CDT Days 58-61 – Family!

We took a couple of days off to relax with Tim’s family. They met us near the CDT for some car camping.

Day 58 – Mile 1137.5 – To the lake

Today our goal was to get to the lake at lower elevation. Tomorrow we will stop at the Twin Lakes General Store to pick up a package and get some food. And some of Tim’s family will be meeting us there, so we’re super excited! We had a big climb in the morning to Lake Ann Pass. At lunch we dried out our tent and rain gear. Then in the afternoon we had an even bigger, steeper climb to Hope Pass. Eventually we made it to the lake for some flat, easy walking under 10,000 ft, which is the lowest we’ve been on trail in Colorado yet. We found a beautiful spot to camp on the lake. Best of all, we are dry. No rain or snow all day! -R

Day 59 – Mile 1150.3 – Family!

We had a short hike into the town of Twin Lakes this morning. We circled Twin Lakes, which are big and beautiful and at only 9300 feet, they feel very different from the high alpine areas we have been hiking through. Surprisingly, we could really feel the thickness of the air at such a low elevation… Just a few weeks ago we were surprised by how thin the air felt this high! Once we arrived at Twin Lakes, my family met us so we could hike some of the trail together! My mom, brother, and sister hiked from Twin Lakes to Half Moon Creek with us, and at Half Moon Creek we met my other brother and sister and their families. We are all going to camp here for a few days. We ate a bunch of food, caught up, and had a very relaxing time. For dinner my mom and her boyfriend Iain made chili–yum! -T

Days 60-61 – Double Mountain Zero!

We took our first day off!! Actually, we took two days off and are camping with Tim’s family near the trail. In thru-hiker lingo we are taking a “double mountain zero”. (Double = 2 days. Mountain = on/near the trail rather than in a town. Zero = zero miles hiked.) We had a great time hanging with family — all 14 of us were there! Tim’s brother and his wife live in Colorado and knew of a great place to car camp near the CDT. They set up a very luxurious campsite, including tarps to protect us from the rain and an e-bike to get to the pit toilet. The rest of Tim’s family drove/flew in from all over the country. They brought us lots of yummy food, we had our first campfire, and we relaxed on nearby Halfmoon creek. We also mailed a bunch of new gear to Tim’s brother, which he brought up with him — new shoes, new t-shirts, and hiking pole tips for Tim. We had big holes in our shoes and shirts, and Tim’s hiking poles tips fell out hundreds of miles ago. We also borrowed a car and spent half a day driving to Breckenridge to pick up our boxes from the post office and resupply. We are in good shape now after resting our legs, eating lots of food, and with our new gear. -R