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Flippy
Begins: Apr 20, 2010
Direction: Northbound
Daily Summary
Date: Wed, Aug 18th, 2010
Start: Great Campsite
End: Monarch Pass - Salida, CO
Journal Stats
Entry Visits: 258
Journal Visits: 8,702
Guestbook Views: 507
Guestbook Entrys: 19
Plan
Continental Divide Trail Map
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I Shall Return
This morning Sean II woke up and tried to revive the campfire, which was out - because I made sure it was before I went to bed. We needed to hike another 20+ mile day to make it to Monoarch Pass before dark if we were stand a chance of hitching into Salido (about twenty miles away from the trail).
Today would be the second day in a row with no rain! Only third day without rain n Colorado. The weather was great until near the end of the day, but more on that later.
Our halfway point for the day, Marshall Pass, seemed to be moving away from us. Probably because we laid up yesterday on the mileage. Finally we reached the real Marshall Pass, and there is really good water just north of it coming out of a piped spring from the mountain. Sean II said it was the best water yet on the trail. It was cold, clear, and didn't need to be treated, but I think it was because we had plenty of water now and it was a little warm. Before the spring I'm not quite sure where the new CDT trail went, so I pulled out the GPS (BCN) and shot a waypoint and bearing. I wouldn't hike the CDT without a GPS.
Sean II and I reached Monarch pass around 8 p.m., plenty of daylight to hitch a ride into Salida. The skies were getting dark and no one seemed to be slowing down much less stopping to give us a ride. It was windy and beginning to get dark. Sean II put on his rain/wind gear and was getting cold, so I sent him for cover while I tried to get a ride. About an hour later we got lucky, because it was dark, and got a ride into Salida. It was a great ride, because they were river guides ending their season. We were dropped in town at McDonalds one of the few places still open. It was close to 10 p.m. and no luck getting a room at the Simple Hostel & Inn.
After 40 chicken nuggets, a few burgers, and McFlurry, Sean II was ready for bed. At the end of town past the Four Seasons RV Park is a free campground on National Forest Land with clean pit toilets. We cowboyed camped again for third time.
Tomorrow starts the journey home with Sean II
The Contental Divide Trail is a national scenic trail that runs from Mexico to Canada via New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. This unfinished trail can potentially span up to 3,100 miles.
