CDT - Day 68 - Jones Pass (My Birthday!)
I camped with Mesa Man again last night. I was up and out of camp while he was still waking up. He told me he wasn't feeling well and hadn't slept much. As always, we each hiked our own hike, but he caught up with me by the end of the day. Today's hiking was once again mostly uphill, with much of the route staying above treeline. The first few miles followed a bike path alongside Interstate 70, which led to the Herman Gulch Trailhead. The parking lot was packed, with even more cars lined up along the road. It was immediately obvious that it was the Fourth of July because the trail was filled with day hikers. I met a really nice pair of women who gave me a couple of homemade Fourth of July cookies and wished me a happy birthday. It was a wonderful bit of trail magic and completely made my day. The rest of the hike consisted of climbing up Jones Pass before finally descending back into the trees near the end of the day. I found a nice stream to filter some water and set up camp at the base of Stanley Mountain, which will be tomorrow's big climb. Tomorrow should be a relatively short day. I only have about six miles to hike before reaching the highway, where I'll hitch into Winter Park and then continue on to Fraser for my next resupply.