Day 104 - Holy Pass

September 30

16.8 Miles

Along Texas Creek

Oh the feeling of the cold cold night how I didn't miss you at all. The comfort of slack packing and sleeping indoors is over and we awoke a little later than usual but got out of camp around 8:20. It was brisk and after a mile sections of snow/ice appeared on trail. It continued on as we headed towards the pass without a name. We could see it from a distance and it was completely covered in snow. The anticipation of suckiness dwelled upon us as we kept going higher and snowier. When we broke from treeline, it was all white an we followed footprints on trail up around Alice Lake (which was shaped like the letter A). The snow got way deeper and the postholing began. 

When we finally arrived at the base of the pass and switchbacks fatigue had already set in. The switchbacks were more difficult to see up close so we started climbing and making our own footholes, switchbacking every so often. Getting towards the top of the pass is where it got dangerous...the switchbacks were along shallow wet snow and loose rock which seemed not an option so we decided that small switchbacks up would be the best bet. Wrong. The snow was shallow and wet and the slope was steep as well and there was nothing to grab or keep great footing. We decided to hand and foot up to where it evened out which was a bit sketchy but we made it. The view from the top was spectacular but even more wonderful was the lack of snow on the other side of the pass. The other side is steeper and had there been snow like the northern side, I would have turned around.

Going down there were patches of wet slush on steep ass slopes which made it a bit cautious. Spins' feet were numb and hurting so we stopped a mile or so down to warm them up and get feeling back to them. Trudging generally downward with occasional ups through mud, snow, ice, slush, and dirt was the next ten or so miles before we hit the valley floor exhausted from the morning climb. We followed a dirt track along Texas Creek and there was a perfect campsite which we plopped down at thankful for not dying on the pass. Ice axes wouldn't have really helped in the light slushy snow either but all in all its another day on the CDT. October is tomorrow and we're trying to get to sunny NM as quick as possible.