It’s only 8:15, but it may as well be midnight. Even my eyes are tired. I’m convinced that’s because they spent too long today not blinking for fear of missing one moment.
My fourth day on the Colorado Trail involved hiking out of Lost Creek Wilderness, down to Kenosha Pass, and then back up to a campsite just shy of the Continental Divide — tomorrow’s aim. The day was bisected by a hitchhike trip to and from Jefferson, where I picked up my first resupply box.In every hike, there are one or two moments that stand out, places so beautiful and memorable they seem to get engraved in my heart. On the AT, that was morning in the Grayson Highlands and then a windy traverse of Franconia Ridge. On the PCT, it was rounding a bend and looking down at Crabtree Meadow, with Whitney and friends rising in the background. On the Camino, it was writing under the San Salvador cross and offering my stone near Finisterre. In the Adirondacks, it was sitting on Skylight and seeing so many days’ adventures surround me.
I was certain that the view I was enjoying this morning would be the CT’s memorable spot. It was a beautiful meadowy ridge east of Kenosha Pass. Across the treed valley I could see other hills; beyond them, sharp and still snow-covered peaks pierced the sky. I was taking it in, enjoying the sunlight on my skin, drying out my gear, and snacking, when Kevin walked up.
An Albuquerque resident who’s done some CO hiking previously, Kevin responded to my awe: “Just wait until you get closer to Durango!”
How can it possibly get better than this?
Wanderstruck Studio 