Mile 813.0
Elevation 3,497
Miles hiked 8.1
The sky was overcast when I woke up this morning. Another hiker, Drifter, was heading into town but I intended to go on to another shelter. As I hiked two miles to route 60 where Drifter was going to be picked up by a shuttle, I started to think about going into town, too. The overcast sky was now fog, and the weather was uncertain.
I stopped at route 60, discussed it with Drifter and decided to make a room reservation. However, there was a 2,400 foot climb just after route 60 and I wanted to tackle that today, so I didn’t take a ride into town with Drifter.
As I climbed the mountain it began to rain. Great, now I was cold and wet in hiking shorts and a tee shirt. I put on my rain jacket and continued on.
I still had a problem getting to the motel. A provision package was going to be brought to me at a gap, so I called the woman while hiking and asked if she would take me in to Buena Vista. She said yes for $17. It seemed like a deal – especially with the rain pouring down.
I reached Hog Camp Gap at 12:30 PM and the driver picked me up shortly thereafter. When I arrived at the motel, Drifter was there and so was the woman hiker who followed me in to a shelter the previous day. I got settled in my room, did some shopping, and then laundry. Later, the three of us, Drifter, me and the woman hiker, called for some delivery Italian food and enjoyed a great meal to end the day.
