While I was worried about having to climb down the steep ladder from loft in the middle of the night to pee, I slept so hard that I didn’t wake up at all until 6:30. I must really have needed the rest!
Ideally we would have gone to a café for coffee, but since it was pretty chilly outside Nick and I simply went downstairs to the lobby for some. Nick went back to the room but I stayed there, enjoying the coffee as I sat in a comfy chair and updated the blog.
We were both very hungry by 8am, so we walked to Kendall Mountain Café for breakfast - the sun was out by then so it wasn’t quite as chilly. It was the perfect little hole-in-the-wall place and the food was great. With full stomachs, we explored this charming little town. It’s been over 20 years since Nick and I took the train from Durango to Silverton (it was one of our first trips together when we were just dating) and I barely remember this place.
One of the stores we randomly stopped in was San Juan Expeditions, mainly to see if they had fuel. They didn’t have any, but we also inquired about getting a ride up to Stony Pass. The woman behind the counter said she’d see if she could find anyone willing to drive us up there. Having just come down, I know it’s not an easy drive and feel like it’s a big ask, so I was pleasantly surprised when she called us a few hours later saying she found someone willing to take us. We’ll be paying $50 for the ride but it’s totally worth it as far as I’m concerned - I really don’t want to have to walk up to the pass!
We also stopped at the post office to see what time they open tomorrow (9am)- we want to get our resupply package ASAP. Then we popped back into the hotel so I could use the restroom (I had a little too much coffee).
As we were leaving the hotel to take care of a few more chores, we bumped into Aron (now Captain), Cheetah, and Mouse. It was unbelievably refreshing to hear that they, too, hated the overgrown bushes, that they, too, got scratched legs (and they wear pants!), and that they, too, felt wiped out from hiking this section.
I wanted to chat with them longer but we all had chores to do. Nick and I walked to the hardware store for more fuel and then to the grocery store for some fresh food like apples (of course), salad, and strawberries. We saw Captain, Cheetah, and Mouse again when we got back to the hotel, but we didn’t chat too long because I was in desperate need of a nap.
Back in the room, I talked to my parents and uploaded more blog posts before taking a much-needed nap. When I finally woke up, we went to Golden Block Brewery for dinner. Now I’m going to take one last hot shower, climb back up into the loft, and get myself more sleep.
Dinner was pizza (we each ordered one) and salad
Around town:
