Unexpected dinner with amazing views

Day 114

Date: 23.08.2022

CDT Mile: Mile 2'282.3

Miles hiked: 25.1 miles / 40.6 km

Elevations: 5'033 feet ascent (1'535 m Aufstieg) / 4'800 feet descent (Abstieg 1'464 m)

Camping at: 9'098 feet / 2'775 m

The night was warm and so was the morning. But when we got up I had to turn on my headlight for the first 20 minutes. Being in the forest the light comes even later. We hiked out on a dirt road to the Lehmi Pass in 6.6 miles, where we had our second breakfast and refilled our bottles with spring water. We took a long break and I got a little worried if we will manage to hike our goal of 25 miles today, if we not make better progress. The next water is off trail by quite a bit, but otherwise we have to carry water for 20 miles. So we decided to hike there and stop also for lunch. The hike continuous with quite a steep and longish uphill, but turns into a beautiful trail through the forest. And always with climbs, once you reach the top you can enjoy nice views. The landscape has changed. Our views are now over forest and not anymore to sagebrushes and desert. I like it! However, after 9 am it gets very hot. But better hot than cold or wet!

Also after lunch we have some climbs ahead of us. All day we climb mostly up and have some small downhill sections in between only. But they are mostly gentle uphills. We also hike through a couple of burned areas. I think last year the trail was closed here due to the forest fire. But they are rather small sections. I remember on the PCT we often hiked for hours and hours through burned areas. I disliked them a lot. But on the CDT I haven't yet hiked through many burned areas, there were a few, but all of them were short. Most of the burned areas one can hike within an hour or less here. About 5 miles before our designated campsite the trail started to climb steeper and stepper, till at the end we nearly scrambled up the rocky trail. We climb along the Continental Divide again, ridge line hiking. But the views are stunning. The last climb is brutally steep. As it climbs over small rocks, we get reminded of climbing Grey's peak back in Colorado. Obviously it was much shorter, but still long enough. It is so nice up here, we spontaneously decide to cook dinner and enjoy the views a little longer. I only have less than half a liter left, just enough to cook my first knorr side pasta on trail so far and having a sip or two for drinking. Having dinner on top of that 'mountain' was fantastic and I enjoyed it enormously. One of the nicer dinner spots we had so far in trail. But I am very thirsty. The next water is in about 1.5 miles down the mountain. Again off trail, but only by 0.3 miles one way. The downhill is very steep and takes me much longer than anticipated. Finally reaching the spring, I filter 1 liter of cold and delicious water and just drink it in one go. Then I filter 2 mores liters for my evening hot chocolate and for the first 6 miles of hiking tomorrow.

I am enjoying my hot chocolate a little away from our tents (due to the bears), when Soccermum hikes in. It's nearly dark again, shortly before 9pm. He hiked out of Leadore, not taking the shuttle, as he hiked into Leadore with a short cut alternate and has now already caught up with us!

We are all super tired and while Captains feet hurt, Cheetah knees hurt and I can still painfully feel my right leg and also my hips (I think because of the heavy backpack). It's time for a restful night, so we can hike another 25 miles, or preferably even more, tomorrow!

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