8-15-06
Start: Loma, CO
Destination: Rabbit Valley, CO
Elevation: 4,635 ft.
Miles: 20.1
Weather: Hot a.m., storms and rain p.m. - and currently POURING rain!
Okay, so the good news is we didn't have to deal with any cows. But our first day on the Kokopelli Trail was a killer. It honestly really wasn't a very good day today.
We started our day with WAY to heavy backpacks. I think we well over-estimated how much food and supplies we need for this stretch, and instead of throwing anything away, we're carrying it. I just can't throw away perfectly good food. So our packs are pushing 45 pounds. We've carried that before, so that's not the worst thing.
Our trail is in the desert, now, so our expectations were dry and hot. Well, for the first part of the day, we were right on. It got so hot, that we were sweating faster than we could drink. We were actually getting a little faint and our legs were getting wobbly, so we found a huge sandstone rock and crawled under a slight overhang where there was shade. We stayed there for about 3 hours, re-hydrated, and took a nap. I woke up in the middle of my nap because a bug crawled into my ear! I couldn't get it out, so I layed back down hoping he'd just crawl out. It was one of the most disgusting things that has ever happened to me. I could feel his little legs moving around, and I was just so grossed out! While I laid there trying to rest, I think it must've finally crawled out, because I don't feel him in there, now. I sure hope it's out!
After our rest, we moved on and told each other, "at least we'll have dry nights." WRONG! We started walking, and storm clouds rolled in. It rained really hard, and then lightning started to hit really close. We again took shelter under a huge sandstone overhang for about a half hour. We sat and watched the "light show" of lightning bolts - complete with surround sound, while eating Doritos and gumdrops. Then we trucked on, in the desert, in pouring rain.
We got to our water jugs, which were still there and unharmed. Yay! I really like finding something good about a bad day... We set up our tent in the dark, in the mud, and in the rain. So we are wet, muddy, and grumpy, but glad to be camped. We couldn't get the stakes in the ground, and the wind is practically picking us up off the ground.
So thank you all for listening to me complain about our day. The good part about a bad day like this, is that tomorrow can only be better!
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