Days 40 & 41 - The End of the Trail is Near

Dave has not had enough cell service to call me, but he has used Trevors phone. We have been monitoring AT&T vs Verizon through the entire trail. AT&T had better service during the first weeks of the trail but Verizon is clearly in the lead now. Although I must say I had a difficult time hearing everything Dave had to say today. I know that partial communication is better than no communication! When Dave called yesterday (Tuesday night) they had 13.6 miles left on the Colorado Trail. They had passed Indian Ridge which is notorious for being the location in Colorado that reports the most lightning strikes and the most deaths due to lightning strikes. I am happy to say that the boys didn't have a cloud in the sky yesterday. It was a beautiful and sunny day! The days have been pleasantly warm. Last night they camped on a bluff with a 200' drop. Every morning Tenille visits Dave and greets him. This morning Dave was packing up as Tennille was coming over for her good morning. Dave was tossing his gear out of his tent. Wanting to avoid hitting Tennille with his grave, Dave put a bit of spin on one of his bags but the toss got away from him and it went over the edge! Dave climbed down after the bag which had some clothes in it. He is a smart man and finally decided that if he went further he would be at risk. In the bag was a pair of warm tights, a Buff I had gotten him for Christmas, and socks that he had gotten in Stehekin when he was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Nothing was worth his life, so he decided to head back to the campsite and forget the bag. Smart man! They hiked into today's camp site with only 1.2 miles left on the trail! Durango is so very close! The guys will be met at 9:30 tomorrow morning in Durango. they will be staying in Durango tomorrow. Dave will be getting a ride from Paul and Nancy (the resupply team) into Colorado Springs Friday and will be enjoying a steak dinner with friends. I am looking forward to a good phone conversation where I can hear more than every third word! This will be the last trail blog however, when Dave can get me some pictures I will post them here. More blogs will resume when the guys are on their next adventure. The Grand Canyon was guessed to be their next adventure however Dave told me that Tennille wouldn't be able to do the Grand Canyon. It would be too hard on her. I thought the New Zeland trail would be in the running, but it looks like a canoe may be part of the picture. The talk is of the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Canada. The first time Dave had canoed was on our honeymoon. He graciously let me pick our trip and I chose canoeing the Boundry Waters. It took just a bit of practice and Dave had canoeing down. It is beautiful country with great fishing, a bit of portaging and mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds! Their feet will enjoy the rest!! This is just talk but every adventure must start somewhere! I do, however, see Dave doing the Grand Canyon at some point but probably running it rim to rim to rim. He's talked about that. Thanks for following this Colorado Trail adventure!

Days 38 & 39 - mile 441 with 45 to go!

On the evening of day 37 the guys could not find a camp site for the both of them. They ended up being about 400' apart. Last night they also had a harder time finding one camp site but ended up only 100' away from each other. At least this time Dave could see Trevors tent from his front door. They were at the end of section 26. Yesterday they walked over 16 miles. They were only going to hike 12 or 13 miles but they kept going because of the lack of camping spots. There was a mountain bike race happening on the trail which was pretty entertaining for the guys. They let the racers know which place they were in as they passed by! Dave also said they saw waterfalls. As he described the waterfalls it sounded like they were surrounded by them! He's told me that he's taken so many pictures and he's looking forward to sharing with us. The guys ended up less than 1 mile from today's resupply (yes, their last resupply!!!). Knowing these guys I'm sure they didn't sleep in even though they had hours before meeting their resupply. Their location tonight is: 37.53793. -108.02603 Three more days until the end of the trail! It will be wonderful to have this adventure checked off. Any bets on what their next adventure is going to be? I know they are tossing ideas around!

Day 37 - mile 411.5

The guys got into section 25 yesterday. Dave thinks they will have cell service for the rest of the hike (6 more days). They met their resupply and will meet them again in 2 1/2 days. Dave was thankful for a lighter pack. Too many days of food can really weigh a pack down. Yesterday they saw the Silverton train that goes between Silverton and Durango. Dave says this train gives you a great taste of the trail without having to backpack it. This train has been on our list of "to dos" for a while. They camped by Little Mosley Lake last night. Dave is sounding tired these days. The nights are cold so getting a good night sleep is not happening. They are on track to complete the trail on Thursday the 30th. Dave's mind is already shifting to his next adventure where he is returning to the Colorado mountains to run the Colorado Copper Mountain Ragnar with his team. He will have one week to rest and do a little running to prepare for the race. jane

Day 34 - American Alps

Today the guys hit the highest point on the Colorado Trail, 13,271'. They have been higher this trip, getting off trail to climb a peak. There was no rain yesterday which made the day perfect. They woke up really cold this morning. there was frost on the ground. Dave was not looking forward to another cole morning tomorrow. The trail today was extraordinarily beautiful. It looked like it was the American Alps. Dave said if he took shots on the camera without aiming he'd always get a good shot because every speck of the view was beautiful. They saw moose, elk, and a coyote. There was a marmot hollering at Dave. The marmot didn't like where Dave had put his tent. When they got into camp today they were the only hikers there. It was about 2:30. By the time Dave called me there were four more hikers camping and a couple others had passed by. People were everywhere! Dave was really tired today. He figures it is because he is not hydrating properly. It's colder so you forget to drink. It was really windy today. The wind is annoying but better than if it was too hot. The temp hit a high of 69 degrees. They are on track to make their resupply on Friday. Tonight's locations: 37.84627 -107.44717

Day 33 - Back on the Trail

Dave, Trevor and Tennille spent days 31 and 32 in Lake City. They needed to wait out the thunderstorms. Although it was to rain and thunder today they decided to move forward with the hike. They got a ride from a trail angel to the trail head at 6:00 am. Their plan for today was to hike 9 miles and set up camp. They wanted to not get beyond the tree line to protect them from the lightning. They set up camp around 11:20 mountain time. The next few days will be sunny and no rain. The trail will be taking them over 13,000 feet, well above the tree line. They have been told that they may run into the sheep guided by dogs on this section. They will be at this altitude exposed to the elements for about three days. Then it is supposed to storm again. Today's camp spot has lined them up to sucessfully get over this exposed area and back to the safety of the tree line before it storms. I don't expect to hear from Dave much during the last part of the trip but will continue to share what I do know about the adventure. Tonight's locations: 37.90337 -107.28946

Day 30 - Stormy Skies and Birthday

The boy's day started with them climbing over two passes, crossing the Continental Divide once again. Then they had to cross a Mesa. That is when the skies opened. Lightning was an issue so the guys hustled across the 6 miles of the Mesa, crossing it in about 1 1/2 hours. The total for today was 11 miles. Their hiking day was from 7 am to 12:30. They got to the resupply where they were met by Paul and Dick. Paul had brought Dave a pastry with a candle to celebrate his birthday. Happy birthday Dave!! A Because of the forecast of the next few days bringing more thunder showers the guys have decided to take at least tomorrow off. They got a ride to Lake City and found a hotel, ate a burger, took a shower, and Dave was cleaning his socks when I talked to him. Dave was telling me that Lake City was the highest unincorporated town in the United States. I couldn't confirm that fact but I did find that Lake City is the only town in Hinsdale County and is a historic mining town. Although glad to be warm and dry, Dave doesn't want to stay in town long (as I'm sure neither does Trevor). Dave does want to be safe and would love to enjoy the beautiful scenery, so he's hoping the forecasts are wrong so they can get back on the trail Monday. He is just a bit weary worrying about the weather. Dave will try and get pictures downloaded to me while in town. I'm looking forward to seeing the beautiful countryside.

Day 29 - Mental Toughness

Dave ended up calling twice tonight. The first call seemed like a word game. I heard the following: sunny, thunder, passes, no trees, hypothermia, hail, lightning, woke up freezing. Then we lost the connection. I was relieved when he called back and I could ask questions and understand what he was saying. They woke up this morning and they were really cold (freezing). The day was sunny and quickly warmed. They crossed several passes at high altitude. They were around 12,000' all day. They went over the Divide again. The trail is above the tree line, leaving them exposed. They are watching the weather very carefully. One minute it will be sunny and warm with one little wisp of a cloud in the distance and within a few moments they are in the middle of a horrible thunder storm. They have had to dash to the trees to insure they are not the tallest out there because that lightning would be seeking them out. They arrive in the trees sweaty and wet, and then they are cold. The rain is bitterly cold. They have needed mental toughness to get through today. Dave assured me that all three of them have that mental toughness. They see some tough days ahead. They will be hiking what Dave believes is the toughest part of the trail for the next 4 days. This will be made harder by the weather. They will have on again, off again rain and storms. You can check your favorite online weather app and look at Lake City, CO or Silverton, CO. They will be resupplied tomorrow At Spring Creek and will take one day at a time. Their goal is to be safe. They are ahead of schedule. After tomorrow's resupply they may only have one more resupply 4 days later. This is mainly due to the lack of access or bad access to the trail. Today they got through section 20 and into section 21. They plan on finishing section 21 tomorrow and will hike some of section 22. Dave did mention that 95% of the trees died over the past 10 years due to bark beetle. If all goes as planned the guys and Tennille will be off the trail, arriving in Durando, in 11 days. This is one of the toughest hikes Dave has done. He is enjoying the hike, the scenery, the company, the folks he's met on the trail, but he is looking forward to completing the 500 miles. Although very challenging it is a great accomplishment. Tonight's location: 37.9574 -107.01686 In camp tonight at 2:30 mountain time

Day 28 - Section 19

Dave made a call on the satellite phone this morning. The phone is not charging so they can only use it while it's connected to a power box called a Joey. they are getting no cell service. We didn't have a long conversation but it was enough to get a sense that the guys are still really enjoying themselves. I was thrilled to spend a few minutes talking with Dave. During the past few days they walked through beautiful country but they were distracted from some of that due to the motorcycles and ATVs. Dave was amazed at the amount of motorized vehicles at that altitude and remoteness. They are now in Section 19 and have some peace, so they can really take in the beauty. They are in a very remote area. Cars can get to them but only on dirt roads. They are in BLM / Forestry Land which they are sharing with cows. Dave said there are many, many grass fed cows. So many cows that they had to move some cow patties to make room for their tents! Dave has had only minor complaints of aches and pains. He has a toe issue which he describes as turf toe. That could mean a toenail may come off. He said the toe is stiff until he walks around to loosen it. He also has had a sciatic nerve issue. He mentioned a bit about his Achilles heal but through all this he had a smile in his voice. He is just loving being out on the trail! He hasn't said, but I bet he and Trevor are talking about where their next trail will be! Tomorrow they are headed into the San Juan area where there are sheep grazing. These sheep are allowed to roam over a large area and have dogs watching over them. There is a website that should tell us where the sheep should be so that the guys can be alert for them, especially with a Tennille. Tennille won't react, but who knows how the other dogs could react towards Tennille. The website wasn't updated, so Laine has been trying to contact the shepherd to get status. The guys will just keep their eyes open until they are through that territory. They estimate they will be in Durango by the 28th. It may be a few days before I hear directly from Dave but will keep in contact with Laine and will watch the SPOT. Today's location: 37.98215 -106.85507 They got to camp just before 4:00 pm mountain time. M

Days 26 & 27 - Resupply

So it's been two more days with no call from Dave. We know that they are doing well. A brief call to Laine today by Trevor told us that they had gotten to tomorrow's resupply location. Yes, these guys are very fast hikers! Today's re suppliers were Dave and Betsy Akers. Fortunately they were able to get to the trail a day early so the boys could do even more hiking today. It is predicted that they will reach Durango by July 30th, but the way they are going they will be there next week!! Well, seriously, they could reach Durango by the 29th. I'm just not sure I will be happy waiting that long to get a call from Dave. Let's hope that they figure out how to get the satellite phone fixed! Today's camping location: 38.12231 -106.7464 It looks like they stopped to set up camp around 6:00 pm mountain time. I'm hoping Dave is taking notes of his adventures to share with us! I'll keep sharing Laine's updates for Trevor. Thanks Laine for filling in some of the blanks!!

Days 24 & 25 - radio silence

Dave has not been able to communicate with me these past two days. I've really been surprised at how often he has been able to call on this trail. When the guys were hiking the PCT we could go five days without a call, but typically not much longer than that. Tonight's location: 38.30567 -106.51778 They stopped hiking around 2:45 this afternoon. Dave will provide details when he does get cell service.

Days 22 & 23 - Second half of the Colorado Trail

Day 22 took Dave, Trevor and Tenille out of Chalk Creek. They went up a pretty tough climb only to go down the other side Past a Dude Ranch. Form there the walking was pretty easy going. They camped at Clear Creek last night. Day 23 the guys spent completing section 14 and moved into section 16. They had an 8 mile climb to Fooses Creek which the followed until it ran out. Not far off was the Continental Divide which they are once again on. It rained for a good part of today. At the end of their days hike they came upon the Green Creek Shelter and were able to get out of the rain for a bit. Once the rain stopped they set up their tents not too far from the shelter. Dave said they were somewhere between mile 255 and 260. Dave has not had great cell service the past couple of days. I was out hiking this morning when I got two voice mails from him. He finally got through to me this evening on the satellite phone. His energy sounds great! Tonight's location 38.44255 -106.25841

Day 21: Resupply and quick call

It was great to hear the voices of both Dave and Trevor. The satellite phone got through where their cell phones couldn't today. Two nights ago the weather was horrible. Yesterday rained a bit but it wasn't too bad. Today has had some drizzling but they were able to set up a dry camp! They have heard that the weather should improve for the weekend. The hike yesterday led them 3000' up. It was a pretty rough hike. Dave suffered with an Achilles heel issue. He thought it could be the end of the trail for him. He broke down and took an alieve. Due to his strenuous running along with a minor medical issue, Dave has not taken any pain meds in three years. Much to his relief the foot is feeling pretty good today and he had no issues with the meds. Both he and Trevor, and also Tennille, are all in good health and feeling strong. They were resupplied today at Chalk Creek Trail Head where they are camping tonight. They are at mile 232. They took two days worth of food and will meet up with resupply in two days. They have this shorter interval due to road access. The satellite phone disconnected before I could hear more plans. It was just nice hearing their voices. Today's location: 38.71579 -106.2003

Day 20 - Rain

I didn't hear directly from the guys on the trail today but their tracker shows that the rain didn't keep them in their tents all day! They have made forward progress but not as much as yesterday. They are camped at the base of Sheep Mountain. Thunderstorms are forecasted in an hour (11 pm ct) and it could get down to 46 degrees in the early morning. The boys should have sunshine tomorrow morning with a 40% chance of rain from 1-5 pm. Then the chance of rain goes up to 60 and 70% for the evening. The sunny morning will allow them to stay on schedule. Here is where they are camping tonight: 38.81224 -106.2789 Jane

Day 19 - Low Hanging Cloud and Mile 200!

The guys had quite a day today! When they woke there was a low hanging cloud. They knew today would be a challenge starting with a big climb. They started at 8937' and climbed 2000' up, went down 1500', tHen climbed up another 1000'. They had some drizzle during these ups and downs, but Dave described it as no big deal. By 1:00 ct they had hiked 11.8 miles and decided it just wasn't time to stop for the day. The drizzle was slightly increasing so they put on their rain coats and kept moving. That is when the skies broke open! The drizzle had turned into a pounding rain! They were soaked to the bone in no time. All Dave could think about was that he had to put up a tent in the rain, he had get water in the rain, he had to cook in the rain. He was so cold that he had trouble getting the clip undone on his pack. As they were walking along Dave glanced a little way down the mountain where he spotted a rood. He figured it was a hut for hikers. He left Trevor and Tennille on the trail and went off to check it out. He found an old log cabin from the 1800s. It was pretty run down. No one could live there but it did provide them some shelter. It had an old fashioned cast iron stove. When Dave saw this he went back to get his hiking team and they all took shelter. They built a fire in that old stove and thawed out. They tried to dry out but everything was still a bit damp. While wearing their shirts, they helt them over the stove trapping in the heat. That really helped warm them up. Once the rain stopped they decided to move on. They only had one more mile to their planned camp. They ended up hiking 15.2 miles, reaching and passing their 200th mile!! They are camping at Elk Creek. Dave had me check the weather for Buena Vista, CO and it will rain a bit on and off tonight with a clear morning and 50% chance of rain by 10 am that could last for two days. That didn't make Dave too happy. My advice was to get up early, hike until the rain shows up and get in his tent to stay dry. I know these guys though. They'll just hike through it as long as there no issues with lightning. Although they are now 3.4 miles ahead of schedule. I just hope they stay warm tonight. 38.89256 -106.23985 Jane

Day 18 - Creek or River?

Today the hiking team left Twin Lakes and hiked 15-16 miles. They stopped at Clear Creek around 1:00 pm mt. Dave wasn't sure if this valley was private property or not but he said it reminds him of Gold Mountain near Baldwin Lake by Big Bear. The north face has tons of pine trees. Dave described the creek as more of a river. He was looking for a bridge because it didn't look like an easy crossing. Dave and Trevor, although tired, could be putting in longer days, adding another 6 or 7 miles. Tennille, on the other hand, was so very happy to stop when they did today. She is "dog tired"!! The guys are at 8,937 feet. Their location is: 39.11777 -106.44531 Jane

Day 17 - Twin Lakes

The guys put in a short hiking day today. It was only 6 miles to their resupply at The town of Twin Lakes. They got to the general store where the met up with Jean, their resupplier. She drove them about 6 miles to a little hotel called Miramar that the trail guide book mentioned would let hikers shower and wash their clothes. When they got to the hotel they met the new owner who had no idea about the guide book or the offer of showers! The new owner opened one of the old cabins and let the guys shower for $10.00 each. Their laundry cost $1.00. Dave was so happy to be clean again! Dave was able to charge all his electronic devices and was able to download the waypoints to his GPS for the next third of the trail thanks to Jean and her laptop. Dave said that Twin Lakes reminds him of Big Bear but with bigger mountains. It was overcast and looked like rain, but it was beautiful! Jean had a camp site and is letting Dave, Trevor, and Tennile camp with her. Tomorrow they will walk around the lake to get back to the trail. They are planning on a 15 mile day. Thanks Jean for your help today! Thanks to all the resuppliers! It's nice to know that the guys (and dog) are so well taken care of. Jane

Day 16 - Highest Mountain in Colorado

Dave and Trevor and Tennille made it safely to the top of Mt. Elbert today. Pictures are on Facebook. They arrived back at their campsite around 2:30 mt. A few nights ago Dave woke up short of breath. He was concerned that he may have altitude issues today but he said that he's never felt this good in altitude. He attributes that to moving slowly. He had no headache and no shortness of breath. He did mention that he is getting a bit of sunburn in his nostrils and the roof of his mouth. He tries to use suntan lotion every day but not in either of these locations! Tomorrow they have a short hike into Twin Lakes campground, about 5-6 miles. Their Resuppliers should be camping there and so they should have a spot to put up their tents. They will be staying there tomorrow night. BoTh boys need to wash their clothes and Dave said a shower would be nice. They also have to plan out the next few resupplies, mileage for each day, and camping spots with water. His phone is running out of battery so today's call was short. He is hoping to charge up the phone tomorrow if possible. He sounded a bit tired but it may be past his bedtime! Jane

Day 15 - Prep for Mt. Elbert

Dave was able to call from camp today about 4:00 pm MT. They completed section 10 and hiked 2 miles into section 11, passing the Mt. Elbert trail head about 1/2 mile back. They will stay at this spot for two days. This spot was chosen for the water source. Earlier in the day they passed Mt. Massive, the 2nd tallest mountain in Colorado at 14,421. The guys thought about hiking to the top but due to the weather turning stormy, the decided to be safe and kept going. They were also unsure about the snow on the trail. In reality, they were just too tired! Tomorrow they will start early, backtracking the half mile and head up to Mt. Elbert, the tallest mountain in Colorado and the 2nd largest mountain in the contiguous US at 14,433 (just lower than Mt. Whitney at 14,495ish). They have seen a lot of people on the trail at this location. They were hiking to the top of Mt. Elbert. The parking lot is 1.3 miles from the trail head to the peak. The climb up is 3.3 miles. From the trail head to the top is 3850 feet. The guys are starting early to avoid any bad weather. They've been told that there is snow on Mt. Elbert but that it will not impede their climb. They are looking forward to a day of slack packing! His dinner tonight was a Mountain House, Beef Stroganoff, which he said was one of his favorites. A few of us were discussing Beef Stroganoff just today. The consensus was that when you work hard enough all Day long, all dinners are your favorite! Tomorrow they will take lots of pictures and videos. Since Dave has good cell coverage in camp he will text me a few pictures. We are watching that beard grow! Jane

Day 14 - Section 9 & 10 of the Trail

Dave called today while he was having his lunch. They were on a knoll in the Holy Cross Wilderness around 11k feet. From morning camp, for about 5-6 miles, those mosquitoes were out in numbers Dave has never seen before (ok, except for last night)! He was glad to be able to sit and enjoy his lunch without being lunch. The guys are dealing with the altitude just fine. Dave said it felt no different than being at 7k feet. They feel pretty good during the day and by evening time they are ready for sleep! Tonight the plan is to sleep at 11.045k feet and he expects no altitude issues. Last night he slept well mainly because he had a flat spot for his tent. His bad night sleeps are when there is even a 5% grade where he puts his tent. He keeps slipping off his mattress! Finding a good spot is one of the main issues on this trail. That and mosquitoes! They never are far from a trail head which means that the few really good spots can be taken, leaving them to find less desirable spots to sleep. That is what happened this evening. They planned on camping at one site which was up a "goat trail" of a mountain. Their goal today was to hike 13.5 miles, completing section 9 and getting into section 10 by 3 miles. Those 3 miles of section 10 were all uphill, with 1000 ft gain in that last mile alone. When they got to the campsite, yup, you guessed it, it was taken! They had to scout around for another site that would also be near water. There were not a lot of options and they found themselves in a meadow. Dave called once he got in his tent. He had eaten and was looking forward to getting sleep. Although it's been raining every afternoon, it usually rains for a short time and then is done. Today it was raining for 5 minutes, stopping, raining for another few minutes, stopping, over and over. It was still pretty early being only 5:00 pt, 6:00 mt, but he figured the rain just wanted him to sleep. He wasn't going to fight it. Tomorrow they will finish section 10. One of Dave's hopes was to do some peak bagging. He'd love to collect a few more 14k's! Tomorrow they will be near two of Colorado's 14ers. One is Mt Messive which is the second highest mountain in Colorado. Dave figures they will be passing that one up. However, they will also be passing Mt. Elbert which is only 10 miles away and that one they want to get to the top of. It is a 4,000 ft climb up from the Colorado Trail, so the guys will leave their gear hidden somewhere on the trail and slack pack up to the top, wave their flags (yes, they have American Flags with them to celebrate the 4th), take pictures and videos, and hike back down to collect their gear. I'm not sure if they will hit this peak tomorrow or on the 4th. Although Dave complained a few more times about the mosquitoes (not nearly as numerous as they had been), he did tell me that he was amazed at how little trash there was on the trail. They have done about 159.5 miles of the Colorado Trail and the trash he did see wouldn't even fill the bottom of a trash bag! He's only seen graffiti once. I'm thinking he's planning on moving us there one day! He just loves those mountains! They see people, buildings, power lines, roads, but everything is well taken care of. He is getting spoiled! He texted me another picture which I'll get on Facebook this weekend. He left his camera today on top of another mountain and luckily realized it pretty quickly so could go back and get it. He says he's taken so many pictures that we'll all be really tired of looking at them... but we'll share! If he gets into town he'll find a way to email them to me. If not, we'll just post them all after the trip. More on the wildlife. They saw a deer today! First one. The do see lots of elk scat. The good thing is they have not see bear or Mt. lion scat! Tonight's location: 39.25586 -106.42529 Jane

Day 13 - It's Raining Its Pouring

Dave checked in twice today. He first called from Tennessee Pass at 9:00 am pt. Last night they camped 5 miles away from the pass. Dave confirmed that they hiked 16 miles yesterday. They had gotten over 12,000 feet and gone over Kokomo Pass and Searle Pass. The highest they got was 12,400 on Elk Peak. They had planned on stopping sooner but they needed to find a good water source. Yesterday they went around the historical 10th Mountain Divisions training area. I say "around" because of the warning signs that stated there was live ordinances. The 10th Mt. Division was around during WWII. They also saw coke kilns for a train that had gone through the area. The trains and the tracks are no longer there but where they had been are now trails. Today their resupply was scheduled to come at 3:00 pm. The boys had to find ways to amuse themselves while waiting in the parking lot. These experienced hikers know that any plans can change at a moments notice. They are always happier to sit a bit and wait for their Trail Angels than to have to rush and make the re suppliers wait. Nancy, Paul, and Virginia are the three Resuppliers for this beginning portion of the trail. Nancy drove about 300 miles to get the boys and the dog their food! She also brought along Subway, cokes, and cookies. Across from the parking lot today were the 10th Mountain huts. Dave was going to spend some time exploring the site. After their 5 mile hike and then resupply they got back on the trail to hike an additional 3 1/2 miles. When you spend one day not hiking it is called a Zero Day. When you hike under 8 miles it is call a Near Zero Day. Anything over 8 miles is considered a full day. They got their 8 1/2 miles in today! It's been raining every day somewhere between 4 & 6. It only lasts for about 30 minutes. There has been a lot of thundering and lightening. Yesterday or the day before 16 people got hit by lightening. The one casualty that Trevor's mom told me about was a German Shepard. From what I heard these folks were trying to get to the top of a peak and misjudged the weather. Dave and Trevor have been in camp with tents up when the rain starts most days. Dave did say that one day they were racing the clock. They are now on the west side of the continental divide which gets less water than the east side. The lakes were much fuller on the east side. As we were talking tonight it was pouring. Dave was so happy that Nancy had brought them Subway because he didn't have to cook food in the rain. Actually I don't think he'd mind the rain as much as the bazillion gazillion gazillion bazillion (quoting Dave) mosquitos! They were trying to find a way into his tent. They had gotten a few nibbles off of him and must have gotten the word out to others. He thanks everyone for the good wishes and great comments about his beard! He's taking lots of pictures and will share more as he can. He tried to text some to me tonight but they wouldn't go through. He will keep trying. Jane

Day 12

The boys and Tennille set up camp around 4:00 pm pacific time today. Dave does like to wake up around 5:00 am, have his coffee and breakfast, pack up camp and be on the trail by 7:00 am. His breakfasts are pretty much the same. Three packets of oatmeal (fruit cream flavors). I pre packaged those and added a scoop of protein powder for more good calories. He makes his instant coffee with a packet of carnation instant breakfast drink (his hiker creamer). Section 8 of this trail is approximately 24 miles. Yesterday they hiked about 5 miles of section 8. Tomorrow they were going to finish section 8 at Tennessee Pass where they would meet their resupply. Tonight, however,they are camping just off Hwy 24. Lat: 39.40170 Long: -106.31638 at Tennessee Pass. It looks like it was a 19 mile day! Check out Facebook later tonight. I'll be posting two pictures that Dave sent yesterday. Jane

Day 11 - Section 8

Day 9 was spent as a zero day to let Tennille rest. The heat was getting to her and her paws needed rest. The guys got back on the trail on day 10 but only hiked about 5 miles in, just before Copper Mountain. Sometimes you have to decide on a shorter day versus a really long day. With the mountain and private land just ahead, they decided the long hike should be avoided. After being in town and, as Dave refers to it, being "sucked into the vortex of town", the guys were sluggish and Left the pass for the next day. Today, day 11, they hiked 12.5-13 miles. They stopped at the Copper Mountain Ski resort and had a Gatorade. At the resort there is a zip line, ski lift for hikers, and Dave said there were families enjoying the beautiful day. When Dave called it was in the low 70's. There was a list of summer activities at the resort, one of which was the Ragnar Run in August. Dave is looking forward to meeting up with his Ragnar teammates for this race afree the trail! Then they completed section 7 and got 5 miles into section 8 where they stopped tonight. They are at mile 122 of the trail. They heard that there was a great camping spot on a little connector trail so they sought it out. When they got there it was already occupied by a woman with a camo tent. Most hikers don't mind sharing locations. Dave thought this woman had moved into the spot. She let it be known that they were not welcome so they went back towards the trail and found a place to set up camp. Dave said that they were a bit freaked out by here. I know they are just not used to unfriendly folks on the trail. Trail magic is everywhere! They are keeping their distance! The clouds have kept the weather from being too hot. It does get chilly about 3am and warms up by 8am. They had rain on and off yesterday for a few hours, and they've had a few minor thunder storms, but nothing to write home about! They will have a full day of hiking tomorrow and get resupplied on Wednesday at the end of section 3. Tonight's location: 39.48758 -106.19025 Jane

Day 8 - Out the In

Today's phone call came around 3:00 pacific time. Dave confirmed that they were able to go back and hike the first two sections that they had to miss at the start but they did it backwards. Their resupply folks took them to the trailhead where section 2 & 3 meet and they headed towards Denver. When he called they had just gotten to the beginning of the trail! Tonight they are spending a night at a hotel and will attempt to wash their clothes. Tennille will be glad to get out of the heat as she doesn't like it much! Tomorrow Trevor has a media event and then they will get back on the trail. They are going to try to do the dreaded section 7 and figure if they make it through that section they will be over the worst. I may not be able to post tomorrow but will try to get something posted Sunday. Jane

Day 7 - Back to the Beginning

Today Dave, Trevor, and Tennille were picked up, resupplied, and taken back to Section 1. They will hike sections 1 & 2 and hopefully by that time they can go back to where they stopped today which is at the end of section 6 I believe. After day 1 the guys figured they'd no longer complete the train in Durango but have to return to the beginning to finish the trail. If the snow cooperates, they guys may be able to find themselves done with this trail when they hit Durango. I didn't talk with them so I'm not sure how many miles they did today. I know they had 4 miles this morning to get to the pick up site. After getting dropped off at the trail head, I saw on SPOT google map that they passed Raleigh Peak and crossed Hwy 96. Here is their location tonight: 39.40266 -105.16429 Jane

Day 6 Naked and Afraid

Today Dave called once they had set up camp. They are camping in a forest with no shade. There are tall and thin Lodge Pole Pines. They are about 4 miles from Breckenridge where they will be resupplied tomorrow. Although it was early in the day the really had no place else to go. Because they were so close to the trail head they had a lot of folks passing by camp. There were hikers, runners, and bikers. Three days ago our hikers met up with several others out hiking the trail. There was a couple with their dog, one lady with her dog, and a trail angel that they had met on their first day. The couple with a dog went off and they've not seen them again. The next day as they were rounding a curve on the trail they came upon the woman (Charlie) and her dog. She was caught too close to the trail with her pants down. The guys were gentlemen and let her gather herself and then spent a bit of time talking with her. Her dog barks at everything. Yesterday after they set up camp Charlie and her dog showed up and camped there. She wanted a trail name so Trevor named her Naked and her dog Afraid. Funny thing about trail names, once named that is it for life! You need to be careful out there! The Trail Angel, Radio, has shown up at least twice providing the guys with Trail Magic!! They have had Poweraids, Mountain Houses, and candy bars. Tomorrow they will find out just where they go next. They'd love to just proceed on but they talked to a fellow hiker who had tried section 7 and had to turn around. The boys don't want to waste time so they may go ahead and come back at the end to finish up what was missed. Today's location: 39.53952-106.0002 Jane

Day 5 - Snow, Wildlife and Dreams

Dave called just before noon and left me a message. He said that they had just crossed the Continental Divide and they only had 4 or 5 miles to go for the day. They were hiking over patches of snow. Dave said that the snow, so far, was much less than on the PCT. He then called back at 1:00 pm and I was able to answer the phone! We had a great, clear conversation!! He again mentioned the piles of snow. They had just gone over Georgia Pass and had about 1000' of elevation to lose before setting up camp. The trail is now both the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail. Two nights ago Dave was kept up most of the night due to the little critters moving around and chewing all night long. The next morning he found that they had chewed up the handle of his trekking poles! They are still usable, but he decided to sleep with them from now on! He was concerned that they were going to eat his tent! He was glad to move on! Last night they slept in a prairie. Due to the warmer weather and melting snow, the prairie was very damp. Trevor heard larger animals outside their tents last night, but they guys think they were moose or elk. Dave was excited to share that they had run into a lot of wildlife, especially the moose and elk, and also woodpeckers. He was surprised they had not seen any deer. They were taking some time at lunch drying out their gear. Dave said the cold was felt by their feet and the warmth on their necks. He was so happy talking about his day. They were almost done hiking for the day, covering 14 1/2 miles today. Dave also shared that Tennille was having a blast with the snow, diving into the piles and almost doing somersaults into the snow! Dave said his nights are mostly filled with strange dreams. I'm not an expert on dreams but I went online to interpret last night's dream and it said "you will never want, but life will be an uphill affair". The mountains have always called to him, so even if I have messed up the interpretation it all works! Dave said they are moving so well that they get into camp early and are finding themselves with lots of time on their hands. I say, rather extra time in camp than having a hard time hiking and getting into camp late! It just tells me that the guys are feeling good. Tonight's camping spot: If the guys look east they'll just about see Colorado Springs. 39.4971 N -105.92516 W Jane

Day 4 - 1st resupply

Our hikers are in the White River National Forest. They met up with their resupply earlier today. Dave made several attempts to contact me by satellite phone today. He finally got through on his cell phone but I could only hear about every 3rd word! Although the call was a tad bit frustrating, it was wonderful to hear his voice. Tonight they are camping at the following location (put long. & Lat. into Google Maps search). You'll see just how much tree cover they do have! 39.42744 -105.80261 They will finish hiking section 6 tomorrow and Thursday will be taken to section 12 due to snow. Hopefully in a few weeks the snow will decrease so they can complete sections 7-11. I have a few boxes of food to send off to Dave and I'm hoping to get them out tomorrow. A huge thanks to those that are getting the food to Dave, Trevor, and Tennille! They are well taken care of! Jane

Day 3 Communication Issues

Today is Day three for Trevor, Tennille, and Dave on the Colorado Trail. I had a 1 minute phone conversation with Dave before I was disconnected. He was able to call back using the satellite phone but had to leave a message for me. (I was in the garage playing with his power tools!!). His phone ran out of battery and is going to attempt to charge it with Trevor's solar charger. Dave was able to let me know that they planned on stopping tonight about 5-7 miles before Kenosha Pass. They will be resupplied at Kenosha Pass tomorrow. Dave did tell me that the satellite phone works best when there are no trees around. He figured they'd be hiking above the treeline for most of the hike, but for now they are in the tree line. The guys have stopped hiking today prior to HWY 285 and south of South Twin Cone Peak. They stopped about 3:17 mountain time. I'll need to verify, but it looks like HWY 285 is where Kenosha Pass is. It looks like the best place for a resupply. If you are interested in checking out where they are camping tonight input the latitude and longitude into google maps: latitude: 39.6839 longitude: -105.68384 Information on the hike is also being posted in Facebook. You can follow Dave or Trevor Thomas for additional details. I'll be passing messages along when we get better phone reception! I've got a list going! Jane

Adapting... Section 3 done and on to Section 4

Dave was able to get AT&T service today around 9:00 am PT to report in. The guys were moving slowly while getting used to the altitude but were in wonderful spirits. Yesterday they camped at Buffalo Creek at Forest Road 553. While hiking this morning in Section 3 they had to keep moving out of the way of mountain bike racers. Dave commented on how polite all the bikers were despite the fact that they were racing! The race did not cross into Section 4. Our hikers were happy to be able to just keep hiking instead of avoiding bikers! Today's plan was to stop at Section 4, mile 9. Dave figured they had 8 more miles after our phone call. I did hear that the SPOT was pushed so we know they are safe. Trevor's mom, Judith, is trying to get me set up on the SPOT to get notifications. For those of you who don't know about SPOT, it is a handheld device about the size of a GPS unit. The hikers can push one button to say they are safe and on track at the end of the day, one button to say things are not going according to plans but they are ok, and one button is a 911 call. It is nice knowing that the guys have this extra way to communicate. Once my email is set up with the SPOT I'll get a Google map each evening and be able to share location and timing. Because Dave, Trevor, and Tennille started at a different location than planned, they have to revise their resupply. The goal, because they are hiking with Tennille, is to get resupplied every three days. I hear dog food is really heavy! Planning a long distance hike is not as easy as just getting on a trail. You need to know where the water is (important especially at meal times and always nice to have fresh water in the morning). You need to plan out where to camp. And you need to plan where you can get resupply - or rather where someone can get to you. The guys are trying not to have to hike off trail to get resupplied. Dave had spent many hours getting the mileage each day perfect to fit all their needs. Dave and Trevor are used to things not going perfectly so I know that they will adapt, overcome and improvise! They have seen other hikers on the trail who started a few days at the beginning. Dave figures they'll make it to Durango and then go back to the start to complete sections 1 & 2. Pictures of the guys heading out Day 1 were put on Facebook. I'll be adding those pictures to this blog eventually!

To hike or not to hike, that is the question...

To hike or not to hike was the question put in front of Dave and Trevor today. Trevor had some necessary backpacking items go missing from his luggage so the guys went out to find replacements (I believe this was done last night). Today when they got to the trail head they found it closed. Yes, closed. It seems the hot weather was melting the snow and causing flooding. These guys would never let a little bit of weather keep them from the trail so they bypassed sections 1 & 2 of the Colorado Trail and started out on section 3. I'm not on their SPOT email just yet but that is in the works. I'll be able to provide more information when that happens. There is good news with this delay - as they get to 10,000 feet elevation there won't be as much snow! I heard that Dave, Trevor, and Tennille made it to a camp sight tonight. Trevor is communicating via satellite phone and I'll continue to provide updates. Tomorrow I'll figure out where they are and how many miles they got in today. Dave had been estimating just over 8 1/2 but with the change of sections and the time delay it may be less. Feel free to share this blog with anyone who may be interested in following the adventure of two guys and a dog. One guy is hard of hearing. One is blind. Thank goodness they have a dog! One last note. Although I'm not sure when during this adventure, I know the guys will go back and hike sections 1 & 2 when it is safer! Day 1 of the Colorado Trail is in the books!

2015 Colorado Trail hike prep

Well, Dave is getting ready for another adventure. Later this month he's heading to Denver, Colorado where he'll meet up with fellow hiker Trevor and Trevor's guide dog, Tennille. They will start their 500 mile trek just outside of Denver and finish in Durango. This blog will be our link with their progress! Meal packaging is underway. Dave figures he'll need minimum 3000 calories a day. We are putting together foods with high calories and low weight. This is not very easy. We are staying away from candy bars (ok, a few may end up in his meal bag). We have some pre-packaged meals and some of our own creations. I'll put a list out on the next blog. He estimates they will be on the trail 42 days. We will plan for 45 just in case. Trevor has Trail Angles who will be bringing them food about every 3 or 4 days. This is mainly for Tennille. Dog food is heavy! Although Tennille will be carrying some food, Trevor and Dave will share the load. Stay tuned for more updates on the pre-adventure and then the big send off scheduled for June 19th!!