[at-l] Update: Flight of the Spirit Eagle

[kahley7 <kahley7@ptd.net>]

Just a quicky call from an outside phone and with wind whistling
and traffic but.....
The last two days were glorious and it showed in their voices.
Another week in!!!!
Thsi last week included two 6000 foot el.days on the Colorado
Trail Route of the CDT.  The Trail for the most part was wonderfully
graded and with the exception of a couple misleading signs, well
marked.  They have some small regrets that they have not been able
to take the scenic route up and over more peaks, including Elbert (?)
but have decided that they will just have to come another time, a bit
earlier in the year.  They did one 20 miler ( no little feet with the short 
daylight)
because the weather closed in that night and would have dumped more
snow on the 12 in of virgin powder already on this stretch.
Serel-Kokomo (SP).  That 20 miler brought them into camp at 6:45,

Ginny's new boots, all leather, have been working well except she'll
be looking for a cushier insole ASAP.  But even with a bit of a heel blister,
she needed a more waterproof boot.  Being the gearhead that I am,
I cannot believe I didn't ask what boots she got.  I do know that they are
Iltaian and a size and a half (European sizes) larger.
At least for this week, they have decided to let go of worry!  They'll do what
they have to do to keep on south.  Much map time to lock in bale out routes
and they are packing extra food in case they need to hole up.
Tomorrow they will have to choose whether to stick with the longer CT
or head up to the higher elevations of the CDT.  They are leaning to
heading p but will decide when they have to.
They sound in much better spirits this week than in weeks past.  I think
their spirits will hold as long as the snows do, even though as one
description says "There is no good way to do this section."

Well, a family of four was waiting for the pay phone so we had to keep it
short.  One last note.....earlier this week it started to rain around 4:30
and with a look up high, they decided to seek some pines to pitch
for the night. The wind whipped and at some point during the night,
they each awaked to the sound of sleet hitting the tent.  They went
back to sleep, wondering how much snow they would find in the AM.
When morning broke, they were surprised to find a fine, blue sky
day and even more surprised to find that it was pine needles, not
sleet that peppered the tent all night!
While Jim was on the phone, he describe to me what he saw.
Dark green firs, lit by the golden glow of the aspens.  Dark blue
skys mirrored in the lake.  Sounds like they are falling in love
with CO.  We may lose them to the west.....
They were super thrilled to hear of Paddler's and Chase's summiting
and ask that I pass big congrats their way.
That's it for today!  Now everybody, with me: NO SNOW>>NO SNOW>>NO SNOW

Their up coming maildrops are:

Salida, CO 81201  this Friday

Lake City, CO 81235  next Thursday

followed by
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

Chama, NM 87520

Ghost Ranch Conference Center
HC 77 Box 11
Abiquiú, New Mexico 87510


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