Lake City, CO

Oh my word, I am tired. Like my mom wrote below, I'm taking a day off in Lake City, CO. I'd hoped to go straight from Monarch Pass (which I hit on schedule on the 25th) but I got hammered yesterday going over 14,014 San Luis Peak. Bagging the peak is actually three-tenths of a mile shorter than the official trail that just goes over a shoulder, but when I got to 13,000 the winds were gusting to maybe 70mph and it felt like Nolan Ryan was chucking gravelly snow at me, so I bailed to the regular route. I met two nice dayhikers Dave and Greg that were good company during crappy weather. I still made 28 miles, but I camped right by the road to town and when the weather was still crap this morning I decided I needed more food/warmer socks to be able to make it through the San Juans. I got a pair of neoprene wading socks (the first time I've ever been glad an outfitter is fishing oriented!) and some more food and I should be good to go tomorrow, assuming I can get some sleep. The forecast looks OK, but there's 6+ inches of snow accumulated already. I could be in Pagosa Springs in 35 miles if I took the Creede cutoff, but I'd rather endure the suffer-fest that is to come. I wish I had more time to type and tell you about the inspirational people I've met (like the guy that was hiking his 1000th mile who started at 400+ pounds, or Robert Woodruff, one of seven surviving Korean War Marine Corps POW's) but the nice people that are putting me up want to close up the ice cream shop.

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