Friday, September 5, 2025
12.3 miles, 1289′ gain/3661′ loss
I was up at 6:10am rather than 6am, just lying there waiting for the rain to stop. I was packed up and hiking around 6:30am, with extremely cold fingers and wet gear. I moved quick enough in the 37-degree cold to mostly keep my fingers warm. The weather was windy, cold, and very misty, with limited visibly, with an added layer of wildfire smoke. At least it didn’t actively rain as I hiked a handful of miles on the CDT and then hiked on the CT to exit out to a road where my friend picked me up and brought me back to Denver.
Meeting up with the CT was very emotional. I now had a continuous foot path from Rawlins WY to Durango CO. And as soon as I stepped onto the CT, the trail grade improved and the trail was well marked and easy to follow. I listened to music and cried as I headed down to the road, barely beginning to process this tough trip. It felt almost entirely like hard work. Very little felt easy or fun or smooth. Almost 60% of days had rain, and temperatures ranged from almost 90 down to 37. The high altitude was very difficult, and as I’ve come to learn, beyond the physical impacts, it always messes with my emotions, energy, and motivation. It feels like Colorado doesn’t like to give me good weather, but perhaps third time will be the charm. There’s just one more CO hike remaining.
Transcending Mountains 