Caught in a snowstorm, Vol 2. - badass!

Day 131

Date: 09.09.2022

CDT Mile: Mile 2'718.2

Miles hiked: 28.2 miles / 45.1 km

Elevation: 6'932 feet ascent (2'114.3 m Aufstieg) / 7'795 feet descent (Abstieg 2'377.3 m)

Camping at: 5'476 feet / 1'670.8 m

We got up to a beautiful red sunrise. However, it was very cold and everything was moist. I am already scared - or panicking - of today, it is so much climbing in not a lot of miles. We hiked out just when Cheetah, Captain and Mouse passed. 5 miles in we got water for the next 14 miles without any water. Again, a long water carry. But it ain't that hot today, that is definitely in our favour and hence we don't have to carry that much water. And then the uphill climbing starts! Brutal steep. My legs are not ready yet for this. I am struggling a lot, have no energy. Every step I take, my legs are cramping, they don't like the steep uphills. Also, I didn't eat that much yet, so may my body just thrives for calories. Plus, we are hiking into bad weather. It is supposed to rain today. But we didn't get rain. Instead, we got caught in a massive snow storm for 4 hrs! Thankfully, I picked up my cortex raingear in Anaconda and new down gloves out of the hiker box at Dave's Outfitters. I am so glad I have picked up my gear, that makes a big difference in times like this. But it is still too cold for me to take off my gloves, take out my phone and make pictures! However, may this weather is better for me, cause then I don't see the upcoming uphills, I need much less water as it is colder and one can't break. It is simply to cold! While hiking, all I could think about was a simple swiss salami sandwich. A swiss bread roll (Mutschli) with real swiss butter and italian salami, mmmhh! We hike and hike and hike and hike! But I just don't have energy today and I can't eat while climbing uphills. I struggle so much. My legs feel like butter, there is no strength left. I simply take one step after the other. I don't know where my calf muscles went during the night🤣, they are nor here anymore when I need them! Well, I for sure didn't eat much for breakfast and maybe also the day yesterday with 29 miles and a lot of uphills have taken some strength of me. I snack a fig bar and a Twix while hiking, but that is not enough. Gladly, Soccermum is leading, and waiting for me after every uphill. Around 1pm, when reaching an empty lake, we stopped for the first time really today and cooked some ramen. We are cold and wet, but luckily it stopped snowing about 20 minutes ago and the sun even came out. We use this perfect weather window to also dry out the tent and sleepingbags. The uphill after lunch felt much easier, I gained some energy back after eating lunch. So I definitely must have been lacking energy this morning. And the weather changed. After climbing over the saddle, the clouds vanished and the sun came out. I can't believe how just like that the storm passed and the sun is back out, that change of weather and temperatures in such a short time! The scenery is mind blowing, absolutely beautiful. And then we have made it through the storm and climbed the last real climb of the day. A lot of downhill followed now, which we partly runned again. Again we hiked on till it was dark. We definitely hiked as many miles today as possible in order to hopefully reach the town of Augusta (350 residents) tomorrow in the late afternoon. I could have hiked a couple of more miles, but it is getting dark now much earlier, which does shorten our days a lot.

Post note: Apparently we have passed all hikers ahead of us, as they all bailed out because of the snowstorm. We are badass and just hiked it through!

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