Day 85 (July 19, 2021)

7.2 miles (even though we stayed in Grand Lake) (1341.9 to RMNP shortcut to Livery Trail to Hwy 34 to Onahu Trailhead to 1367.2)

OK, this is potentially confusing, so try to stay with me. The bottom line is that we hiked today and hitched back to town for another night in the hostel.

We met Feral for breakfast (he had camped about four miles out) and proceeded with town chores. As we did, we came up with a plan to hike today. The next segment has some limitations. Due to a severe fire last fall, the CDT is closed through Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). (Side note: this fire had burned right up to the edge of Grand Lake and had been stopped literally at the edge of town.) There is a shortcut trail through the western side of the park but about 2/3 of that is closed as well. This forces a short trail over to a paved road that leads into the park, then following the road until it intercepts the open section of the CDT. We decided to hike this section, hitchhike back to town, then hitch back out to continue tomorrow. Since Feral had just got to town, he elected not to do it with us.

Even the short open section of ‘shortcut’ trail was largely in the burned area. It was amazing how close the fire got to town; there were scorched trees within a hundred feet of the hostel.

We quickly saw a moose and her calf in new vegetation near a stream in the burned area, but otherwise it was pretty barren. The remainder of the hike was unremarkable. We were waved through the RMNP gate as CDT hikers. The last two miles we were able to hike actual trail in unburned forest before it intercepted the paved road again. There we got a quick hitch from a young couple traveling from the east coast looking for a potential place to move to. Pretty neat.

Oh, I ate as much as I could today as well, and have tomorrow morning to eat as well. Hiker hunger is fun when in town.