MARSHALL PASS, CO
I met a bunch of hikers this morning that came into the hostel last night. They all went off to the Patio Pancake restaurant and saved 2 seats. My trail angel Karla Roquemore came by at 9:30 and drove me over. Its good that the hikers had seats waiting for us because it was packed. After a good breakfast Karla took me up to Monarch Pass to get back on trail.
Since it was noon and there aren’t lots of water sources on this stretch, my goal was to go 11 miles to a stream and camp. It was probably the easiest and most pleasant day of hiking I have had. The weather was perfect, good tread, and very gentle contours. Since there was a fair amount of bike activity I took a few rest breaks along the way to let the traffic pass. I got to Marshall Pass at 5:30, which offered great camp spots, water, a clean privy, and even a cabin if I wanted it. It was such a good opportunity for cowboy camping that I found a good flat spot in the woods.
My new gear also made things nicer. I have a new replacement pack from REI so I didn’t have to worry about my hip belt unthreading. What made my feet really happy were my new model of Soloman shoes. This is third model I have tried and they have all been good, but these have a lot more support and my feet and ankles seem a lot more comfortable. I still have the prior pair and shipped them ahead as my spare.
In a spot next to my campsite I noticed a full freeze dried meal pouch that someone had cooked up and abandoned. I don’t know how something like that gets forgotten, but it sits there with uneaten food in it. I wonder how long it has been there?
My right shoulder blade still is painful, but otherwise am feeling great.