Camped CW17.0 (23.3) 10,853'
I cowboy camped last night so it was a bit quicker getting packed up and ready to go this morning. I did see a couple eagles flying nearby. They were gone before I was able to get my camera though.
I was on the trail at 7:00 and started the walk around Twin Lakes. Some people said to skip it because it's boring and can be hot. I really enjoyed going around the lakes though so I'm glad I didn't listen to them. I took a couple dips in the lake to clean up too. That was cool and refreshing.
Today was the solar eclipse. I know it happened but I didn't notice when it occurred. I did notice a time where everything became quiet for awhile. The birds stopped making noise. I bet that was it.
Today I had a choice to make. Take the traditional CT route of Collegiate East, or take the Collegiate West alternate. Everything I've been hearing is that the big views are to the west. It adds a few miles and a few thousand more feet of elevation gain, but is well worth it. I took Greeley's advice and went west.
Taking the Collegiate West alternate, the big obstacle today was Hope Pass, a steep 3300' climb. It still had flagging and such from the Leadville 100 race. It took me about 2.5 hours to complete the climb. Now I'm beyond hope!
There was a long descent after the pass; everything went down hill beyond hope. The trail followed along valleys. I chatted with a few hikers but didn't see any that I saw yesterday at Twin Lakes.
I'm set up to climb Lake Ann Pass first thing tomorrow.
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| Prayer Flags on Hope Pass |
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| Collegiate Wilderness |
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| Tonight's Camp |
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