Day 044 - Continental Divide Trail - Wagon Wheel Gap to Creede

Day: 044

Date: Wednesday, 19 June 2024

Start:  Wagon Wheel Gap

Finish:  Creede, CO

Daily Kilometres:  12.6

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1306.9

Weather:  Cold early then warm and partly sunny.

Accommodation:  Motel 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs, bacon & hash browns, toast & jam.

  Lunch:  Patty melt & macaroni cheese/cheeseburger & fries.

  Dinner:  Meatloaf & potatoes, icecream

Aches:  Nothing to report.

Highlight:  Nothing in particular.

Lowlight:  Nothing in particular.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were hiking by 6am on a very cold morning, intent on getting to Creede, 12km away, as early as possible.  On the northern side of Wagon Wheel Gap, the scenery was less abrupt, with rolling mountains bordering a wide green valley, some of which was being grazed by cattle.  One thing we noticed was the fence on both sides of the road had bird boxes attached every 100 meters or so, for kilometres.

We were very happy when the sun finally reached us, though it remained very cool until we actually arrived at the interesting old mining town of Creede around 9am.  It is nestled at the outlet of a narrow and spectacular canyon and has historic buildings in its main street.

We tried to get early access to our motel room but the managers were clearly very busy in the full motel and they said they would text us when it was available and that we could leave our packs there while we dined and shopped elsewhere.

After breakfast at a diner across the road we walked to the centre of town and bought what we needed then returned to sit in the sun outside the motel office.

Our room was ready at noon and we spent the rest of the afternoon on planning, admin and laundry after lunch at the same diner where we had breakfast.

We were going to eat at one of the restaurants in town in the evening but it was very busy and we ended up buying something from the supermarket we could microwave in our room.  Apart from the usual fishing and ATV touring, Creede has a repertory theatre which is well known and popular.

Back on the trail tomorrow.