Once more I rode Takoda again, and with 33 miles ahead of us, I wanted to get an early start. Almost all of the trail was not horse friendly, consisting of a very narrow pathway made of shale.

After 10 miles the shale ended and we had a steep climb to Jack’s Peak, then a steep descent as we followed a trail with a sharp drop-off along one side. That became a ridgeline with no clear trail, just rock cairns to navigate between.

Right before trail reappeared I ran into hiker I had first met in NM, Aaron, and he and I walked for a while. Then we climbed again before coming to a long, 7-mile descent.

Finally trail had dirt and trees and just as it was getting dark, about 2-3 miles from camp, we saw 3 moose, which was a great treat, given what a long day it was.

By time we got to camp (Meadow Creek reservoir), it was after dark, a long slow day, but we got there. We only have one more day ahead before a scheduled rest day outside Grand Lake.

#2018CDT