GLORIOUS ZERO DAYS

Wednesday, July 25

Today is my three month anniversary on the CDT; I started hiking on April 25th! Which reminds me...I've been thinking about a triple crown long distance hiker named Shroomer. I met him after hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014, on a group hike in Mt. Diablo State Park and knew immediately that I had "found my tribe." It was Shroomer's excitement and amazing stories that convinced me to hike the Continental Divide Trail...with my wife's permission of course. Thanks Shroomer for your encouragement! Readers can find his hiking blog here: https://shroomerhikes.wordpress.com/

I'm staying at the Econo Lodge in Rawlins, and I was too cheep and lazy to walk any farther than the dining area for the motel continental breakfast. I can report it was hearty enough to tide me over until lunch when I joined my hiking partners at the All You Can Eat Thai Food Buffet in town. I mentioned our lunch plans to Eva the night before and she was confused because I'm not a fan of Thai food. I guess the words "all you can eat" makes almost anything sound appealing to a hungry hiker!

I planned to stay at a different motel and to avoid the hassle of picking up my resupply box at the post office, I asked Eva to mail the box directly to that motel (with their approval of course). I called them on the road walk into town yesterday to book a room but there was nothing available. I tried to confirm they had my box, but they were "too busy" to look...not a good sign. Before going to lunch today, I walked to the other motel to pick up my resupply box. The manager wasn't on site and the desk clerk said they were returning boxes to the post office rather than storing them on site...I'm beginning to panic.

I stepped outside to call the post office and talked with the post master himself...I'm that important! He confirmed via my tracking number that the box was delivered last Thursday to the motel and after checking his general delivery boxes and calling the delivery person for that motel he was sure my box had NOT been returned to the post office. I went back into the motel to plead with them to look for my box, but they had no idea where it would be...since "all boxes are being returned to the post office." They gave me the name of the manager and assured me she would be on site at 2:00 PM.

I decided it wasn't time to go "postal" just yet, so I returned to my motel and sweet talked a maintenance person into letting me use his tools to fix my trekking poles and straighten a bent tent stake. I also patched a water bladder and I calmed down enough to go to lunch at the Thai food restaurant, which it turns out is one block from the post office. I stopped by the post office after lunch just to confirm in person my box wasn't there. They said they have heard this same story from other hikers who have shipped their box to this particular motel. I'm beginning to panic again...

I returned to the motel at 2:15 PM and guess what...the manager still isn't on-site. There is someone new at the registration desk with a really big dog sitting attentively at her feet so I calmly introduce myself and explain my situation. She is interested enough in helping me to call the manager and ask her about my box. After discussing EVERYTHING except my box, she finally asks the manager about it. The manager suggested looking in an unlocked utility closet not thirty feet from where I am standing and you'll never guess what we found inside...

Live Long and Resupply...

I'm not sure why the box has so many individual stamps, but I'm not complaining...it's the most beautiful resupply box ever!

Thursday, July 26

Another zero. I could get used to a bed and running water... While in Rawlins, I cleaned and washed everything I own including my tent and backpack. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being "so that's what a dead decaying moose smells like" I think my overall hiker trash smell is now around a 3. I'm feeling pretty good about that, although I am now worried that I am too clean and might be mistaken for a section hiker rather than the bad-ass thru hiker that I am. :)

    My New Best Friend

Fat Albert arrived today and we are all hiking out of Rawlins on Friday morning and hope to make it to our next resupply in 5 days (120 miles). I'm excited to have a group to hike with as we enter Grizzly country. Eva is mailing me Pepper Spray that I will carry from my next resupply in South Pass City to Canada. Counter Assault Bear Deterrent - Spray distance: 32 feet. Spray duration: 9.2 seconds. Weight: 10.2 ounces. Cost: Priceless!

From Rawlins to Canada, my itinerary requires 24 miles a day with only 2 zeros. If I want more time off trail, then I've got to hike even bigger miles. My approximate completion date is Monday, September 24. I'm hoping that is early enough to avoid serious snow in Montana. I've been telling people that after completing Colorado, it becomes a race to Canada and my competition is winter... All that to say this: pray for good health, strong legs, and good weather for the next two months. The extra daily mileage and shorter resupply stops also means there might be fewer and/or shorter blog posts for Wyoming and Montana. I promise to do my best to keep you posted on my progress!

For additional content, check out Flickr for images, YouTube for video, SoundCloud for audio, and the Postholer Map with my most recent location.

Thanks for following along!