3 Highlights:
1. Stunning views of lakes and distant peaks.
2. Running into Spirit (again) after weeks apart.
3. Finding a hidden campsite just before the rain.
Daily Summary:
– Distance hiked: 26 km
– Starting point: Grand Lake
– Ending point: Indian Peaks Boundary
– Weather conditions: Sunny by day, rainy by night.
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
Started the day with my “super chill” morning routine, trying to act like I wasn’t annoyed that I woke up in the same tent as someone who had a *completely* different idea about where we were heading. Classic. All that meditation, “totally” paying off…
Anyway, after the usual bickering, we didn’t actually start hiking until 11:30. Pretty much an early start, right? Coffee helped smooth things over, as it always does. The hike was pretty straightforward at first, with stunning views of lakes that looked like postcard material, but still no bears—just some fresh bear poop, which is apparently the *hiker’s version of a bear sighting.*
Lunch was by a picture-perfect shore where, surprise, we ran into Spirit! She’s like that old friend you think you’ll never see again, and then BAM, there she is—just in time for lunch with a killer view.
The second half of the day? Oh, just casually scaling a hill for the most epic sunset views, which would’ve been more enjoyable if we weren’t racing the darkness. By the time the sun dipped, we still had a few kilometers to go and, of course, no flat spots for camping in sight. Bessy was determined, though—pushing forward like a champ.
Suddenly, as the darkness really closed in, we stumbled upon a trail blocked by some fallen trees. Why not, right? Turns out, it led to Spirit’s campsite. What a twist! We set up camp, I got cozy while Bessy stretched in the tent, and as the rain started to patter on the roof, it felt like the perfect sleepy soundtrack.
Goodnight, world. We made it through another day!
Excited to head out on the trail again. This time we are heading south!
Nice river, we had lunch a little later as it turned really wide
The views…
