Somewhere on the Trail

Today was a really great day of hiking, I woke up to beautiful weather and I'm feeling pretty strong. I hike about 15 miles over to a beautiful little creek where I camped last year and about 30 minutes before I got there a little bit of hail started falling on me. I thought I could wait it out but I decided to get the umbrella out and just keep heading to camp. I also got to hike on one of my favorite parts of the trail that used to be a railroad and has been converted to a trail, so cool! The hail stopped a few minutes after I arrived at camp and I managed to get everything set up and in the tent before it started again. After about an hour or so the rain stopped and blue skies rolled in for the rest of the evening. I love this spot!!! Campsite - The Paul Fritz Campsite (official) Mile - 256.6 Elevation - 11,122ft.

The first day out of Monarch Pass and it's just one beautiful day. I was able to make a little over 13 miles and found a pretty good campsite. I hate to say that it was one of my worst campsites on this trip. I'm so happy that I was able to have beautiful weather today since last year it was rainy for a few hours when I hiked this pass last year. I hope you will enjoy all the killer views in the collegiate west. this is one of the most beautiful sections of trail I've ever hiked! Campsite - 13-mile camp Mile - 242.6 Elevation - 11,232ft

On day 18, I woke up at King of the Hill campsite and headed off the 7 miles to Monarch pass. was another insanely beautiful day and it was pretty easy getting over to the pass. I had time to eat a breakfast sandwich, an ice cream sandwich, and have a Dr. Pepper before my ride Debbie picked me up and took me down to the Great Western Colorado Lodge. Day 19, is a zero-day in Salida. I did my laundry super early then walked downtown and bought a new pair of shoes and some fuel. Did my resupply yesterday evening. The upload speeds are terrible all over town and I'm going to have to stagger the videos for a few days until I get to good wifi. Thanks! I was so happy to get to the Pass because for some reason I am hungrier than I have ever been on any trail. I plan to eat a ton of pizza and junk food in town and I'm definitely going to carry a little extra food on this next stretch. Campsite - Great Western Colorado Lodge Mile - 229.6 Elevation - 7,063ft.

Another epic day on the Colorado Trail. I have been blessed with such great weather in this section. Other than the first day out of Creede it has been really great weather, a little rain at night but once I'm in the tent it's no big deal. Another relatively easy day since I'm going to stop short of where the CT splits into the collegiate west and east route. I'm also finding better water as I near the end of this section, so far it's been the driest section and the water has been the least appealing. Campsite - King of the Hill Mile - 222.9 Elevation - 11,496ft.

The beauty just keeps on coming as I get closer and closer to Monarch Pass. The views are starting to open up a little more and were coming in and out of the woods more often. I purposely hiked a little less today so I don't get too close to the pass. I've seen so many cows in this section and I didn't see hardly any last year but this was the section I missed. Campsite - Beyond 200 Mile - 207.7 Elevation - 10,341ft.

This is one of the coolest mornings so far. The views are not as spectacular as in the earlier sections but it is beautiful walking through all these forests. Cows, cows everywhere. It's starting to get pretty cold in the mornings now so I need to pick up some gloves when I get to Salida. This section is not quite as rugged as the earlier sections but it is so beautiful and I'm so happy I was able to return and knock it out this year. Campsite - Before the Razor Mile - 192 Elevation - 10,919ft.

This is my second day out of Creede Colorado and it's turned into a beautiful day. I camped right near Los Creek up on the hill in the woods and it was just gorgeous. I stopped a little early and got everything set up and I was able to get everything dried out really well. I hiked almost to the creek and once I saw it and saw that it had water I turned around and went back to a really nice spot that I saw in the woods on the way to the creek. Just an absolutely gorgeous day. Campsite - Los Creek Camp Mile - 174.2 Elevation - 9,685ft.

First day out of Creede and what a day it was. For the first time on the entire hike, I have to start the day with an umbrella because it's sprinkling a little too hard to go without it. I arrived at reunion camp around 12:30 so it was way too early to camp and I pushed on for several more hours. I passed some really amazing campsites but it was always too early in the day when I spotted them. Once I was finally ready to camp, of course, there was nothing around, I walked way off trail several times and I just couldn't find anything suitable. Around 5pm, I came across 2 pretty good sites right before the creek and I decided to try and get to the other side and back into the tree cover and see if I could find something there. I forded the fast-moving creek, which took me by surprise since I didn't think there were any creeks to ford on this trail. I got to the other side now with my feet completely soaked and I headed up the hill back into the woods. I spotted a small trail going off to my left and I followed it and it ended by a really awesome cliffside campsite overlooking the creek. About an hour before I got to my campsite it started to hail, and then that turned into rain. The rain didn't let up for a few hours so I waited for a small break and I set up the tent really fast and got everything inside. After about 30 minutes the skies cleared up and the sun came out so I hung everything up to dry. Most things dried up pretty well except my socks and shoes of course. It turned into a beautiful day right at the end and I had a great night here. Campsite - Chocetopa Cliffside Mile - 159.9 Elevation - 9,905ft.

Woke up late since I have nowhere to be today. I left my camp around 10am and headed down the road towards Creede. It's a beautiful road walk into town, about 8 miles on a dirt road. About a mile into the wall I saw a car down the road and was heading down to talk to them instead they drove up and asked me if I was heading into Creede and offered me a ride down. Thanks, Kim for saving me from an 8- mile walk. My wonderful woman found me a room at the Creede hotel since I'm a day early. I tried my best to show you around Creede a little bit so you can see what a town day is like. Campsite - Creede Hotel/Soapy Smith Mile-off mile 143.3 Elevation - 8,827ft. Day 12 Today was a true zero-day. The only thing I had to do was switch hotels since I was a day early I got a room at the Creede Hotel and my real reservation was at the Snowshoe Lodge but they didn't have an extra room the day before. I got everything ready and checked out at the last possible moment and headed over to the Snowshoe. I stopped on the way to have breakfast at the Mac Mine where Kim had recommended the breakfast burrito, it was awesome! I ended up having two of them and then walked slowly over to the motel. I arrived a little after 11 and they seemed a little panicked that I wanted to check in right then so I assured them that I didn't expect to check in at 11am. I just needed a place to put my pack so I wouldn't have to carry it all over town while waiting for a room. I can't say they were the friendliest people I've ever met but they said they would call me when the room was ready. I left my pack and went and walked around the town and spent over 3 hours waiting for them to call or text. Finally, around 2 pm I walked back over there and figured I would just wait there until it was ready. I arrived back and they weren't even there so I waited in the lobby with my pack. The lady finally drove up and got out of her car and laughingly said oh, your room is ready. No call, no text, no apology for forgetting. Anyway, I looked forward to staying here for so long and it turned out to be my least favorite place on the trail, I absolutely love Creede and it might even be my favorite mountain town but I would never stay here again due to the poor management and lack of consideration to a customer who is out wandering around waiting for a room. Anyway, the Creede Hotel was much more professional and way more friendly. ok, end of rant! I can't wait to get out of here and get back on the trail in the morning. I have a ride arranged for 6:30 in the morning. Campsite - Snowshoe Lodge/110 Mile-off mile 143.3 Elevation - 8,827ft.

I woke up in the misty forest and climbed up to the snow mesa, a long flat exposed area. This is probably the hardest climbing day of the trail so far, there are 3 incredibly long and steep climbs to get over to San Luis Pass. When I first got to the top of the snow mesa it was unbelievable, I had hiked out of the clouds and was now looking down on them. This is a really long flat exposed area up here on this mesa and it winds its way around a few lakes and over a few saddles. There is one of the toughest climbs right before you get to the Creede cut off and wow, I had forgotten how long and steep it is. I finally hit the last saddle and could see the trail cutting down in the canyon towards Creede. I finally got to the cutoff and was able to get all the way down to Equity mine and I found a great campsite on a hill under a tree. beautiful! I almost camped where I did last year but after I walked around for a bit I found a much better place even though it was a little more exposed it was a better flat spot. Another killer day of hiking and I made it here a full day early. Campsite - Uptown Creede Mile - 144.7 Elevation - 11,211ft.

Today we reach the highest point on the Colorado Trail. Believe it or not, this is not the hardest climb and it's not nearly the best view but it still feels great to be on top of the world. I planned to get to the high point earlier this year than last year because I knew there was a forest a few miles beyond there and I hoped to make it into that forest for a good campsite and avoid camping out in the open like last time. Well, I got to the high point at 8:20 in the morning which was a full 8 hours earlier than last year so needless to say I made it to the forest but I also got there too early to set up camp so I kept on hiking and I made it almost to the road into Lake City. I'm way ahead of where I was last year and didn't think I could make it this far in this short amount of time. I found a killer campsite off in the woods that you can barely see from the trail and it is super stealthy and super flat, what an incredible day! Campsite - Stealthy AF Mile - 127.6 Elevation - 11,148ft.

Day 2 out of Silverton is one of my life's best hiking days. I had real trail magic for the first time ever. Molly, Tina, and Sky had a tent set up with blueberry pancakes, burritos, donuts, and coffee. These trail angels really lifted my soul and spirit! HUGE THANKS!!! It was such a gorgeous day and I just had the best time all day, later in the afternoon the skies turned on me and I got caught in the rain for the first time when I really needed an umbrella. I had hoped that as I dropped to a lower elevation I might leave the rain behind but that was not the case today. I found a suitable place to set up my tent before I started to climb up again and it was probably the worst spot of the whole trip. It was fairly uneven and on grass. Several other hikers showed pater and made no attempt to set up quietly or keep their voices down, some people will just never get it! I was able to stand there for about 20 to 30 minutes before I actually set up my camp and I let the rain die off for a minute and then I set up really fast and got everything inside before it could get wet. I wasn't able to heat up any water due to the wind and rain so I cold-soaked my food and it was just okay, it sure is nice to have a hot meal at the end of the day and especially when it's chilly and rainy outside, Overall an amazing day! Campsite - Beyond 100 Camp Mile - 109.5 Elevation - 11,995ft.

Day 6: I woke up later than usual since I don't have to be anywhere today and I can't check in to my room too early. I lazed around for a good part of the morning and then I finally got up and tore camp down and started off down the trail to hit the road into Silverton. I reached the road pretty fast since it was only about half a mile away. I lucked out big time because when I walked up there was a guy parked in the exact spot where I needed to start hitching a ride into town. I went over and talked to him for a second and he was dropping off a guy on a bike for his bike trip and I asked if he was going back to Silverton and if I could possibly get a ride. He was so cool and said he take me into town with no problem. He dropped me right by the sporting goods store where I had already purchased a new sleeping pad and also needed to get another pair of pants since I ripped the bottom of mine out somewhere, I couldn't check in until around 2pm so I walked around town for several hours. I went and got my laundry done and then I walked to the post office and mailed some stuff back to Dallas. I then went and had a great lunch at high noon burgers and finally walked down to the grocery store and did a complete resupply. I finally got in my room around 2pm and showered and went back to the sporting goods store to pick up the pad and try on some pants. It was a long town day but I managed to get everything done and still had plenty of time to relax, I really love this cool western mountain town. Campsite - Smedley's Suites #2022 Mile - Off mile 74.3 Elevation - 9,318ft. Day 7 - left my cozy room at Smedley's Suites at a little after 6 this morning and I walked straight back down to the edge of town where I could start hitching back up to the trail. I stood in front of the gas station for about 15 minutes and a girl who had driven by me and stopped to get gas saw me hitching and walked over and asked me if I was going back up the pass. Anyway, she was super cool and ended up giving me a ride back to the trail and I actually ran into her a few hours later on the trail when she and her friend came hiking past me, too cool! It was kind of threatening to rain all day so I wasn't sure how far I was going to make it. I didn't want to get caught in a rainstorm at the top of the pass again like last year so I thought about stopping short and camping just below the pass. I decided to just go for it when I got close and when I got to the top I was rewarded with blue skies which stayed for the rest of the day and allowed me to get farther than I did last year and find an amazing campsite near a beautiful little alpine lake. An incredible day of hiking! Campsite - Heavens Lake Mile - 91.8 Elevation - 12,533

Another great day of hiking! I was blessed again with another beautiful day. I got up at the normal 5:30 and was on the trail at 6:30 and wow it was a beautiful hike today. Sunny all the way with fairly easy terrain. Saw some really great campsites and boulder fields. I passed by one of my favorite places in this section which is Lime Creek. I love that area so much! In the end, I saw approximately 240 people from Durango to Silverton, Crazy! I scouted up the hill where Steve camped last year and they were truly excellent spots but I was drawn back to my old site from last year and for the first time on the trip, I set up camp in the exact same spot as last year. Campsite - Same as Molas Year Mile - 73.8 Elevation - 10,965ft

I left camp at 6:30 this morning and right off the bat I summited the pass and I got down the other side to the creek in less than an hour. Amazing being up there again! The rest of the day was another zig-zag in and out of the trees all day. It rained a lot today but I managed to miss it and wait for 5 to 10 minutes under a huge pine tree and it always passed me by. About 15 minutes from camp I finally had to break down and get my umbrella out. I got to camp and set up in light rain around 4pm. Soon afterward the rain stopped and right around 6:30 the sun came out for a little while. I stopped here because I was about to enter a long exposed section. Cascade Creek was unreal this year, the most beautiful water feature of many up to this point. I'm 13.7 miles from my campsite at Molas Lake from last year. I'm planning to camp there again since it's about 15 minutes from the road to Silverton. Campsite - Camp Cascade Mile - 61 Elevation - 11,243

Day 3 and it's another breathtaking day out here. I wind my way through beautiful forests with amazing exposed areas in between. I reached my goal of making it to the base of Blackhawk mountain and I had the place all to myself. Thanks for checking it out! Campsite - Camp Blackhawk Mile - 45.9 Elevation - 11,463

What a great day this was, I left my campsite around 6:30 so I would have plenty of time to get to Taylor lake and several miles beyond. I got off to a great start and passed Junction Creek really early and started to make the long climb up to the tree line. I had great weather as I entered the exposed section a few miles from the lake. It was a great hike and when I reached the lake I met a really cool girl there and we exchanged information about the water ahead. I got great info from her so I decided to carry less water since I knew what was coming up. I got up above the lake on the ridge and it kept threatening to rain but somehow I was able to skirt the storm all the way to camp. I found the seep that I was told about and filled up with water. I decided to take a little side trail out to a scenic point and there were about 5 to 6 great campsites out there so I picked the best one and set up camp. I had the place all to myself and it didn't rain on me until I was inside the tent. An amazing day of hiking filled with outstanding views. Campsite - Camp Overlook Mile - 29.5 Elevation - 11,289ft.

Day one of my 2022 hike of the Colorado Trail. It's a short day with only 12.7 miles to my first camp. I'm really out of hiking shape and need to take it slow. I got here super early and wanted to keep hiking but I have a long way to go and want to play it smart. I started hiking around 6:30 to 7a.m. and hiked pretty much straight to camp with only 2 small breaks along the way, so far so good, and what a great day to start a hike. Campsite - So Long Durango Mile - 12.7 Elevation - 8963ft.

The Choctaw Nation Trail is part of a loop trail in the Ouachita Mountains and is most commonly referred to as the Boardstand Loop. The loop consists of 4 separate trails, the Old Military Road, the Boardstand Trail, and the Ouachita Trail. This is a great little overnight hike with several options for creating your own route. This is my new dog Buddy's first attempt at hiking and camping and I hope you guys enjoy watching his first adventure. Thanks for checking out the video!