Tuesday, June 9, 2026
40.3 miles, 3675′ gain/5141′ loss
Max altitude: 11,600′
I was woken up out of a dead sleep by an earth-shattering thunderclap around 5am, accompanied by a short burst of hail and rain. I got out of bed at 6am and was hiking on yet another dirt road by 6:25am. The first few hours had off and on sunshine mixed with rain showers, and then the next 8 hours, it was off and on cold rain (with one occasion of hail).
I had a smaller climb to start, descended off that climb, and then had a big long climb. Along the way, I saw a few handfuls of trucks and a handful of side-by-sides, but the vehicle traffic was much lighter on this side of Platoro. In the col between the two climbs, I saw a group of 6 bikepackers in the distance on the Great Divide route, but I think they might have gone off trail to avoid the rain storm, because they didn’t bike past me.
While the clouds were dark and menacing, the rain was light enough where I was that it kept the temperatures cool without being scary cold, and the cooler temps made everything a bit easier. As I climbed higher, I saw more and more snow on the nearby mountains and ridges. It wasn’t 100% coverage, but it looked quite challenging and likely requiring additional equipment (like snowshoes and maybe ice axes). I was glad to be on a dirt road instead.
I topped out at 11,600′, and saw a rentable backcountry cabin (USFS I think) nearby but it was occupied so I didn’t get to check it out any closer. As I started to descend, the weather slowly cleared up and became a mix of cloudy and sunny skies. Just shy of the paved highway, I considered stopping for the night, since I’d made it to my intended spot. But it was early yet, with another ~3 hours of daylight so I just kept going. Soon, I passed by the ATV staging area, with dozens of trucks, trailers, and cars. There were a number of people around, and a few RVs set up. I had enough water, so I skipped filtering at the creek nearby and started walking on the side of the paved road/highway.
I pulled out my phone, found I had intermittent cell service, and started trying to figure out my plan for the rest of the day. My legs and feet hurt something awful, but I kept telling myself I’d just hike a little further. And as I walked on the road, it became clear I had very limited overnight options. The options for camping all cost at least $25 and some as much as $80. But also, if I stopped shy of town and didn’t go to the Dollar General tonight, they don’t open until 8am tomorrow so I’d have to wait on their doorstep for them to open.
So I just kept walking on the paved highway all the way into South Fork. As I walked, I got better cell service and was able to find a very inexpensive but well rated motel (Four Seasons) and I made a reservation. By the end of my walk into town, I was struggling not to limp. But I made it to the Dollar General right in town by 8pm! I took a few minutes, figured out how much food I needed for the next ~2 days and tonight, and went for a quick shop.
Once I was done, I started walking towards the motel. It was another 0.3 miles away, and someone stopped to offer me a ride in their car. I took them up on the offer, since my arms were full and my feet were tired. The motel was basic but fine. I handwashed my underwear and socks, cooked and ate dinner, showered, and called it a night.
I mapped out my remaining miles, and left it open ended. There was a small possibility that I could finish tomorrow, but I also didn’t want to rush. So I had enough food to cover 1.5-2 days, and left it up to the conditions to see what happened.
