Category: Trip Journal

I started ultra-early this morning, on the trail at 5AM at dawn.

The plan is to zip through today’s long paved road-walk as early as possible, to give me time to get to Steamboat Springs, reserve and print out a bus ticket, and still have time to do laundry and clean up and get town food before the bus leaves at 3:30PM.

Following along CO 14, my guess was correct to stop last night where I did. Most land along both sides of the road was on ranches posted as no-trespassing, aside from some state trust land that prohibited camping. Continue reading “Close Enough”

Climbing out of Troublesome Pass into a morning already having dark clouds portending rain.

The trail follows a rolling ridge, then joins a logging road for several miles.

Flowers.

Rain begins in early afternoon, starting and stopping a dozen times.

Continue reading “Going Low”

Gradual downhill, forested, no views. Mid-morning I met a south-bound long-distance section hiker that really did not like the new route up Parkview Mountain (12.3k) as being way too steep and complicated with a snow-covered ridge. She urged me in strongest terms to drag out my Ley map and take the older route up the mountain. Later on I looked at the map and tried to understand the issue.
Close to Willow Creek Pass, the trail takes on a characteristic V-notch shape that indicates motorcycles use the path.

At the pass the trees part enough to get a view of Parkview Mountain. Continue reading “Parkview”