Journey Day 446 | CDT Day 109

Fall in Colorado, 1987.

10/1/87

Start October off trail. Abandon thoughts of walking tracks to Leadville. Instead cross at first bridge over creek, luckily as the tracks climbed there. Over to road, quickly into side road, past a private trout farm. Confused by development, ask workers. Not much help, but reinforce where I am, so I head west. Soon on right road up Long Gulch, which runs out below the Colorado Trail, which apparently ran from Tennessee Pass.

Walk up creek, climb into the Holy Cross Wilderness, nice climbs with more Gore views. Descend past Bear and Galena lakes, wash tortured feet, socks before climb, then descent. At trailhead, meet a couple that can tell me about the trail ahead. Climb up on Bald Eagle, Sugarloaf mountains, past powerlines.

View to Turquois Lake, etc. Excellent views of Mt. Elbert. Meet an ultrarunner who looks like Jake Blues from the A.T. Also get good shots of Arkansas Valley, other peaks across it. Descend generally through forest, cross several creeks, before settling on a camp, just across the bridge in Mt. Massive Wilderness.