July 11th

I was up early  and witnessed a great sunrise. I packed up and was just drinking my tea  when a lady hiker csme past .

Good morning.

I finished up and set off down the trail it was going to be a great  day. The trail was fairly  clutter free enabling me to get a reasonable pace and it was heading down always helps.

I shortly arrived at the  trail head and campsite. The female hiker was just using the Privy. Well one never misses a privilege so I also used. 

The trail Imeadity  began to climb maybe I am going over the mountains I saw earlier. Mmmm

The trail crossed the road and headed up ( I didn’t know at the time  but it was going to be a climbing  day.)

The trail climbed then meandered  a bit then dropped down and then did it all again. 

Mm I won’t get my milage I  if its like this I said to my self.

Once again the trail  headed down then changed its mind and headed up again  this time I got to see some amazing views of the valley. 

I pushed on up coming to several large snow clumps. I climbed over them and then dome more and omg some more. I thought I was done with snow.  Obviously  NOT!!.

Aa I made my wayvover yet more more I began to meet several hikers coming the other way.

Two were finishing off bits  of the Cdt. 

I pushed on looking for water but there wasn’t any for a while  so I patiently  got water from a snow melt. Not  perefect but I was thirsty. 

I added bleach waited then flavoured it before drinking.

Okay time to move . Around the  next corner  the whole landscape  changed  it was fairly baron looking with lots of snow to cross.

I pushed on making good progress but then the trail became difficult to follow. 

Arrhhhh.

Eventually I found it and once again  it was up and down and up and down . The sun was now getting hotter as I approached yet another climb. I think I need a break and was just pondering when gourmet appeared and thought the same so we sat in the shade and had lunch. Several other hikers passed by as we relaxed.

Gourmet  had gone tubing in 

Steamboat springs and was slightly red!!!

We chatted  for a while but it was soon time to hike some more.

See you at the top snail. I laughed 

I packed up and set off after him omg he was already at the top hes just so fast or rather I’m just so slow.

Once up the trail did its normal meander then vanished.  

But I quickly found . It Once again dropped down into the valley  and then imeadity  climbed up  the other side. 

Except as I began the next climb I found myself in a bog.

Now on the Apalahcian  trail we would have duck boards come on cdt lol

Once up I crossed several meadows again with the added fun of more bogs.

Then I lost the trail again…. it has to be me… and I have  a great sence of direction.

I soon found it  but it went up another mountain. 

It was mainly scree but it had a path  through it.

Once up I was on a very large plain.  And in the distance cairns.

I set off towards it then the next one and the next before dropping down the vally  towards  a lake. But I could see the trail snake away to my right.. and of course up.  

Once at the top of course it went down but this time through several snow fields.i trudged through the first two then walked around the third. But then decided to take a break. Whilst here I grabbed water from the melt. Okay backbto the climbing 

Can’t we have some flat I shouted to no-one. 

Seems not…I climbed and climbed …whoop some down. As i began to head down  something caught my eye. It was a long horned goat  stood high on a rock.

I wasn’t sure if it was a tree  at first but it did move its head.

Okay down time was moving on and with all the climbs I wasn’t going to make my target as I was so tired. And tyoicsllyvthe down was very very long and steep and cluttered. It did level out for a while as i walked through loads of small dead trees they reminded me of  Triffids…

Now the trail continued down   but as before steep and cluttered.

I passed several good spots for camping but was determined to get to at least 5.30. 

Once at the bottom i was greeted with more bogs… Really!!!.

I manged to navigate these  keeping my feet dry. But then it was more snow to  climb over.

Which again is tiresome especially towards the end of the day.  The trail now headed left. 

But nearby  was a small spinny. That looks ideal and it was now 5.30. That will do me.

And it was mossie  free. Well untill I dropped my pack then it became alive.

Arrrrrhhhh.  . And such a beautiful evening too.

But the mossies  say no.

So tent up and hide.

Mileage 16 (target 17,)