August 16 Mileage 24 1939.5 miles hiked I wake up at 6 a.m., even though I fell asleep at 7 p.m. last night. Dang, I must've needed that. Track Meat and Spark are in the same boat, just now beginning to stir in their tents. It sprinkled cozily all night, and I was so cozy … Continue reading CDT day 104: ridges and thunderstorms aka the Colorado Experience

August 15 Mileage: 13 (doesn't count) Even though I tossed and turned and slept maybe four hours, I feel great when I wake at 2:55 to Spark's alarm. The three of us stuff our things away in the dark room, fumbling for snacks and water bottles, trying to guess how cold it'll be and which … Continue reading CDT day 103: a side trip up Long’s Peak

August 14 Mileage: zero Track Meat and Spark are not hiking out today. So if I hike out, that means doing the next section solo. I'm not really stoked about hiking another section by myself, and the boredom that it entails... and plus, I miss my friends. It's so good to talk and laugh with … Continue reading CDT day 102: my, ah, second zero in Steamboat Springs…

August 13 Mileage: zero For some reason I arrive in Steamboat Springs craving salt. Lots, and lots, and LOTS of salt. Here are some of the salty things I eat, each one positively euphoric tasting: -3/4 a bag of chips and nearly an entire jar of salsa (breakfast) -Three carnitas tacos, beans and rice (lunch) … Continue reading CDT day 101: eat everything salty and try to find a laundromat: a zero in Steamboat Springs

August 12 Mileage: 19 1915.5 miles hiked I sleep hard in the drizzle, little mouse rustlings now and again, am cold, wake up just enough to think I'm cold, fall back asleep again. In the morning my legs are aching and cramped from being curled up such a tight ball against the chill. The trail … Continue reading CDT day 100: Steamboat Springs and the Magical Cabin of Wonder

August 11 Mileage: 26 1896.5 miles hiked I'm sitting on the ground eating breakfast when a man walks up, a big white dog trotting behind him. The man is Latino, wears jeans and work boots. A plastic sack, one quarter full of dog food, is slung over his shoulder. The man stops and smiles. He … Continue reading CDT day 99: A shepherd, a sheepdog and climbing to 12,000 feet

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 … Continue reading CDT day 98: Colorado!

August 9 Mileage: 28.5 1841.5 miles hiked I'm back in the mountains! The trail climbs up into lupine, and tangled pine forest, and meadows seeping with springwater. There is water again! I pass an abandoned cabin, I climb and descend on ridges and through forests. I follow a combination of jeep roads, cairns, wooden posts … Continue reading CDT day 97: out of the basin, back in the mountains!

August 8 Mileage: 27 1813 miles hiked Even though I don't fall asleep in my hotel room until midnight, I wake up at five. And I tossed and turned all night. Aren't beds supposed to be comfortable? And there are all the unnatural hotel things- the sound of doors latching and unlatching down the hall, … Continue reading CDT day 96: the infinite sadness of roadwalking

August 7 Mileage: 12 1786 miles hiked I wake as the sun is coming up, warming the damp grass. I don't feel as bad as I thought I would after my long day. I feel pretty good, actually. I make my granola/protein powder/chia seeds, get more water, and pack up. Town today! After about an … Continue reading CDT day 95: Rawlins