A wonderful day. On the trail at 6 am under blue skies and cool temps. Hiking was easy thru forests with few deadfalls. Three elk ran off as I approached them. The trail ran mostly along the south-facing sides of ridges for 4 miles. The descent to and the climb from Bonito Pass ran thru forests with lots of deadfalls, such as the one in the photo. A climb brought me to Silver Peak with great views. To the west, I could see smoky haze from the fire north of Durango. For 5 miles the trail ran along the south-facing side of the Continental Divide on a ridge. As the ridge swung to the north, the breeze turned into a gale, almost knocking me over at times. Finally, the trail headed into the trees on the descent to Wolf Creek Pass and the wind abated. At the pass, I immediately got a ride to Pagosa Springs from two day hikers I passed on the descent. They dropped me off at the First Inn at the east end of town. The Inn was fully booked but the helpful desk clerk told me to call the Pinewood Inn a few blocks away where I got the last room. After a shower, clothes washing, and a walk to the grocery store, I felt revived. I ate dinner with Eric and Sprinkler at the Malt Shoppe. It’s great to be in town. 17.6 miles today.
647
