August 10
Mileage: 29
1870.5 miles hiked

I wake up exhausted. Oh dear. The fatigue is going to be intense today.

I literally drag myself along. I’m not trying to be negative… just honest. This year is not my year. Sometimes that’s just the way it goes. After the trail I can figure out how to deal with this gut thing- flagyll, the antibiotic I took, only has a 75% success rate against giardia. There are other options. But for now, this is just the way it’s gonna be, with some days better than others. I’m sorry dear readers- I’m kind of a debbie downer at the moment. It’s hard to get stoked about hiking when you just don’t feel good.

I cross into Colorado around noon! I sit in a bit of shade at the state line, eating potato chips. I don’t feel happy, just tired, and my stomach hurts. More hiking!

Lots of cross-country travel today, following wooden posts and cairns. Then a torn-up jeep road, steep and rutted down the middle and full of rocks. I’m in the woods and can’t see a whole lot but there are hints of better things ahead- rocky ridges in the distance.

I camp just above a cold meadow and eat the last of my dried kale for dinner. There are cows braying in the distance.

Photos on instagram