last night. There is a half moon which means it’s like a full moon in the burbs. It’s so bright and seems like someone is shining a spot light on my tent! The stars were out and I just had to take a peek.

Having John here is a nice reprieve. We can dial our miles down a bit and concentrate more on having a mixed bag of elevation with little miles or long miles with little elevation. 3000’ didn’t seem too bad as it was spread out from early morning to early afternoon.

The sun shined today so that’s almost two days in a row. I’m counting yesterday, even though we had sporadic sprinkles, because we had more sunshine than rain. And that’s a big win on this wet trail.

We broke away from the Colorado River and meandered towards Lake Granby. It also is quite low, but still had enough water for fishermen to fish and troll. Once we started climbing, Hogged Up pointed out the snowy peaks to the north. They did not have snow on them prior to this week, so this is getting real!

I guess you get to pick your poison. Do you hike Nobo and have snow already accumulated and posthole for miles? Or do you head Sobo knowing you will get snowed on while you’re hiking? I’ll choose Sobo as I would much rather have a bit of snow falling as I hike, rather than stepping into feet of hard crusty snow as I hike. But that’s me. There’s more than double that choose Nobo over Sobo journeys.

We headed down to Granby Lake Country Store. It’s a camp store so they should have something good to eat. The gal behind the counter didn’t seem too interested in our wants and desires. Do you have any hot water for tea or coffee? No. Do you have sandwiches? We heard that those were an option. No, we don’t have sandwiches. Nobody was buying them so we discontinued them. What about anything hot to eat? If you’re not a guest, no! Hmm, well that was a bust! Luckily we didn’t walk too far out of our way. Have a nice day.

Up ahead was Monarch Lake so we planned to have lunch there. We sat and I indulged in my packed tuna, tortillas, cucumber and dried fruit with nuts. It was, oh so delicious and it gave me the calories so I could climb the last big hill. Monarch Lake is an Alpine Lake and has a four-mile loop trail that encircles the lake. We saw close to 30 day hikers and probably just as many dogs.

Once we finished our lunch, we started our climb up Mill Creek and back into Indian Peaks Wilderness. We ran into the same two guys I saw yesterday, Brad and Chris. They are hiking 50 miles over four days but have two trucks. So they park at one end and hike to the other end and pick up their vehicle, then do it again the next day. That’s brilliant! They seem so fresh and not winded at all. When the elevation is up, they park at the top and hike down! And vice versa. Well, I guess we’ll see them again tomorrow as we continue to climb Sobo.

We made it to a meadow which is near the Cabin. The squirrels are chirping, the chipmunks are hungry and I’m ready to crawl in my tent and warm up! Pretty easy day and don’t think we’ll get too crazy with extended miles until John gets acclimated. It’s all good!

So Hogged Up was all excited today when John showed her what he thought was slime mold. Hogged Up doesn’t get too excited about much so I had to see what all the fuss was about. When I looked at it, honestly I thought it was a piece of candy that someone spit out, but evidently it’s a slimy substance that is an organism.

Hogged Up explained that some country’s have studied the way these living creatures map out a route to obtain food. They will put them in a controlled area, put food in distinct areas that represent different cities on a map. Take Japan for instance. They will place food in Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto, and Mt Fuji. The slime will pick a line that uses the least amount of energy to obtain all the food. Supposedly, based on their route of choice, city planners have used this method to determine the best way to build new roads, highways and train tracks. Hard to believe that slime has an input on building our infrastructure. Hmm, maybe that’s what’s wrong with our road system!

“O LORD, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭104‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Rocky Mountain NP has a lovely town at its border. Grand Lake is right at the foot of the park and is one of three towns in which the CDT passes through town. I had a great opportunity to explore the town, eat much and fill up on some much needed calories, then relax. As Fearless was leaving this morning, a parade started outside my door. There were horses, fire and police vehicles, City Mayors and would be gubernatorial candidates, along with the High School Marching Band and many others.

Hogged Up was enroute from Granby, the neighboring town. Her husband John flew in from Maine and plans to hike with us for the next week. After packing up, I met the two of them at Blue Water Bakery in town. We had coffee and I indulged in a Raspberry Peach Scone that was incredibly delicious.

The trail took us out of town, across the bridge and onto a peninsula that wrapped around Grand and Shadow Mountain Lake. This route was just reopened, as there were nesting Ospreys that precluded hikers from entering this section. But the baby’s have hatched and we were free to continue south.

As we hit the fork in the road, we saw close to 15 or so Scouts sitting by the trail. When the three of us arrived, all eyes turned and before we knew it, Sabine, John and I were the new lesson plan! They had more questions about what we were doing, how long we had been out, where we were going and anything 12-14 years olds could fathom. It was so much fun sharing with them our story and hopefully, inspiring these girls to do the same.

The clouds started to buildup and we had a sprinkle or two, but nothing like we’ve had for the past few weeks. Our trail passed by the lakes, then through a low meadow with sagebrush and pines. Before long we had a brief climb and were hiking next to the Colorado River. The same river that rushes down the Grand Canyon. Here we are at the foot, where it’s much smaller and not nearly as powerful.

Colorado is in the midst of a severe drought and many of the rivers, streams, reservoirs and lakes are nothing compared to what they should be. Yet, they are still flowing and thankfully for us, we will never be without water. After a few more miles, we arrived at the southern terminus of RMNP. We camped on the bluff overlooking the Colorado River and commented on this being one of our nicest campsites in quite sometime.

The sun came out and warmed us up as we sat and watched a few boaters going up and down the river. Geese were getting ready to take flight to warmer destinations and we were building our homes for the evening. Hogged Up was as “happy as a clam” being the love of her life John, is here with her. And it became clear that the Lord rejoices with us, and showed His delight for his children.

“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.””
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

After weathering the storm, we are heading back to the trail. Rocky Mountain NP was hit by a terrible fire close to six years ago.

The 2020 Troublesome Fire was one massive, and destructive wildfire, and known as the second-largest fire historically in the State of Colorado. This fire burned 193,812 acres between its ignition on October 14, 2020, and its containment on November 30. The fire destroyed 555 structures and killed two people, devastating portions of the community of Grand Lake. The majority of the fire’s burned acreage and structural losses accrued on October 21, when the fire burned more than 100,000 acres in a single day.

Once I entered the Rocky Mountain NP, the entire 27 miles of the CDT was nothing but burned and charred. This is terribly unfortunate for the park, its visitors, the hikers passing through, and the animals of this region. Many of the thru-hikers were bypassing this section. The worst parts about walking and camping through burned areas, is the lack of places to pitch your tent, especially far enough away from widow makers. These are dead or burned trees that fall atop campers and yes, make the one left behind a widow.

I spent the night in Grand Lake, the quintessential small town bordering RMNP. It is considered another Gateway to the CDT. This town was celebrating Constitution Week so flags are flying, parades and festivals line the streets, and everything Constitutional is being shared. It’s a town with a declining population of 405 people, but you wouldn’t know it as there are hundreds of tourists arriving to commemorate 250 years! They have plenty of restaurants, shopping, coffee shops and even a Performing Arts Theater.

Jen and I spent the evening watching a production with six women called “Never Can Say Goodbye.” It was a tribute to the music of the 70’s with me and Fearless singing along at the top of our lungs! There were lots of costume changes with solos and plenty of dancing. The choreography was outstanding and the theatre was packed. I think the entire town was present!

I’m sure many of you are asking, so does Kelly actually hike, or does she just travel from town to town? Well, I am doing a bit of both! The only way to appreciate this trail is to get out and hike your heart out, but when you get an opportunity to immerse yourself in a small town, do that too! Of all the three trails that I’ve hiked, the CDT has lended itself to spending more time in towns, meeting locals and immersing yourself into a lifestyle that is so unlike city’s and metropolitan areas. I highly doubt that I will see myself doing this again. Let me rephrase that, I will never do this again! So I almost feel obligated to make the most of this trek, explore the area, knowing that I won’t be passing through on foot again. But with that being said, I just might kidnap my hubby George and take a road trip through this country. I love this part of the US. The people here live a slower and more relaxed pace of life. It has taught me more about taking care of each other, depending on one another in your daily lives, and really knowing what it means to love your neighbor! It is a pretty darn special place to walk through.

“Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”” Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭29‬-‭31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today was the first recorded snowfall in Colorado for this season. The peaks near Leadville at 13000’ experienced the first dusting of snow. It’s not melting like it typically does this time of year, so that tells me, it’s time to get serious about colder temperatures. Me and Hogged Up made the journey out of our tents around 8am. The rain was constant throughout the night, but finally took a welcome hiatus. Neither of us had any plans of packing up, or leaving our tents until the rain halted.

So if you have been following my blog, I wrote yesterday about plans. Well here we are again. We walked out to the road, a good five mile jaunt through marvelous aspens and willows. The road was wet, but the aspens stole the show! They are golden in color while others are changing to a mellow orange.

Once at the main highway, we had to make up our minds. Head back to the pass, start up the mountain and sit in our tent for the next two days. Or, hitch into Grand Lakes and wait this storm out at the Community Center. The Weather Channel showed a northerly progressive storm heading directly towards us, and was predicted to be overhead in less than four hours. There was no immediate threat but we wouldn’t have enough time to hump up and over the 12000’ pass which is above tree line, and back down to safety. What I had planned to do was camp at 11,500’ and hope for the best. Hunkering down in my tent with winds gusts sounds like a good time, but what sounds like a better time is being off the mountain all together! Lightning and thunder are wonderful to watch from the safety of a condo.

Jen had text us yesterday that she is in Keystone and has renewed her rental car for another week. Seriously? What are we thinking? So I called Jen and within two hours, we were on our way to Rocky Mountain NP in Grand Lake. I know, I know, when am I going to hike more than five days in a row? Probably when Jen rejoins us and we have no other option but to hike!

We made it to the park and went into the Visitor Center. Hogged Up made a bee-line to the Junior Ranger Program and picked up her booklet. This woman truly is a nerd at heart and forever inquisitive about all things factual and educational. So you know what we will be doing for the next week? Junior Ranger Program. Yeah!

We took a quick walk on the nature path with Jen. She hasn’t had much time to hike on dirt trails lately and this was a good test to see how she’s recovering. We headed towards the intersection of the CDT and Fearless did awesome! I think our girl will be back before we know it.

Afterwards, Jen drove us to Silverthorne where she had a PT appointment. She found a therapist in town and believes this will be her ticket back to the trail. The Physical Therapist confirmed that she has made great strides and should take a short four mile hike, then return, and get re-evaluated in a couple of days. Depending on her exam, she can increase her distance over the next week and start wearing her pack again. This is magic to my ears!

So I’m in the comforts of a nice condo, tucked into a cozy bed and hearing the rain from inside the confines of a nicely appointed room. I am truly the blessed one. Thank you Lord for another unexpected gift and not being drenched in the storm! You really know how to truly love me, watch over my safety and provide such an abundance of joy.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Before I started the CDT, I bought a new Garmin Enduro 3. It has lots of bells and whistles, but my biggest reason I purchased it was the tracking of distance and it is solar powered. What I wasn’t aware of is it tracks my sleep too. So when I woke up this morning after a fitful night of sleep, it immediately told me my sleep score was 10. 10?!?! Out of 100! That’s not going to help my hiking and it also reminded me that I may be irritable today. You think? And so my day started.

We had a good climb out of the gate and it was quite challenging. We were headed to the ridge line so it’s high altitude and we’re going up for the next six miles. We are in the Arapaho National Park headed towards Sheep Mountain. The views were stunning, as they are at 11,000’. I could see the fall colors of the Aspens and Willows in the valleys below, along with many of the small flowers and ground covering next to my feet.

As the morning went on, Hogged Up discovered a lower route that would keep us off the ridge line during the incoming thunderstorm. That sounded like a brilliant idea and being I had little energy to climb much more, was happy to oblige. We had lunch and grabbed some water at Troublesome Pass. First of all, if you name a pass troublesome, that doesn’t suggest clear sailing!

After lunch, the thunder rolled in and our decision was cemented. Let’s get off this mountain and take the lower route. This added another four miles to our day but it was warranted and a wise choice. And so we dropped in elevation, were rained and hailed on, had thunder and lightning all around us but instead of being up at 12,000 above tree-line, we were at 9,000’ with Aspens and Willows. And we lived to hike another day.

Sometimes, well I can honestly say, almost everyday on this trail we have big goals, grand plans and before long, we are adapting, changing and rerouting! It’s the nature of this trail. I have come to enjoy the nuances of the CDT. And this is why there is never a singular route that everyone follows. You can talk to ten hikers and seldom, if ever, will they follow the same path.

We made it to Willow Creek, which as the crow flys is close to five miles north of where we had planned to camp tonight. So tomorrow, if I dare to say, we will head back to the redline and continue our Sobo trek. But then, who knows? I guess I’ll just have to wait and see where God directs our steps.

“Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Steamboat Springs is such a cute town. It’s quite boujee with the fancy retail stores, gourmet foods and fine dining. I’ve done none of that, but have enjoyed walking the riverfront and indulged in the Sherpa Spice Restaurant that had some of the best tasting Nepalese cuisine in quite some time! And found ourselves soaking at Strawberry Hot Springs. By far, the nicest natural hot springs.

Jen went to PT today and after the full Monty, the therapist is certain that she has a high ankle sprain, which is great news! Within a couple of weeks, Fearless will be back on trail. So Hogged Up and I are heading back to the mountains, rain or shine we are going south!

The day of reckoning had light rain in the morning which is something new for me. But I am in Colorado where all things are possible. After stopping at the Post Office and Gear Shop, we are back to doing what we came here for, hiking. Jen dropped us off, but not before we picked up Long Story. I met him as I entered the Bob Wilderness. Long Story and Bumbleberry are the hikers that had the two dogs follow them 15 miles from East Glacier Lodge. I haven’t seen him since late June.

The day was pretty close to perfect. We had a good uphill that seemed to go on forever. The hunters are still out and I’m wearing my orange cap. I feel much safer with that knitted hat on. It’s funny what makes you feel invincible. There’s plenty of signs around reminding hunters to “make sure you know what’s in your scope before you fire!” Well that’s reassuring.

The views were magnificent today. Between the aspens changing colors to the high mountain ranges, it doesn’t seem to hurt as much, when hiking uphill. Even though our packs are plum full of food! The water situation is a bit sketchy but we camped next to Cross Creek and it had a strong flow. Long Story showed up within a few minutes and pitched his tent for the evening. We all had dinner and then jumped into our shelters. It is cold up at 10,500’ and there’s no sitting around after 7pm. Everyone is tucked away.

Jen is staying in Keystone at a friends’ condo. This is such a Godsend as it gives her a home base to recover and do some much needed PT. With the countless ski towns of Colorado, Keystone has much to offer. Jen is in luck being the Sports Therapists are well versed on all sorts of overuse injury’s. I suppose if there’s ever a good time to get injured, this was it! Jen has a lovely condo to stay in, with countless therapists to choose from, a hot tub and a place to land. God is so good!

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water…”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a sunrise we had this morning! It was one of the reddest, pinkish, orangiest sky I have seen in sometime. But it also was a warning of the weather we were about to inherit. The rain is a coming.

Today is a special day being we are crossing into our fourth state. Colorado, here we come! Our plan is to hike with Fearless to the border, hand in hand, step by step. Jen hasn’t been on trail for a week. It’s was time to see how her recovering plan is working.

We drove to the trailhead, packs in the car and off we went. It wasn’t too far to the border, about a mile or two. Fearless led the way and we followed close behind. I could tell she was still hurting and she definitely didn’t have her typical gait, but she was determined to cross over the Wyoming/Colorado Border.

As we came around the bend, there it was. The license plates of both states displayed on the ground with a makeshift border made of rocks. We did it. Three states down with only two to go! Colorado, we are glad to see you!

As we were celebrating, a large deer was spotted on the Wyoming side of the trail. Big and bold, yet all she was paying attention to was the chirping squirrel. And then it started to rain. With the sky so red this morning, I was sure we’d have a few sprinkles.

We headed down the trail and promptly returned back to the car. Well, now we had to make a decision. Should we, meaning me and Hogged Up head back to the trail, or stay with Fearless and drive to town? So we chose, drum roll please…. Head to town.

The drive welcomed us to the state of quaking aspens, fall colors and all its grandeur. Oh such tall, glooming peaks! The mountain in Colorado are something to behold. I believe that Colorado may win over my affection. And I love fall! It is, hands down, no questions asked, my favorite season of the year.

So now what? We made our way to Steamboat Springs, found a nice hotel near downtown and checked out what Steamboat had to offer. We swung by the Post Office, and Jen found a Sports Therapist that specializes in overuse injuries. The Physical Therapist listened to her limitations and had a fairly good assessment of her leg. He believes that Jen may be suffering from anterior tibialis tendinitis, a common but painful, overuse injury. His first available appointment would be early Monday morning. This was an answer to prayer as the Urgent Care Doctor she saw in Rock Springs, did little to acknowledge or access her injury. Now Jen is hopeful that she can receive physical therapy along with an exercise regimen, and should be back on trail in no time.

It seems that this trail has been nothing but pain, suffering and misery, yet we are still here. Unlike other treks that I have been on, the CDT truly has given me a run for my money. Everything that I thought I had planned for, is thrown by the wayside. And Fearless is a big part of my hike. She has been there with me through all the good days and the not-so good days. And I pray that she will finish this journey with me.

I know I need to prepare myself for what may or may not come, but for now, all I can think about is crossing that border, hand in hand with both, Fearless and Hogged Up. We are already planning what we will be wearing on that celebratory day! And of course, what champagne should we pop? Yes indeed, we will finish what we started!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We had such a nice night of sleep at the Agape House. When we met the lady in charge, she tied a purple ribbon on the front door knob to ensure that no one would walk in on us during our stay. We removed it this morning and headed back to the trail.

Today we were walking the Red Mountain Trail. I had no idea what that entailed but it would be a little up and a little down. I felt great this morning and was averaging 2.5 miles per hour, which isn’t breaking any speed records. But I knocked out eight miles in about three hours.

Sabine took off and that’s pretty much the way it goes. Without Fearless hiking, I’m on my own. My first encounter was three hunters with two llamas. They were looking for Elk but had no luck at all. Didn’t even see one from afar. But they had two full-sized llamas who were each carrying a 75 pound load! I think we need llamas! Sure would make my pack feel like a feather. Oh, if only!

I walked through plenty of meadows with small creeks and streams. Most were dry but occasionally I’d find some water trickling. I had filled up this morning so no need to hunt for water today. Around 11am, I understood why the trail was named the red mountain. It is part of the CDT but rather than creating a new extension, many times it uses existing trails. No point of developing a new one when there already is a fine piece of quality maintained dirt!

Red rocks must have fallen from the sky or pushed up from the earth below. Most likely the latter. Suddenly I was walking among these colorful stones. They were scattered all about, big huge boulders and smaller rocks. It went on for miles. Around the eight mile marker, I sat down, had lunch and just leaned against the biggest red boulder protruding from the earth! It was so massive that it provided shade for me, Norman and my pack.

The red rocks continued for another couple of miles, then veered towards the road where Fearless was awaiting. The trail took an abrupt turn with many brief, yet steep climbs. Just when I thought I was done, I would find one more climb up a hill and through the forest. Finally, after a nice descent, I found my friends. Hogged Up was slumbering on her mat and Fearless greeted me with an icy cold sparkling water. This has been bittersweet having Fearless meeting us at the end of the day, rather than hiking with us. But we sure do appreciate all she is doing!

Jen found Hog Lake Reservoir and drove us to our evening campsite. It’s a large lake that was absolutely deserted. I can only imagine that during the summer, people would flock to it. But today, we were the only souls for miles. We set up camp and Fearless started collecting firewood. She has been dreaming of the day she could have a fire, and her dream came true!

It was so relaxing sitting around a fire, with a picnic table and all the amenities of a campground. At this point, I’m thinking, maybe Jen requires another week of rehab. I could surely get used to this glamping from place to place, getting cold beverages, good food and an occasional hot springs sprinkled in. This has definitely been one of the nicest week on trail! And our Holy Heavenly Father has made it clear that He is slowly healing Jen with his love and grace. Sometimes fire can show us His presence in ways we just didn’t even expect.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬