8.5.21 -

17.8 miles, +5,600 -3,100 ft

Total mileage: 201.9

Segments: CW01 - CW02

Well, today was officially the hardest day on trail so far! My bowels woke me up again, but it was so cold and I had service so I did a few things online in my quilt before officially getting ready. I was hiking by 6 am, and had a pretty easy couple of miles through the sagebrush before starting the crazy climb up to Hope Pass. And yes, it was rough. The grade was a constant 800 ft/ mile, which is super rough for me. And there were hardly any switchbacks. The bottom portion was down in the trees and pretty much straight up a yucky, rocky trail, and the second part was through beautiful alpine meadows with spectacular views. But the climb was relentless! And above the trees the sun was shining, which was great, but it was hot. Multiple ultra runners passed me on the way up. One of their pacers told me they were all training for the Leadville 100 in a couple of weeks. These people went up & down Hope Pass and then did it in reverse! They are amazingly dedicated athletes.

Once I finally made it to the top of the pass, it was about 10:45 and I deserved a break. I sat down admiring the hazy views of the mountains and ate some snacks while chatting with some hikers that passed me earlier: Flan & Grandpa. After they left I chatted with some day hikers who were also at the top. Some day hike! After a 20 min break, I started making my way downhill, which was actually steeper than the uphill. Probably 1,000 ft/ mile on average. I had to concentrate pretty hard on not falling or slamming down on my feet so much. I don’t know how those runners RAN down this pass. I would eat shit for sure. About halfway down, I ran into some really nice segment hikers - all middle aged women - named Goat, Sticks, and Pebbles. They were super kind and had many questions about thru-hiking and stuff. It was a great break from the downhill to regain my composure.

After I finally reached the bottom, my legs were feeling like Jello. They just didn’t seem to want to cooperate with hiking. So even though the trail at the bottom wasn’t objectively hard, I was so slow and my legs went from Jello to lead. I was also hungry, and when I stopped for lunch near a creek, I was just bombarded by flies, which did not make for a relaxing lunch. And it was pretty hot, especially so at the lower elevation.

After lunch, it was podcast time to help me with the afternoon hiking. The rest didn’t help my legs as they still felt like lead, and every step - uphill, downhill, or flat - felt like trudging through molasses. I was mentally clinging to the podcast to keep my spirits up. The hike itself was not the best either - it just felt like hot & low forest with some Aspen groves thrown in and occasional mountain views (in fairness, the views got better as I moved deeper in the valley). I contemplated stopping hiking at the very bottom of the climb to Lake Ann Pass, but it was only 4 pm and the weather was really nice - something I want to take advantage of if I can. The last 2 hours and 2 miles seemed to drag on forever. I had to stop to rest and catch my breath every 20 steps it seemed. Obviously, my pace had slowed to a 1 mph crawl, which I was actually surprised it was that fast. I felt so slow and so exhausted.

Finally, I reached the junction to Lake Ann, which I took to go to the camping area. This lake is beautiful and definitely worth the climb. The views are amazing and the lake is a blue-green color that is just so gorgeous. I wish I had gotten here earlier in the day to see those vibrant colors more. As I was arriving, Jefé and his buddy Pedro were leaving, but a me and few hikers (Flan, Grandpa, and CP) watched them reach the top of the pass we’ll be doing tomorrow while happily eating our dinners. They were crazy fast getting up there. As I was cleaning up, a couple arrived - Marty & Heather who are also thru-hiking. We chatted for a bit before I went back up to my tent as it was getting pretty chilly. Lake Ann is at nearly 12,000 ft so it is going to be cold tonight. I’m using both of my sleeping pad attachment straps to make sure no drafts get into my quilt tonight! I’m hoping that with some rest, tomorrow will be a better day, physically and mentally.