Day 18- 9/2/18, 18.1 mi, 4000 ft up, 3481 ft down
Tincup Pass Rd mi 234.6 to Hunt Lake mi 252.6
A Most Spectacular Day
This was one of my fav days on the trail. I think this caught me by surprise as I was so ready to get to Monarch Pass, and after yesterday being so great. A bit less intense than yesterday but still had lots of alpine hiking above and near treeline with two passes over 12,000. The hike also included a section along an old railroad bed and some historic sites along that stretch. There were also beautiful alpine lakes, amazing views, and great camp friends at the end!
This morning we also heard coyotes crying above treeline as we hiked. And I kept my eyes out for mountain goats. I can’t figure out where they all went as I see their tracks everywhere on the trails. However, when we got to camp tonight at Hunt Lake, I looked up at this huge ridge above us and saw….big horn sheep. Or at least we determined that’s what they were after we stares at them for 5 minutes until they moved! It was pretty cool to get to see them that evening!
Most thankful for …. a beautiful campsite and two wonderful women to visit with around an actual campfire! That was so much fun! We got to the lake after a very steep and seemingly never ending climb at the end of the day. I was checking out potential camp sites and smelled smoke, just up over a small rise from the lake, and when I got there, I asked if they minded if we camped just on the other side of some trees from them. They didn’t, and even showed us a great spot! They had four dogs with them and we enjoyed getting to know ‘little’ a smallish black dog that was super sweet.
I saw God today….. the morning’s hike was one of my favorites I think. Partly because it was beautiful and partly because it went above treeline almost immediately and partly because the trail from the creek at Tincup Pass Rd was nicely graded with lots of switchbacks do it made the hiking pretty easy! The morning was kind of clear for an hour or two and the views were once again really stunning and it looked from our angle that the mountain tops ran off and plunged to valleys below us suddenly so that at times it seemed the alpine areas we were walking floated above the rest of the expanse below.
What I ate for supper…I had huevos rancheros for supper! We have been in a hurry to leave in the mornings to get over ridges etc. before the storms hit that we don’t cook, just snacks and run- so I had extra breakfasts and I shared another with Michaela who had ran out of food again! Plus I had run out of fuel, having taken two used cans from the hiker box at Twin Lakes, and had no way to boil my eggs! So the two ladies we camped with kindly loaned me a fuel canister to use that evening.
Quote of the day….”I can’t get a text to go through here, but I tried calling and that worked great!” -Michaela, at the top of the Pass above Hancock Lakes. So I followed suit since none of my texts were going through and called Casey- we probably talked for thirty minutes! So bizarre.
What I learned today… that there are parts of Colorado that remind me of Canada- British Columbia! As we got to Hancock Lake, it was gray and overcast and threatening rain, but the big cirque/basin that the Lakes sit in at 12,000 feet is really beautiful. Sheer cliffs, rock walls and ridges. A beautiful place to drive into and spend time admiring God’s handiwork.
Most favorite part of the day…there were several- the railroad bed we walked along, the morning hike through the alpine, Hancock Lake area, and arriving at Hunt Lake and finding great camp sites as well as people!
Least favorite part of the day… the Afternoon hike through the woods down the valley below the pass after Hancock Lake. It was not bad, but just kind of a place to get through on the way to more amazing sites. It was also kind of dark and closed in, made me feel kind of claustrophobic after the past several days, and there were needless ups and downs along the way. I listened to a book and just walked. We got to the end of segment 4 around 3:45pm. After a snack we hiked on since we didn’t really like the feel of the area.
Most useful gear of the day…maybe my audible account since it is fun to listen to books when I am tired.
Food of the day… our new friends fed us Goji berries and chocolate chips! Yum!