Spring was on full display last week on The Foothills Trail. Spanning 76.2 miles, the path offered up its splendid beauty in the form of butterflies, bountiful water, foraging, and wildflowers. Harder than I expected, it also offered up lots of blisters and stairs. Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Nothing but smiles and miles here! Nature gave back exactly what it took. In love with the reciprocity I felt on this trail, it’s got me excited for the seasons of growing ahead. Thanks @dj_nuckolls for the push and guidance on this one. The trail provides! #chompians
2,192 Miles. 166 Days. March 18th to August 31st. I WALKED HERE. It’s hard to believe this thru-hike is over, but I know it’s just the beginning of something bigger. I couldn’t have asked for a more epic ending as Plug, Spoons, Little Bear and I sped through the 100 Mile Wilderness in 4 days. It was tough leaving some good friends behind in Monson, some of which I have hiked with since Virginia, others from New York. The last few days was all about testing my grit though, and I stood up to the challenge. I finished my first 30 mile day at Abol Pines and my first 10 by 10 to get a spot at The Birches. Plug, Little Bear, and I decided to make the final push up Katahdin at 3:30 in the morning this Saturday, hoping to make the sunrise. It clouded up as we reached the summit at 6:05 but it was worth it nonetheless. We braved the cold and had the mountain to ourselves for most of the morning. The fog lifted multiple times giving us the glorious views we were hoping for. It was an emotional experience for all of us. I still don’t know exactly what I’m feeling right now but I know with time I’ll be able to digest more what this all meant to me. I know I will miss all the friends I’ve made and people I’ve met dearly. You guys made this journey for me. The bonds we share now are thicker than the miles we are apart. Thank you for everything. Until next time!
31 Days, 489.1 miles, 3 Zeros, 8 cities, 8 mountain ranges, 6 national forests, 6 wilderness areas, 2 bonus 14ers. The Colorado Trail is complete! Had a lot of smiles and miles on this trip and I’m never ready for it to end, but all good things must. The last section was magic (literally we got trail magic). Got an alpine swim in at Taylor Lake the last full day on trail, just as the sun decided to hide behind clouds. It rained most of the day into town but I was elated anyways. We had dream weather most of the trip, and it was like the trail was saying, “I could make life miserable if I wanted to.” Alas it didn’t. The trail treated us well and gave us a month of adventures, friends, and memories to last a lifetime. Colorado has a special place in my heart now, and I know more long trails await. Until then, my heart is full!
Happy Birthday Dad, you would have been 68 today. Not that you ever would’ve wanted to be that old! You were always 18 until you looked in the mirror. You certainly exited on your own terms.
There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of you, and the wisdom you shared in your lifetime. It’s been nearly 3 years since I’ve been able to give you a hug or hear your laugh in person, and that still hurts a lot. Most days I still want to share all the beauty I get to experience with you.
I’m grateful we said I love you and got to spend time together on your last day on earth. Three words that often went unsaid because we knew we felt it anyways.
Grief is a strange thing. I see you in the clouds, and you often visit in my dreams. I feel you when a butterfly passes my way and when the wind blows softly through the trees and across the meadows. I hear you, when the thunder cracks and lightning races across the sky, when the wind chimes play their tangled melodies. It’s comforting to feel you nearby.
You lost your Dad when you were just a boy, and I often feel I understand you better now, having experienced this great loss myself. In this loss, I have finally become a man, and I hope I’m making you proud every day. Thank you for instilling a deep love and connection to nature, something that will always keep us close. Thank you for always holding me to standard and building me into a great leader.
Time has passed and I’m processing it better these days. I’ll always keep you in my heart, and live a life worth honoring you. I have three words in my head, and then four more I never got around to. I miss you, you were my hero. Keep resting easy Pops, wherever you are out there.
Week 3 in Costa Rica is in the books! We spent the rest of the week with Casey’s family in Parrita before heading back to our casa in Playa Hermosa. In Parrita we got to go on a dusty ATV adventure through the palm fields and mountains that treated us to some waterfalls and an amazing view at sunset out to the coast. We went in to Jaco for the family’s last weekend in town and danced the night away at a discoteca 🕺So happy to have family here to get to experience the magic with ✨
One week already in Costa Rica! Pura Vida is more than just a saying down here, it’s a way of life. Things move at an island pace and Casey and I are 👌🏼 with that. We’ve spent our time well petting all the local dogs, learning to surf, and getting lots of good eats. Hard to imagine this is just beginning of our adventure!
Days 24-26 - Lake City to Silverton, CO - Despite the threat of storms, these we some of my favorite days of hiking yet. Bad weather always brings out some of the most beautiful colors, sights, and smells.. After Stony Pass Road we awoke to sheets of ice on our tents and took our time thawing out for the morning before finishing the 20 miles to Silverton. We passed over some more rolling climbs before dropping down into the Elk Creek Basin with 5,000 feet of descent. The downhill was challenging but awarded us with grand views of The Grenadiers, some of the most rugged and technical mountains in the state. We passed 400 miles before finishing a climb up to Molas Pass to hitch into Silverton. After a zero day exploring the town, we’re ready to get back out and finish this thing strong. On to Durango!
Days 24-26 - 54.3 miles - Lake City to Silverton, CO - We shuttled out of town midday to get back on trail and got a decent 10 miles in. The shuttle was in the back of a pickup truck (the best) and we packed out sandwiches to the trailhead for a quick lunch. Other hikers looking on were jealous. Set up camp at treeline for the night and got up extra early the next morning to beat the threat of thunderstorms for the day. We got in 10 miles by 10 am and got to enjoy the magic of the golden hour for once while hiking. We’re terrible about getting up early in the cold. The terrain was some of the most beautiful we’ve seen yet, and we hiked fast through the day, always just ahead of the storms it seemed. We finally got caught in some hail and strong wind over on a climb but it passed over quickly. The rest of the day was spent watching the clouds swirl and twist around us, never knowing if the bottom would fall out or not. We got to camp the second night at Stony Pass Road and set up at 12,500 feet in some big clumpy snow that soon passed and gave way to a rainbow. All night we watched as distant lightning passed through the valley, sparing us and letting us sleep in peace.
Day 22 - Second 14er in the books! San Luis Peak, 14,014 feet. Weather was perfect midday when I got to the saddle so I decided to knock it out. 2.5 mile round trip side quest was well worth it for the sneak peak views of the San Juans in all their glory.
Days 19-23 - 101 miles - Salida to Lake City, CO
Spent the last few days putting big miles in over relatively flat cow country and pasture land. We did two marathons back to back to get over the easy stuff and back to the big boys in the San Juans. Weather has been on our side for the most part. We literally had one rain cloud right over us one day, but it gave us a rainbow too. Pasture land was lacking in water and what we did have was questionable with the patties, but we got some great trail magic through this section to quench our thirst. Around Âľ finished now, on to Silverton!
Days 13-18 - 74.3 miles. More from Collegiate West! This section was the most exposed yet on trail. With over 20 miles above treeline, we had to trust our gut and race thunderstorms all day. Spent a few nights cooking under the vestibule because of the afternoon showers. Really proud of how we handled the adversity through here. We trusted our gut and we were blessed with good experiences the whole way through. We slept at 12,000 feet one night to wait out thunderstorms and the next day we did our first 25 mile day. That day ended with our first moose sighting. Like I said, every day gets better out here. On to Lake City!
