ANTELOPE ISLAND HIKE

Beautiful day, fun friends, great conversation

 WE TOUCHED OUR FIRST WILDERNESS OF 2023

Our Broadband theme for 2023 is Walking the Wilderness and our intent is to become better educated about the wilderness we are passionate about protecting. According to the USFS description, "the Mount Olympus Wilderness was established by Congress in 1984 with the passage of the Utah Wilderness Act. Located within the central Wasatch range, the Mount Olympus Wilderness consists of approximately 15,856 acres and is generally bounded on the north by Mill Creek Canyon, on the south by Big Cottonwood Canyon, on the west by the Salt Lake Valley, and on the east by Gobbler's Knob, Alexander Basin, and Dog Lake. The portion in Big Cottonwood Canyon falls under Salt Lake City watershed restrictions."

On February 15, seven Broads and Bros and one dog, wandered 4.25 miles up the Burch Creek trail and back around to Millcreek. On occasion the clouds parted and we were able to see a stunning view of the surrounding peaks. The day was crispy cool, but the company warm. We were honored to have the leader of the new Broadband in Flagstaff, Cuyler, and her husband Tom, along for the outing.  

 Best Laid Plans……

Three-hundred ninety miles and feeling great! Back issues resolved with Barnacle the tennis ball, heel blisters no longer a problem, strong mind, strong body and then the knee pain began. Mild at first, then searing. SAVED was midway through segment 23 from Carson Saddle to Stony Pass. She had done some big pushes the day before the pain started. A rest overnight was not helpful, and she awoke in the morning with big time swelling and stiffness.

The first few morning miles were painful. Her hiking mates took some of her weight. It was only getting worse. One of the hardest decisions a thru-hiker must make is when to stop. A quick look at the GPS showed a way off the trail at mile 10.6. It was a four-mile dirt road that joined the Alpine Loop about four miles from Silverton.

SAVED texted her resupply team. When we received the distress call, we were eating lunch at the top of Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs after breaking camp that morning near Creede. “I am having some major knee issues. I’m going to need to bailout on a dirt road coming up.” We were three hours away! Many thoughts raced through our hearts and minds, but we keep our cool, found her approximate location on the map and headed toward Silverton where we were scheduled to camp that evening.

She found the dirt road that was void of traffic and limped the four miles to the loop road. It was the slowest hiking she has ever done she reported later. At the loop, a couple with a dog offered her a ride apologizing for the dog who was now resting on her lap in the back seat. Little did they know how healing that was for her. Timing was perfect as we were checking in at the Silverton Lakes RV Park when she arrived.

Little was said that evening about the end of her journey. She showered, loved on Tallus and we had a nice meal in town. Ice and elevation helped and by next morning she saw some improvement but was still stiff and swollen. She plans to stick around and welcome her hiking buddies, Pages and Breaker, when they finish in Durango in a few days.

It appears her injury is due to overuse and will hopefully recover in time for her to return to where she ended her journey and finish the final five and a half segments this fall. If not, she will be back next year to complete her journey. Bravo for the nearly 400 miles hiked, the new friendships formed, and the incredible strength gained from this experience. We love you Colleen, Coco, Cocoleeno, SAVED. You certainly SAVED yourself!

TRAIL NOTES: The best laid plans, a proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the ability to fully, or even partially, execute them is uncertain, might best describe this situation.

 Rain, Rain Go Away!

Three-hundred fifty miles and counting as SAVED completed segments 18-21 on August 16 and was greeted by her dad at Spring Creek Pass, 17 miles from Lake City. After three hours of rain, and many miles across the sheep filled Snow Mesa she and her hiking companions Pages and Breaker were ready for warm, dry clothes, a hot shower, hearty food, and a soft bed. They booked a quiet hotel in Creede and Mike gave all three a ride down the mountain.

Creede is a historic mining town that now claims it’s riches from the many tourists who visit both summer and winter. Countless miles of 4-wheel drive roads radiate from the town center. The Rio Grande snakes its way through the lowlands and the scenic drive from Creede to Lake City (the Silver Thread) provides a sampling of Colorado’s best vistas and valleys.

Drying wet gear is one of the challenges for thru hikers. A little cooperation from Mother Nature helps, and she came through for them on Wednesday morning. Tents, sleeping pads, bags, and ground covers all got a good drying, the rest of the soaked clothing went to the laundromat across from the hotel. Good thing they started early as storm rolled back in during the afternoon.

Luck was with them as the sky cleared overnight and Thursday morning was dry and clear. The support truck picked them up at 9:00 a.m. and they departed from the trailhead about 9:30 a.m. on August 18. We will see them again in Silverton on August 21. The route ahead is filled with lots of up and down and is also some of the most spectacular they have seen so far.

TRAIL NOTES: Team Coco SAVED has been busy relaxing in between shuttle jobs. Our campground is 11 miles off the main road but it’s worth the extra drive. We have a river on one side and a stream on the other. The fishing isn’t great, but the hiking makes up for it. We saw a majestic 5-point buck one evening complete with velvet and an elegant buckskin coat. The next morning there was a doe in the same spot. Tallus has been entertaining himself with multiple squirrel and chipmunk encounters and they have both been getting lots of water time.

 

 Rocky Road and 300 Miles Down

 

SAVED finished segment 17 at 9:15 on Sunday, August 14 where her resupply team met her on Highway 114. She was at mile 302 and ready for some snacks. The team was ready with fresh fruit, cold water, pastries, and cookies. In fact, we brought enough for a few other hikers who were ready for a break. Segments 15-17 have limited water resources and lots of grazing activity so it’s tough to find good water. All together she hiked about 40 miles topping out at 12,515 feet and dropping to 9606 feet.

The trail is also multi-use and is shared with motorcycles creating some rather rocky conditions. In fact, we offered food and snacks to a thru biker who had a miserable experience on this section. He was from the UK and had to push his 95-pound bike up several steep hills and the rocky downhill sections were nearly impossible to ride. He started an hour behind SAVED at Monarch Pass and came out 30 minutes ahead of her. That indicates what a difficult time he had.

We learned much about his many travels and how he plans to finish in Durango and then ride several trails around Moab, Bryce, and Grand Staircase. He then heads south to bike the Arizona trail and when he’s finished with that on to San Diego and south to Baja. He has no car. This is all on his mountain bike! Doesn’t need to be back in the UK until March.

We also discovered the greatest gift you can give a thru hiker (other than a ride to the nearest resupply town) is to take their trash. We came across one such woman from Ashville, NC.,who had been praying for someone to come along and do just that, so we did.

And now our Coco is off to finish segments 18-21 and we will see her at Spring Creek Pass near Lake City. We leave Salida on August 15 for a campground near Creede and may not have Internet for five or six days so we will catch you up in a few days.

 Team Coco SAVED

The support team got a well-deserved three-day vacation from our duties after Coco SAVED left Twin Lakes. We moved camp from Buena Vista to a spot near Salida that sits on the Arkansas river. We can fish from our site although the water is swift, and you need to use a nymph. Mike caught a nice brown our first day in camp. It’s been fun watching all sorts of watercraft float by (quiet during the week but lots of activity on the weekends). We’ve seen fishing rafts, kayaks, river tubes, and paddleboards, some negotiating the current better than others.

Our favorite camp activity while enjoying a hot beverage in the morning or cocktails in the evening, is watching the geese fly up the river and then shortly thereafter float back down! There are usually six to eight every day. Of course, they are searching for food, but it’s fun to think they are having fun!

Here’s the support team:

Mike (also affectionately known as DAD) drives most of the time, especially pulling the POD. He has fantastic directional skills and grills an excellent steak.

Babs (MOM to Coco) is the organizer of the team, making sure supplies are stocked and coolers always have cocktail ice.

Nuke (his trail name is KIBBLE – what more do we need to say). He will never go hungry as he is always in search of a meal or napping.

Tallus (trail name Pronghorn after a chase last year on his way to the Wind Rivers – thought he was lost forever). He is Coco’s boy and our snuggle bunny. Every morning he hops on the bed and snuggles between us.

 

Halfway Done and Moving Along

The summit of Monarch Pass marked the halfway point on SAVED’s Colorado Trail expedition. She caught a ride with one of her hiking companions (Tiny) that she had met on the trail, and they joined Clouds, Pages and Breaker for pizza and cold beer in Silida. Finishing 260 miles is a big accomplishment! One most of us will never experience. She said it has been one of the hardest things she has ever done in life but also the most rewarding.

“Thru hikers you meet on the trail are amazing,” she said. “They are not judgmental and very interesting people, coming to the trail from countless directions.” Clouds is from Florida, living in Flagstaff and working on his master’s degree. Pages, and his 12-year son Breaker, are from Wisconsin; flew into Denver and started hiking that same day. Tiny recently moved to Gunnison, Colorado and was hiking the Collegiate Loop trail. They all meet along the trail, spend some time together hiking and camping in the same spot, and then go their separate ways. Then the process starts all over once again.

After a much-needed two-day break, she is off again, rejoining the main trail at segment 15. We will resupply her at the end of segment 17 that crosses Highway 114. Via her Garmin she has requested a travel size toothpaste and some boxed wine; one red, the other white. Hmmm….. wondering who she has met on the trail now. Can’t wait too hear. We are also taking a cooler of water, fresh fruit, and some sweet snacks to whomever may be crossing the trail. Apparently, the term for this service is Trail Angel.