John Muir used the term glorious often in his writing. Whatever he saw and experienced in the natural word moved him to write with such intense feeling and emotion that it captured the hearts of millions and was instrumental in helping to establish our National park system.
I bring this up because the word glorious was on repeat in my head all day. And not just the scenery. The people I was with, the activities we concocted, the weather and yes, the scenery, all combined to make an absolutely glorious day.
I was awake at 5:30am and began slowly to pack up and get ready for my first day back on the trail since hiking into Cuba on May seventh. DG and Franzia were camped a few feet away in their tents. I was cowboy camping. I heard both of them start rustling around in their tents as I gathered my pack together. At 6:05am my pack was loaded and I walked to the potty. On my return I noticed a small SUV stopped on the shoulder of the highway right in front of the RV entrance. I surmised it was Patsy, the woman I had texted last night about a ride to the pass. I walked back to our campsite, grabbed my pack and told the girls our ride was here. They still had to finish stowing their gear, so I walked up to the highway to check out the car and occupant. It was indeed Patsy. I put my pack in the back and climbed into the passenger seat. It was only 6:15am, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Patsy and I discussed the weather and how cold it was. Then she began to tell me about the death of her husband a year ago and how her heart ached for the parents of the children that were murdered in their classroom this week. Her grief and despair were etched on her face. She described the circumstances of her husband’s death and how difficult life had been this past year since his death.
DG (short for Dollar General, her trail name) and Franzia arrived right at 6:30am and we were off. Patsy continued her story and I soon learned all about her children and grandchildren and her life in Chama. She was a sweet lady with a broken heart. The school shooting had caused the pain of husband’s death to resurface and she just needed to talk and have someone listen. I was wondering what the girls in the back seat were thinking. We were having this intimate and personal conversation that they walked into and yet I had only just met Patsy 15 minutes earlier. Patsy and her husband have been ferrying hikers to the pass for the past twenty years. She really enjoys meeting the people.
On the drive up we saw 6 elk and 6 or 8 deer. I was struck with how gorgeous the scenery was. A real contrast to the last 537 miles of New Mexico.
At the pass we exited the car, tipped Patsy $5 each, took her picture and then tried to orient ourselves and find the trail.
It is remarkable to me that these two 29 year old girls were willing to share a ride with me, be dumped together on an abandoned mountain pass and then start hiking together. Actually, it is the standard on any through hike. The people you meet are kind, generous, accepting and trusting, having no reason not to trust. Anyone going to the effort and pain to hike the CDT is not the kind of person who would think of doing someone harm.
I really knew little of these two, so as we hiked up the trail we talked and got to know one another. The more I learned the more I realized I was hiking with two extraordinary young women.
They have been friends since age five, growing up in Key West, Florida. They will both celebrate their 30 birthdays this year. Franzia headed out on her own at 18, first to Canada, then England and has lived the last five years in Portugal where she pursues her passion of art. Her moving out did not involve animosity between her and her parents in the least. They were supportive and happy to see her begin her life on her own. Franzia speaks of her parents with great respect, admiration and love.
DG worked in New York doing freelance media work. She produced Netflix commercials and has worked with Anthony Ramos from Hamilton and other notables. When the pandemic hit she moved back to Key West and sails on a charter sailboat. She just got her Captain rating.
Beyond their life choices and accomplishments they are kind, thoughtful, very self aware, insightful and very interesting to talk to.
At five miles we stopped for something to eat. As we munched and chatted a man I had not met came up the trail. He introduced himself as Neeko (pronounced Knee-co). I had promised the girls the night before I would teach them how to use the ice axes they were carrying at the first snow on the trail. Neeko also had absolutely no experience with an ax so I invited him to join us in the lesson, whenever the opportunity presented itself along the trail.
The girls like to dawdle at breaks so I took off with Neeko promising to wait for them at the first snow. We ran into a steep, north facing slope in a few miles and I spent time with Neeko showing him how to secure his footing in the snow and to use the shaft of his axe to anchor himself. If he had slipped he would have slid into a forest of trees and likely been injured. With Neeko passed, I waited about ten minutes for DG and Franzia to show. I gave them the same lesson I had given to Neeko and we were soon across.
A few hundred yards up the trail we found a snow field on a gentle slope where I could teach them how to arrest. We spent 20 minutes practicing arresting from the three positions, sitting, head first on your back and head first on your stomach. Both learned quickly and were a hoot to work with.
A couple miles further up the trail we had to cross a fairly steep snow slope that had a good runout. I pointed out that this was an excellent slope to train on and both girls and Neeko jumped at the chance even though we were all getting tired and were hiking at 11,500 feet.
DG went first, starting in the sitting position. The slope was steep enough that she built up some speed before rolling into the arrest position and stopping. Then she did the unexpected. With full pack on and no prompting, she hurled herself down the slope on her back, head downhill. Again she arrested beautifully. She must have had a good teacher. 😀
Franzia and Neeko were more reserved but both did well arresting from the sitting position.
When climbing back up to the top Franzia picked the steepest part of the hill. She was about 2/3 of the way up when her feet slipped and she slid down. She tried to arrest, but she had her poles in her other hand. She did slow her fall, but she was on a part of the slope with no runout. She slide into the heather and grass for about 10 feet before grinding to a halt. Unhurt, she chocked it up to a learning experience and soon joined us back on top, using the footsteps DG and I had kicked in.
People hiking the CDT wear the lightest foot ware they can get away with. They are really nothing more than a glorified tennis shoe. They are terrible on snow, offering no edging ability. Anticipating the snow, I wore a hiking boot that does well kicking steps and edging on snow. I got some comments about how heavy and stiff they are when I was meeting hikers in Chama, but they are excellent for the conditions we are facing. I will switch back to a light weight hiker once the snow has melted out in a few weeks or a month.
The four of us continued up the trail, headed for Dipping Lake. We had a wonderful ridge top lunch session with Neeko revealing info about his family.
He moved to the US from Mexico at the age of 25. He told us about his two sons. He has a doctorate in Electrical Engineering. He is 65 and not ashamed to admit he is petrified of the snow. He was very appreciative of the ice axe lessons.
All exhausted, we got to Dipping lake after six and we’re all too tired to search for a camping site to set up our tents. After a ten minute rest I mustered the strength to cross the outlet of the lake and find enough room for our four tents. Before I climbed into my tent I thanked Neeko and the girls for an amazing day. It was glorious!!
DG signs the trail register
Franzia signs the trail register
Did I mention how gloriously beautiful Colorado is?
DG prepares to practice her self arrest skills
Franzia climbing back up to the trail just moments before she falls
Me on top of a 12,200’ peak that the trail climbs
Franzia passes a warning sign about the dangerous trail ahead
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