CDT - Day 81 - Saratoga
I woke up this morning just a few feet from the Wyoming border. Technically, I spent one last night sleeping in Colorado. After packing up my tent, I walked about twenty feet to the state line and officially entered Wyoming. What surprised me most was how quickly the scenery changed after crossing the border. I was still hiking through forests, but the landscape felt subtly different. The color of the rocks, the shape of the mountains, and the overall feel of the terrain had changed. One thing that really caught my attention was the quartz. The area around the border was littered with it. On the Colorado side, the quartz was mostly white with red and orange hues. On the Wyoming side, it was white with yellow tones. I have no idea why, but it was an interesting contrast. After about 21 miles of hiking, I reached Wyoming Highway 70 and quickly managed to hitch a ride into town. My original plan was to stay in Encampment, but the lodge was sold out. I had noticed several comments on FarOut saying that it was well worth going the extra 20 miles to Saratoga, and that's exactly what I did. As luck would have it, the woman who picked me up was already heading to Saratoga. She dropped me off in town, gave me her phone number, and even offered to drive me back to the trailhead when I'm ready to continue. Sometimes everything just works out. When I left camp this morning, Airbud and Fitbit headed out shortly after I did. They never caught up to me during the day, although they tend to take quite a few breaks. They're planning to stay in Encampment, so I probably won't see them again for a while. I still haven't decided whether to stay in Saratoga for just one night or extend my stay. There are several hot springs here, and I might stick around long enough to enjoy them.