Lost Creek Wilderness

Day 4

Miles hiked today:  13.1
Miles from Denver: 49.4
Elevation: 10,200 ft
Segments 3,4
Landmarks:  Pike National Forest, Lost Creek Wilderness Area

VIEW MAP

I found out a very important detail about my new tent last night; it leaks.  There was a massive thunderstorm and then just rain that lasted through most of the night, and almost as soon as it started I knew I was in trouble.  Water was coming through the fabric, through the seams and up from along the mesh on the sides.  I had diligently seam sealed this tent when I first got it, but this is really my first time using it.  After a few minutes of feeling the rain drops on my face, I just put all of my stuff away that I didn't want to get wet and went to sleep.  I awoke with a puddle in my tent and a wet sleeping bag.  Thankfully it had stopped raining in the morning but all of my stuff was wet.  It was cold too, and I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if it rained all day and was cold again tonight.  Thankfully, right around 10:30 AM I came across a small clearing just as the sun was coming out.  I dumped all of my stuff out of my pack and laid it in the sun for an hour, which dried everything perfectly.  My morale was improved 100%, and as I shouldered my pack I could physically feel the weight difference from all the evaporated water.

I ran into another thruhiker today, this one going my way.  He said he started yesterday!  Those are big miles.  It was nice to chat and hike for a little bit with another thru hiker.  He'll probably put down another 20 miles by the end of the day, so I doubt I'll catch him.

Lost Creek Wilderness is the first of six wilderness areas the CT goes through.  This place has a very interesting history.  There is a creek (called Lost Creek) that at times goes underground, reappearing further downstream nine times.  But there are legends that gold was hidden somewhere in this area by the notorious Reynolds gang which used to hold up stagecoaches and whatnot in nearby Southpark.  (Yes, THAT Southpark)

As for the trail through here, I couldn't be more disappointed.  The trail simply follows an old logging road (built by H.W. Hooper in the 1880s, according to the guidebook) at a consistent, unchanging direction and angle for nearly 8 miles.  That's about it.  The climb is relentless, going from 8,280 ft to 10,880 feet.  There are no views or breaks in the scenery, and because all of these forests were logged, the trees are all the same exact size, in perfect rows.  The most exciting part of it is that I'm now above 10,000 feet!

I'm camped in this beautiful 5 mile long meadow, which happens to also be where ranchers put their cattle in the summer.  So there is a cow pie a foot from my tent, and the water I got from the stream was yellow.  I think this is the first time I made sure to boil for the full 3 minutes.

Buffalo Creek

Day 3

Miles hiked today: 15.5
Miles from Denver: 36.3
Elevation: 7,400 ft
Segments 2,3
Landmarks: Chair Rocks, Raleigh Peak, Long Scraggy Peak, Pike National Forest, Green Mountain, Buffalo Creek

VIEW MAP



Waking up this morning I skipped my normal oatmeal to conserve water and downed a bunch of granola bars. I haven't seen a soul since the mountain bikers passed me yesterday, even though I made camp at around 3 pm so I could take a siesta. It is deafeningly quiet in this forest, as if the fire has killed off the means for every forest creature to live here. I have never been so sure that an area had no bears as I was last night.

I thought I would make it a couple of miles farther yesterday, so I'll go a few more today. The trail has brought me out of the burn area and into a pine forest, and then as I rounded Raleigh Peak and turned south I was back in the burn zone again. The devastation of this fire is unbelievable. There are miles and miles of desolate land here, which has a beauty all its own. The grasses, wildflowers, cacti and yucca have really taken over here, which would be unable to grow in a regular forest. There are lots of birds tending to the flowers, and I am wishing I had a long lens on my camera so I could capture them.



Finally I reach the road, with a few sips of water to spare. There is a fire station a quarter mile up the road which is listed as an emergency water source. What the guidebook says is walk onto their property past the no trespassing signs, around the back of the building to the spigot, fill your water, then leave the area immediately.

There was a trailhead at the road crossing, and just so happens that today is some sort of equestrian endurance race going on. The campground is full of horse trailers and dozens of horses, all with their own 15 foot diameter portable paddock. I stop and talk to a couple with a horse named Walker, who is rather feisty. As I take his photograph he breaks free of his hitch and starts trotting nonchalantly down the road. I pass lots of people on horseback, but even more mountain bikers. This is a really unbelievable mountain bike trail, with plenty of twists and turns and roller coasters, and a beautifully maintained flat surface throughout.



I actually met two thruhikers and one regular hiker today. The first guy was just out for a few days, but he was the first hiker I've seen yet. There was a guy on a mountain bike who thru hiked last year, so he was pretty cool to talk to. He said he started almost exactly this same time. Finally, I met a guy going the opposite direction. He started in Durango 3 weeks ago. He's cruising. He said he saw a whole lot of west-bound thru hikers a couple weeks ago, as many as 15 in one day. I am apparently behind all the crowds.

I have not mentioned this yet, but the Colorado Trail is divided into 28 segments, and I'm noticing that each has its own distinct character. I'll probably mention the segment numbers time to time. I've passed into segment 3 now, and it is my favorite so far. It is same pine and fir forest that I grew up with in the Bighorn Mountains. Indeed there was a time when this was the only type of forest that I knew of. The forest floor is a carpet of pine needles, and unlike denser forests back east this is easily passable because there are few undergrowth plants. There are these strange rocks in this segment that look like they don't belong here, or anywhere for that matter. They look a little like they were just dropped here by God from outer space. They remind me a lot of Vedawoo near Laramie, WY.

As the day draws on I make my goal a place called Buffalo Creek, which is not just a creek but also a trailhead and campground. As I approach I can hear children for about a mile, they are very loud and I was wondering if my campsite would be right next to them. I was able to find a nice quiet campsite down by the river, but when I was preparing my dinner a lady came by with a dog named Jonah, who took to me immediately. When I explained that I am hiking to Durango, she invited me up to the campsite with all to the people to visit and to eat. Whooohoo trail magic! There were about half a dozen families, all with small children camped there and they were the nicest people. They gave me cold beer and I devoured some chips and salsa, and had a great time trading stories with a guy named Jeff, Jeanine, and a bunch of names I can't remember, sorry guys. It really turned into a nice night, and I made it back to my tent just before a storm hit.