Today was a pretty darn good day on the trail! Ed and I drove back to the spot where we ended yesterday. The official route took us a few miles down a gravel road, then segued onto trail through the desert.
But yesterday we saw we could shave a few miles by staying on the road, so that’s what we decided to do.
Heading Toward Hwy. 28
Unlike yesterday, today began cloudy and cool. YES! The first few hours passed quickly. The road walk had a lot of steep hills, but it was a road so it wasn’t too bad.
During the day we met a lot of Great Divide bikers, plus the beginning of the SOBO bubble of CDT thru-hikers we’d heard was coming. We stopped to chat with most of them. Everyone has a unique story! (It’s also clear that most hikers take the road here, not the official trail!)
It’s Still Tiring
Sometime in the afternoon it got hotter. Nothing like yesterday, thank goodness, but it was hot and sunny enough to wilt your spirits. Then there was the terrain. While we had a lot of gentle uphills that lasted for miles, the day ended with several very steep uphills.
On the positive side, there was a fun rest stop some people made for hikers. We also 
passed an old mine and some other interesting places.
We’re back in Lander in our motel now, so life is good!
I’m sad, though, because Ed leaves tomorrow morning. This last week of slackpacking has been awesome! And, of course, I’ll miss my hubby.
Snowshoe
Today’s Miles: 18 (33.3 km)
CDT Miles to Date: 1,293.5 (2,081.7 km)
CDT Miles to Go: 1,806.5 (2,907.3 km)
