Wow, a day without rain, hail or thunder!

Day 69

Date: 09.07.2022

CDT Mile: Mile 1'384.5

Miles hiked: 23 miles / 36.8 km

Elevation: 3'940 feet ascent (1'202 m Aufstieg) / 3'443 feet descent (Abstieg 1'050 m)

Camping at: 9'252 feet / 2'822 m

I slept well last night in my big bed and got up around 6am. I had a bagel with butter for breakfast and hit the trail at 7am, which is just behind the hostel. The first 5.5 miles I had to roadwalk due to a wildfire in October 2020. The wildfire came very close to the town of Grand Lake and nearly reached the Hostel I stayed at. The official CDT, leading a loop into Rocky Mountain National Park was closed due to that and also the Alternate out of Grand Lakes, cutting off that Loop at the National Park, was closed. I had to roadwalk then, but it wasn't too bad. Due to water being scarce again, we decided to hike 23 miles. There is supposed to be a good campground and water just 0.7 miles before. Than there is water 1.5 miles after that the next morning, before we have two big climbs and no water for 12 miles again! That means we have to carry water over these two big climbs😤 I actually wanted to hike more miles today, but with this water situation it seems to be the best option.

The climb up to Bowen Pass was nice and gradual. I hardly recognized that I have hiked 500 meters up, because the climb was so smooth. That's how I like it 😁 but the last 1.5 miles where steep uphill climbs again, kicking my ass. The view was nice, blue sky and very hot actually, around 25 degrees. I have also met 'Senor Guapo' and 'Rock hound' for the first time on that uphill hike. Together we stop for lunch at the top of the pass. Looking down I spot 4 moose just at the trail and Vista is just about to approach them! She yells at them, standing close to a tree but it takes a while to get them moving. While the guys are moving on, I wait for Vista. I am not in a hurry today. It's less than 10 miles to camp and mostly downhill and often through burned areas. We watch one moose taking a bath, which was stunning.

The afternoon hike was easier, but still when I reached camp I was done! There were some steep but small uphill and downhill climbs. I fell at one point, for the first time on trail, and scratched my knee and hurt my bad toe again. My toe was hurting all day already, I guess I have to take painkillers tomorrow. Also, there were quite some blowdowns on this stretch again, we are definitely back on the CDT and not any longer on the CT...

Ducky, Bex, Vista and I are camping together tonight, the women's club😁 there are not that many women on trail, definitely more men, and not many women are hiking solo, most of them are hiking with their partner. It's still warm outside and for the first time since a couple of days it didn't rain at all today! We had dinner outside together which was awesome, only some moskitos where bothering us. But it is so much nicer being on trail if it doesn't rain, hail or thunder on you and you can enjoy dinner together! Let's hope the weather stays like this for a couple of more days, till we are done with Colorado😁

---