3 Highlights
1 Breakfast with Kays
2 Hitchhike with Lanski
3 Reunion with hikers
Daily summary
Distance hiked: 0
Starting point: Boulder
Ending point: Grabd Lake
Weather conditions: Sunshine
Daily reflections
Beautiful morning, starting with meditation, pancakes, and finally, after days of frustration, success with the hiking poles. Felt like a real win. Maja, ever the epitome of generosity, not only hosted us like royalty but also drove us all the way back to Grand Lake. I’m telling you, the hospitality levels were off the charts. Leaving her place felt like parting from a five-star hotel, minus the room service.
In Grand Lake, it was a reunion of familiar faces. The hiker crowd was out in full force, and we wasted no time catching up—mostly while eating, as you do. The next mission was securing permits, which of course included renting a bear canister. My first time using one of these bulky contraptions. Super inconvenient, as I imagined, but apparently a necessity if I don’t want my food to become bear sushi.
Dinner was a culinary experiment involving noodles and eggs, but not just any eggs—duck eggs, as I discovered after reacting to the price. Six eggs for $6.99? I thought I’d been fleeced. Turns out I bought gourmet eggs without realizing it. The belly felt heavy afterward, but hey, I like to think of it as “fuel.”
Wildflower opted for ice cream while I opted for a stroll, and now we’re cozied up in the tent, enjoying the kind of peaceful, snug warmth you only get after a long day of randomness.
Luxury coffee in Boulder after luxury breakfast
Wildflower’s first hitchhike
