Day: 042
Date: Monday, 17 June 2024
Start: Stunner Campground
Finish: Park Creek
Daily Kilometres: 38.9
GPX Track: Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos
Total Kilometres: 1254.7
Weather: Very cold early, then warm and sunny with a strong blustery wind.
Accommodation: Tent
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Pop tarts
Lunch: Snacks/Trail mix
Dinner: Rehydrated meals
Aches: Dave - very tired and the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.
Highlight: The crossing of Elwood Pass (11620’) was memorable. There were a few small lakes, vast meadows, pine tree copses and partially snow-covered surrounding mountains. This was the highest we have been on our hike thus far.
Lowlight: None really.
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
It was a cold night and there was ice on our tent as we wiped it as dry as possible and packed up. Both of us had frozen fingers. We left the campground at 6:15am and were grateful that the sun reached us on the gravel forest road soon after. Nevertheless, it remained very cold and we both wore extra layers.
Pretty much all of the first 13km was gradually uphill as we climbed from the campground at 9800’ to Elwood Pass at 11620’. At the Pass, the views were exceptional in every direction (see above). Here we left the Great Divide Alternate and joined the Elwood Pass Alternate which, for the remainder of the day, gradually descended following Park Creek, by which we are camped tonight.
Although the scenery remained good, Dave was over the gravelly descent by the time we camped. It was also very windy and dust was swirling, particularly when vehicles passed.
We reached our goal for the day, a casual camping area soon after 5pm and, given there were already RVs in residence, we walked on a little further and found a spot off the road, inaccessible by vehicle, about fifteen minutes later. It was nice to have an early night.
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