Hokay!

Hokay, so….

This past hitch Crew 24 was cutting new tread for the Salt Creek Trail, an off-shoot of the Colorado Trail. We were camping and working right below Orphan Butte, elevation 11,127 ft. We awoke to crystals of frost littering the ground, and a thin film of frost over everything  around us the first morning. After two hitches on Fish Creek we all appreciated the relative luxury of camping next to our van, in a frosty meadow of grass. The project was relatively straightforward, 1 mile of new tread linking two existing trails, and we were working with a full crew of 8, at least for the first week, so work got off to an enthusiastic and productive start on Monday morning. Also appreciated was a visit from our mysterious project sponsor, Lloyd. We had all enjoyed speculating about who he was after anticipating his arrival for nearly a month. He regaled us with survival tips before reviewing the project specs with the crew supervisors. On a later visit he brought us an ample supply of homemade brownies (YUM!). Thanks to him and his wife for that

The views from this project site were spectacular. A short walk away was the Colorado Trail with a full panorama of many of the highest peaks in the state.  From our own stretch of rapidly developing tread is a perfectly framed view of the LaPlatas!

We also greatly appreciated the consistency of a propane stove and our cooking reached new heights – although none as great as Kayla’s bathroom Quesadillas at McPhee from the previous hitch!

On our day off we soaked in the hot springs outside of Rico and basked in one of those rare golden days that come only on the cusp of summer and fall. We were in Telluride and even at that height it was warm enough for a t-shirt. A relaxing day to meander and shop at the Free Box, and listen to the happy melodies of James Patterson playing music in the park. Happy Birthday Lauren!

The days after a day off seem to drag a bit more than the first week usually, and this week was no exception. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to have a couple more days of bluebird weather before the cold front hit for real and we could see snow on the LaPlatas. Wednesday afternoon we literally drove away from a storm! It was very satisfying to have completed the project, enabling users to make a complete loop out of the Salt Creek, Rhymin and Colorado Trails.

One more hitch for Crew 24 and our happy little trail gnome!

Crew #24 at work

Crew #24 taking a break with boot

La Platas early in the hitch

Trees beginning to turn

View of the La Platas toward the end of the hitch

Crew #24's mascott.