September 12th
Segment 28
Up at 0400, we packed up our soaking wet tents from the pooring rain last night. It feels like they’ve added another 2 lb to our packs! Thankfully I stayed warm and dry.The temperatures are in the 50s this morning actually feels warm. In comparison. Today we ate our hot breakfast in camp while packing up for one last time so we wouldn’t have to stop so much on the trail. We started climbing at 5:25 this morning in the pool of our headlamps. Getting a head start ahead of Bolt and Ruthless. They will surely beat us to the trailhead even so.
Hiking in the dark really puts you in the moment. You can’t see ahead of you or around you, all you have is your little pool of light. You can’t look at the hill ahead and get swallowed up or overwhelmed by it. You just keep stepping in your pool of light.
We stopped to filter water at a little creek. 4th Quarter, Rachael & Alex(celebrating their honeymoon), and Parks and Rec caught up with us. We had made a town plan for a victory dinner and I had started extending the invite to fellow hikers. They all agreed to come.
The miles feel like forever and then suddenly they’re behind you.
Rain thunder and lightning or forecast with the skies currently clearing, giving us a break, thankfully.
We hiked like mad! Ruthless and Bolt still hadn’t caught us and we were getting close to the end. We had service and Ruthless texted, “Hey where are you? We’ve got 6.1 miles left and we’re havin lunch.” OMG we were 4.2 miles from finishing! We were so worried about being late to the trailhead that we just blew past the miles! “Like horses to the barn “ she said.
It was just after 1 when we finished. 482.9 miles in 43 days!
Bolt’s husband Reed was there is his van with flowers and a happy anniversary sign for his wife. shorty after Ruthless’ brother in law, John and wife Betty showed with their celebration poster. John and Betty threw on day packs and hiked up the trail to find Ruthless.
Grit and I dried our tents for the flight home, still soaking wet from last night. We emptied our garbage and threw worn out stuff away.
5 days worth of garbage!
Ugly gaiters!
The clouds rolled by and we waited. Reed gave us a Spindrift, so yummy!
Bolt came down the trail cheering and in tears of victory!
Ruthless strutted around the corner proud and glowing with big grin. There celebratory whoops, hugs, tears and laughter and photos! John and Betty brought out fresh fruit! Exactly what hikers us hikers wanted!
Andrew, who we hadn’t met before, showed up at the trailhead finishing his hike alone. We celebrated with him and invited him to dinner. His girl friend got injured and left the trail a while back. Bolt and Reed gave him a ride into town.
We pilled in the car with John and Betty and they shuttled us around. First the welcome center where we got a Denver to Durango patch, a sicker and a goody bag. Then we signed the Colorado Trail 2023 completion roster. It was so fun looking at all the names of hikers before us that we had met along the way!
It started downpouring as we checked in at the Motel. We were so grateful to safe, warm and dry!
~Stoney
Grit’s blog bikehikerepeat.com