FINISHED!! (in the rain)

We have completed our hike of the Colorado Trail.  We pushed 15 miles for the last 5 days to finish a day early (on Friday the 24th).  Although we had great weather for most of the trail the last 5 days were tough.  It was cloudy and rainy almost all day, which made it cold and didn't allow our stuff to dry.  Luckily it was the end of our journey!

The journey was so much harder than I anticipated.  6 days in at our first resupply I didn't think we had a chance in hell of finishing....42 days later we managed the impossible.  The hiking actually got a lot better after Leadville with my new shoes and our bodies finally adjusting to life on the trail.  We had some beautiful campsites and it was amazing how rapidly the scenery changed.  The CT was in remarkably great shape for the entire 485 miles, and we ran into a dozen or so other thru-hiking groups.  Hopefully over the next few days we can sort through all the photos and get some more posted to the site.

CT Facts:
485 miles (we only hikes 450 because we drove from Frisco to Leadville for my feet to recover)
48 days (within our estimate of 40-50 when we started)
3 pairs of shoes for Julie (third times a charm I guess)
1 14er summit (we had 6 on the original schedule, obviously I had no idea what I was doing)
80,000+ feet of elevation change (more exact details when Adam loads all the GPS data)

10 days until we leave for the East coast and 20 til Iceland!!!!

Almost There

We have made it to Lake City where we are taking a much deserved rest day (complete with showers, internet, and possibly cell service later today).  We have hiked approximately 350 miles and have just over 130 miles left to get to Durango.

Since our last post we have walked along the continental divide, taken a wrong turn that cost 3 miles and about an hour to correct, camped at 12,500 feet, summited San Luis Peak (14, 014 feet), and came within 50 feet of a Moose.

Here is a taste of what we've done and seen so far.

Bags are packed

The first official sign...and we're off

Confidence marker

Camping on a ridge in the burn area

Entering the wilderness area and hiking the road from hell

Sign at Twin Lakes

The top of San Luis 14, 014'

Stir-fry...yummy

Greenback Cut-throat

Cooking in the rain

                                                           

Not your typical trail food

MOOSE...and I was so tired I almost ran into it!

To be continued.....

Colorado Trail Update

We are now officially halfway done with the Colorado trail. Between blisters, swollen feet, Bum ankles and shingles we have had our fair share of challenges, days off, and ER visits.  Hopefully the next 240 miles go a little bit smoother.  We have also caught a ton of fish, been rained and hailed on and seen some amazing views.  We can't wait to share our pictures and stories once we are done.