Slackpacking

Day 40

Date: 10.06.2022

CDT Mile: 928.3 Mile

Miles hiked: 4.6 miles / 7.4 km

Elevations: ascent 958 feet (Aufstiegs 292 m) / descent 958 feet (Abstieg 292 m)

Camping at: 12'497 feet / 3'809 m

We are staying at Silverton and are planning to somehow hitch back to the CDT. If possible to the Stony Pass to avoid the massive uphill climb from the Highlands Mary Lakes Trailhead. But the road up there requires a 4x4 wheel drive and isn't that easy. While the group gets ready to get breakfast in town, I am still at the campground sorting out stuff. I have good Wifi here and try to use it as much as I can. I leave the Campground and go to the outfitter in town to buy some yummy dehydrated meals. While being there I chat to the owner. And he tells me a construction site very close by, where I finally should be able to get some Tyvek. I am trying to get Tyvek since the start at the mexican boarder, a very lightweight housewrapping 'paper' you can only buy in huge rolls, and we use it as a ground sheet or just to sit\lay on. Also, Jack and his brother are hanging out at the store. He offers a ride back to the Stony Pass today for USD 25 per person (well he wanted more but we negotiated it down a little😁). That is awesome because it would have been very difficult to get a hitch and may even impossible in one day! Hell yes, we take that offer! He will drive us up at 3pm, which suits us perfectly. I go and get the Tyvek. The workers are all from mexico and me talking spanish to them I have all 6 of them cutting the Tyvek for me the size I want it😁 what a great and fun day so far! Before 3pm I resupply the rest, try to fix my sleepingbag - which zipper is broken completely by glueing velcro along the zipper line -, eating and being busy with other chores. Then we get the hitch up the pass and really we would have even paid more. The road is pretty steep and bad, we had to let air out if the wheels to make it. Jack and his brother are great and hopefully they come to visit me in Switzerland for some paragliding and skiing!

Back on trail we slackpack (hiking the trail without any backpack) the 2.3 miles back to the junction we left yesterday and then hike it back again, so we can assure a continuous footpath. Without pack it is a easy and enjoyable game and we are back in less than 1.5 hrs. The sun is out and we have plenty of time to cook dinner, set up camp and just enjoy the evening back on trail.