3 Highlights:
1. Bessy (Wild Flower) climbing and loving every step of it.
2. Scoring awesome hiking gear at 50% off—dopamine and gratitude flowing.
3. Getting a surprise Czech sweet bread at Rollin Bakery. Free pastries = pure joy.
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 12 km
• Starting point: Berthoud Pass
• Ending point: km 2742, near Vasquez Peak Wilderness Boundary
• Weather conditions: Sunny, perfect hiking weather.
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
Last night was rough, but the day? Oh, it was fantastic. Started with coffee for Wild Flower because without caffeine, well, nothing happens. After fueling up, we hit the Trail Head gear store where everything was 50% off! Got myself some new rain pants and leggings, and Wild Flower grabbed a fanny pack, a buff, and other goodies. Pure gear dopamine. Happy days.
After that, we said goodbye to Scott at the Viking Lodge, then hit up a bakery that had Czech rockin’ breads. We ordered lunch bread (Irina, solid choice) and even scored a free sweet one. Wild Flower’s face lit up—happy days.
Hitchhiking took a bit, but Wild Flower’s dancing finally worked. Michelle picked us up, and we were on our way. Happy days.
The hike started with a climb, of course. But The Wall by Pink Floyd was our soundtrack, and it fueled us up. Wild Flower was strong, climbing like a pro. At one point, she even beat me to the top at 3800m! She was over the moon—happy days.
Lunchtime was tortilla wraps with yesterday’s leftover grilled chicken. Fancy? No. Delicious? Absolutely. Happy days.
Then came the tough part: another climb, with 5 liters of water on my back. Wild Flower hit a wall and started tossing around a bit, but we pushed through. We set up camp really high tonight. She made soup with—you guessed it—more leftover chicken. Hope she wakes up feeling strong again tomorrow. She was so happy today.
It’s freezing up here, and I’m wiped. Good night!
Hitchhiking magic
Well deserved break
Starting to feel better on high altitude
Camp by night