3 Highlights:
1. Bessy dancing along the trail, a sight to behold.
2. Starbucks salvation.
3. The vivid green and yellow landscapes.
Daily Summary:
– Distance hiked: 27 km
– Starting point: Small lake on Silverthorn
– Ending point: Small stream at km 2898
– Weather conditions: Sun, rain, hail, snow, and back to sun
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
We woke up early and, in a bid to not disturb Lanski, I did some light blogging (e.g. what you are reading right now). After she finally awoke, we aimed for Copper Mountain with one thing in mind—caffeine. We smugly bypassed Starbucks, hunting for a local cafe and downtalking global coffee, only to discover local cafe´s were closed, as were most of the establishments in the off-season ski resort town. So, tail between legs, we begrudgingly returned to Starbucks. Turned out to be a pretty good decision. We went back twice, after resupplying with ramen and second breakfast. I could have stayed there forever, but after nearly three hours …we finally left the warm embrace of Starbucks and started our climb. The weather had other ideas, though, and at 2 pm, just as we stopped for lunch, the heavens opened with hail. Then snow. Of course, because why not? It was one of the coldest days we’ve had so far, but after a good hour or so of battling the elements, the sun decided to grace us with its presence again. The views, however, made it all worthwhile—autumn yellows mixing with evergreen pines, punctuated by serene lakes and flowing rivers.
We realized we were getting close to Leadville, so naturally, we started scouring for some lodging options for tomorrow. As the day wound down, we found a nice spot to set up camp, though the temperature was still frigid. Dinner was a rushed affair at 7:30 pm, and now we’re hunkered down in our tent at 3300m, hoping for some semblance of warmth. Here’s to surviving the night without turning into popsicles.
Copper Mountain meets Wild Flower
The views on September 17
