Day 2 from the journal

A great spot to wake up to. The sound of the river with an early morning sun. Little did we know how much we were going to miss that "early morning sun". I am still slow getting up from being in the restaurant industry I am used to staying up late. The professor was getting ready to get water and a kid comes running down the trail from where we were going. Just a small backpack and a half day till he was out he asked if we could pump some water for him. "Sure!" said the professor so stumbling out of my hammock we all went down to the river. He tells us he hiked in with his friend who is doing the whole thing to Durango a few miles ahead. After spending the night with him he was heading back now. "Really!, maybe we'll meet him". "Whats his name?" asked the professor. "Jason, or Jay". "Right on" I say. He heads off running back from where we came.

We eat and pack and get going by 9 or so. Uphill ... then Uphill ... grueling downhill ... Uphill etc... This is by far the worst of the trail. Not that it isn't beautiful and the Buffalo Creek burn an eerie landscape but the desire to get to water is overwhelming when your getting low. It was hot and no shade. Approximately 15 miles of no water. LESSON- Stop and refill at fire-station. It would have been only been 12 had we. Blisters were getting worse and the socks I am wearing are too warm. the professors knee was was hurting and we both struggled. The highlight of the day was when we finally came upon water, the camp area was one of the coolest. We head right to the water but as we do we see a young guy sitting by his tent in this little hollow next to a very large granite rock. We filled our bottles and walked back up to the hollow to meet the young man. I knew right away it was the kid that the runner from the Platte had hiked in with. Jay? Yep Jason.

We asked if we could join his site and he welcomed us. Once setup and got food in my stomach we hung out and talked. He was getting a job in the middle of August in Buena Vista I think and was basically trekking there from Denver via Durango, then he shared we shared and then there was Hashnarnia. A great way to end the night. It was a rough day.




Our camp night two.