I was started by 9am this morning on the steep climb up Hope Pass. At this point, there are no standards. I finished my continuous walk and now I’m picking up mileage where as I’d like. Undoubtedly, I have decided: I will return for another border-to-border hike of the Continental Divide.
| 🗓️ Date | August 30th |
| ⇢ Mileage | 28.1 |
| 📍 Trip Mileage | 2821.8 |
| ⛅️ Weather | Sunny Colorado day with wind on the passes |
| 🏞️ Trail Conditions | Good climbing hitting the big passes of Mount Hope and Lake Ann |
Hope Pass was cause for a breather with great views of the Collegiates ahead. After, I made the even steeper climb down to Sheep Gulch and started up the valley towards Lake Ann Pass. The approach to Lake Ann, like Hope Pass, was mostly forested until 11,500 feet. Again, I was smacked with steep trail to Lake Ann Pass. I feel the elevation. I’d estimate my average elevation for the past weeks in Montana was on the order of 7,000 feet. Now, I am rarely below 11,000 feet.
Amazingly, there was still a smidge of snow on Lake Ann Pass. I grabbed collected some of the fresh melt to rehydrate oatmeal atop the windy pass. On the opposite side of Lake Ann Pass, I followed newly designated trail section for the CDT. I believe this new trail was implemented to stay within the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and avoid multi-use trail that sees its share of motorized vehicle activity.
I was tired today. My body is fighting off the end of a cold and giardiasis. A high-elevation headache plagued the brain until camp.
Signing off,
Zeppelin / fReaK (ON a leash)
Leave a Reply