Journey Day 440 | CDT Day 103

After three days in Boulder, our reunited group hiked back onto the trail in 1987.

9/25/87

Everyone up early. Say goodbye to Bruce, Jessie the Labrador and ride into town with Beth. Dropped near her work and newspaper office, we quickly into the newspaper editor's van and, after Danish and coffee, up the canyon to Hessie townsite, talk with guy who's worked with Jeff (Sauer, PCT friend?). He joins us for the first mile, the packs feeling heavy after the layoff. We say goodbye to civilized ties, back on the trail, following creek up canyon. Nice hike, but we miss our junction somehow (probably due to misleading signs) and hike to wrong place. Too many lakes.

Decide to bushwhack over ridge trail, trail at bottom after tricky, rocky descent. Follow up, meet day hiker on another hike similarly confused by signs, nice views from ridge up to Rollins Pass. Windy on top, so quickly hike under dark skies dumping rain elsewhere, on divide over ridge open to Rogers Pass.

Tired group. They decide to stop, I go on thin ridge trail in search of creek site to no avail. As darkness gathers, cold increases, I settle on a spot, trouble pitching tent with cold hands. Eventually get it up, boiling snow in vestibule, dump most into my tent. Much soaked, I cut my losses, continue cooking. Eat in dark, secure fortress, crash around bumpy ground.