Day 125 (October 30)
3 Highlights:
• Seeing familiar faces: Logan, Gabe, Phil, and Giggles
• A refreshing dip in the hotel’s hot tub
• Enjoying lunch and dinner with trail friends
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 13 km
• Starting point: km 4670
• Ending point: km 4682
• Weather conditions: Sunny
Reflections:
Rushed into town early with the promise of coffee pulling me forward, only to have my first sip reveal an unexpected hazelnut flavor—not my favorite, but it got the job done. The day quickly improved when I ran into familiar faces—Logan, Gabe, Phil, and Giggles—friends who had already completed the CDT and were in town celebrating. It felt great catching up, swapping stories, and sharing in the collective excitement.
Lunch was excellent, followed by a well-deserved soak in a hot tub at a nicer hotel. My trail-worn muscles sighed in relief, soaking up the comfort that felt worlds away from the grit of the trail. The evening, however, was a different kind of challenge: wrestling with my phone for two hours, trying to calculate my total miles and failing to upload an Instagram post. Technology can be more exhausting than the hike itself.
To top off the day, resupplying for the next leg turned into its own mini-adventure, requiring visits to three different stores to piece together what I needed. But I managed, and now, with just three days to the Mexican border, I’m feeling a mix of excitement and a touch of melancholy. The end is so close, and I’m savoring these final steps. Good night.
