Journey Day 433 | CDT Day 96

Frozen Colorado creek, 1987.

9/18/87

Frozen morning. Bag, tent frosted. Up anyway, hike up road, bushwhack to the Divide, long open climb to Parkview Peak. Can't do it all at once. Break before final ascent to shelter top. Long, windy break, don't eat at shelter. Enjoy views, notes left by others, add my own, before descending under clear skies.

Colorado Rockies from Parkview Mountain.

A jeep abandoned near my path up Parkview Mountain.

Rough scree slopes, then descent to trees, never find Wolf's route, come out about half-mile south, figure out and walk up to the pass. Break at pass, drink most of my water, confidently I bushwhack back to the Divide. Miss trail, hike quite a ways steeply up rocks or through woods. Come to deep pass, turn back, realize mistaken reading of guidebook. Once into gully, but quickly back to trail, hike down. Pass bull elk and cow. On down, twice lose obscure trail in forest. Wolf's route seems miles off. Eventually find creek where I drink ravenously, carry capacity. Push on, lose once more, but stay to trail, through first meadow to Trout Creek Valley. Up other side erroneously, climb steeply. Give up, camp near crest of ridge, pitch, cook, darkness before done eating. Read, etc., as sleep comes hard after long day.