9 miles hiked, Camping at 11942 ft
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I wake up early because my body is stupid and likes to wake up early in town. If I was on trail I could easily roll over and sleep another 2 hours, but because I don’t have to get up I can’t get back to sleep. Stupid Murphy and his laws.
I have a quick shower before the masses of people invade the bathroom, then trot down the road to get yummy coffee.
We pack and repack and charge and recharge all our things. A lovely older gentleman that I met while on my walk around town yesterday with Lindsay offered us a ride back to the trail, so we and Grizzly hang out in the sun in the yard while we wait for him.
The road is very very curvy and bendy and windy back to the pass with an amazing view back down to the valley. I spill out of the truck and wish I’d packed out some kind of ginger ale as my stomach lurches. I find a lovely rock to sit on and wait for the carsick head and belly ache to pass, then the 3 of us start our mini hike up the hill.
The skies darken with the promise of storms and we head on up as fast as we can. Not fast enough. The rain gets us and we pull out the magic tyvek to hide under while the hail hits. Thankfully it doesn’t last long and we march up and away over the hill.
9 miles done. That’s all. That’s our beautifully tiny number for the day, because at 9 miles we come to a yurt that is open for CT/CDT hikers to sleep in. Our first zero backed up by our first nero. BOOM! All the non-miles. All the resting. Yay for being bougie small-mile hikers 😀
The yurt has 4 bunks and 4 little cots that fold out, a propane tank powered oven and light, a bunch of folded chairs and a small table. It is nestled in some trees and looks out over a valley with a small stream running through the middle. It’s not luxurious, but it means no setting up a tent, no packing up a wet tent in the morning, and more hanging out with awesome people. Yay 😀
There are 5 hikers in the yurt when we get there- they were staying at the hostel last night as well. We chat and hang for a while until they hike out, wanting to get some more good miles in now that the rain has cleared. They are quickly replaced by 5 more who appear in time for dinner. We cook ramen on the stove and chat about books and travel and then I zone out as the subject moves to American football and other sports I have no clue or care about.
“Remember that sports of 19xx?”
“Of course! When all the sports happened?! The best sports ever!”
“No way! The best sports was when that sportsperson did that other sporty thing!”
All nod in agreement.
The cots come out and we decide that we have no need for our sleeping mats as we are on luxury beds tonight.
“Goodnight John-Boy” a voice echoes around the yurt.
“Goodnight!” we chorus back.
….
The temperature in the room drops fast. With 8 in the small space and the beds all tetris-ed to make us fit, it was pretty warm when we said goodnight. It didn’t last. I contemplate getting my sleeping mat out for warmth but decide it will be too noisy. Instead I stay cold and awake staring at the stars through the skylight. The stars are bright and I doze dreaming dreams about log fires.