Holy Cross Wilderness

Day 13


Miles hiked today: 19.1
Miles from Denver: 162.4
Elevation: 10,600 ft
Segments 9, 10
Landmarks: San Isabel National Forest, Holy Cross Wilderness, Mt. Massive Wilderness

VIEW MAP

Today started out with a massive breakfast at the Leadville Hostel. This place is quite the operation, and definitely is a huge asset to the trail. I was able to request a ride back to the trailhead, and Bill took me up there right after breakfast. Bill stocks a trail magic box on the trail at Rt. 24, which is supposedly the only trail magic on the entire trail. There is a register in the box, which is supposedly also the only register on the entire trail.

As Bill pulled into the parking lot, there were two hikers just coming up from the opposite direction. One of them went down the trail just ahead of me, and I ended up chatting with him for most of the day. His name was Paul, and he's from Prince Edward Island.

Paul from P.E.I.

The trail really is an amazing place. Things happen out here that just seem far beyond coincidence. Once Paul said Prince Edward Island, I told him I know a few hikers from there. And in no time the name Linus came up. Linus is also known as Serene on the trail, and was one of my favorite hikers to run into on the AT in '08. He was always in a good mood, and always brightened your day. Every time I saw him I was afraid it would be the last time, as I hiked much faster than he did. But he found ways to keep up, and I enjoyed running into him all throughout Maine. The last time I saw Serene was in Millinocket, just before I left town. Serene passed away this last summer, while hiking the Pilgrim's trail in Spain. It really shocked a lot of us who knew him, and it was devastating to lose a close friend from the trail.

So here is this guy Paul, who was good friends with Linus, who happens to be at Tennessee Pass at 9 am, headed south, same as me. There is an expression on the AT that it is a 'really small trail.' But this is pretty amazing. Paul and I talked about Linus and his family for quite a bit, as we navigated the rolling hills of segment 9. We entered the Holy Cross Wilderness area, which is named for the Mount of the Holy Cross, a 14,000 ft mountain with a giant cross on the side. This mountain caused a sensation when it was photographed in 1873, and was designated a National Landmark in 1929.

It was great to talk to someone who knew Linus, and my prayers go out to his family. They should know that the entire AT community is behind them.

After a while the other hiker from the parking lot caught up, who is also named Paul. This Paul is about my age, and is headed south to Durango. He's also from the DC area, so we had lots to talk about. He and I decided to make it a long day so that we could camp close to the base of Mt. Massive, one of the popular 14ers that the trail goes near. Mt. Massive is just 12 feet shorter than Mt. Elbert, the tallest in the state. But according to Bruce back in Breckenridge, who is trying to summit all the 14ers, Mt. Massive is not only a better mountain than Mt. Elbert, but he says it is his favorite mountain he's ever climbed. At any rate, the two mountains are side by side, and potentially we could climb Massive tomorrow and Elbert the next day.

Those extra miles made for a long day, and we camped near a meadow about 4 miles from the side trail up to the top. Having another hiker to hang out with was great, bringing back memories of hiking the AT.