Will hold packages indefinitely.

Store is open 7 days per week.

Subject: 6/17, day 52, 12,535', 10.5 mi.
After a chore filled town visit, several showers and lots of good food (grilled ahi tuna in CO!) we headed back to the trail on the divide, stopping at Garfield for our box. It wasn't there, so back to Salida for more supplies. I knew maps were for sale at the trailhead, and we had everything we needed without much running around. We even met a commercial wildlife artist, Susan, from Leadville. Her house is on the divide & trail so she gave us her phone # so we can shower when we get there!

Our mountains are world-class sand piles at 12,000' plus. Of course we headed right for the top. The alpine tundra covering the sand is sand-sized, a half inch tall and hugging the sand. The flowers are every color but so tiny I have to bend over to see them. Crossing over the saddle and going down we passed a string of lakes. The first was water sitting in rocks with no vegetation, strange looking. We gradually dropped below tree line, spent the night at Big Boss Lake and slept warmly.

This is supposed to be a picturesque area and I'm really enjoying it. Views are great with no smoke visible.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/18, day 53, 22.4 mi., 12,500’
What a beautiful area we are hiking through! We started at a lake in a forest, climbed up to a pass with everything (rocks, flowers, lakes and views) and walked along a railroad bed last used in 1910 and passed old mining towns.

We met a fisherman from PA at the pass. He was watching for us - he had talked to hikers just ahead of us. He gave us an apple. Later at the road junction Marcia talked a tourist out of a Coke. Good lunch.

We went up over Tincup Pass (great name) sharing the road with dirt bikes, ATV's, and mtn bikes. Tincup was one of the places that we monitored snow last winter. It has streams that the beaver have dammed. Ken finally saw a beaver swimming this evening right before Mirror Lake. We've been watching for busy beavers. We think they spend all their time in their dams.

We camped at the lake campground because I really like a table, water, garbage cans, and toilets. I remembered why I have a mad passion for toothbrushes. I want to use my current one for nails and feet and start a fresh toothbrush.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/19, day 54, 22.3 miles, 12,520 elev
We're camped at the boundary of Gunnison Nat'l Forest in Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. We climbed out of Mirror Lake this morning and clouds built all day. We saw two fishermen that had been out all week and they wanted to talk our ears off. They hadn't seen anybody all week. They offered trail mix but we wanted coke, snickers or an apple. Fussy hikers!

We flailed our way through Texas Creek drainage where we had to share the trail with beaver dams and ponds, downed trees and water everywhere. The beavers won: we waded. The guide's description of negotiating this mess (opposite direction) was hilarious and useless.

Hiking through an aspen forest is a churchlike experience. When we higher the aspens suddenly changed to a pine forest, almost as if there were a fence between the two.

Rain ironically started as we filtered water for dinner and breakfast. Out the door and up tomorrow.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/20, day 55, 12,580', 22.7 mi.
We went over Lake Ann Pass and Hope Pass so we climbed 4080' plus all the extra up and down.

We got to Lake Ann Pass early this morning so the cornice stretching across the top was frozen too solid for steps. The sun peeked over the rocks while we searched for possible routes on the rocks around the ice. When we tried the cornice again Ken could chip steps.

Lake Ann was so beautiful that I just kept taking more pictures. On the trail we met BJ who has been carrying equipment from the trailhead to Lake Ann for a couple of weeks to study sedimentation rates for high alpine lakes. Thus, he has met most of this year's NoBo CDT hikers and has become a stationery member of the moving society: he knew all the names and gossip and stories. We gave him his first hiker card and he was really pleased.

Beautiful scenery all day, but vertical trail. On the big climb we were cheered on by thunder and marmots. A squirrel scolded us with a ratchet sounding voice, and his tail moved in rhythm. In a flat aspen forest at the end of the day a hummingbird refused to believe that we were not food, attacking both of us then sitting in the nearest branch watching us.

It rained on us just as we were going to sleep. We had to bring our shoes inside, just in case it continued. Of course that was when it stopped. The shopkeeper thinks it rained because she asked her nephew to wash the window. Since it wasn't enough rain, she plans to ask him to wash the car today.

... Gottawalk

Subject: 6/21, 5 miles only, flat
We just got to Twin Lakes and checked in to the Nordic Inn B&B. We got a king sized bed which is much bigger than our tent. And the bed is a feather bed - kind of like our down bags.

I'm sitting on a bench out front looking across the lake at that killer pass that we did yesterday and the highest peak in CO, eating coke & potato chips.

It rained last night, but not enough to really test the tent, but enough to make us bring our shoes inside.

When the snacks are gone, I'll shower and give my dirty smelly clothes to the B&B lady.

Too bad that today was such a short hiking day. This is the day that AT tradition has chosen for nude hiking and we won't be able to participate. The best that we can do is wear only rain suits while our laundry is being done.

... Gottawalk tomorrow