Day 166 (CT 4)

Day 166 (CT 4): 27 miles

I didn’t sleep great after camping on a slide but got moving a little after 8. The weather couldn’t decide what it wanted to do all day. Every time I had service and checked it, it changed. It’s gonna storm at 1. It’s gonna storm at 6. It’s gonna storm now. Make up your mind.

I met a girl in the morning who said she was getting hailed on 5 minutes ago, but I didn’t have any of it. I did end up getting some hail later in the day. But did you even go to Colorado if you didn’t get hailed on?

I saw bit of lightning as I was ascending to a high pass. I didn’t like it and thought I might have to take a break but thankfully it ended up stopping before I got above treeline. I don’t know how people hike the Colorado trail in monsoon season. I would lose my mind if I had to stop and take a long break every afternoon. I didn’t even want to do it for one day.

Shortly before the mountain pass, I met a hiker who looked and sounded familiar. I thought maybe he was a guy I met on the PCT last year, but when he said his name was Early Riser it clicked. I watched some of his YouTube videos to get info on the AT before hiking it in winter. I met a good number of other hikers today too which is a fun change from the PNT.

When I started the day, I didn’t know where I was going to end up. In the evening it became apparent I would either hitch into town tonight (and probably have to stay there because it was too late to hitch out) or camp at a trailhead parking lot (sleep in a pit toilet) and hitch in, in the morning.

It looked like there was an affordable hostel in town so I ran the last couple miles of trail and ended my day the best way possible, by riding in the bed of pickup on the way into town. I don’t think there is any feeling more freeing than that.

The affordable hostel was full. I stayed at another place in town that had a bunkhouse but was more expensive that most hotels I’ve stayed at. To top it off, I got a $50 meal that didn’t even fill me up. I guess when they don’t have prices on the menu that doesn’t mean it’s free? A part of me just wished I slept in that pit toilet