Day 7
Miles hiked today: 23
Miles from Denver: 101.2
Elevation: 9,400 ft
Segment 6
Landmarks: Georgia Pass, Continental Divide, Continental Divide Trail, Mt. Guyot, Keystone Ski Area
VIEW MAP
Wow. 23 miles today, two big climbs and two storms I'll never forget. Where should I start?
I think that I could have actually made it over the pass yesterday, but it would have been a very long day. All indications were there for a clear evening, and now I know that there are campsites much closer on both sides. I awoke this morning to the sound of heavy winds, and only half the sky was clear. It was about 6:30 AM. Within a few minutes, I was driven back into my tent because of rain. This was going to be an interesting day on the pass. I decided that when the rain quit I would skip breakfast and boogie as fast as I could. I had 6 miles and about 1,800 feet to climb, the last three quarter miles of that above tree line, and probably a quarter mile off the other side before re-entering tree line. That mile at the the top is where you don't want to be when a storm hits.
I made pretty good time getting up to the Divide, and the views were breathtaking. It is one thing to look at these mountains from far away and be in awe; it is quite another to approach them, walk past them, and see how they look different from every angle. There were a whole row of peaks, all connected by "knife edge" walls of rock. There were tiny glaciers still in place on some of them. One was all red, probably due to iron deposits. Mt. Guyot stands above them all, the guardian of Georgia Pass. The pass itself is surprisingly tame in comparison. Approaching it, you are above tree line only briefly, and there is still grass and hardy plants growing at the pass. The pass is at 11,860 feet. If you look at a distance, there is this surprisingly low spot off the right shoulder of Mt. Guyot. That is why settlers first noticed it and used it, and it became the gateway for thousands descending on Leadville and Breckenridge during the silver rush. In fact the old road that their wagons would have used still exists, and I crossed it today.
My timing was perfect. I had breathtaking views of Mt. Guyot and the other peaks in the divide all the way up, and as I crested the rise I was treated with my first view of the Tenmile Range, which I will be on in a couple of days, and what seemed to be the rest of Colorado. That is, a view of the Tenmile Range with those distinctive tall, dark clouds preceded by rolling pin shaped clouds. I was about to be in a bit of trouble. In as much time as it took me to eat a snickers bar and snap some photos, those lead clouds hurdled the Breckenridge Valley below, and I could see the grey wisps of rain enveloping the flanking peaks of Mt. Guyot. It was a strange sight because the sun was still out behind me, and Guyot was illuminated beautifully by the sun, framed by an ugly grey cloud that was about to swallow it whole. That was my last picture, as I struggled to put my camera into its ziplock baggie on the run. There was no thunder or lighting, just all wind and rain, like a freight train. I had noticed that the trees were not very far, but what I failed to notice is that the trail went first across the rim of the pass to the far end before entering them. It was probably 120 yards, and I didn't make it before getting slammed with ice cold rain drops traveling sidewards at what seemed to be 40mph. Thank God I put that camera away when I did, or it would have been toast. In a matter of moments I was soaked head to toe, and I could tell it was cold enough to cause me some problems if it lasted much longer than say, 20 minutes. I looked over my shoulder and Mt. Guyot was gone, swallowed by the grey mass. I made it to tree line ok, and after about 15 minutes the storm died down, and the sun came out. I found a nice campsite with direct sun, and in no time myself and all my gear were basking in 80 degree sun.
Walking down the other side of the pass, I was greeted with views of mountains I hadn't yet seen far off in the distance, having traded those that are behind on the other side of the pass. The guidebook here explains that the trail used to just run along a dusty dirt road with lots of traffic, and they were finally able to re-locate it up the side of a mountain. What this really means is that they put in another big climb up the west ridge of Keystone Ski Area, about half as big a climb as the pass itself. I was feeling good however, and it was early in the afternoon so I took the plunge. On top of this ridge I was caught in another storm, this time a hail storm.
Yet again the storm dissipated and the sun came out, and before long I was coming up on my intended camp site. The problem was, the guidebook says there is water here and I didn't see any water. So I kept walking, another 3 miles, pushing my day into the long and very tiring category. I climbed yet another hill, and back down the other side before coming to Horseshoe Gulch. There was water but no campsite! Very tired now, I filled my water carrier with 4 liters and trudged up yet another hill, until I found a campsite about a half mile up.
It turned into a very nice evening, and once I got settled I was very happy. The longest day yet, and my feet felt fine. I was now just 4 miles from the road that would take me into Breckenridge and civilization, and I was very much looking forward to a shower and a very large plate of food.
