Georgia Pass

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.

Kenosha Pass

Day 6

Miles hiked today:  10.1
Miles from Denver: 78.2
Elevation: 10,000 ft
Segments 5,6
Landmarks:  Kenosha Pass, Jefferson, Mt. Guyot, Jefferson Creek

VIEW MAP

I rose early after the first rainless day and night so far.  There was not even a dew covering my tent, and it was nice to put it away dry.  I ate a light breakfast because I was headed in to town, and packed up quickly.  My camp site had a view of the Continental Divide, and the peaks were already lit up when I set out at 6:30 AM.

It was chilly but just the right temperature for a brisk walk.  I wanted to get down to the road early because who knew how long it would take to catch a ride.  It is one of those experiences that every thru-hiker knows well: the suddenly hyper-attuned ear for the sound of the highway on a town day.  In this case I could actually see the tiny hamlet of Jefferson from far away as early as yesterday; it looked to have maybe a dozen buildings with ranches spread out in all directions, and a huge snow fence striking a tan line to the northwest of town.  I could see tiny cars zipping in and out of town on US 285, which would soon take me there as well.  But this was only what I could see from the vistas from far away, as I got closer I was enveloped by woods but my ear picked up the sound easily of the busy highway of trucks and cars, drawing steadily closer.

Kenosha Pass has seen generations of travelers use it to access the interior mountain ranges of the Colorado Rockies.  There are still some railroad tracks preserved from the Denver, South Park and Pacific line that ran here from Denver until the 1920's.  The switchyard was actually right at the crest of the pass, utilizing the flat ground there.  You could catch a train from Denver to Breckenridge in just 6 hours, and there were 3 competing rail companies that ran to different parts of the Rockies.  All 3 went under due to a combination of the silver market dissipating, the trucking industry and the great depression.  It is strange that building something like that seems so out of reach to us today.

Hitch hiking is simply a part of life on a long distance trail.  I don't really know anybody who truly enjoys it, and it is always an anxiety filled experience for both hiker and driver.  For me it is the prospect of standing by the road for hours as car after car whiz by that gives me the most anxiety.  Some of them actually wave as they drive past!  It is harder to do if you are male, and have a scraggy beard.  Being alone doesn't help either.  If there are two people I think you are better off, but 3 might be too many for most seating situations.  What helps most of all is if one of the party is female.  Here, let's play multiple choice: 1. scraggy beard guy alone, 2. two scraggy beard guys, 3. scraggy beard guy with non-bearded female, or 4. two non-bearded females.  Now which of the above combinations would you put in your Subaru Outback?  The amazing thing to me was that this is Colorado, and therefore half of all vehicles are pickup trucks, yet they still weren't stopping.  Pickup beds are the PERFECT place to throw dirty hikers.  You don't even have to talk to them or worry if they're going to mug you for ramen.  Just pull over at the destination and give one of those waves out the open window.  I saw one pickup that had three tough looking cowboys inside.  Comon, what's to be afraid of boys?  Think I'm going to steal your fence post digger?  I will say that us hikers have an advantage over our homeless or otherwise drifter type hitch-hiking brethren: the trail.  That is, there is a completely legitimate reason that I am standing by the side of the road with my thumb out, and that is that I'm hiking to freakin Durango and my car is otherwise inaccessible at the moment.  This means that in theory, there are people who understand that the Colorado Trail exists, crosses where I am standing, and that hikers often need rides might put all of those clues together when they see I am dressed the part, plus make a split second decision on whether I look too creepy or too dirty, all within enough time to slam on the brakes before the 50 yard pull over area runs out.  It's a great theory, but it works a whole lot better in Vermont.  I even stood by the "Colorado Trail Parking" sign and gave a whole lot of room for cars to pull over, and still saw probably 100 cars go by in a half hour.  I got plenty of shocked looks, especially from older people.  Some of the faces were priceless.  Some people pointed.  Several were texting or on their phones and didn't even see me.  One woman who was standing in the parking lot behind me took a picture.  I'm sure I strike a cutting figure with my pack on and thumb out against that Colorado blue sky.  And one guy waved.  Please, don't be THAT guy.



Finally a semi pulled over, and I was thrilled to ride in my first semi truck.  As I sprinted the 50 yards or so to the cab, I found it locked.  I walked around, only to find the driver checking his brakes for the descent down the pass.  He can't take riders.  Ok. Ultimately a local guy I was chatting with earlier as he was gearing up his mountain bike came back from his ride.  He was about my age and seemed like a pretty normal guy.  I asked if he wouldn't mind giving me a ride, and he was nice enough to do so, even though it was out of his way.  Bo was his name I think, and he had even done some long distance hiking himself.  So, score one for trail magic today!

The town of Jefferson is quite nice.  It is probably even smaller than Stratton, Maine, and has all trail towns I've ever been to beat; you only need to go to one place. Jefferson Market it's called, and inside is made to order food, groceries, homemade cinnamon rolls, and tucked in one corner behind a window is the post office.  The people there were super friendly, and there were 5 locals sitting down chatting over coffee.  This was my kind of place.  There was just one problem however, that is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays the kitchen is closed because they are making fudge.  Just my luck.  All was well however when one of the ladies (really wish I could remember names better) brought me to the back deep freezer, which was full of all kinds of frozen burritos, frozen chimichangas, frozen hot pockets, frozen egg sandwiches, etc.  I grabbed several of those, and one of those cinnamon rolls and all was right with my world.  My mail drop had arrived, which was the whole point anyways and I was now set for the next several days until Breckenridge.  I caught a ride back to the trail by asking a local guy (they said he runs the bake shop across the street).  He didn't look too thrilled, but it's just a 10 minute round trip and I think that people, when asked, find kindness in their hearts.  Or pity.

Back to the trail.  I was very excited to run into two actual thru-hikers, going towards Denver.  They weren't just any thru-hikers either, they were Appalachian Trail thru-hiker alumni.  They were a couple, it sounded like they met on the AT several years ago.  I know for sure the guy's name was Six Two, and the girl's was E-something.  Dang.  Names!  (guys if you want to sign into my guestbook and set me straight on this I'll edit this post)  Anyways it was a lot of fun to stop and chat with them, and we passed a lot of time talking about gear we used in the 90's, how to hike with an umbrella, and the fact that Six Two carries all of their food in a battleship of a pack.  It was fun to reminisce, and made me wish there were at least a few hikers going my way that weren't hiking twice my speed, or half my speed.  Ah well.  A few miles later I ran into another thru-hiker who had come from Durango in about 3 weeks time.  She confirmed that there were waves of 15-20 thru-hikers per day several weeks ago.

I pulled up way short today because I am about to cross the Continental Divide, which is 6 miles from the last place I could camp.  The next camping spot on the other side is another 7 miles beyond that.  So, a 10 mile day or a 23 mile day.  I'll be ready for those 23 and 25 mile days soon, just not this day.

South Park

Day 5

Miles hiked today:  18.7
Miles from Denver: 68.1
Elevation: 10,200 ft
Segments 4,5
Landmarks:  Lost Creek Wilderness Area, Rock Creek, South Park

VIEW MAP

This trail is an unbelievable find.  I had nearly 19 miles of the most beautiful terrain to myself today.  The trail is beautifully maintained, and seemingly seldom used.  There was a note in the guidebook about a "boggy section" that has been giving trail crews headaches for years. Visions of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and worst of all, Maine bog bridges crossed through my mind.  The kind of bog that swallows the bog bridges down whole.  Or maybe just be like Vermont or Adirondack State Park and let the bogs swallow the hikers.

But, not here. By "boggy" they actually meant a little bit of mud, where if you pick your footing carefully you're guaranteed dry passage.  I think the standards of bogs are slightly different out here.

No kidding, I did not see a single soul on the trail today.  There was one guy who waved at me as I left the campsite, but that was before I stepped back on the trail.  I walked up a 5 mile long meadow filled with at least 200 cows, all of whom gave me a rude look.  I was the uninvited guest.  I had a blue sky throughout the morning, and am really glad I brought long pants, long shirt and a hat.  In fact the only part of me exposed to the sun are the tops of my hands, which are burned pretty good.  The long meadow is about a quarter mile wide, 5 miles long and lined on either side by mountains.  When I got to the far end I was at the top of a pass, which I soon saw when I came to a viewpoint was really a very high saddle, and I was about to drop down the other side.  From the viewpoint I could see for the first time the Continental Divide.  It is an impressive site, being on top of a really tall mountain and looking across at mountains 15 miles away that look way taller than what you're standing on.  Some of them still have chutes of snow or glaciers visible.

The long meadow was actually outside the Lost Creek Wilderness, but only just along side it.  Now that I reached the saddle and started to descend I was back in the wilderness area, and I was much more impressed this time.  It was simply a very beautiful hike.  Gone was the logging road and seeded forest I experienced yesterday, replaced by a beautiful trail that hugged the contours of the mountain to the right of the trail, and endless aspen.  I probably saw more aspen today than I've seen in my whole life.  The sun stayed out, but there were plenty of fat lazy clouds to make the pictures more interesting.  For the first time there were no afternoon thunderstorms or even thunder.  And again it struck me that I have this place all to myself.  Why is this place not choked with people?  This is gorgeous!

I had just made a decision today to slow up a little bit and camp about halfway through this segment, instead of pushing to the end for a 23 mile day.  I get my resupply at the end of this segment, and I just ate my last dinner tonight, and my last breakfast will get me to the road tomorrow.  So I intended to get water at Rock Creek, just outside the Wilderness area and and find a place to camp and call it a day.  Wouldn't you know there was a very nice little campsite right there just past the creek.  But as I took my pack off I was hit with inspiration: it wasn't going to rain.  Of course this was just a guess, but the weather today behaved very differently than the other 4 days before.  So far I have been hit consistently with a thunderstorm between 2 and 6 pm.  So, I cooked my dinner there so I wouldn't have to haul water and decided to hike on.



Gone were all of my thoughts of ailments like blisters, etc. where to camp, where to find water or even how far I should go.  As the sun decanted to the west and the most impressive lineup of clouds marched by to the north, I entered into a low area (if 10,000 feet can be considered low) full of rolling hills that offered panoramas of the Divide as well as a vast area to the south known as South Park.  The sun was low and the lighting was awesome, and the trail just kept presenting view after view.  I ended up finding a flat area in a stand of aspen with a view of Georgia Pass, the place where I'll cross the Divide tomorrow or the next day.  And I am very glad I didn't stay in that little campsite tucked by a river.

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.

South Platte Canyon

Day 2

Miles hiked today: 12.1
Miles from Denver: 20.8
Elevation: 7,400 ft
Segments 1, 2
Landmarks: South Platte River, South Platte Canyon, Raleigh Peak

VIEW MAP

I had a little scare last night as I was typing the journal entry on my phone. I hadn't seen another backpacker all day, and hadn't seen any people at all for the second half of the day. So as I lay in my tent which was near a gurgling stream, I was imagining all kinds of sounds. Then, I hear a whooooooosh followed by something physically hitting my tent. I'm pretty sure this was an owl, who must have mistaken my tent for some sort of giant glowing rabbit. It sure scared the crap out of me. Some sort of sound escaped me, but I'm not sure I could reproduce it now.

This morning was all climbing through some very nice forest with a few views. I got an early start so it was mostly cool. It is apparent that I am out of shape, carrying some extra pounds, and struggling with the altitude. After 5 hours of hiking I had only come 8 miles. I am used to being able to put down 3 miles an hour, so it will be interesting watching the transition to a lean mean hiking machine as the miles go by.





The only people I ran into this morning were mountain bikers. The first guy was carrying a large stuff sack strapped to the rack of his bike, and was doing a multi day trip. He told me there is a race that started yesterday called the Colorado Trail Race, which is for mountain bikers and only takes 5 days. Basically they are covering 100 miles a day over mountain terrain. And I thought doing 100 miles on my road bike on good roads would be tough, let alone sustained for 5 days. I did not see any of these participants yesterday because they started in the morning, and were probably 50 miles in by the time I got on trail. This guy I was talking to could only participate for a few days, but was planning on being in Buena Vista by Monday. That's 228 miles in, and I hope to be there in two and a half weeks.

As I came to a viewpoint I could see a canyon which turned out to be the South Platte River, and beyond that was terrain completely burned out by forest fire. This fire was in 1996 and burned 12,000 acres, and just a few days after the fire they had torrential rain totaling over 5 inches. This stripped the denuded forest floor of its soil and created flash floods. 3,000 cubic yards of sediment were deposited in the Strontia Springs Reservoir, which is why just now they have closed that section to remove 2,000 cubic yards of sediment.

The downside to all of this is that the forest that supported the ground water is gone, and the soil to grow a new forest is also gone. The place is a desert, complete with cacti. As I was reading up on this at lunch time on the bank of the South Platte River, it dawns on me that there is no water for the next 10 miles, and I've already done 8 today. I would need to camp somewhere in this desert area, which meant carrying all of the water I would need. And to top things off it was in the 90's with direct sun. Whoooo I need to watch The Good, The Bad and The Ugly again so I can remember what a man crawling through a desert looks like.

I loaded up with 4 liters, which weighs about 9 pounds. Suddenly I'm feeling like a brand new hiker who put too much stuff in his backpack. As I'm about to leave I run into 3 mountain bikers, one of whom immediately spots me for a thru-hiker, because he recognized the pack I'm carrying. (I'm using a ULA pack, which is made by a guy in his garage in Utah. They don't sell these things at REI.) He tells me he has attempted to thru-hike the CT twice, the first time trying for 14 days, or 25-30 miles per day. They didn't make it. The second time he tried for 21 days, and also didn't make it. So now he is mountain biking the trail, with another family who they are swapping cars with at each trailhead which allows them to stay in cabins the entire way and have hot showers. Now that sounds like a mountain bike trip to me!

He was excited to run into me because I am the only hiker they have seen yet, (indeed I am the only hiker I have seen too) and he explains that these first several segments, probably as far as Breckenridge are extremely unpopular to hike because they are either desert with no water, or I'm sure just not as appealing as the big ranges to the west. This would explain why I haven't seen anybody. There are a handful of thru-hikers each year, and from an Appalachian Trail message board I know there were two starting out about the same time I did. But without any hikers coming the opposite way, and no register books to sign I have no way of knowing who is ahead or behind. Most hikers hike the CT in short trips, and even then most don't complete all the segments. So it makes sense to skip the less interesting or miserable parts.

Speaking of miserable I have about 6 miles to go tomorrow before finding water, and I have 1 and 3/4 liters. It will be plenty, but when you have to conserve water it is not a pleasant thing. It kind of reminds me of the 20 mile section out of Lehigh Gap on the AT that didn't have water. But at the end of that section there was a town and a convenience store and the best slurpee I've ever had in my life. Tomorrow I look forward to sitting down by a stream and drinking 2 or 3 liters all at once.