Mile 460.8 - 483 Our last day felt a bit surreal, but so have all last days. We woke up early but took our time eating breakfast, enjoying the sunrise over the edges of the valley. We downed our last cups of strange watered down coffee, rolled up our mats for the last time. But … Continue reading Day 25. Durango

Mile 437.8 - 460.8 We're thankful to be at this point in our hike. With a trail that seems to want to twist an ankle or cause a fall, and the constant threat of wildfire, we're aware that completing a thru hike requires a lot - that is not in our control - to go … Continue reading Day 24. Grateful

Mile 414.4 - 437.8 We're beginning to work our way down to lower elevations overall and, with that, our focus is starting to shift to the end of our hike. It is coming too soon. The trail is becoming more crowded as we are passing more trailheads in this less remote region. We've also started … Continue reading Day 23. Changing Focus

Mile 391.8 - 414.4 We got a small taste of the "horrible weather" this morning, as we were awoken to steady, heavy rain. It was loud against the fabric of the tents, but there was almost no wind, so we just waited it out. The San Juans ended up having some of the nicest weather … Continue reading Day 22. Home Stretch

Mile 365.6 - 391.8 After a restful town stop in Lake City, we're turning our attention to a long stretch of trail without a lot of camping options. I think a lot of hikers break up this section into multiple days by going off trail to camp near lakes at lower elevations. We have that … Continue reading Day 21. A Marathon Day

Mile 356.2 - 365.6 There is a bit of lore, it seems, around the San Juan range. Maybe it comes from the CDT where it is common for hikers to encounter snow here earlier in the season. Or maybe because it contains the longest stretch of above treeline hiking on the CT. That, combined with … Continue reading Day 20. The San Juans

Mile 345.8 - 356.2 We spent the morning hiking along Snow Mesa. If not for the mountains visible behind us, it would almost seem like your average field at sea level. We were hiking in a small group of other people who were also meaning to go into town today. The shuttle arrived on time … Continue reading Day 19. Lake City

Mile 325.3 - 345.8 We've been in an extended area lately without many trees. The air is cool up here, but the sun is intense. While the weather has been good, we still try to find some shelter for camping each evening. There is still a lot of climbing, but we've been enjoying some unusual … Continue reading Day 18. Routine

Mile 304.5 - 325.3 On the Appalachian trail, we managed to eat the same two or three dinners for almost six months. Ramen, pasta sides, and sometimes Mac and cheese.We've been trying to get more creative lately. We discovered freeze dried beans on the Arizona trail and now sometimes make tacos, and we found that … Continue reading Day 17. Thinking about food

Mile 283.4 - 304.5 Something we've noticed in the past is that when crossing between land management boundaries, the trail can get a bit incoherent. This seemed to happen today as we were leaving one national forest and entering another. We spent all day on forest service roads, highways, and crossing random fields. One highlight … Continue reading Day 16. Just Connecting