Trail Magic & Espresso Martini!

Day 55

Date: 25.06.2022

CDT Mile: Mile 1'164.5

Miles hiked: 21.5 miles / 34.4 km

Elevation: 4'341 feet ascent (Aufstieg 1'329 m) / 3'625 feet descent (Abstieg 1'867 m)

Camping at: 10'043 feet / 3'063 m

We got up late today at 8am as after the passed days we are doing an easier day today, hiking around 20 miles. We first need a hitch back to Twin Lakes from our Campgrounds, but w are lucky as a car just leaves the campground and takes us with him. Sweet. The grocery store only opens at 9am but there is a breakfast burrito van, selling microwavable burritos which he most likely bought at the grocery store🤣 that's fine with us though. We hike out after 10am and we want to hike 20 miles, which we for sure can do, but still it is a late start. It is a sunday and there is a 100 mile Leadville competition going on. Trail runners or bikers are competing on doing 100 miles from Leadville, trough Twin Lakes over Hope Pass in a couple of days. Also the trail around Twin Lakes is very popular for day hikers, specially on weekends. So the trail is more crowded than ever before and I got to chat with a couple if trail runners amd day hikers which is a nice change. I thought the stretch between Twin Lakes and Leadville is super easy and smooth, but it is harder than I thought. May also my body is just tired and worn out from the past couple of days. It is a totally 2'200 meters uphill hike in 1.5 days, which is flatter but still not super flat which I realized later! 😁 10 miles in at a parking, I run into my first trail magic in Colorado! I am super excited and can't believe it at first. I am there first, before 20 minutes later Boss and Patches and 20 after them also the K2's hike along. We get chips and Cola and I carry out an Espresso Martini. How awesome is that?! I didn't even know you can get Espresso Martinis in Cans!

We hike on and I hike and hike and hike without stopping. I am tired and just want to reach our camp spot for tonight. I didn't stop all day at all, just at the trail magic place, didn't even filter water. I hiked out in the morning with some water, then got a refill at the Trail Magic and that was it. Also we hiked all day up and down in the forest with no views, which was rather boring and didn't invite for making breaks. When I reached our camp site, located next to a river leading into Turquoise Lake and next to a trail head, I ran into some day hikers. I begged them for some water and hence didn't need to filter water again😁 That day wasn't as easy as I expected and my whole body hurts. That espresso martini is the highlight of the evening! I am glad I carried it out! I stretch, massage my feet and use my foodbag as a feet lifter for the night and hope my body feels better tomorrow. Good night ya all!🥱