Leg 5: Leadville to Twin Lakes

Stats:
Distance: 5 legs, 11 segments, 24 days, 181 miles
Best food: pepperoni havarti sandwiches
Wildlife sightings: a deer, more squirrels, more thru hikers (maybe father away from Denver we’ll see more animals?)

Day 21-23:

We had a low mileage segment coming up (since we decided what we’re doing is challenging enough; we don’t need to add on an extra 14er too). So we spent the morning riding Leadville’s scenic train with ice cream and leftover pizza. A lovely morning off!

We spent the next two and a half days contouring the bases of Massive and Elbert. It was a pretty gentle couple of days in the pines, crossing streams every mile or two, listening to squirrels chatter, wishing peak baggers alternately good luck and congratulations.

Nana and Baba picked us up in the sagebrush at Twin Lakes and took us to buy ice cream and beer. (We still deserved it!)

Since there wasn’t too much of interest to report this segment, I thought I might spend a moment to share what we do for sustenance.

Most thru hikers buy peanut butter packets, tuna pouches, tortillas, ramen, and Knor pasta sides. And Snickers and Clif bars. Then in town they eat burgers and nachos (and occasionally a salad for the week’s vegetable intake).

We’re doing those things too. Except I spent the past year (and more) freeze drying lots of things to keep us a little healthier. With our peanut butter, we have banana chips and spinach rolled up in the tortilla. Our tuna salad has scallions and cranberries and pickles. Ramen is spiced up with some spiralized carrots and zucchini with chicken or tofu or turkey. Mac n cheese has diced veg and ground beef. One of our favorite breakfasts is porridge made from cauliflower, apples, berries, and coconut milk with coconut oil stirred in at camp. Plus we just have straight fruits or veg to snack on: apricot quarters, seasoned and blackened broccoli, apple slices, sweet potato chips.

We’re eating just fine!

Day 24:

Twin Lakes is a funky little tiny place. But the scenery is beautiful and the burger shack just right. (It’s also close enough to Leadville to buy some new hiking pants — thru hiking is tough on clothes!)