Even though we could have slept in a little, we were both up around 5am for some reason. Being up so early turned out to be great, as it gave us plenty of time to ensure we were all packed and I even had time to do some ankle rehab and one of the videos from wanderfulbodies.com.
Around 8am, the motel manager stopped by with the care package from Leslie she had just picked up from the post office. I was elated! I’m very grateful that the she, the motel manager, took the time to pick up the package for us this morning. Unfortunately, the package from Tarptent wasn’t in her PO Box (we need new zipper pulls and some cordage to fix a few minor tent issues), so we gave her instructions to bounce it to Silverton.
the care package from Leslie!!
Leslie baked us some chocolate chip cookies, some Mexican chocolate brownies, and some brownies with what I think are thin mints inside (I sampled one of everything as soon as I opened the box). She also sent some dried deliciousness from Maui, such as coconut chips and dried papaya, which was the perfect addition to my homemade trail mix. (I swear I took a picture of the opened box but do not see it on my phone, I must be going mad). Leslie’s thoughtfulness added at least a pound of extra weight to my backpack, but I don’t care because eating her delicious baked goods gives me something to look forward to on the trail.
Not too long after I finished repacking my backpack to include Leslie’s treats, Jan and Mike, the lovely couple who we met at Wolf Creek Pass and who kindly brought us to Pagosa Springs, picked us up from our motel.
In an attempt to repay Jan and Mike for being such amazing humans and taking us back to the trail (and for giving us a ride to Pagosa Springs in the first place), Nick and I planned to treat them to breakfast. We went back to The Rose since we had such a great experience there yesterday. Breakfast with Jan and Mike was the highlight of the day! I had such a great time that I could have stayed there for hours, chatting and getting to know them better. It felt like I was sitting at the table with family.
When the check came, Mike snagged it. Nick and I had wanted to treat them to breakfast, not the other way around! We tried, desperately, to get him to let us pay, but it was a lost cause. I could tell it made Mike happy to treat us, so we gave in. I had to smile to myself because Mike reminded me so much of my dad in that moment- you could tell he was trying not to show how happy he felt doing something wonderful for someone else but was failing miserably (he could barely suppress the smile that lit up his entire face, which is exactly what happens to my dad. It’s so endearing.)
———Oooh, I hear coyotes yipping and barking out there! They sound like they are having fun, but they also sound really close to the tent. I guess I’m not getting out to pee for a while.
I hated to leave The Rose, but after delaying a bit with another cup of coffee, we eventually got back in the car and rode back to Wolf Creek Pass. I’m glad we had some extra time to talk with Jan and Mike - like I said, they felt like family. I hated to leave their company, but, after hugging and saying goodbye, we hiked on.
thanks again for putting us back where you found us! And for breakfast! And for being amazing humans!
——-What are the top three saws? (Nick just asked me this, so I figured you can play along, too.)
Where was I? Oh yes, we were on the trail again. A few miles in, I heard a male voice behind me cry out, “Aaahhh”. I yelled back but didn’t get a response. I didn’t think it was Nick but couldn’t be sure, so I decided to take a little break and wait for him (so I could be sure). While I waited, I ate another one of Leslie’s brownies, which was the perfect snack.
Nick came walking up not too much later. He had no idea what I was talking about - he didn’t scream nor did he hear a scream. Maybe it was one of the people I saw earlier? Hope everything is ok with them.
saw about 15 people up on the mountain - they were hiking a different trail, though
So far, the trail hasn’t been nearly as bad as the last section. We only had to glissade once, there’s not as much snow to walk on, and blowdowns aren’t as frequent. There’s more mud now, though. Still, it’s manageable.
—————-1. Table Saw (Did you forget that Nick asked me what the top 3 saws are?)
We stopped hiking early because, according to the map, this is the last good place to camp for a long while. We could have pushed on and chanced finding somewhere to camp along the way, but we decided to stay here because those chances didn’t look good and I didn’t want to be hiking after dark. 10 miles for the day is terrible, but it’s been fun here in camp. I even had time to sew yet another hole I acquired on the mesh lining of my backpack (this time it snagged on a nail at the motel).
———————2. Chainsaw
The only other thing of interest is that I found a smart water bottle on the trail. I picked it up just in case I run into the hiker who lost it. Otherwise, I’ll be packing it out, which is fine with me because I can finally make up for the water bottle I dropped on the trail back on Day 3 (I still feel bad about littering).
Along the trail:
Camp:
————————3. Arkansas (Nick thinks he’s so funny. I hope you enjoyed his intrusion into this post.)