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I DID IT! Last Day on the Colorado Trail
I seem to be trying to set a speed record on the final mile. People keep smiling at me, wishing me luck, and telling me how close I am to the end. “You’ve got this! Congratulations!” My eyes keep blurring with the speed and the tears. My feet and body feel nothing, just anticipation and emotion as I near the end.
The Last Time Over 12,000 Feet: Colorado Trail Day 21
There, straight from where he points, is Durango. This is my first time seeing it. I walked here with my own two feet. Suddenly the emotion that didn’t appear at the beginning of the segment wells up, and tears drip down my cheeks.
A Day in the Life on the Colorado Trail: Day 20
Somehow, I have hiked clear to September. August seems to have both flown by and taken forever, but mostly I feel that September crept up much faster than I expected. I am nearly done! As I wake and start packing up, I realize that I likely have only two nights left on trail. My husband is flying into Durango today to meet me. I can't believe it is nearly here. It feels completely unreal.
Oh, So These Are Trail Legs: Colorado Trail Days 18-19
Sure, there is a big climb this afternoon, but that will be the last difficult pass of the entire journey. You can do this. This is nothing compared to what you’ve done already. The positivity comes easy, today.
Hitching a Train in the Wilderness: Colorado Trail Day 17
Suddenly, the whistles are louder, and we see steam and black smoke rising from the trees just around the visible bend in the tracks. When the train comes around the bend, I feel absolutely giddy.
My Longest and Strongest Day Ever: Colorado Trail Day 16
I feel strangely elated. My legs lead the way, flying down the trail. I smile to myself. This - this is what I wanted thru-hiking to be! This is why I decided to hike this trail.
The Day I Decided Not to Quit…Yet: Colorado Trail Day 15
The trail climbs seven miles from where I camped to the highest point on the entire Colorado Trail. It also feels as though I am climbing over the most difficult mental and emotional hurdle of my entire journey. I feel defeated from the near-miss with lightning and the feeling of the cold seeping in yesterday. In my head, I keep repeating: “I feel broken. Yesterday broke me.”
The Day I Almost Quit: Colorado Trail Day 14
There is a specific sound that thunder makes when it is so close, and it is deafening. It sounds like the heavens being ripped open above me and stops me dead in my tracks.
I Thought Mesas Were Supposed to Be Flat: Colorado Trail Days 12-13
Mountain lions often use rocky outcroppings such as these to hunt, and dawn is a particularly active time. I try to focus on the hike ahead to squelch the fears, but I can’t help but feeling like I am being watched. I enter an open stretch of trail with that nagging feeling continuing, so I finally summon the courage to stop and look around.
At the Gateway to the San Juans: Colorado Trail Days 10-11
When I ended my hike early last year, and then started this year with altitude struggles, I didn’t know if I would ever make it to the San Juans. Yet here I am. I feel so emotionally full I could burst.