CDT - Day 70 - Leaving Winter Park
After a filling and delicious breakfast at Sharky's, I stopped by Murdoch's to pick up a fuel canister. Mesa Man had messaged me earlier asking if I was able to find fuel, so I grabbed an extra canister for both him and Airbud. I missed my bus by five minutes, which meant waiting an hour for the next one. Oh well—more time for coffee and a second breakfast. I met up with Mesa Man, Airbud, and Fitbit at Gravity Haus, where we tried to find a ride back to Berthoud Pass. I texted a few trail angels without any luck, and Airbud did the same. As a last resort, I checked Uber and was surprised to see it was only $26 from Winter Park to Berthoud Pass. The four of us split the fare, rode up to the pass, and were back on the trail shortly after noon. The plan for the day was to hike about 10 miles to a well-known campsite on the far side of Mt. Flora. The climb up and over Mt. Flora was relatively easy. We spent some time relaxing at the summit (13,126 feet) before the chilly wind convinced us it was time to keep moving. We reached camp around 5:00 p.m. While filtering water from the creek, we met a section hiker named Shamwa. They asked if they could hike and camp with us, and of course we said yes. It's always fun making new friends on the trail. Overall, it was a great hike and a perfect start to the next section. Tomorrow we'll be climbing James Peak.