Darrell on the CDT

JUNE 21 to JULY 16

Chama NM to Twin Lakes CO

New miles 304.....total miles now 1538

Goodbye to New Mexico and Hello Colorado!

High alpine meadows .....pleasant hiking

Mountains are getting serious

Beetle killed pine.......a powder keg.......just waiting for some lightning...scary thought!

Darrell and Steve's tents

Still some snow around

never get tired of a nice sunset

Crappy weather coming in again

Steve crossing a snow finger......not a good place to slip!

On the verge of Hypothermia and lost.....
Saved by this fellow....Lowell Baker......
A ride to his cabin and an overnight stay
Very grateful!

On the way down to 'Wolf Creek' pass......
soaking wet upon arrival!

A mandatory dry-off and clothing change prior to a trip to town (Pagosa Springs)

Sending home excess equipment....
"'Drop-off' and 'Pick-up' wouldn't let me keep it!!"

On the trail again to Creed.......awesome hiking terrain....

Coming into town
....not sure what the 17 sore heads did!

Leaving the quaint town of Creed
...heading north up the canyon beyond

A defunct mine above town

Off the 'Creed bypass' and onto the CDT again

A homestead along the trail?

Another sunset?

Mountain biking the CT trail....
All 465 miles of it.
These guys love it!

" No Darrell......we're going that way!"

Steve's treat....a souvenir shop selling 'gummy bears' treats

Continuing north

A forest fire east of Salida

Lots of CT hikers (Colorado trail) but not too many CDT hikers
This trail is popular with women.....many hiking alone?

Proof that they made it to 12'000!

Steve coming down a 'dodgy' bit

Unfortunately a bit too 'Dodgy'

Thankfully no broken bones... just hurt pride!

A beautiful, balmy night.....why can't they all be like this?

Final decent to Twin Lakes.......and a ' Nero' break

Steve resorting to liquid 'pain killers' ......
........one knee gave out coming down to the lakes!

Darrell asking the sheriff for an escort to the nearest medic.
.....didn't work!

Unfortunately Steve's injured knee was not minor and will

require several weeks to heal.

(....we're hoping he'll be OK & come back for the Wind River Range?)

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COACHES CORNER

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Some times bad things do happen!!

May, 2016

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This poster was posted at trail heads (and elsewhere) asking if anyone had seen him. He went

missing sometime in November, 2015 and his family has been looking for him since.

His body was found approximately May 15th by CDT hikers, 'Maverick' and 'Lodgepole'.

We knew both of them well and had interacted with them quite a bit in the weeks prior.

His body was found in a backcountry campground outhouse.

He knew he was not going to make it and had locked himself

in the outhouse with the following note pinned to the door:

" Dead hiker inside,

Notify authorities,

This is no joke "

Otter was a experienced hiker and had completed all three of the

'triple crown' long distance hikes......PCT, AT, and the CDT

His passing raises more questions than answers!

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Chama, New Mexico

The 'Cumbres and Toltec' narrow gauge railway. Completely original and authentic and set up for the tourist trade.
We were treated to a rare experience, for publicity reasons this run was a 'Double Header' i.e. two steam locomotives!

connecting the two locomotives

Heading out!

This run up to Cumbres pass is about as good as it gets, the whole run is at a 4% grade (very steep by any locomotive standard ) and the locomotives have to work hard. If you thought all the smoke and steam in old train movies was for
show you would be wrong! These puppies were huffing and puffing and belching smoke and steam a hundred feet into
the air!.........It was cool and worth experiencing!