Miles Hiked 411.1
Elevation 9,311 feet
Miles Hiked Today 7.9
Last night, I decided to try to resolve a problem with my right foot. The toe next to my big toe was causing a lot of pain. This is the same foot where I had lost three nails already. So I took off my socks and sure enough, another nail on the way out. The squeamish can skip this next part. I had to do something about the nail, because the pain would continue until it broke loose completely. I broke out my pocket knife and dug into the cuticle and cut the nail free. That itself was not without pain, but it had to be done.
In the morning, it was relatively warm compared to other mornings at higher altitudes. I overslept a little after getting a really good night’s sleep, so I didn’t get off until 8 AM. The trail was flat with few rocks, and I was able to move fast. The toe that caused so much pain over the last several days was not felt at all. My surgery the night before was successful.
Of course, what’s a hike without a little drama. More avalanche debris fields. There were three more to add to yesterday’s one. The climb over the debris went well with one exception. I banged the same ankle as I banged yesterday on a downed tree. That’s sure to be a problem later.
Later in the morning the trail started going up. Eventually, there was 2,000 feet of elevation gain, most of which were on a seemingly endless series of switchbacks. Finally, I arrived at a trailhead around 2 PM. At the trailhead is the highway that leads to Silverton.
Reaching Silverton is problematic. My reservation at the Avon Hotel is for July 30 & 31. I am a day early. I caught a ride in the back of a pickup, and he dropped me at the edge of town. It was a short walk to the Avon. The bad news followed. They had no room for me tonight. Not only that, but every hotel in Silverton was full. I finally found a place one and one-half miles outside of town called the Columbine Roadhouse. The room was small but clean and I was glad to have it. Still, it was not worth $125, but then that’s supply and demand for you.
After settling in at the roadhouse, I hitched into town. There is this popular restaurant and brewery whose specialty is pizza. I consumed a whole 12″ pizza and it was great. On the way back to the roadhouse, I stopped in a store and bought a bag of potatoe chips for desert.
Tomorrow I move to the Avon. I have a lot to do in town, so I’ll be glad to get there.
