No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets.
– William Bordon
Aspens above pond to Lujan Creek
22.2 miles
Thru-hiking is not for whimps. Seriously. Yes, the scenery can be beautiful, the sense of adventure big, and being out in nature 24/7 is amazing. BUT it is hard, you can get tired, hot, dirty, cold, and hungry. Sometimes believe it or not, it is all I can do to put one foot in front of the other and just go. What I do know is…while in the hard parts it does end and the rewards are always amazing with huge pay offs!
The route today was really a big road walk amongst aspen lined hillsides. Water was a huge problem today. Most of the water sources we couldn’t find and it was warm. Wired said it was 85 degrees at our lunch stop. Dramatic difference from the last week.
Before highway 114 along side the trail two coolers with sodas were waiting for thru-hikers by a very generous trail angel. TRAIL MAGIC. I quickly chugged down a lemon like soda and was pleased to find in the register that Silly Chili had been through here earlier today. There has been no cell service since we started this section to communicate with him. I am super relieved that he is okay.
We are camped tonight with Bone Lady, No Amp, and Swiss Cheese. Tomorrow is supposed to be rocky trail that is difficult.
Hiking Tip:
Starbursts will get you up most hills with a better attitude and energy. Just stick one in your mouth and suck on it the whole way up. I discovered this magic when Wired offered me one every time we went uphill. Thanks Wired.
Jolly Ranchers do the same thing as Starbursts. 🙂
I love Jolly Ranchers. Thanks for the suggestion. Up the mountains I go!
Glad to hear Silly Chili is signing in.
You’re doing an awesome job and I’m enjoying reading about your adventure and seeing your beautiful photos. Keep it up!
Thank you for being the outdoor advocate yourself.
That trail magic really saved silly, he was dying of thirst by that time. I’m surprised there was anything left in the cooler.
Ahhhh my love, yes sireeee bob I am sure that will never happen again. There were 2 left when I got there and a huge bag of empties. We will never really know how many he drank.
That through hiking sure has it’s ups-N-downs. You keep us stoked. Keep on chuggin’ along!
It is glorious and it can be hell. Up and downs for sure. For right now I am focusing on the ups!
Love those Aspens. So glad you find little signs that Silly Chili was there. I worry about him being alone. We will be so anxious to hear from you all this weekend.
You should worry. There is a lot to worry about. You know I don’t say that often. Luckily I was so busy just putting one foot in front of the other, that is all I could think about. I just keep saying that he has been doing this since he was little. Did he actually pay attention? I think he did.