08/05/20 – I woke up well rested. We had breakfast and were out of camp by about 7:30. Once again, we encountered a large number of bikers. At the top of Blackhawk Pass, a relatively steep climb, several bikers were resting there when we arrived, huffing and puffing, joining them at the top of the pass. A few of them cheered or offered words of encouragement as we reached the pass.
View From Blackhawk Pass (Looking Back The Way We Came)
After hiking a total of 9 miles, we spotted a campsite in the trees and stopped for the day. After setting up camp, a solo hiker (Catdog) joined us and camped nearby. Catdog got his trail name because he’s been known to circle around a campsite several times before settling on the “perfect” tent location. He’s a carpenter from Trinidad, CO who works refurbishing old buildings. His wife runs a school that offers in-home, one-on-one teaching for special needs kids.
We had Chicken Teriyaki for dinner and discussed how far we might go the next day. We were about to enter a part of the trail that’s notoriously short on reliable water sources. We decided to carry extra water to a “dry camp” in Segment 27 the following night. Brother Glenn said he thought that the distance we hike the next day might depend on the “whether forecast”….whether or not our old legs would carry us the 14 miles we were hoping to hike.
Click here for Jerry’s Pledge Form–support Jerry as he completes the Colorado Trail in support of Love INC