Day 8 on the trail

The trail has been quite an experience. There are times each day where I am elated and times when I wonder why I signed up for this thing. Mostly I come back to how wonderful of an experience this is and how lucky I am to be hiking day in and day out. I like the simplicity of living out of my backpack, doing the basics to keep moving forward and taking in the amazing views that we come upon while covering the miles (average 31 per day). Andy and I are getting along great, having a lot of fun getting to know one another but also spending time hiking alone. We seem to have found a good system for keeping together but having solitude at times and company at others. His system for going light definitely makes the hike more enjoyable. It is amazing really how little we need. Not having done anything like this before I really don't know any better, but seeing the other "traditional" hikers on the trail I am quickly learning that what Andy does is new to the scene. People ask all kinds of questions once they realize that we are thru-hiking as opposed to just day hiking, and he loves giving his lightweight clinics.
Some highlights from the last couple of days include all of Day 4 from Breckenridge to Camp Hale... we climbed over the Ten Mile range down into Copper and then back up above treeline for the remainder of the day. I couldn't help but thinking "I wish I could plug people into my brain to be able to see the beauty that I am seeing and feel how I feel when I see it." Just spectacular. Day 5 was a rough one, the terrain was so-so compared to the day before, my feet hurt and my energies were very low; I was disappointed that my body wasn't moving how I thought it should. It was also difficult accepting that 12 miles takes 4 hours instead of 2 (like I am used to with running). Now on day 8 I think this was all part of getting into shape and the routine of hiking 12 hours a day. The last 3 days have been much better, I'm understanding what it is to be out there covering the miles, dealing with the increased appetite and really getting into the amazing views and places that we are experiencing. On day 6 (Sunday) we made a stop in Twin Lakes for a hearty brunch followed by 2 desserts, I got to talk to Matt and I knew this section of trail from running the Leadville 100 last year. After town we stopped for a swim in the Twin Lakes Resevoir, then climbed out of town and slept high. Yesterday we started the day with a 2500 ft climb to the ridge of Mt Yale, a beautiful peak in the Collegiate Peaks range... a bunch of massive 14'ers that continue to impress. Then down into Princeton with a stop at the Country Store near the hot springs. The two of us raided the store and consumed calories that amazed me. (me = 2 yogurts and a bag of trail mix-over 1000 calories just in the trail mix- and a candy bar, Andy = two burritos, twinkies, cookies, trail mix, chocolate milk, candy bar). This morning we covered 14 easy miles (saw wild turkeys along the way and learned about the right kind of mushrooms from a man out hunting) into Salida where we were met by John MacManus about a mile from the highway crossing. We hiked down and arrived in Salida to a furnished apartment two doors down from where they are living while they build a new home just outside of town. After our nights in the shelter on dirt and sleeping pads this is quite a treat. We are on our way to dinner now at the local brewery. From the hills to the Trail Angels all of our experiences have been unique and special.
end note: We plan to stop through Silverton on Sunday and finish the trail on Tuesday.