Today we were once again full of hope. We only had +5 miles (8 km) to get from Bobtail Creek to the spot where the Silverthorne Alternate merges back with the CDT. We’d planned to take a Jeep road down to the Berthoud Pass Trailhead, as the elevation was bothering Ed, then either camp nearby or maybe get a motel.
After breaking camp, where our tents were once again full of frost, we came upon Bobtail Creek. We crossed, then filled our bottles and started our hike.
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Now Departing Bobtail Creek
The first few miles were glorious – easy to follow, pretty, flat. We did have two water crossings that necessitated taking off our shoes and socks, but nothing extreme.
Around 2.5 miles (4 km) in, we hit the Jeep road. From here, it was another 2.5 miles or so to the intersection with the CDT. We were psyched, knowing this difficult climb was on an actual road.
But then we ran into a man who had gotten stung by a bee, and whose tongue was 
swelling in his mouth. His friend wanted to know if we had Benadryl on us (no). I said they should call 911, as the guy was trying to talk to us and we could see how swollen his tongue was. But the friend said no, it was faster if he drove his friend down the mountain. Gosh, I hope they were OK. I would have called 911.
Climb Every Mountain
It took Ed and me about two hours to climb those few miles. We are guessing the grade varied between 12% and 20%. When we got to the top, we met a few people who said it was just about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the Berthaud Pass Trailhead, where we wanted to go. But our app said it was more like 12 miles (19 km). Who to believe? A local or the app?
We headed down the Jeep road, clicking off the miles pretty quickly. We finally had wifi, and it seemed like the app was right – it would be 12 miles or so to the trailhead. It would be a long day, but at least we were on the roads, where we could make good time. Hopefully there would be a place to camp near the trailhead.
Pivoting Once Again
Ed was starting to worry about our next leg, which climbed past 13,000 feet (3,962 m) in two or three places. He’d been having trouble with the altitude – headaches, trouble breathing, feeling nauseated. He decided we’d best pivot again, reconfiguring our plans in Fraser. So he booked a hotel room there, then hailed a man to drive us.
So now we’re in a motel in Fraser, trying to plan our next move. Hiking in this challenging terrain is so difficult to plan, because you never know how well the trails are maintained or marked, you have to worry about the weather and elevation, and so on.
Snowshoe
Today’s Miles: =9 (14.5 km)
CDT Miles to Date: 953.1 (1,511.9 km)
CDT Miles to Go: 2,146.9 (3,455.1 km)
My recommended lodging near Berthoud Pass: The Holiday Inn Express in Fraser. It’s clean and comfy, plus located across the street from a grocery/liquor store. You can also buy stove fuel at Murdoch’s, just across the street.
