CiscoCombs - Continental Divide Trail Journal - 2015

Wolf Creek Pass. Finis

They're alive! They're alive! Just wet and cold.
Having decided to finish this year's hike at Wolf Creek Pass brought some bittersweet relief. No more dodging lightning bolts, hiking in the cold, and wet clothes. Yet the scenery, loads of flowers resulting from the wet weather, and taking part in a challenging but rewarding adventure, would all be left behind.
It had actually been a superior night, no rain, and though it was cold, clothes set out to dry actually dried! Packs on our backs we headed for Wolf Creek Pass, 18 miles away. There were two climbs ahead, one midway, the other just before the pass. The weather was cloudy/sunny as it wished, and we were enjoying the scenery and hiking on good trail. As the day wore on though it signaled that it would kick us out with a bang.
The last climb was over 12,000 feet, and we had no desire to tempt fate once more. We scoured our maps for an alternate, and after a discussion with a mountain biker we met, opted for a much lower forest trail/road that took us to the ski area just below the pass. A mile from the main road as we passed under ski lifts it started to rain. By the time we passed the deserted ski facilities and reached the main highway to South Fork, 17 miles away, it was pouring. We spent about half an hour in the heavy rain as all the shiney cars passed us by, looking out their windows as if saying, "Oh look George, those poor people! We had about given up hope when a beat up pickup truck appeared from the ski area, or it might have dropped down from heaven. A grizzled worker from the ski area pointed down the hill, we nodded YES!, and he waved us over. Never caught his name but we talked and joked as we headed down the hill, he wiping the inside of the window, as the defroster barely worked. Got to say, the beautiful people didn't look so beautiful today. I said "Your angel wings are looking pretty big today." He replied that he didn't believe in that stuff, then shook our hands warmly and wished us a safe journey. Sometimes people are just good. Where DID he appear from?
Snug and warm in the Rainbow motel, we began to consider life back in the unreal world. I'll write at least one more post on our final plan to get back home, and how the adventure continues. ...C&RR

Entry 55 of 56
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