My trekking pole handle got chewed up in the middle of the night,
The first thought was that it was damage by heat from cooking dinner last night, so I was mad at myself for carelessness, but a mile down the road I understood the damage had to be from chewing by a small furry animal, most likely chipmunk. One pole is used as tent pole, and the other left just outside the shelter to avoid poking anything inside and remaining handy to poke anything outside. Oh well.
At Bear Creek at the outskirts of the wilderness area I had been inside for days, my feet got soaked during the crossing. Looking back from the heights reveals a better place to cross.
This is a reminder to myself to check at least 100 feet upstream and downstream on difficult crossings to find an easier place.
The clouds looked ominous from early morning. Where the CDT joins the Colorado Trail, for days together, an emergency shelter is located, and one thought is to wait inside for an hour to see what the weather does.
A brief shower of snow, but no rain, so time to walk on, no time for lingering under a roof.
The Colorado Trail, CT, seems well maintained with good drainage features and good signs. The country is rounded grassy mountains with few trees or shrubs, and a meandering curving path. Near Stony Creek Pass and the remote dirt road to Silverton, I discover remains of rails, too small for any train, perhaps for mining.
At the pass a vehicle is parked with chicken wire surrounding the entire vehicle. what does this protect? Chipmunks like my pole? Probably not.
More climbing, and lovely grassland underneath threatening clouds.
Another shower of snow pellets pelts down, but nothing gets wet, so continue hiking.
Suddenly the snow turns to rain, and I am really high up a mountain. No time to dash down to lower altitude. In fierce winds and now pounding rain I set up the tent, placing my pack on top of the tent to prevent it blowing away while setting stakes. Quickly get inside and take stock. Outer clothes and shoes are drenched. My charger got wet and does not function. The tent flaps violently in high winds, like a ship sail not set properly. But I dry off and get in a warm bag and the rest of my gear stays dry.
Still only 6:30, and the rain lets up briefly. Time to pack up and run down the mountain? No, the rain start again and I would have been soaked during the descent. Finally after dark the rain stops for good and clothes and shoes are set out in the wind to dry overnight.
The wind is unremitting, the tent flapping loudly, and sleeps is difficult after my first Colorado storm.
Day 10, 6/27/2014, Friday
Start near West Ute Lake, mile 920, elevation 11811
End near Small Lake, mile 937, elevation 12817