3 Highlights:
• Breakfast with the crew in Pie Town
• Eggs and a hot shower at Davila Ranch
• Finding my resupply box
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 21 km
• Starting point: Pie Town
• Ending point: Davila Ranch
• Weather conditions: Snow, hail, and rain
Reflections (Challenges, Insights, Musings):
Woke up several times during the night—fantastic. At 5 a.m., I figured, “Might as well check the water situation,” because who needs sleep when you have spreadsheets? By 7, I was boiling water for coffee, like the responsible hiker I am.
70 and I hit the post office at 8:30 a.m. It took forever for them to find my resupply box. But when they finally handed it over, the relief was real. After that, we joined the rest of the hikers—Twilight, Waterfall, Paul, Legacy, Taylor, Rory, and Semper Dry—for breakfast. I went all in: three eggs, three pancakes, sausage, pie, ice cream, and a couple of coffees. And no regrets—until I saw the weather. Hail. Classic.
Then, Paul invited me for another round of pie at the Pie-o-neer restaurant. How could I say no? He even treated me to a cappuccino, which felt like a fair trade since I’d gotten him an espresso back in Steamboat.
After breakfast, I swung by the Toaster House to see if 70 was ready to leave. He wasn’t, so I hit the trail solo. Of course, 80% of the hike was through rain, hail, and bone-chilling wind. It was a slog. By the time I dragged myself into Davila Ranch, I was cold to the core.
The ranch had a barracks-style setup, complete with a washing machine, kitchen, and fridge stocked with eggs, onions, and potatoes—basically heaven. I jumped straight into the shower, and let me tell you, getting the water to work was an adventure. But eventually, I got hot water. I cleaned up and fried three eggs, feeling like a new person.
Then, just as I was settling in to eat, 70 showed up—a welcome relief, honestly. I fried him three eggs too. Even after the hot shower, though, I couldn’t shake the cold. I decided to call it an early night and retreated to my warmer sleeping bag, hoping to finally warm up my feet. Wish me luck.
Good night.
