Author: Jim, Sagebrush

My campsite, just beyond Lake View Campground, offers a morning view peering through the trees.

The trail climbs and winds to the approach trail for Mount Elbert, a 14k peak. The CDT does not climb the summit.

Some CT hikers who arrive at the approach trail just as I do try to convince my to try for the summit, and “bag a 14k”. Well, that would be a problem. Bag a 14k, and my obsessive personality will want to do more 14ks. And where would that lead? To entirely too much climbing up steep steep trails, that’s where.
Continue reading “Next”

After climbing down from Lake Ann, the trail follows a river valley on good tread, part-way up the side of a ridge, since cabins and private land were in the bottom lands.

On this section, a stand of sagebrush is competing for space with aspens.

Now it is time to climb Hope Pass. My map shows 2500 feet climb, very steep. Continue reading “Twin Lakes”

After a little more hiking along crest and ridge, the path descends to Cottonwood Pass, and goes down a bowl-shaped valley.

Then even further down, down to Texas Creek at elevation 10635, compared to 12000s where we started the morning.

I found a place to cross, but the log was wet and slippery toward the end– two wet feet.
We rejoin with the old section of trail.

At another water crossing, I am still figuring how to proceed, when three motorbikes show how it is done. Continue reading “Rejoin”