When I left the motel at 6:15, the highway was quiet. I bought a quart of chocolate milk at a convenience store to supplement my breakfast of 2 small tortillas, cream cheese, and Colby cheese. I walked a mile along US Hwy 550 then turned right on Los Pinos County Road. Four miles later, I reached the CDT trailhead. Only one car and a US Forest Service truck passed me. I thought that Memorial Day weekend would have more traffic. I started gaining elevation from 8,200 ft to 10,600 over 8 miles. The trail was good with plenty of water in small streams. This was the first on-trail flowing water since the Gila River. I walked along moist meadows that looked like prime elk habitat. I ate lunch overlooking one such meadow (see photo). After lunch I met two section hikers and a threesome out for the weekend. The trail topped out at nondescript San Pedro Peaks, the high point in the San Pedro Wilderness. The trail descended often through sick-looking forest with lots of blowdowns. I hopped over many deadfalls on the trail. At length, I reached a trailhead, my destination for the day. After cooking dinner, I set up camp then rinsed off in the creek 200 ft away. Interestingly, I didn’t see the sun all day. Plus in the afternoon when I had a view, the sky was murky. Was this smoke from the fire north of here in the San Juan’s? I didn’t smell smoke. 23.9 miles today.
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