Day 103 – October 8

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Highlights:

1. Connecting with Lanski—always a solid morale boost.

2. Meeting two new hikers: Mirta from the Netherlands and Bijou.

3. Eating enough on the trail for once—look at me, all responsible and stuff.

Daily Summary:

• Distance hiked: 53 km

• Starting point: km 3472

• Ending point: km 3525

• Weather conditions: Mixed—hail, cold, the works.

Daily reflections:

So, the alarm goes off at 6 a.m., and I wake up thinking, Yep, I’ve made some bad life choices. I threw on my gloves (a genius move, by the way) and got hiking. Now, let me tell you, nothing motivates you quite like hunger, and this morning’s breakfast was a feast: 2 eggs, jerky, beef spam (yes, it’s a thing and no, I’m not proud), nuts, and dates. Kept me going till noon like a hiker version of Popeye—minus the spinach and biceps.

Around noon, I rewarded myself with a chocolate bar. Don’t judge—out here, it’s basically a health food. By 2:30 p.m., I’d cranked out 32 km and ran into Mirta and Bijou, fellow CDT warriors. As I was packing up lunch, the weather decided it was time for some free entertainment—45 minutes of hail. Like, full-on, ice-ball attack. Thanks, Mother Nature; I really appreciate your sense of humor.

Post-hail, I kept hiking. Didn’t stop until 9 p.m., when I finally found a nice spot behind a tree in a massive meadow. Set up camp, stretched (because even out here, you gotta take care of the bod), and tended to my feet—my feet that, at this point, are like two horror movie props. I also prepped breakfast for tomorrow because apparently, I’ve become someone who plans ahead.

Right now, I’m falling asleep while writing this, feeling all accomplished and semi-frozen. Tomorrow’s plan is a big one: 36 km to the highway to Chama. If all goes well, I should be there by 4 p.m., ready to hitchhike into civilization. Let’s hope my thumb still works in this weather. G’night!

San Juans
San Juans (Part II)
Camp

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