Hiking stoned!

Day 82

Date: 22.07.2022

CDT Mile: Mile 1'671.8

Miles hiked: 27.2 miles / 43.5 km

Elevation: 2'346 feet ascent (715.5 m Aufstieg) / 1'421 feet descent (Abstieg 738.4 m)

Camping at: 7'365 feet / 2'246 m

We managed to kinda get up early, but by the time we left camp it was already 7.15am (mostly due to me taking care of my blisters). The K2's left already a while ago. However, my blisters healed well during the night, so it was for sure a good call to stop early last night. But it still hurts to get them into my shoes. My shoes are just too small now for my swollen feet and I will probably get new blisters today again. I put gaze on them and taped them very well, so I hope that the 'old' blisters are doing better today. I was doing fine with those exact shoes in the San Juan's so far, but being down in lower elevation, hiking on dirt or paved roads all day, doing big miles and the heat (ground is hot, my feet inside the shoes are hot and the sun on top of my shoes is hot!), my feet swell and are much bigger now. I need at least one size bigger shoes, but that ain't gonna happen till I reach Lander.

We continued to hike on the dirt road. 2 miles in we had a beautiful electric pipe as a water source with cold, fresh, running water. Also the cows are appreciating this water source. Next water is in about 8 miles, which is super nice, as I don't have to carry that much water. We met up with the K2's at the next water source, also a running pipe with nice water. But there were many super annoying horse flies around, biting us in our legs and feet. The next water source is in 6 miles, however comments vary if there is still water or not. So we decided to pack out just enough water to make it to the next save water source, a cow pond in 14 miles from here. The trail changes to a deep sandy road, which is really hard to walk on. We try to escape the sand and hike on animal paths next to the road wherever possible. Finally some clouds roll in. We decided to skip the water source 6 miles later. It's off trail a little, we gotta find it and I still have enough. 2 miles later we stop for lunch under some fantastic pine trees! We have natural shade for the first time since we entered the Great Divide Basin. We climbed up a little and it is so great to finally see some trees again. What a nice lunch spot, we gotta make the best out of it! So we did and even took a power nap. It was great! However, new blisters popped up and my feet are in a lot of pain. Taking another ibu helps a little. Channy asked me if I'd like a spliff (marihuana) and so he made me one. Well, all I can say is that the afternoon passed fast (and not), but I hardly can remember any details. I just hiked and hiked and hiked and time passed! I think that the weather changed in between and it sprinkled a little and that we climbed up for a far bid and then climbed down again but that's about it. A couple of hours later we reached the cow ponds, some actually nasty looking ponds surrounded by cows (how could it be different!). But previous hikers commented that water tastes Ok and that they didn't had any issues after filtering it (only that it clogs up the water filter). And we don't really have other options out here. Also the K2's made it here and said that the water tastes fine after filtering. We filtered 4 liters, also to cook dinner and still have enough water the next day to the next water in 13 miles. It takes ages though. One thing I dislike most on thru hikes is the water filtering. It's hard work and takes a lot of time. After the PCT I enjoyed having great tasting and cold water back home so much! I really appreciated it immensely just to be able to turn on the faucet and get super good tasting water - we are really spoiled in Switzerland. But after a couple of month you forget it again, because it's so normal and the memories of filtering water fades away.

Fully filled up we hike on another couple of miles, on top of a ridge line. It's beautiful up here, but also exposed. However, it's not very windy, my feet hurt and if we hike on, we have to climb a very steep looking road up to Crooks Mountain and then down again for safety (thunderstorm and wind vise). So we decided to call it a day and cowboy camp again. There are no mosquito's up here. But by the time we set up our little campsite the wind picked up and we could see some dark clouds rolling in. So what shall we do now? Hike back again to lower elevation, hike ahead up that bloody steep looking road to Crook Mountain and down again or pitch our tents here and hope that they will hold up against the wind?The K2's pass us. They will hike over the mountain tonight and camp at the other side. And a little later also Hendricks passes, he will however only hike a couple of more feet ahead. The sun set already and it is getting dark soon. I am so tired and didn't want to pack up all my gear again. And hiking out again also doesn't sound much better. My tent did pretty well in very strong winds up in the San Juan's, I am sure it can handle the night. So we pitched the tents and heard the thunderstorm and could see the lightning's in the distance. They however did not reach us at all. I was counting seconds between the lightning's and the thunder and it was mostly more than 10 seconds away, so too far for a lightening to reach us. An hour later the wind dropped and the thunderstorm was over.

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