Collegiate Peaks Wilderness impresses. Rugged mountains, high passes, alpine lakes, vibrant wildflowers… and NO thunderstorms! Definitely one of the most scenic stretches of trail I’ve hiked.
Continue reading Collegiate Peaks Wilderness (Twin Lakes, CO to Monarch Pass, CO)
Another CDT section down. A spectacular detour up Mt Elbert. Atlas celebrates his 2nd birthday on Colorado’s highest peak. A BIG realization. A surprise rest day in Twin Lakes.
A washed out bridge, an abandoned trail, an awful lightning storm. Are Atlas and I in the Hunger Games? Made it to the WY/CO state-line! 4 states down, just Colorado to finish off! Finally, a cinnamon roll! Continue reading Rawlins, WY to Steamboat, CO
100 miles in 5 days. Crossing an endorheic basin. Expansive prairie views. Wild horses and wild flowers. Atlas and I had an incredible time crossing the Great Divide Basin.
Continue reading Great Divide Basin (Atlantic City, WY to Rawlins, WY)
3 days and 48 miles. Cruisy walking. Atlas meets cows. Atlas doesn’t meet cayotes. Walking the cusp of the Wind River Range and Great Basin Divide. Bill Hoge gets best trail magic award. A glimpse at my next stretch of trail…
Continue reading South Wind River Range (Big Sandy, WY to Atlantic City, WY)
Back on the CDT! Atlas’ first long-distance hiking adventure. 90 miles of incredible beauty. Massive vistas of granite peaks, seas of wildflowers and pristine lakes. Dramatic sunrises, sunsets and thunderstorms. Crossing Knapsack Col and Texas Pass were highlights. The Wind River Range is unlike any place I’ve been, put it on your bucket list!
Continue reading Wind River Range (Green River Lakes, WY to Big Sandy Lodge, WY)
I am a planner, it’s what I do. But boy…. am I sick of planning! Gear planning, food planning, route and navigation planning…. not to mention 12 hour days at work trying to get things lined up for my time away, trying to get in some miles with my pack on, rehabbing my ankle, and all the things that come with dropping out of ordinary society for 5 months. I’m lucky if i’m getting 4-5 hours sleep a night during the week at the moment. At least a handful of times a day I find myself daydreaming about taking some nice big breathes of fresh air and taking my first steps from the Mexican border, and I know it will all be worth it. I CAN’T WAIT! With just a little over 2 weeks to go now, here’s some updates on what I’ve been up to with trip planning:
In 2 short months I’ll have started my journey on the Continental Divide Trail! Today’s walk will have been a whole lot of nothing… except maybe some rattle snakes and dead animal carcasses. I am so excited I can’t sit still, metaphorically speaking at least because that’s all I’m doing right now actually, with trying to get work wrapped up and getting my trip planning done. So here’s an update on how it’s all going…
It is seriously impossible to stay on track planning for this trip. I’ll give you an example: I sit down with a goal of spending an hour researching trail navigation.
7 words, that’s where it started. 7 seemingly innocuous words.
“You should hike the Continental Divide Trail”
