CDT - Day 95 - Cirque of the Towers
Around 3:00 a.m., I woke up to the sound of something scratching at my tent. I immediately suspected it was a small rodent trying to get inside. I turned on my headlamp and spotted a tiny mouse running around outside. I could also hear another animal wandering nearby. Needless to say, I had a hard time falling back asleep. Every time I scared the mouse away, it came right back. I finally drifted off around 4:30 a.m., only to wake up again at 5:15 a.m. to start the day. Pudding and Hiker Greg got up around the same time, although neither of them had any late-night visitors. At CDT mile 1776, Pudding found a yellow bag under a tree that contained someone's tent. We carried it for about 10 miles before finding its owner, who was incredibly grateful. He told us he had ended up cowboy camping the night before because he couldn't find his tent. The hiking today was absolutely spectacular, with beautiful forests, rushing creeks, alpine rivers, and towering granite peaks. We took the Cirque of the Towers Alternate (Blue Line) based on countless recommendations from other hikers. It definitely lived up to the hype. These are some of the most breathtaking views on the entire CDT, and I would recommend this alternate to anyone hiking the trail. The final challenge of the day was the climb over Temple Pass. The route was a little sketchy at first and required some route-finding, but once we found the switchbacks, the climb became much more straightforward. At the top, we were rewarded with incredible views of Temple Lake and the surrounding granite mountains. We wandered a little off trail and found an amazing campsite overlooking the lake. I wasted no time pitching my tent before retreating inside to escape the mosquitoes. Pudding also found a beautiful porcini mushroom along the trail and cooked it for us to try. I had a small piece and was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted. It was the first time I'd ever eaten a wild mushroom picked straight from the forest. By the end of the day, we had hiked about 21 miles and climbed roughly 5,587 feet.