Wow what a day! We climbed 5200 feet today, and finally got to walk on the divide itself for miles. Up til now we had only crossed it at passes. It was quite a rollercoaster, but the views were so rewarding! We could see out through the mountains to the plains. Looking south, a lot more mountains, but looking a bit more rolling.
We also met Jim(?) a 71 year old wrangler for a CDT Alliance trail crew that was working nearby. He told us lots of stuff, including that a horsemen can usually make 20 miles a day indefinitely, but 30 would require a rest day afterwards. I thought it was neat that a good hiker could outdistance a horse.
Chance and I also came up with our #1 quality for a thruhiker. His was stubbornness and mine was optimism.
Town tomorrow, quite excited for a shower and laundry.
Daily Summary
Date: July 11, 2011
Day 17
Daily Distance: 20 miles
Trip Distance: 275.1 miles
Way to go Ryley. This is an awesome trail journal. I look forward to the next installment. Thanks Hailey for keeping it all up.