Day 49 (ODT 17)

Day 49 (ODT 17): 15 miles

After I got over my soggy feet, this was my favorite day on trail so far. I slept in and didn’t get hiking until 11 when the rain stopped. The sky still looked nasty, but I decided to get going regardless. I soon realized that the high mountains had fresh snow on them and I would be in it soon. I was stoked cause it looked amazing.

The sky stayed good for the most part but it did snow/hail a few times throughout the day. Right at the end of the day there was a little patch of blue sky, but gray dominated the day.

After a little bit of cross country and a lot of climbing, I reached the snow line. It timed out perfectly. Big Empty came on my earbuds and I took in the surrounding scene with awe.

I was actually overjoyed to be walking on it because before it, I was walking on soggy mud that stuck to my shoes and slowed me down. I accepted the wet feet and enjoyed the snow. It was unbelievable how beautiful the surrounding mountains looked. It’s been a minute since I’ve had a surrounding view like that.

I had no idea what time it was all day. The sky was the same shade of dark gray all day. When I checked my watch for the first time it was 3:30. I was surprised time went so quickly.

At 4:30 I had to start thinking. I was around 7,000 feet and my hands were cold inside my gloves while moving. The upcoming trail would climb up to 8,000 feet and stay high for a while. I opted to start looking for a campsite with some wind protection and snow free. Around 5 I settled to make camp in the middle of the primitive road I was hiking on in a valley before a climb. It was pretty muddy and not ideal, but it’s better than continuing on and being up at 8,000 feet when it gets dark and cools down more.

When I pulled off my shoes at the end of the day I was reminded the joys of hiking in wet snow.

It was a short day of hiking and the conditions weren’t great, but I loved it. The snow made these mountains feel even more rugged, and I felt like I had them all to myself.

After ending early, I rewatched a download of Johnny Depp smuggling powder and getting betrayed by everyone he ever knew.