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Adventures of the Spirit Eagle - Colorado

by Jim & Ginny Owen

Journals -

July 30 - travel - Washington, D.C. to Durango, CO.

Jim: Yesterday was a rotten, no-good, very bad day - I got a dose of 24-hour stomach virus and we weren’t sure I’d make the plane this morning - but I did. It was a long flight to Albuquerque, then a 2-hour layover and a puddlejumper into Durango. Rented a car, dinner in town at the Old Tymers Cafe, a visit to the outfitter, then out to Hermosa Court where we crashed. Not much sleep - I had a little trouble adjusting to the altitude - heart palpitations, Cheyne-Stokes breathing, etc.

July 31 - Mesa Verde

Jim: A much better day - in spite of being locked out of the room first thing in the morning by a malfunctioning door lock. After breakfast and fuel stops we went to Mesa Verde and wandered through the Anasazi ruins. Lots of questions, not a lot of answers, a very precarious lifestyle - I’m very glad I didn’t live there ----- or did I? Back to Durango for dinner, a visit to the bookstore and a short wander through town before going back to the motel to pack the packs - they’re heavier than I care to think about. Then back to the airport to pick up Debra at 1045 - a LONG day. We crashed again when we finally got back to the motel. My altitude problems are somewhat better after the mild exercise today, but Ginny still has a headache and has started taking Diamox.

August 1 - Campsite on Los Creek @ 9.4 miles Total 9.4

Ginny: We finally made it out on the trail - it was a bit iffy for a while. Jim had a horrible stomach virus the day before we were to leave, but fortunately he recovered quickly. Our flights were uneventful (the best kind) from Washington to Albuquerque to Durango. We wandered around the Albuquerque airport for a couple of hours, visiting bookstores and gift shops. It’s amazing how many interesting things there are to buy when you don’t want to buy anything. Our motel was ten miles out of town, a bit seedy but clean enough, and the owner is very friendly and willing to help us out when we return. Friendly service is worth a lot. We’re storing some things with him so we’ll have clean clothes when we return, and our duffle bags for our backpacks. He even offered to pick us up after we’ve finished hiking and to drive us to the airport when we’re ready to leave.

Thursday we ran errands and drove out to Mesa Verde to spend the afternoon. It was great. After a week of rain, the clouds finally lifted about noon so we had views over the mesas. We did all the free exhibits we could find (you have to sign up for the paid tours ahead of time and the line was too long), wandered around a lot and had a very enjoyable afternoon, thinking about the ancient ones. So much about their culture is unexplained. At 10:30 we drove out to the airport to pick up Debra, a woman from Atlanta we met through the Internet who was coming out to hike the Colorado Trail. She agreed to drive us up to the trailhead as she wants a few days of wandering around getting used to the altitude before she starts her hike. She has worked on the Colorado Trail and hiked most of it over the past ten years. I wish we’d had more time to acclimatize.

The drive to the trailhead was much longer than expected: about six hours with stops in Silverton for breakfast and for ice cream for lunch. It was a beautiful drive though. I oohed and aahhed all day as we wound our way through the mountains. We hit the trail at 2:00, walking along a green meadow near the highway then up a side creek, over a mountain, down to another beautiful meadow and another creek. Flowers are abundant: lupine, bluebells, gentians, asters, sunflowers, paintbrush, etc. Some I know, many I don’t. The skies were blue in the morning, threatening in the afternoon, but so far we have avoided rain. The altitude has gotten to me, badly. Jim is just breathing hard, but I’ve had the full gamut: headache, heavy breathing, tiredness, etc. Climbing a small hill, I feel like I’m running a marathon. I’ve started taking Diamox, which should help. It made the headache go away anyway. Getting energy may take a few more days. We ended up hiking 9 miles to a hill above a stream and a stock pond. It is in sight of two other campers. We’ll find out who they are when I get the energy to climb their hill. I am very happy, despite my physical problems. It is so very beautiful.

Jim: The alarm went off at 0500, but we didn’t get up until 0630. Packed the car, picked up Debra and drove to Silverton for breakfast at the Brown Bear Cafe. Beautiful drive through the Uncompaghre, then down onto the plains to Montrose. East to Gunnison and a stop at the Sundae Shop for lunch. Got gas and film and then out to CO 114. Found the trailhead, but went on to Buffalo Creek Campground to use the outhouse, change into boots, and do a final check on the packs. Met the campground host - she’s 72 and a delight to talk to. Wonderful attitude.

Back to the trailhead where we said goodbye to Debra, took a couple pictures and finally got on the trail at 2 PM. The first half mile was a gentle downhill followed by a 3-mile uphill and then a 0.3 mile bitchkitty of a climb to the top of the first ridge. I got a little lightheaded, but no real breathing problems other than sounding like a steam engine. A long 3-mile downhill followed by a mile uphill, then we followed Los Creek for a mile - 9.4 for the day. Not bad for a 2 PM start and 9600+ ft altitude all day. We camped at a water impoundment - lots of mosquitos. Another couple is camped across the way but we haven’t met them yet. Hung the food bags up the hill since we’re still below treeline.

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© Copyright 1998 Jim & Ginny Owen