Continental Divide Trail – Day 116

September 16, 2023
Miles Today/ Total: 28.7 / 2139.5

I was up and on the trail just as it was light enough to see. The trail started climbing right from the start. It was a gradual climb up to Rock Island Lake then got steeper as it started its way over the pass. By the time I reached the pass I had climbed 1,700’ in 4 miles.

Once over the pass the trail dropped quickly toward Little Lake. But as soon as it reached the bottom it began climbing up the other side. This continued on for most of the day. I would cross a mountain pass descend into the valley and climb back up the other side.

Toward late afternoon I reached one valley where the trail climbed up the side hill on a narrow ledge. The climb was over a mile long and the views from the ledge were amazing.

There were several creeks and streams to cross and most had rocks or logs to cross on without getting wet. Near the end of the day I was crossing one of these on rocks and my foot slid off the slippery rock into the creek. I lost my balance and ended up sitting down in the creek among the slippery stones. I worked my way back up but my shoes, shorts and lower shirt were now soaked. And it was just cooling off as the sun dipped behind the mountain.

There were lots of steep hills and rocks today and this created a problem for me as I tried to find a campsite. I ended up walking about 2 extra miles and walking in the dark to reach a flat area to set up my tent. It was near an old cabin and I found a small flat spot near the stacked firewood.

I set up camp in the dark and crawled in my tent to get some rest for the night.