In the middle of the night 3 drops fell on my face and I woke up. I looked at the sky, expecting clouds, but all was clear so I continued cowboy camping. I didn’t sleep well the rest of the night and I woke up groggy. One more full day and I get to have half a day of rest in Steamboat Springs. The beginning of the day was easy, dropping consistently by hunters and crossing the forks of the Elk River. I even saw a moose as well as countless deer. Then the going got tougher. The sky opened up, hail the size of golf balls fell and my optimism disappeared. I climbed thousands of feet to the exposed Lost Ranger peak and got the full Colorado experience. Thunder clashed and I ran down the other side but then the sky cleared and Sun shone. This pattern continued as I bounced between 10k’ and 12k’ the rest of the day. Sun, Rain, hail, thunder, all the makings of a good day. Just a few more miles tomorrow morning and I get half a day off, something I am definitely looking forward to.
Miles 39
Total miles 4698
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