The Colorado Trail, Day 28. Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

We spent the night at a classic, worn-out motel in Silverton. As often happens, I sleep poorly when we’re in towns, but this night was really bad. I wonder if all the Pepsi Maxi and Cola Zero I drank in the afternoon and evening was part of the reason.

At a quarter past seven, we checked out and went onto the street. We saw hikers there trying to hitch a ride. We had to stop by the store, which opened at 7:00 a.m., for our last bit of resupplying. We were supposed to do it last night, but it was raining so hard that we postponed it until today.

When we came out of the store, there were no hikers to be seen. They had gotten a ride. Now it was our turn to try our luck with our thumbs. It was still early in the day in the sleepy little town, and there was practically no traffic.
After five minutes, the third car came and stopped for us. It was a pickup truck.
«You can ride with us if you’re willing to sit in the bed in the back,» the driver said. «We know where you’re going.»
These were local people who were used to hikers needing to get back on the trail. We climbed into the bed and settled in with our backs to the cab. I gave a thumbs-up, and the driver hit the gas.

The asphalt was dry after yesterday’s storm, but it was still overcast, and the fog hung in the high mountains surrounding the town. It was 11 km (6.8 miles) and 500 meters (1,640 feet) of elevation gain up to where the trail crossed the highway. The temperature was no more than 6 °C (43 °F).

The driver stopped where he knew we were supposed to start our day’s hike, and we thanked him for the ride.

I had my jacket on because there was a risk of precipitation. The trail climbed from the start, and we were soon up in the fog.

After 2 km (1.2 miles), we passed Karen and Fred, a mature couple from Washington who were on their way out of Lake City when we arrived in town. We also met the Spanish guy who left Lake City with us. He was actually Spanish-American. I had to ask him what his name was, and it was Sheep. A trail name, of course. That’s what matters.

After a good two hours of hiking, the fog lifted, and we got a view. We were still hiking in the forest, but now we could see the mountains around us.

There are only a few days left of August, and we can now see that nature is beginning to prepare for winter. Some plants have turned to fall, and we can see that in some places, the leaves, on both heather and trees, have started to change color.

The mountains around us also have colors. The geology of these mountains is completely different from the mountains on the other side of the valley where Silverton is located. They vary in all shades from gray, yellow, and rusty.

It eventually cleared up, and there was a bit of sun, but there were still clouds that threatened to get us wet. On the long climb up to Rolling Mountain Pass, 3,806 meters (12,487 feet) above sea level, we had to put on our rain gear. Fortunately, a few kilometers before we reached the top, the rain shower had passed, and it became sunny and really beautiful.

We could now admire the mountains on the last stretch up. On the other side of the pass, there were still equally spectacular mountains to feast our eyes on before we descended into the forest.

I had planned for today’s stage to be about 25 km (15.5 miles), and I had filled my pack with four liters of water. We were looking for a place to camp, but it wasn’t easy to find one in this forest terrain. We went an additional 3 km (1.9 miles) before we finally found a suitable spot.

There was a lot of elevation gain today, and my body—that is, my legs and my breathing—felt good. My head was a different story. The lack of sleep last night made me feel like I was walking in my sleep on the trail. It was true «zombie mode.»

After the campsite was set up and dinner was made—we had hot dogs today—I lay right down and fell asleep two hours before sunset.

Today’s hike was 28.5 km (17.7 miles) with an elevation gain of 1,140 meters (3,740 feet).
We are tenting at 3,530 meters (11,581 feet) above sea level.