First 14er in Colorado + 1'000 miles down!

Day 45

Date: 15.06.2022

CDT Mile: Mile 1'000.2

Miles hiked: 22.9 miles / 36.6 km

Elevation: 3'569 feet ascent (Aufstieg 1'088 m) / 5'888 feet descent (Abstieg 1'794 m)

Camping at: 9'701 feet / 2'957 m

I left camp at 6.20 am. It's gonna be a big day today with climbing Saint Louis. This 14er is not on the CDT, but just a short off trail climb. Climbing a 14er in Colorado is exciting and if you have the chance to climb a 14er that easy, you should take it. It is like climbing a 4'000 m mountain in Switzerland. Saint Louis is an easy, non technical 14er to climb. I reach the top at 8.30am. The wind picked up again and made the uphill hike on the rocky ground not always that pleasant. But hey I made it! Otherwise it's a super sunny day and there is a little wind shelter on top, where we all crawl together. Of course we have to do the obligatory top of the mountain picture. Boss gets some really cool pictures of me, but I fall at one trial and knock my big left toe. I am not sure if it is broken or just bruised, but it does hurt quite a lot. Well, not much I can do either way, just tape it with the next toe and hope it heels fast. The downhill on the other side is very steep too and on rocky ground. Now with my toe I am not that super fast anymore and have to watch my steps more carefully. I don't want to hurt my toe on another rock now. We hike down a nice valley with maaany beaver dams and I even got to watch a beaver swimming in his pond, like it would be his own swimming pool. He enjoyed himself a lot in there, very cute! By noon we reconnected with the CDT, but still have to hike 13 more miles till our designated camp site.

The landscape changed dramatically. For the firs time since a long time we are now below 3'000 m. We hike along the beaver dam river for a while. After leaving the river, I feel like being back in New Mexico. We follow a dirt road and there is no water anymore. The mountains are small hills. However, that makes hiking easy and fast. We camp right after the 1'000 mile marker shortly after 5pm at the Ant Creek. Wow, we are 1/3rd in the CDT now. Crazy! However the Ant Creek is mostly empty. Only a tiny little flow and a puddle where you can scoop out water from. That is no what I expected at all. Also the trails are dusty again and I was looking forward to clean my really dirty legs at the river. Since we hit the mountains water hasn't been an issue at all anymore. And suddenly we have to check the next water sources again and plan our hike along them. There are 8 to 12 miles waterless stretches again. And it is hot down here too!

My tent zipper on one side has broken completely. I can't close the mesh net at all anymore. Checking our app for tomorrow I see a comment that the mosquito's are about to become very bad. I really need to fix my zipper then. I closed the mesh net along the zipper with the rest of my leukotape. Can't get in that side of the tent anymore but at least moskitos have no chance to enter the tent also. I am prepared for tomorrow!