CDT - Day 49 - Leaving Creede
Woke up at 6:00 a.m., had breakfast and coffee, and then hit the trail at 8:30 a.m. It rained a little during the morning, but the skies cleared as I was heading out.
The walk out of town was spectacular. The route followed a dirt road that climbed toward an abandoned mining area. The road was steep and made for a challenging start to the day. Along the way, a creek flowed down the canyon toward town. I spent a little time exploring as I worked my way out of the canyon, eventually reaching a more open landscape of rolling hills.
The road is popular with OHV riders, and there were plenty of them out enjoying the day. One group stopped and offered me an ice-cold soda, which I gladly accepted. Several hours later, after leaving the OHV road behind, I was back on regular hiking trails. After about 10 miles, I reached San Luis Pass and rejoined the official CDT route for the remainder of the day.
The trail wound through rugged mountains before eventually entering forested areas. The weather was nearly perfect all day. It drizzled for a few minutes, and to my dismay, I realized I couldn't find my rain jacket. My rain pants were exactly where they were supposed to be, but the jacket was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, I still have an umbrella if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
I didn't run into any CDT hikers today, but I did meet a few day hikers, along with a couple of hikers who were making their way toward Durango.
By the end of the day, around 6:00 p.m., I had hiked 19.85 miles. I had hoped to go a little farther, but I found the perfect campsite—close to water and well away from any dead trees—so I decided to call it a day.