Ship via UPS. The lodge says the packages get held at the Post Office down the highway.

Ken or Marcia Powers

Will hold packages 30 days.

Subject: 6/11, day 46, 5.2 miles, 12,300 elev
Had a hard time getting a ride out of Lake City. Didn't get on the trail until 4:50.

Climbed right up to 12,200 feet, then started rolling along Snow Mesa and the La Garita Stock Driveway. We camped as soon as the trail started to turn for a mountainside.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/12, day 47, 17.2 miles, 12,860' 
Sitting on rocks at lunchtime with a little creek beside us and a marmot "meep-meeping" at us because we are sitting on his rocks. We already did a big climb straight up and are now going to climb up to San Luis Pass (we could go down from there into Creede, CO). I forgot to say that we have been hiking in the Rio Grande headwaters and drainage!

This is the La Garita Wilderness, which is dotted with old growth (400 years) forests that look kind of scraggly because of downed trees. We are descending through the trees following the Cochetopa Creek. The creek has been dammed by beavers so frequently that the resulting ponds make water terraces. We haven't seen any beavers, though. We did see and hear a group (Boy Scouts?) far below us today.

Our miles will be easier tomorrow without any steep climbing. That combined with lighter packs (food consumption) make us think we can hike more miles.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/13, day 48, 24 miles, 11,110 elev
Our high for the day was our campsite last night. It is hard to believe that trails here exist under 12,000 feet. We slept in this morning - I blame it on all that thick air below 12,000 feet.

Word for today: Cochetopa.

We spent 14 miles following Cochetopa Creek down the hill. The valley is filled with beaver dams. Big ones that were as wide as the valley. Many times the valley looked like terraces of a water garden.

After that we crossed over a couple of hills into Cochetopa Park, following fresh bear tracks part of the way. We spent the rest of the day hiking in this 10-20 mile meadow. Tonight we are camped on the edge of it.

Cochetopa is the Ute Indian word for buffalo. They hunted them in the 'park'. The Indians named a low pass Cochtopa Pass. It has been used by humans to cross the Continental Divide for many hundreds of years.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/14, day 49, 22 miles, 11,800 elev
Seems like today was spent on the divide. That makes for hard hiking. We climb the ridge to the high point, then drop to the saddle below. The elevation changes are typically 300 - 400 feet. That is not a lot, but after a while it is really difficult.

We spent almost 2 hours at noon lost. We were transitioning between trail sections. We missed reading the part where we were supposed to walk up the road .7 miles. It didn't make sense since we had been walking along the road for the last mile to end the section.

We ended the day with a long, difficult hike to a junction above a lake. Then we had to drop steeply 250 feet to get water from the lake. Saw 3 deer on the last ridge top. Most deer we have seen in one place in Colorado.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/15, day 50, 23.4 mi., 11,600'
The CT and CDT are still on the same tread and both are rolling up and down the divide through pine and aspen forests. The CT is well marked so we had no route finding problems.

We saw lots of people today: a weekend near a road. Three people were looking for horse escapees and the open gate or hole in the fence.

I have seen only one columbine plant with two delicate white and lavender flowers, and 6 inches tall.

Mileage between water sources is high when we're on the divide so we need to plan carefully. Dark clouds built up this afternoon, but no rain.

Our next box is at a ski lodge in Garfield that is not open on weekends so we plan to go to Salida on Sunday and get our box on Monday.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/16, day 51, 11,600, 10.2 mi.
Eek! Too many people! At Marshall Pass yesterday at 6 pm we talked to a bicyclist, asked him the forecast as it looked like rain. He said he was doing 20 more miles in the dark and told Ken to Pancha Creek (crick). Last we saw of him I told Ken he was going down the wrong road.

We camped and heard a vehicle (with 2 way radio) drive up the mountain and back at 2 am. At 8 this morning Search & Rescue was looking for us because other hikers said we talked to the biker who was called in missing by his wife. Then S&R mountian bikers came to talk to us. 

I jogged to the trailhead to beat the rest of the crowd and Ken found us a ride to Salida.

Wish I had the rest of the story on Tony, the missing mountain biker.

Today's hiking was the ultimate. It all came together: views, smooth trail, small elevation changes, fast! I really enjoyed moving with a light pack. I also got some good pictures (even forget-me-nots).

... Gottawalk

We have been getting questions about the many forest fires in Colorado.

I talked to a lady in Lake City who seemed to know what was happening with all the fires. She pointed out the areas in which the fires are burning on a Colorado map.

The fires are around the perimeter of the state (relative to us). There are no fires on or near the CDT at this time. The fires are in the SE, SW, NW, and East of us.

I also spoke with Colorado Trail hikers who were coming the opposite direction. They said they had smoke a couple of days, but were not threatened by fire.