Day 143

Woke up with the sun and was in no real rush. I ate a big breakfast and got under way. Today was all uphill and I was determined to reach the summit of La Veta pass. I had 11 miles to get to the top and I was hoping to get at least another 11 miles on the other side going down. 
Shortly after I began walking, a woman pulls over and wanted to hear about my cause. She told me that she works with commissioners of most of southern Colorado and I told her about Naloxone  (Narcan) and how it needs to be made easier to access in Colorado. I was feeling a little woozy from the altitude and she offered snacks and gatorade. I was happy that she stopped. Most people on the road that I’m on are tourists and they are all in so much of a hurry to enjoy their destination that they fly right by the journey. The locals are all nice here. Jennifer proved that. 
The hills weren’t so bad but they were constant so it was hard. I made sure to drink a ton of water and keep eating energy. I had to stop a lot. These were some of the hardest miles I’ve put in yet. Every step had beautiful scenery though. That’s what kept me going. 
As I got close to the top, I noticed a bad storm heading my way. I wanted to reach the summit so bad. I looked at my map and was 0.8 miles from the summit. Then I looked up at the clouds and knew that I had to seek shelter. One thing that I do know is that it’s very dangerous to be on top of a mountain in a thunderstorm. 
I found a good spot that would keep me dry and safe from lightning and set my tent up in a hurry. It started raining as I was getting it together. I threw everything in the tent that I needed while I waited for the storm to pass and jumped in. 
I was safe. I was bummed that I couldn’t get to the top but I still had a whole day left. It wasn’t even 1 pm yet. I kept waiting for the storm to pass. Lighting was hitting very close and the wind was testing my tent’s limits. I had to pee really bad because of all the water I was drinking haha. 
I waited for a break and handled my business. I also grabbed a few snacks and got back in the tent. More rain and thunder was coming. Luckily, I had phone and Internet service and was playing around on Instagram and got a message from the backpacking believers. 
They are a father, mother, and daughter who finished their walk across America last year. The daughter holds the title of the youngest person in the world to hike the American Discovery Trail. They were living nearby and offered for me to stay with them for a day or two. I really wanted to get up and over the Rockies but I also didn’t want to miss such a great opportunity to meet them. I followed my heart and told them where I was. 
They showed up around 6 pm and it was still raining. I wasn’t able to reach the summit but at least my next walking day would be mostly downhill. Chris and Katlyn were in the car to pick me up. We threw a wet and muddy Lieutenant Dan in the back and I was happy to be out of the rain myself. 
The ride to their place was about an hour. We talked and I was pleased with their personalities. The views were gorgeous as we drove through the mountains. They are working on a ranch all summer in southern Colorado and living on site. True adventurers. As we drove, we must’ve seen at least 20 deer. 
We pull into the ranch and there is this huge stone wall named, wait for it, “stonewall”. I saw it and the first thing that came out of my mouth was, “has anyone ever climbed it?” Chris told me that there were some trails up there. I knew what I was going to be doing tomorrow!
We pull up to the lodge and I got to meet Jennifer, the mother. She had a chicken enchilada dinner waiting for Chris and I. It was so good. Needless to say, I was happy with the decision that I made to meet them. 
I got to meet some of the staff but most people were winding down for the evening. We all went up to the house and I met the dog and put my stuff inside so the bears didn’t get to it. Yes, bears. Oh, and mountain lions too. Seriously. 
They gave me Katlyn’s room to sleep in. I double checked with her to make sure that was ok and she assured me that it was so I set my things in there and did shower and laundry and got all of the road from the last few days off of me. 
We all sat in the living room and talked for hours after that. Sharing stories of our walks. This was a conversation that only a few people can truly be a part of. I felt proud to have come this far. Long enough to have stories of my own and long enough to understand their experiences. It was getting late so we all said goodnight and I was asleep as soon as I found the light switch… which took a while.