13 miles to North of Cottonwood Pass elevation 11,727’
Morning was cold above 12,000 feet but the sun’s warmth penetrated quickly as it rose higher in the sky. There is little shade up here apart from your own shadows. We had four significant climbs today and all above tree line. The last precious water source before a dry stretch of almost 8 miles turned out to be a mere trickle from the base of a rock wall. We almost missed it!
This was a strenuous day on trail but arguably one of the best parts of the Collegiate Loop. The trail association had recently rerouted the trail to the higher altitude ridges to keep it closer to the actual continental divide and also away from Jeep trails and other hints of civilization. This felt remote! These newer trails felt very narrow, especially as the mountainside sloped off steeply to one side.
Near the end of the day we descended to Cottonwood Pass and crossed the paved highway. It was so strange to see cars and the people stopping at the viewpoint. The trail crossed the road and quickly out of sight. Looking down into the next basin we were tired and once again searching for the bare minimum camp, a flat spot and a source of water … 1.5 miles later we found some bare ground under a group of pines near a small creek. This would have to suffice.
Journeys with Jeff and Ellen 