Daily Miles: 22.0, Total Miles: 921.0 The morning started with a quick climb to the Divide before dropping down to Upper Razor Creek. While refilling water bottles and eating a snack, I met a nice couple from Slovenia. Boomerang and Sunshine had flipped to Twin Lakes and were now southbound to Wolf Creek. I passed by Baldy Lake and into the Cochetopa Hills which opened up at Sargents Mesa. Followed Tank 7 Creek for a few miles and set up…
Daily Miles: 19.7, Total Miles: 899.0 A pleasant, mostly straightforward day through the Gunnison National Forest at about 10,000 ft elevation. This is definitely cattle country so all water treated. Light thundershowers today cooled things down. I got almost 20 miles in by mid-afternoon, and, with a long waterless spell ahead of me, I decided to give the feet and body a rest at Lujan Creek. Trying hard to pace myself but think my level of aches/pains/stamina do a pretty…
Daily Miles: 24.9, Total Miles: 879.3 I quickly reached San Luis Pass, where the Creede cutoff joins the CDT, and saw one Big Agnes tent and one hiker far ahead of me up on the mountain. The next four miles was a steady climb to another 12,600 ft saddle, crossing several small snow fields. Picked up the headwaters of Cochetopa Creek then down the other side of the saddle, following the stream all the way down to 9,000 ft. Beaver…
Daily Miles: 12.2, Total Miles: 854.4 We arrived in Lake City on Sunday, got acclimated and stayed in an old cabin at San Cristobal Lake. We went into town and watched the 7th game of the NBA finals. Wasn’t even upset that I lost a bet (6-pack of his favorite beer) to my brother-in-law. Mrs. Haze and I took a warm-up hike up towards Cataract Lake on Monday. We then lounged around and barbequed a few steaks. Mrs. Haze and…
Less than a month to shoving off – hopefully some good snow melt in the meantime. I would rather not take microspikes and ice axe but probably will for the first couple of weeks. I prepared my meals this week – extra heavy on spices this year, particularly curry and chili sauce. Don’t think I will regret it although others might if in close proximity. I’m sure I will be calorie deficient as always – but fun to try to…
Feels like spring! Warming up, flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, allergies are kicking in, and the first grizzly bear sighting in Yellowstone. Another sign of spring is baseball spring training so managed to catch a few games in Scottsdale. Had a nice training hike a few weeks ago with Will and Roadrunner, a couple I hiked with on the PCT. They started their AT hike the first of the month just as a cold front and snow hit Georgia….
Our 12-year-old chocolate lab, Kerbie, passed away in early October from lung cancer. Never smoked a day in her life, go figure. She was our hiking, training and camping partner for many years and will be sorely missed. What a full life this good old dog had in her 12 years! And the critters she had the opportunity to chase or be chased by – deer, rabbits, squirrels. chipmunks, coyotes, porcupines, cows, horses, lizards, other dogs, bobcats, kitty cats, quail,…
Each year about this time, I feel the need to make a commitment for the following year’s hiking adventure. This helps get me in the training mode, start the planning process and finish outstanding projects. This past summer, I hiked from the border at the Crazy Cook monument in New Mexico and finished up at Spring Creek Pass near Lake City, Colorado, about 840 miles. I reached Cumbres Pass in early June and hit heavy snow. While most other hikers…
We just finished our six-day float down Idaho’s Middle Fork Salmon River – what a great trip down a wild, beautiful, scenic river! Scouted out a piece of the Idaho Centennial Trail and took hikes, mostly to hot springs on or near the river. Saw plenty of bighorns and even managed to catch a few cutthroat trout. I got more solitude on the CDT but floated down with a great bunch – and ate well and often. Been asked about…
As planned, the first leg and roughly 1/3 of my CDT hike is done. I have just run out of time. Mrs. Haze picks me up tomorrow. By this time next week, we will be underway on our Middle Fork Salmon River float trip in Idaho. I was able to pick up my favorite dry flies here in Lake City, except for my personal favorite, the Purple Haze. Brutal as some of it was, I have really enjoyed the journey…
