08/07/20 – After breakfast, we left for our 11.5 mile hike for the day. Although today was physically challenging, the views were well worth the effort! The first 3.5 miles climbed out of the trees and into tundra at 11,821′. From there, we traversed Indian Trail Ridge, 4 miles of ascents and descents that offered some of the best vistas on the Colorado Trail. I attempted to capture these million dollar views, but the photos turned out to be worth only about a buck fifty:
Indian Trail Ridge Looking North
Indian Trail Ridge Looking North
Indian Trail Ridge Looking South
Indian Trail Ridge – A Steep Drop-off From Here
We stopped for a lunch break shortly after passing Taylor Lake at the end of Indian Trail Ridge. We then continued to Kennebec Pass and the beginning of the final segment of the trail. After hiking about 3 miles into Segment 28, we found our camp for the night. Water continued to be scarce, and we had to coax water from a small stream that crossed the trail near camp.
Glenn Placing a Leaf to Coax Water From a Stream
It was Italian night and we had lasagna and spaghetti for dinner.