Hey,
5 days and nights with just me for company would drive anyone crazy, even me!
I solo backpacked along the
Colorado Trail outside of Salida.
One of the days included a climb of Mt. Shavano, one of Colorado's 14'ers.
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Mt. Shavano -- I
made it to the top - 14,229 feet!
Can you see Kansas back over there? |
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The
trail really was as steep as this makes it seem. |
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The views from the
peak were breathtaking... Not just that at 14,000 there's no air to breathe to start with. |
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I started up to the
peak right at sunrise.
What a great hike! |
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Note the jacket -
45° with a stiff breeze at the top, maybe 75° back down at camp. |
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This
saddle still has snow in it, even though it was a very dry winter. When full of snow, this
is The Angel of Shavano, a landmark that can be seen for miles around. |
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| Home sweet home! Solo hiking means a
heavy pack - no one to share the weight of tent, fly, or stove. But I really did enjoy the
solitude. |
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| I hiked a total of about 25 miles. I
loved the rhythm of step after step down the trail. |
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| The trail crossed several streams -
in fact I slept next to running water each night. Made for some sweet sleeping. |
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| The trail up to the peak was lined
with beautiful wildflowers. Almost took my mind off my pain. Almost. |
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| Every step of the way revealed
something else beautiful to see. Central Colorado has some of the best backpacking in the
country. I met 3 young people doing the entire Colorado Trail, an effort that will take 51
days! My little hike was enough to make my feet hurt and give me views of trail to dream
about for another year... |
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