We enjoyed a great night at the Comfort Inn in Rawlins (there’s nothing like sleeping in a bed!), then headed out to the trail in the morning.
First up were the last few miles of the infamous Rawlins road walk. Then I wound through the town of Rawlins. There were some cute, artsy spots in the downtown and some cool, old buildings.
After a short trek along Hwy. 287 leading out of town, I was back on the trail.
Starting the Great Divide Basin
The Great Divide Basin is a divot in the land where the rain and snow that fall are trapped. The precipitation doesn’t flow directly or indirectly to either the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. It’s flat desert terrain, filled with rattlesnakes and other wildlife, and is generally hot and dry with little water.
My hack to easily traversing the basin was to have my hubby with me, in a car filled with water. Ed once again drove ahead a few miles, then hiked in to meet me.
The first few miles were so easy. The route was flat and mostly Jeep tracks. But near the end of the day, we had a snafu. Of course!
It’s Never Easy
I won’t get into too much detail here, but Ed took the wrong road when hiking in to meet me. I had no idea what had happened, as there’s no cell service out here. I just ended my stretch of trail at the Jeep, with Ed was nowhere in sight. I yelled for him forever. Couldn’t find footsteps to follow. Wondered if he was injured or abducted, and if I should call 911.
Eventually, I saw Ed hiking toward me down a different Jeep road. When he reached me, he explained his error. Whew! He was safe. All I had left were a few more miles.
I took off, assuming I’d continue to enjoy a flat path and swift pace. Wrong. The trail lead up several very rocky hills. I dropped my water bottle somewhere and began to get very parched.
But in the end I finished the day, found Ed and drank LOTS of water.
Snowshoe
Today’s Miles: 20 (32.2 km)
CDT Miles to Date: 1,196.5 (1,925.6 km)
CDT Miles to Go: 1,903.5 (3,063.4 km)
