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Hunted by the rain
Day 89
Date: 29.07.2022
CDT Mile: Mile 1'794.4
Miles hiked: 22.5 miles / 36 km
Elevation: 3'865 feet ascent (1'179 m Aufstieg) / 3'392 feet descent (Abstieg 1'034.5 m)
Camping at: 10'480 feet / 3'196.5 m
It was cold again last night and I went to bed with my baselayers, my jumper and my puffy on. At 1am I took the puffy and jumper off. However, it was still cold at night and in the early morning I was freezing again. Sleeping in grizzly country, even though they are most likely no grizzlies here yet, makes me a little nervous and I don't sleep that well yet. Also, it is very moist outside, the grass is super wet and so is my tent and my sleepingbag. We definitely have to dry out the gear today, once the sun is out and it is hot!
We leave camp by 7.20am. The first couple of miles are super beautiful with the views of the Cirque of the Tower Peaks behind us. After a little climb it is mostly flat or downhills. There were many river crossings, without bridges. Some of them I could hop over stones, but most of them were ankle or calf deep. The trail was anyways very wet and my shoes stayed wet all day. It didn't really matter if I crossed the river with my shoes on or not. The sun is out and the sky blue though, at least till about 11am. I hope I can hike 10 to 12 miles before lunch and dry out my gear then. But as I progress dark clouds appear and after 9 miles I stopped and dried out my full backpack! While it was still hot and sunny for the first 10 minutes, the sun got covered more and more with dark cloud's. I wait for nearly an hour and already getting a little nervous where Vista is at, when she finally turns up. But she hasn't dried out her stuff yet. I have just packed up a minute ago and am ready to hike on too. We are at the outer skirts of the Winds now it seems, it is pretty flat for along time. We pass hundreds of lakes and crossed many streams. Water wasn't an issue at all. I loved it. I did carry at the most 0.5 liters and my backpack feels much lighter without the water and also without all the food I have eaten so far.
I have not seen any other hikers yet, but I did see some people with horses out here in the morning and also in the afternoon two times. But no CDT hikers so far, I wonder where the K2's are at.
We had lunch after having hiked 13 miles at the top of a hill, next to a little pond, where we got water from. I carried out dried prosciutto ham with mozzarella cheese strings and ritz cracker's. It was so yummy, I definitely have to buy this again! Having my shoes and socks wet all day causes some new blisters under the footballs. I taped them, but don't know how long the tape will stay on for. Tomorrow, I have to do a better job with adding some sort of cushioning at these spots. The blisters from the Basin however are doing great and do not bother me much at all anymore. I love my new shoes so far.
All the climbing of today is mostly in the afternoon. Vista hikes out a couple of minutes before me, but little later I pass her again. We have discussed camp spots for tonight, but I will await her again in the afternoon for sure. Just before reaching the bottom of Hat Pass, it started to rain heavily on me. I am looking for a tree to hide under, as it also starts to hail a little. I waited out the storm under that tree, it only lasts a couple of minutes and the sun is back out. But since I dried out my gear in the morning we are being hunted by rain. All afternoon we get rained on a little, but manage to escape the big rain, so I never put on my raingear yet. When I see Vista I start the climb up to Hat Pass. But only about half a mile in, I had to stop under a tree again, due to rain and little hail. Vista is just behind me and together we wait about 10 minutes. Then we move on, like another 0.3 miles before the next rain and hail is hitting us and we hid under the next tree! Luckily theses storms only last a couple of minutes so it is easy and best to wait them out. 1.5 miles later, only 0.4 miles before the top of the pass, it starts to thunder, lightening and rain heavily. I have some good trees next to me and hide under them, thinking this will also only last for 5 or 10 minutes. Another hiker from LA, being out here for 1 week, is joining me. He was on his way up to the top of the pass, but then turned around when the lightening started. Quickly I realized that this is gonna be a heavier storm, also it starts to hail again, and these hail corns are bigger. I put on my rainjacket and rainpants (I have learned my lesson yesterday!) And hide deeper into the trees. Vista must be under some trees behind me too. I am happy the guy from LA is here with me! I get very cold, it's also heavily windy, even with my raingear on, and I put on my jumper and gloves too. Under these trees it is a little easier to do, but I still get a little wet. I thought we waited for about 30 minutes but the storm took actually slightly more than an hour again, messing up with our hiking schedule! Having the trees as shelter and not only the rock as yesterday was much more comfortable though. I still don't want to repeat this again! As soon as the storm passed and there is a break from hail, Vista hikes by and together we run up to the top of the pass, both being scared that may a second storm will roll over any minute, as it did yesterday. Reaching the top we get blue sky on the other side. And the sun is just about to come out again, wonderful! I could use some sun and warmth and drying off my rain gear while hiking. The views are stunning and very dramatic with that weatfer. We are hiking on but soon realize that we will not make it to our camp site in about 3.6 miles anymore. It is already 7.30pm. We decide to grab water at the next source and look around for a camp site thereafter, as we run into a hiker going south. He tells us about great camping coming up in abouts1.3 miles. Let's do it! We get water at the next river in 0.3 miles and hike up the next hill to a junction 0.3 miles further. There is a great flat area with trees and about 10 other camper's (so it was only 0.6 miles and not 1.3 miles as the other hiker thought). We find a great spot, save from the heavy winds, a little away from all the others, cook dinner right in front of Vista's tent and are finally in tent by 9.15pm, just as it starts to rain, thunder and lightening again! Good timing! And we only did about 2 miles less than we planned for, again the hailstorm in the afternoon crossed our plans. But that's fine. Tomorrow we will try to hike 25+ miles and the day after we hopefully we make it to Pinedale! I am so ready for a bed, a hot shower, warm food and a good rest!
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