So today wasn't like a typical day. I woke at 5:30 and started putting away all of my things. Ziggy and the Bear started bringing out breakfast. Orange juice, bandannas, apples, oranges, cereals, oatmeal, coffee ect. I grabbed a bandanna and an Orange and hit the road, Trail I mean. I also decided to eat my pop-tart, I was trying to make a quick escape and get in front of the herd that is here.
So back on the trail again my legs are moving really slow, everything is stiff and tight. I have no power in my legs right now. About a mile I was pasted my a girl named Pockets and Ranger Jan. They where flying, while I was in my turtle crawl. I came to a really steep incline and I barely made it up each step was so heavy. I got to the top and threw off my pack. I have zero energy right now something is wrong here and I was hungry. So I opened up my food bag and ate some trail mix while I boiled water in my jetboil, and added my usual dark chocolate, peanut butter and honey. I ate that and there was a whole line of people that had just started to make that climb we counted 7 people we could see in the distance. Time to go. I packed a mealpack bar, and granola bar for later and later I mean right now. I am so hungry it's freaking crazy. Is this the Hiker hunger that everyone talks about. I think it's finally hit me.
I made it 8 miles and I came to a crossroads. Do I go .5 miles out of the way to the Whitewater Preserve.
Halfmile notes say there is water, shade, a wading pool, and bathrooms... Hmm well it was the morning and I did have a call coming in on line 2. So Guess I better go there.
This place is really cool, a little paradise that was built out in the middle of no where. There is a ton of shade and a covered area with picnic tables. I dropped my things and headed for the bathrooms. There is also a ton of kids here on a field trip. They all had on red shirts.
A lot of others start to show up. It was starting to get really hot and it was so nice and cool here lots of people are talking about have a siesta (sleeping or relaxing through the heat of the day) here.
Here's the scene at the whitewater preserve. We have pretty much taken over the place.
I was so hungry again, Since I just go a resupply at Z&B's place I had tons of options to pick from. I had 5 days of food for a stretch (55 miles) that I was going to try and do in 2 days. So I ate the heaviest food first. Which was a Taste Bite had some kind of seasoned rice. I ate 3 of my homemade Granola bars, and a bag of trail mix. Everyone was staying but I must leave... I have a goal of hitting my first 30 mile day. So I put up my GoLite umbrella and head for the trail.
I am stopped by a line of little kids and the teacher, She starts asking me questions. Where I'm going, how long it's going to take. Then the kids are raising there hands cause they want to ask questions. One little girl asked me. "What are those long things in your hands?" Trekking poles and told them why I use them. I said at times they make me feel like a 4 legged hiking monster lol. they laughed. They wanted to know about the umberlla, this other girl saw me filling up my MSR water badder and she said my water bottle looks like a backpack lol. As they where leaving the teacher said her class if there was anything they wanted to say to me. As they walked by one by one each one told me good luck or have fun. It was really cute. It's interesting being the object of curiosity of a bunch of little kids.
One of the mom's asked some of us earlier "what the heck do you guys do that allows you to do this for 5-6 months with out working." A few of us told her.
We all do different things as a profession. I have met a Doctor, serval engineers, a guy that works for NASA, Biologists, students, business owners and other people that just work normal jobs. So the profession doesn't matter. All of us had one thing in common. We made a decision. A decision to ditch "normal" life and fulfill a dream. People that get to live there dreams aren't the chosen few. But instead the few that chose...
Back to the trail. Its hot and I have a long day a head. After eating so much food already I am starting to feel much better I got the energy now. I walked for hours. I wanted a place to sit down. Now my right knee started to hurt underneath my knee cap. This is the issue I was having last year when I was pushing it really hard to see how fast I get to the top of horsetooth. I'm slowing down and taking it easy. I start to kind of limp to take some of the pressure off the knee. I could see in a valley below me there was a small creek and a big shade tree. I could see people under the tree. Thats where I am going. It took about 30 min to get down but I finally found my oasis in the desert. I was so hungry again. What the heck is going on? I've never felt the hunger like this before.
I get here and it's Bounce, WhyNot and Ranger Jan under the tree. I explode my pack and set up the chair I am going to be here for at least a hour better get comfortable.
Me and Ranger Jan
I made another dinner I put together at home I call meatpie. (which has no meat at all actually) mashed potatoes, vegetable textured protein (VTP) green and red peppers and seasonings. It was pretty darn good. I also had more trail mix, I ate 2 apples with peanut butter, and Ranger Jan gave me a packet of maple almond butter. I put that on some granola bars. Yes I must eat everything. Ridiculous.
So it was getting late and I still needed 12 miles to get 30 today. Ranger Jan and I took off, we talked for a bit but he had found a campsite about 3 or 4 miles from our tree. I kept walking. They sun was setting and I could still see Janintos peak. Pry the last time. so I took this picture.
I continued my walk into the darkness... I was walking by moonlight and with the red glow of my headlamp. I'm still not used to night hiking alone yet. Constantly being creeped out lol. There is people camped pretty much every mile or so. I had just ran out of water so I checked my water report and I was coming up on the a small creek I was at mile 235 and some people where cowboy camping in the river bed. next to the creek. They where still awake I met Hatchet and Nostradamus. I pulled out my chair and filtered some water. I only had 5 more miles to get my 30 mile day. They told me there was like 15 other people camped out just up the trail it looked like a refugee camp/ tent city lol. I had caught up to a large herd of other hikers.
It was like 9:30 and It was so nice down here. I decided that I should pry call it a night. I may not find a better place to camp. So I cowboy camped(camping without my tent) under the stars for the first time! It was really nice perfect night todo so. The stars and the moon was bright. It was perfect.
Hiked 24.4 miles today.
- Posted from my iPhone
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