Off to the South San Juans. I ate still another breakfast of a large sausage burrito smothered in red chili for breakfast. Roommate and hiker Eric organized his gear to leave with trail angel Ralph and other hikers at 8 am for Cumbres Pass. I packed my gear and visited with White Mexican whose wife was due to arrive shortly. I bought still another quart of chocolate milk and waited for my long-time friend Bruce. Bruce’s friend Bob in Durango shuttled Bruce’s truck to Wolf Creek Pass then drove Bruce to Chama. They arrived at noon. Bob drove us to the pass. We thanked him for his shuttle services then headed uphill. The trail ran initially thrust forest without too many blowdowns then along a ridge. We enjoyed views of the mountains to the north (see photo). Bruce experienced the first day ‘slows’ due to his heavy pack and his lack of time spent lately at high elevation. Our plan was to camp by a lake at 9.8 miles on the day. We found a wonderful camp site south of the lake at the edge of a dry meadow. We feasted on dinner then set up camp. A hermit thrush serenaded us. A fine day with plenty of water and great scenery.
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