EP 210 - 100+ Miles on the Colorado Trail: Tennessee Pass to Buffalo Creek

[00:00] Tayson: Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Live Ultralight Podcast, powered by Outdoor Vitals. Today, we have our OV 100 trip recap so we were out on the Colorado Trail a few weeks ago now and did our 100 mile hike. We do that every summer as a team as a part of the 100-mile challenge.

[00:17] Tayson: So if you don't know what that is, that's a DIY challenge that we've been hosting for five or six years. Now, I think it's a beer six year Where we? Just basically get large group of people together, we give them a framework that allows them to kind of train and prepare gear and planning and all those kinds of things is a bit of a guide.

[00:38] Tayson: And then we all go hit the trail within a couple of months of each other and try to do 100 miles backpacking. Some people choose to do that stacked as we call it, or they tie together. Multiple trips to get to 100 Mi, but we've always done it as a Non-Stop effort.

[00:55] Tayson: Well, you know, we started doing these things. When we were back on the Uinta Highline Trail. Got that one completed, I did one in the Wind Rivers. We've done them on the Appalachian Trail but lately, we've been going through the Colorado Trail and trying to complete that Over a four-year period.

[01:11] Tayson: So on the podcast though, today we have a new special guest besides Brigham here, but we've got Lucy. Our newest designer to join us. This is also her first 100 mile hikes, so Lucy. I don't give us a little bit of a background on you.

[01:26] Tayson: Since this is your first time ever being on the podcast as well. Yeah. How to jump up on the team here and what do you? What's your? What's your role here?

[01:35] Lucy: Yeah. So, basically, Brigham and Tayson recruited me. As a new graduate of the outdoor product design program at Utah, State, Brigham graduated from the same program and so as a graduating senior, we did a senior exhibit and kind of went around and found people who could be good candidates.

[01:55] Lucy: And I got the position and was very grateful to be part of this team being a small team. And just being able to get super creative and into the design and development process in this exciting company. So yeah,

[02:15] Tayson: so Lucy Had a background in and just sewing and her senior projects. Definitely stuck out to us, both me and Brigham and Went through the hiring process brought you on the team, he hadn't been on the team very long though. You started in June you almost immediately went on a ShakeOut trip with the team that was About 40 miles or so.

[02:40] Tayson: And then joined us for the 100 mile hike in July. So, not a lot of people can turn around and do 100 miles that quickly without maybe a little bit more. I don't know. People want longer planning preparations, so you have only showed up capable which was which is awesome.

[02:58] Tayson: He always a little nerve-racking for us to bring someone new on the trail because we have had to send people off the trail a few times. So there's a little bit of anticipation, bringing it out there, seeing how things would go. Obviously, these guys were at Shakedown hike with you, I hadn't.

[03:14] Tayson: So this is my first time hiking with you, but he has exciting. Were you nervous about committing to come and do this or?

[03:22] Lucy: Um, I remember it was before I even like had my first week, Brigham had, we had started scheduling things for the future and he's mentioning like, okay, there's this. 100 mile hike. You know, it would be very beneficial for you to come along and being new to the team.

[03:44] Lucy: Also, just new to the product, and I was like, okay, I'll start preparing now. So the next day I went with a friend to, on a hike and we're just like, okay, I'm gonna fully commit to this and it's going to be exciting part of the new job and started telling people about it and they're all stoked for me.

[04:04] Lucy: So I knew I needed to commit to it and actually do it. So, yeah, it's good.

[04:10] Tayson: That's awesome. So I was training went well for you, coming into the hike. Did you, were you feeling prepared?

[04:17] Lucy: Yeah, on the Shakedown. I kind of twist my ankle a little bit, so I was really worried about that but I just rested up, you know, a few weeks prior to be super conscious about what I was doing and I didn't have any problems on the trail.

[04:30] Lucy: The only problems I had purchased a few minor blisters but everything else went away so that was that was big.

[04:37] Tayson: Yeah. Awesome. So this year we were planning to go and do the Collegiate West. We have that all mapped out had plans to do that and then there's a fire that started a few weeks before we got out there called The Willow fires outside of Leadville.

[04:55] Tayson: Over by, I think it's turquoise Lake and we realized that wasn't gonna be open for us to do a hike. So we had to Pivot and we ended up deciding to just go up the trail. Go from Tennessee Pass just outside of Leadville all the way to Buffalo Creek Trailhead or Campground area.

[05:16] Tayson: So put us right at 100 on like mapping it out. I was doesn't always work out to be that end up being just a little bit over, but overall, Just a good like we had pretty good start and stop points but we did have to make that pivot before we got started.

[05:34] Tayson: Which I don't know, I guess we'll talk about about that on how we felt about this section of Trail and whatnot. But definitely fires were rampant here in Utah. We have had a ton of fires Colorado, had a ton of fires outside of Ouray.

[05:50] Tayson: There had a big fire going on the Willow fire here, and Yeah, it seems like more and more. If you're coming out west, you've got to be aware of the fire situation because it's it's becoming a very, very common thing but Yeah, I mean so I guess just jumping right into it.

[06:12] Tayson: We drove out on a Sunday, plan start on Monday and finish on a Friday and then head back home. Typical plan is to hike, 20 miles a day and get it done in five days. That's kind of our ml. Some years, we've had to do like 24 miles a day.

[06:29] Tayson: We wanted to try a tailor that back. We've had bigger groups out there. Trying to do 24 plus miles a day. It can definitely become challenging because Things pop up as they did on this Trail as well. And well, that's trained injuries, thunderstorms or other things.

[06:50] Tayson: So this year, we really tried to keep it at 20 miles which ended up being good, but as far as the outlook on the trail it wasn't looking like it was going to be the most challenging of all the mountain hikes we've done.

[07:04] Tayson: In terms of the total elevation gain and descend, I believe we were Around 16,000 feet of climbing and 20,000 descent. I'm not mistaken. We had we had a net loss of three or four thousand feet so that looked kind of good but didn't know a whole lot about truck conditions before we got started but Yeah.

[07:27] Tayson: Figured him out as we went and ended up being pretty good. So what do anything to add here before we kind of just dive into walking, through the trail itself and how everything shook out and preparation thoughts? I don't bring him. How are you feeling last year?

[07:44] Tayson: You came out sick this time. You're

[07:48] Brigham: Yeah, but last year, I basically didn't even started, I had pneumonia and basically left the first day. So, I felt fine. So as long as I didn't have a fever and painful chest cough, I figured that was probably a good place to start and yeah.

[08:07] Brigham: It was yeah so pretty good. Yeah so we went out slept in Leadville the night

[08:13] Tayson: before got up pretty early Monday and hit the trailer around once at 8:00 So that's so starting on that side, we're starting at what's called Tennessee Pass that first day we go up and over one of the higher points for the trip, call Kokomo Pass, and then we were gonna drop down towards Copper Mountain Ski Resort.

[08:38] Tayson: Yeah, walk me through day one for you guys what we're kind of the thoughts. How to think shake out. Things with things to note, I guess. Definitely is definitely warm.

[08:55] Brigham: it's interesting, I think There's there's like General. Climate. Like general rules that are pretty applicable. Most places, you know, like you go up 1,000 feet, you'll probably lose three to five degrees of temperature, but there's also like Regional climate differences, where I feel like in Colorado, Weather wise and temperature wise what you would expect in Utah.

[09:23] Brigham: At 8,000 feet is basically the what you would expect a 10,000 feet in collar out. That's that's what I've kind of, Concluded. After a couple of years, you know, a couple hundred miles out there. Is that? in Utah, if you're a 10,000 feet, you can, Pretty much count on not really feeling hot like not having hot weather.

[09:47] Brigham: But in Colorado, 10,000 feet is kind of more like 8,000 feet in Utah. Where is like yeah, you could still be in the 80s. and like feel very hot when you're when you're hiking and I'd say, that's Pretty true this year. So like day one because we oh, we started in the morning and we were right around like that, 10,000 foot mark for A few hours before we went up over a pass.

[10:19] Brigham: that's kind of something was on my mind

[10:22] Tayson: is definitely hot and my thoughts on day one were that I had not followed through on my own advice, would be the best Swiss hit. So, you know, I've I wrote and helped write, most of the, the framework and obviously created like the the framework for, you know, training and preparation.

[10:46] Tayson: And of, you know, done a lot of these 100 mile hikes now. And this year, I felt like I was just getting more and more complacent in terms of like training, I didn't do as much training. I had some other stuff going on, so I also didn't do as much.

[11:00] Tayson: I don't know. Just I wasn't as thorough in my planning and physical preparations. And one of those ways that the showed up on day, one was I was wanted to try a new pair of shoes out and so I had some, some Topo the trail Venture Force.

Editor’s note: The shoe line discussed is the Topo Athletic Trailventure; the exact model/version is unclear in the audio.

[11:18] Tayson: And I had put about 10 miles on those shoes. Maybe even less but wasn't super aggressive hiking and terms of like uphill, downhill thought really good and I just rolled with them so it won't try something new. And it was probably three miles in when I started to notice a hotspot already on my foot by five or six miles into the day.

[11:43] Tayson: I was pretty confident and I was gonna be developing a blister. And we stopped at a water source. And I should have pre-taped the back of my heel because of that. Well, first off I I changed up the lacing and it did fill a lot better.

[12:00] Tayson: I went to its called a heel lock and that's why I usually run on a lot of my trail runners. But I just didn't do that switch early enough. And so it started on the blister and I didn't end up pre-taping, like, I should have that.

[12:14] Tayson: I filled up some water and pretty much right after we left there. I was like, yeah, even though I changed up my lacing, it feels a lot better. My feet are definitely not as tough as they've been in the past from lack of training and they've started on this blister.

[12:28] Tayson: So I was starting to feel a blister, develop pretty quickly on the trail and I started kind of babying that foot to try to just avoid creating a blister or making it worse, and I was just kind of limping along dealing with it because I didn't really want to stop and take it, which was Wasn't number one for me, was just she got a blister like, or if you're feeling like, he got a hotspot, stop and take care of it.

[12:57] Tayson: And I kind of pushed through, and by the time we got to lunch, I pulled my shoe off, and it was pretty apparent. I had pretty sizable blister at that point. I did tape it up but the damage was done halfway through day one.

[13:11] Tayson: And So I kind of continued, I guess to baby that foot throughout the day which is it was blistering on my left foot. So I was Kind of flexing and moving that left foot less and trying to do more work, I would say with my right foot which kind of came back to get me at the end of the day which we'll talk about.

[13:32] Tayson: But yeah coming up through that pass it was definitely hot. We had a really nice lunch because we're only in 20 miles. A lot of us felt like we could take bigger sizable breaks and so we took I did. To my recollection. This is the first time that we like had lunch and we would Take like a small map after lunch, so we took, I don't know, maybe 20 minutes.

[13:56] Tayson: I'm just laid there in the shade. Cooling off digest and lunch and some of us dozed off a little bit, which was super nice and Derek. And Caden were also out there on the trail. I should mention that. Caden is currently at the PCT Days running our booth and Derek's out office today.

[14:15] Tayson: So she got just up three of us on there but I remember Caden and Derek who are on the last year when we were having to do the 24 Mile days. They're like man this is this is nice. This is kind of kush this is and I kind of felt the same way which was Which was nice and that's that's typically what we recommend in the framework.

[14:32] Tayson: Anyways to do 20 mi days and that does give you some some additional time. So that was definitely nice. We came up over. Let's see what was it called? Kokomo Pass. And Got to look down at. Geez. Well, I feel like is the biggest mine I've ever seen in the mountains.

[14:50] Tayson: Hey, there's a huge huge mine there. That is displaced. I don't know how many hundreds or thousands of Acres of mountain at this point and it just looks like they're just continuing to roll in there. While it's something you don't always see. It was, it was really cool to see, just like the water, like the big lake essentially that they've seemed to form down.

[15:13] Tayson: There is really

[15:15] Brigham: blew, like, turquoise blue,

[15:16] Tayson: but I don't know, I've never seen anything quite like that the high up in the mountains. There's a big mine in Utah or northern Utah. It's not in the middle of what almost feels like, what should be like, Wilderness Area? It was

[15:33] Brigham: weird. I mean, it was, it was just different. Like, when you come up over a past that's, you know, 12,000 feet high. um, you know it's all relative to like previous experience, you know, so like By the time, if I'm in the mountains and I'm at the point where I've hiked, I, maybe I don't know what we're like, maybe 10, 12 miles ish into the hike.

[15:56] Brigham: You know, in my experience, I don't expect at that point in the mountains to then encounter, you know, to get up into a mountain pass and then look down at a big Industrial. You know, whatever. Piece of land. So you can see like mining trucks going up other Highway down at the bottom of that Valley.

[16:14] Brigham: You could see just cars driving by so is it's different and we'll get into like the route itself but it makes more sense when you understand the route. But it was it was different but it was still a path was very enjoyable because it did cool off.

[16:30] Brigham: We got some cloud cover. So, little bit of a breeze. It was, it was still pretty. I mean it was really pretty up there.

[16:38] Tayson: Coming into the hike. We were really nervous about rain. We need that we had some big. I exposed areas special, the first couple of days and rain was forecasted pretty much every day of the hike. And usually, when you're at the high up in the mountains and there's rain, forecasted like you are gonna be in there like you're gonna get hit.

[16:58] Tayson: And

[17:00] Tayson: Fear up there is not just the rain, it's, it's lightning, right. So, thankfully, we got up and over that pass and down the other side without lightning being closed. We got a little bit of a drizzle. We got cloud coverage, but didn't have any lightning to deal with that day, which I was definitely, Thankful for.

[17:17] Tayson: So, Lucy, how are you feeling kind of mid second? Half of that day?

[17:22] Lucy: It's a second half. We gotten to that pass and so that was super exciting because It was it was an accomplishment already but I knew there were still a lot more to go and so, yeah, we had a good launch and I was I was definitely not expecting the break, just based off of the Shakedown, but still being new to it all in the framework, just kind of coming in with an open mind and being prepared for the upcoming days.

[17:52] Lucy: And so seeing, all those things were was exciting and I didn't have like, the frame of reference like Brigham knowing what the rest of the Colorado Trail had been like. So it was

[18:05] Lucy: It was just kind of, yeah, all new and exciting things and already getting a little tired. And also being hesitant on the downhills, we were about to encounter just because of my ankle situation that I was still being cautious about. But yeah, really thankful to have that cloud coverage because the first time part of the day was, was warm, and I'm from Arizona, and so, I felt like a wimp hiking, Adrian weather thinking it was warm, but I mean, when you have a pack on and

[18:34] Lucy: and you're in direct sunlight, it was, it was for so,

[18:38] Tayson: Obviously started on the trail, you got the most weight in your backpack as well. So, Climbing up that first climb was was pretty exposed. So coming down the other side. I feel like that's when or maybe it wasn't quite then but talk to us about like your Footwear and how your ankles doing things like that.

[18:58] Lucy: Yeah. So I had been wearing shoes that I had definitely broken in. I've had them for, I mean, since the beginning of this year and I've been training for a marathon. So doing some trail running on those shoes, did the shake down on them so they're the Lone Peak 8s.

Editor’s note: Lucy identifies this shoe as an Altra Lone Peak 8. Fit and suitability vary by person and trip.

[19:16] Lucy: So obviously, like a very popular Trail shoe, zero rise pretty, not too much of a stack at all. So um, yeah, pretty excited to really test them out. But at the same time, I mean moving forward. I'm not sure if I would do 100 miles on them or maybe my feet just need to be stronger, you know?

[19:37] Lucy: So that was where I was at the beginning of the day feeling fresh. But

[19:41] Tayson: like, where you nervous tender-footed? Or what do you mean by?

[19:45] Lucy: Yeah, I feel like going on the downhill. Um, Pretty tender just like, really feeling like my feet were. We're getting tired.

[19:55] Brigham: The bottoms are

[19:57] Lucy: just On my feet not like painful but definitely present

[20:02] Tayson: ankles doing good. So yeah, from there I mean these are obviously big big mountains. So the second half the day was really mostly downhill and we had that pass. We just kind of cut down around the mountain. Got some really cool views. So really cool cabin that was like, totally off grade up there really nice Calvin, I'm not sure.

[20:26] Tayson: The story is on that, but it was, it was, it was pretty spectacular. It was It was, it was like a, it was roadless. Like there was no Road, there was no road to it.

[20:38] Brigham: And it was like right below the tree line which was interesting. I think we were I don't know if we would maybe have been in the boundaries of us ski resort. I don't know which one it would have been

[20:49] Tayson: but I don't know it's just up from Copper Mountain and they do have trails that go up to it from Copper Mountain. So I almost wonder if the ski resort manages it or build it, and have the least or something like that, but it's public land with a really cool off grid cabin on it.

[21:06] Tayson: So, that's kind of cool. I haven't seen much of that out there and I haven't seen anything that I like modern. You know, I'd like solar is like a multi-story cabinet, big propane tank in there and, um, yeah, just kind of surprising, but also interesting to see that out and as really pretty, but so yeah, second half the day really just walking down off the mountain, and Things were pretty good.

[21:33] Tayson: We got a little bit of rain, a little bit of drizzle and then got into Camp. I won pretty pretty seamless. Once we got camp set, though, I had started to feel a little bit of pain in my right Achilles, which was strange to me.

[21:50] Tayson: I often get tight, calves and kind of have I feel like I like chronically tight calves, but not so much of my achilles. And so, if you're sitting around Camp, I started stretching and I put my My right foot up on a rock and just kind of lean forward.

[22:07] Tayson: Like you would just stretch your calf out. And I was stretching not even that hard and I heard a pop and my my leg kind of shifted forward and followed by immediate pain and then some swelling. And so I had I popped my achilles essentially on the end of day one I wasn't sure really what that meant and because I mean I could tell wasn't a full tear, I still had function and could move it but I don't know.

Editor’s note: This is a historical personal account of an injury, not a self-diagnosis rule. Sudden pain, a pop, swelling, or loss of function warrants prompt evaluation by a qualified medical professional.

[22:36] Tayson: It was a definitely a concern as I went to bed on on night, one and was really interested to see what things would feel like that next that next morning, but Yeah, any other thoughts on? On day one and the else worried some bothersome.

[22:58] Brigham: Um, I don't know. I mean On my end. Yeah. Nothing like worrisome. You know, no issues it was I felt like it was a really Pleasant. last couple hours of the day was just gradually downhill and Had some clouds a little bit of rain, so it was, it was not hot, which was appreciated for sure.

[23:23] Brigham: No, I only thing was now because of all the little bit of rain, I was just looking ahead and thinking like that, that definitely meant that. I'd have some condensation, which I'm always think about stuff like that. So, But no pleasant pleasant evening.

[23:40] Tayson: I think the one surprise to me, just at that camp was we could hear noise from I-70. So, major highway coming through there. Even though I fell, like, you're on mountains, like, you could still hear. Car noise, essentially all through the night. Not always but it was it was definitely there because we were also just a little is outside the boundary of Copper Mountain Ski Resort and it's not far from from I-70 Anyways I woke up the next morning and yeah bro Camp got out

[24:12] Tayson: of camp and started basically down healing. All the way down through the ski resort and on. Mikey Lisa's definitely sore. And again, I, I don't know, I think I what I kind of where I went with a mentally was like, well, it's just see what happens.

[24:31] Tayson: Like, let's just push forward to happens. See if he gets worse, I could walk. I could do things, but it hurt a lot to essentially use my calf. Like, if I was pushing off with my toe, that's what caused the most pain. So, initially, it was All downhill and so there's little need to use the calf.

[24:50] Tayson: And so yeah. Was concerned. I was able to stop the thought process for me was like, all right, we'll just, we'll just write this out and see what happens. Got down off the mountain. There chose not to go into Copper Mountain or anything you know or only one day out.

[25:05] Tayson: So didn't feel necessary. I guess to make any unneeded stops so you go down there. You kind of cross. The skiers or cross the highway. And then we started a climb up to Old, be the high point for us on the trail. So the next probably five to six miles were just Up.

[25:28] Tayson: Very much up. I ended up. A little bit more shy on water that I wanted to be at one point, but it was also quite hot and quite a, quite a few people were passing on the trail as well. Some some through hiking, the CT some, they hikers, even some, some Horseman.

[25:48] Tayson: So, Yeah, I don't know. I mean other than that it was it was still going. Well, I knew though, at that point, as we started to climb that I wasn't going to be able to climb at the same rate. I was trying to use my left calf as much as possible at that point, taped up the blisters and to me, I guess blisters are There pain but they're not The Superficial paint so light and the blister's so much a bother.

[26:14] Tayson: So then I kind of shifted back to that left foot. I think that might have been part of why. I tore some of that Achilles was my use of my right calf and trying not to use my left foot. Did they previously? I think that that my right leg more and so that was part of the other part of it going back to what I initially said, was I didn't follow my own guidance.

Editor’s note: The speaker’s explanation of pain and compensation is personal interpretation, not medical guidance. Continuing with a suspected tendon injury can worsen harm.

[26:40] Tayson: I wasn't getting in as many miles and training as I should have. my fitness level just wasn't where it's been in the past, which was a bummer because I felt that pretty quick on the trail. So, yeah. Climbed up and got to the top of this pass.

[27:00] Tayson: Which was, which was an interesting path. I mean, the high point was really cool. Super windy as soon as you crossed over the top. But it was different because as you were up there different from like the San Juans and other areas on the trail we've been so far because you could look down on one side and see Copper Mountain, you could look off the other side and see Breckenridge so I'll like your eye up there, your disconnected, you're still just kind of sandwiched in between

[27:26] Tayson: two cities essentially. Yeah, it was

[27:29] Brigham: it was technically a past, but The the land formation that we were going over was just like, a big Ridge line. I mean, it was it was a, it was a mountain, it was over 12,000 feet but it was just kind of like a camera with that would have been running like north south but it's just a long Narrow mountain.

[27:48] Brigham: Basically, you just have to get from one the valley floor on one side to the valley, floor on the other. So you just the trails just kind of like a giant one giant Switchback just bumped the mic but just one giant switch back to get over the past and yeah you just you could hear hear the highways all around and But yeah, just had to get up and over that.

[28:20] Lucy: Climb that. day like early on in the day so that was nice to know that I was earlier on and but it was like, it felt straight up And um, because we're, you know, what I would consider being in Civilization. I had like, used to pit toilet because I'm like, well, here I'm gonna I'm gonna take advantage of this fall.

[28:41] Lucy: I can't. And so then I was kind of behind kind of the rest of the group. So I was there. I was not expecting so many day hikers and this point in the trail. So that was interesting. I got a lot of people who were cheering me on us this little guy I guess that I'm feeling like, oh my goodness, he little uh like you like good job.

[29:04] Lucy: Okay. Thank you. And so that that have Spirits high but this same time it was kind of I think my biggest love of the trip just being in day two. Like what did I just get myself into? But once we hit the top of that, it was very satisfying.

[29:22] Lucy: And I knew that I could really Accomplished rest of the trip. So,

[29:28] Tayson: That's really interesting to hear, kind of that perspective. because yeah, like on the climbing side of it or just Well, I kind of it'll, it'll matter just like, I guess we go for the trail, but fishing, that was kind of your low. The climate self.

[29:46] Tayson: I want to say is between two and 3000 feet. So, I mean, it was it was a very significant climb. I want to say closer to 3,000. and it was, there's no breaks in it. I mean it was just up and a different time so it was steeper than others.

[30:01] Tayson: And so those like little Punchy sections were like holy cow. This is just straight up for a second. No. What do you think made that like the low for you? Like why is that moment? Why that client? Like where were you got? Mentally compared to me where you got to later in the trail?

[30:19] Lucy: Yeah I think kind of feeling like I was in no man's land like Not surrounded by the rest of the team which wasn't like a huge problem. It was just like I think I had more time to just be in my thoughts which For Better, or For Worse.

[30:36] Lucy: But also like seeing all these day hikers who weren't doing a full trip and kind of getting my in my head like, oh man, what it would take to be there but

[30:45] Brigham: they're all fresh and

[30:48] Lucy: they're like this. You're almost there.

[30:51] Brigham: It's like the Grand Canyon.

[30:53] Lucy: Yeah. That's

[30:54] Tayson: all the worst though. When they say you're almost there. You're really not

[30:57] Lucy: and I wasn't like tracking my mileage on my watch at all. I was just kind of going along which I feel like in the end helped a lot but just not knowing like the end point also kind of like having so reception at that point I don't think help to me because I was just getting.

[31:16] Lucy: I feel like I wasn't escaping the world to be in this experience at that point. So I think that was A other thing that made a little point, so yeah.

[31:29] Tayson: so, I'm gonna pull up kind of her mileage as me went along in terms of the day, but um, yeah, I feel like for me it was almost Faucet, I knew it was one of the harder climbs and the fact that I was able to do it, I was like, okay, I'll be able to finish this was with my with my kiwis issue, but I will say, I definitely kind of just have a settle into a pace that felt comfortable and and it was it was

[31:57] Tayson: a hot section and probably the worst part of that was by the time we got to the top of the mountain, that was lunch time. Like it was time to eat like we had exerted ourselves. Well, it was really hot but the second we got to the top.

[32:10] Tayson: We could see rain clouds off in the distance coming our way. And it was so windy and so exposed was so windy and it was hot. So like we didn't want to sit with like no shade, no cover. Getting hit by like 30, 40 mile an hour winds while you're eating and so we decided like, okay.

[32:30] Tayson: Let's go off the other side and we'll just stop like as soon as we get to some trees. And that ended up being like another. Hour or so. So we got I mean we didn't have lunch tell one or two and the afternoon and it was Definitely not wasn't good, because at that point, you could start to see more people kind of breaking down.

[32:53] Tayson: In fact, we rolled into the lunch spot, I was feeling bad because, like, man, I really wish we'd stopped earlier You can see some of the energy of the group coming down. I mean, was that the low spot for you? When you like got into lunch?

[33:07] Tayson: Or was it more? So on the climb

[33:09] Lucy: I feel like it was more so on the climb but hitting lunch late. I think Because we knew there wasn't as good of a stopping point. Since we were up higher and we wanted to be in the shade and it was so hot.

[33:23] Lucy: I did, I did feel it physically, when we stopped like, I feel like mentally it was on the hill, but physically, it was, when we stopped for lunch, I made the mistake of kind of packing, the same thing for lunch every day. And so yeah, it was hard to have an appetite since we were so exhausted.

[33:42] Lucy: At that point.

[33:43] Tayson: Yeah. And and you typically lose some appetite at altitude. I guess. It's pretty common for people who is a bit of appetite at altitude but Yeah, we finally found some some dwarf Pines and all kind of just like shuttle under little corners of that.

[33:58] Tayson: I kind of kicked out. I was like

[34:00] Tayson: like a game bed and we kind of got under there and it was it kind of sucked because you I feel like we really needed a good reset. But at the same time it was not like the most comfortable place is probably the least comfortable place.

[34:12] Brigham: I had lunch as I think it was like, kind of the Least desirable place we ever stopped.

[34:20] Tayson: We ever stop. Yeah, it's pretty views, though. We were looking at some bases. It's really cool to see From Breckenridge and just how high up on that mountain. They went like if that was something I had not personally seen, you know, I see some of the lifts, you know, and like Jackson Hole.

[34:40] Tayson: I don't know how high those get but I don't think anything really comes close to me to what I've seen in terms of like how that left got up to like 120 feet. And I imagine, I'm in the first thing I said was how often anything?

[34:55] Tayson: They have to close that lift down for wind, you know, because it's just so high so exposed, but it was pretty wild to see there's her go up that high not necessarily right where we were at, but down the ridge line, aways Pretty pretty, pretty cool to see if you're a big skier, I can see what people go to Breckenridge, I guess.

[35:14] Tayson: Um, yeah, the rest that day was kind of the same as the day before where we got over that pass, and it's just a really long. Really long ways down to cross the next highway right there by Breckenridge. That one was like felt a bit.

[35:31] Tayson: Strain, like I underestimated how long that really was to get all the way down. I think we kept. I kept thinking like we'd be, there would be there would be there and the trail just whines and whines and whines and this something we haven't touched on yet.

[35:43] Tayson: Is the trail conditions were really good like really good. Now mountain mountain bikeable type truck conditions, and so and part of that is when they have mountain bikes that are using these Trails a lot and he got the Colorado Trail organization that takes really good care of the trails as well, they really engineer him.

[36:05] Tayson: In certain parts at least specifically this part where there's a lot of winding so that's not like overly steep. Yeah Special on a Breckenridge side. So we were just winding back and forth a lot and you add up extra miles, it's lower exertion, but it's time on feet.

[36:22] Tayson: And so we eventually got down to the bottom of that towards the evening or on dinner time and it up having dinner underneath the highway under, like I can under

[36:33] Brigham: a bridge. Yeah.

[36:35] Tayson: Because you know, essentially on both sides of that, you've got people's houses, private property stuff like that and so we need to get some water. There was some water the trail crosses right under the highway under this you know underpass and so we stopped there and ate right underneath the highway and had dinner.

[36:52] Tayson: It was something I have not yet experienced on 100 mile hike was was eating dinner you know 15 feet from from Highway So we had dinner, wanted to push a couple more miles and you know, get up out of the city to find Camp spot.

[37:12] Tayson: But just wanted to get over that 20 mile mark. So from there, we started climbing up the next. The next set of mountains, essentially, another probably about four miles. Found a spot. We could we could make camp at and Called it a day.

[37:31] Tayson: Yeah. Any other other thoughts on, on day two

[37:36] Lucy: like robbing update too after dinner. Dinner really hit the spot. And then that next little climb we did that evening was like very engineered like you said I feel like compared to some of the other spots and I kind of caught like a mini second wind at that point feeling optimistic for the next step.

[38:00] Tayson: Was like the Turning Point.

[38:01] Lucy: Yes, yes.

[38:04] Tayson: Um, yeah, for me. wrapping up that day it was like I think that was it was like I realized like yeah I should be able to do this with the Achilles but There's there's just pain there, you know, and it was kind of swollen up and and whatnot, but like really like setting up the tent squatting down during those kinds of things is where it would really be painful.

Editor’s note: Continuing a long hike while injured was a personal decision, not a recommendation. Turnaround and evacuation decisions should prioritize current symptoms, terrain, access, and professional guidance.

[38:31] Tayson: So there's definitely some adaptation setting up the tent was Became more, my least favorite things of the trip. But overall is a good second day it was a bit draining but Yeah, like it was it was it was solid. So Day three now.

[38:49] Tayson: So we did 21 miles, both of the first two days according, like, watch Miles, I guess I'll refer to those as not. Um, GPS tracked, miles as much. There is typically a little bit of Scrap and see. when I comes to that, so Yeah, the 21 Mile both of the first two days the next day.

[39:14] Tayson: That we have another high point to cross. So another another climb across but the layout was different. It was more gradual climb for more time throughout the day before we got to those those high points and off the other side. But I think the only real exciting thing that happened in the morning was That I I drank through my water.

[39:42] Tayson: I'm I probably drink more than everyone else on the trail that in our group and so we weren't too far in a day one, when I was like, okay. I'm drinking my water and this water spot on the trail that said that it was there was not there.

[39:55] Tayson: And then that became a bit of a concern for me because I was already feeling actually, like, I was behind on hydration. So it's kind of like I'm already behind and I'm out of water. Not sure what the next water is the, for sure.

[40:08] Tayson: Next water was was way too many miles ahead, so we ended up just using The map itself, not because we're using FarOut, FarOut. It's really good to tell you when you're crossing water, but we end up just kind of looking at the map and and finding a spot where there could be water.

[40:26] Tayson: And then was able to kind of drop down and find just a tiny little seep. And essentially, I ended up using my, my titanium cook, pot to scoop the water and then pour it into a bag so that I could get enough water out of a little seep to, to filter, but I definitely felt a lot better at that point having to cut the water and and headed into that day.

[40:48] Brigham: and everybody, pretty much kind of at least got a leader to their because it was the it was I think like a 10 mile Gap or Ten Mile Stretch of no water or to the next water. So yeah, it was good thing. We stopped

[41:09] Tayson: I'm kind of drawn a blank on what the trail was like after that for for a while. I think we just kind of a bit in the woods and just going up and down. I want to call him Hills, but smaller Mountain. Yeah,

[41:24] Brigham: it was just like, a lot of just, I would say mild up and down, just climb. down, kind of a Smaller mountain and then go around it and go up another one. Kind of Go down the other side, it was kind of windy, you know, it's just like whining up and around mountains.

[41:45] Brigham: I don't know, like the the morning. Hours were like pretty smooth sailing. Just easygoing. I felt like Easygoing miles.

[42:00] Tayson: There was there's some mountain bikers like the trails were again really nice in this section. And because it's not too far from Breckenridge in his other areas you could tell that there's definitely mountain bikers that come through and there's connecting Trail systems into there.

[42:14] Tayson: So it's awesome out by yourself and they hikers again through their and then, Got down had our lunch, another good lunch, very old kind of take our time. and then continue on one point, we've packed a passed, a pack of Sled dogs with my, I mean I had to have been sled dogs.

[42:37] Tayson: There's just, let's see what he's

[42:44] Brigham: Yeah, I don't know. It was just like, A sled dog. Like dog, sledding facility or just like a sled dog. Breeder you know or cattle or something like that cuz it was It's a lot. Even hear him for Miles. Like I heard you could hear them way before Probably at least a mile or two before I even actually.

[43:08] Brigham: The building and all the dogs.

[43:11] Tayson: yeah and then sometime after lunch there we started the bigger climb up to another section of High Country and we started to finally get into some some Lightning and thunder, but because we're in the trees, you couldn't? I mean, it's like, we were seeing the lightning, but you're definitely hear the Thunder against the Marine.

[43:29] Tayson: As we got closer to the High Country. You guys have pulled off and stopped at her tree and I had, I'd basically told these guys at this point that, like, on the climbs, I was just gonna do my thing and I see him at the top or wherever.

[43:42] Tayson: So, I caught up to you guys, you guys were kind of under a tree waiting to decide if we should go and cross the high country with the amount of lightning happening in the area. and I think at this point too, is when to lose his point of the day, previous you you kind of threw down some some miles there.

[44:06] Tayson: Derek and Katie were like, yeah, we couldn't keep up with Lucy. He started sprinting up the mountain here and taking off on us on these uphills and so, yeah, I mean any evening to say, in terms of like, what changed their how you're feeling.

[44:21] Lucy: Oh, yeah, I think I started to get used to how it was going to feel going up, those Hills. Also this part of trail on the uphills. It was, it was very, I don't know, just kind of windy. So it didn't feel as Steep on the elevation gain.

[44:39] Lucy: I was I just ended up in front and I was going to Pace that I thought everybody else was going in front in the past. And so I just started going. And uh, yeah, I don't know. I just kind of was in, in my thoughts.

[44:56] Lucy: We had just eaten lunch around then feeling refreshed and feeling motivated that this was kind of our one of our last points as of High Country on this.

[45:09] Tayson: Entry. I'm getting above tree lines. Yeah.

[45:11] Lucy: Yeah. And so I was like, I'm just gonna Kind of lock in and go and see what happens and I was expecting

[45:20] Lucy: everyone

[45:21] Lucy: to keep. Oh my guess, I felt like Dirk and Kate. I mean to bother not here to talk about it but I feel like they had been going pretty fast in the past. So I was like, okay I'm just gonna go and and Brigham was very behind me so I thought I wasn't going up but yeah it felt good.

[45:38] Lucy: I had fun.

[45:40] Tayson: yeah, I feel like from the outside in here like that there there is a noticeable turning point and I would kind of describe it as I think going out there and doing those first couple of days, there's the daunting aspect of like, okay, I've still got a hundred miles and then there's I think there's no real way around having some level of discomfort out there like everyone's feet will hurt to a certain point, you know, everyone's you know, will will get dehydrated.

Editor’s note: Discomfort and dehydration are not inevitable milestones to accept. Dehydration can become serious; prevention, symptoms, and response depend on the person and conditions.

[46:11] Tayson: Everyone will fill hot to certain point like and I think what it felt like from the outside in and I want to hear your perfect on this is that kind of got through those first two days and you got more familiar with like this is just how it feels to do some of these which, you know, it's It's not uncomfortable, but it's not comfortable, you know?

[46:32] Tayson: And it seemed like you kind of just accepted that. And then just started like looking for and just like, Cruise him, like you went over, like, a mental Tipping Point is how I do it from from the outside and does that resonate with you at all?

[46:48] Lucy: Yeah, I would say so I think that was really good way to put day knowing that after Wednesday. There'd be, you know, you're more than kind of halfway there. Yeah, is all basically a mental game. You know, accepting that this is just how was going to be.

[47:05] Lucy: And yeah, let's have some fun

[47:07] Lucy: something.

[47:09] Tayson: Yeah. So thankfully, we were able to kind of cut across that High Country still in the trees while the last of any lightning was happening. And by the time we got to the real like exposed section where we went up over, I believe it's called Georgia pass.

[47:24] Tayson: the rain had kind of cleared off, and it was just Pretty and it was really cool and there's a, there's a mountain there called. Let's see Mount Guyot. I don't know if I'm saying that right Guyot, it's almost like guy out, but it's listening to you.

[47:41] Tayson: Um, it's a 13,000 foot Peak there and that that was really pretty. So ended up kind of thinking our time, looking at that took some photos and then we started dropping off the other side. We just decided, let's stop. Well, we're still above tree line and have dinner.

[47:56] Tayson: So, we can also just look at these views and spend some time looking at these views, that was probably my favorite dinner of the trip because of the views. It's just super pretty cool temperature. And it's all so nice, like eating your dinner, knowing like the next few miles before bed or downhill, you know, like nothing too exerting.

[48:20] Tayson: So, I was just a really, really enjoyable dinner. Great views, and, and there were Taylor off towards towards the other side of Jefferson Creek there where we ended up spending the night, as we came over that I started going on the trail. It was pretty clear to us that that side of the mountain, had received, a tremendous amount of water.

[48:40] Tayson: Whether that was like, I mean, firmly heard from other people later like it, they were getting a tremendous amount of water that day. Maybe it was multiple days, I'm not totally sure. But the trail had that definitely washed out in comparison to every other part of the trail that we were on.

[48:56] Tayson: So I was also just kind of sitting there Know, being grateful that like we weren't on that side of the mountain when that other storm had come through. Because we really dodged it yet again, the, you know, the the center of some of these storms.

[49:12] Tayson: So

[49:12] Brigham: yeah, there were a lot of from there and until they're throughout the rest of the trip, honestly, it was everywhere most places, we walked it really looked like we had just kind of like been just behind the weather. Which was, it was nice because actually the I remember the first couple days was just like really dusty and when it's hot and Dusty it's even worse.

[49:36] Brigham: So I really enjoyed being old. like just have a compact soil on the trail and just It wasn't Dusty. It was pretty nice, but it definitely. You could just see like tons of debris. Just funneled down the trail and pools of like

[49:52] Tayson: pine needles and stuff like that. Or Yeah, it was it was it was really an enjoyable. Second half, thankfully not like overly muddy either. You know we got down ended up doing our camp at the bottom, where there's some campgrounds like we're in the campground but we were a little bit outside of them.

[50:12] Tayson: And then Jefferson Creek area. And on that day, I ended up tracking that we did 24 miles. So I ended up doing Significant amount of miles that day. Yeah. Any other thoughts on on day three?

[50:31] Brigham: I don't know, it was it was just nice to not be hot and the rain. and, it was it cool things down at the are fresh made everything nice, but it was never really nobody you know nobody was getting cold and shivery it wasn't we were exposed to it long enough and anybody was You know, soaked to the bone is just made the biking.

[50:54] Brigham: So was his second half of that day was Really Pleasant.

[51:00] Brigham: It was like a bit of a feeling of for me, there was way less of my kind of terrain and scenery in this in this whole trip. So I was trying to like appreciate and You know. in the bits of the trip of the of the trail that were You know, really pretty in my, in my opinion.

[51:21] Brigham: So, I was glad that we kind of had like, a bit of time at dinner time to Enjoy being up there knowing that like for the next two days, it really wouldn't be like that.

[51:37] Tayson: And we needed this the last 40 miles of this would be more. So what we would consider out of High Country you know out of the tree line would be down in the trees for the most part. So we definitely were trying to take that in and and just mentally plan for the last four miles of this Yeah.

[51:58] Tayson: Anything else. Sad Lucy

[52:01] Lucy: I grew up program on all five, it was nice to have more of an established like Campground area because in the past two days we really been searching. And like when we got to it, we knew that that was a spot. We're gonna camp.

[52:16] Lucy: And fall asleep that that night knowing that there was one more night on the drill. I was feeling great, I love camping, I like it, I love all these things, but just knowing in this long Hundred Mile Trek that

[52:30] Tayson: there was only one word

[52:30] Brigham: as a process like it's

[52:32] Lucy: a

[52:33] Brigham: It's a defined process, so there's definitely a positive. Energy that comes from, that comes from

[52:39] Tayson: that, for sure. The other, the other part that is nice is when you find a very easy campsite because there's really nothing worse than having high 24 miles in the day, and then be struggling to find a good spot to pitch a tent or level spot.

[52:56] Tayson: And there's always that concern of like, oh my goodness, how many more miles are? We gonna have to go to find a good spot or like, because somebody just end up in a spot, that's not a great spot to camp in. And so, this one really level campsites really quick and easy setup for, for sleeping at night.

[53:12] Tayson: So definitely a win win their Okay, so the next day was where we we would head and go over Kenosha Pass. Um, which is not so much a pass for us hiking, it as it is for the road system, the highway that goes through the pass.

[53:34] Tayson: Yeah, but it's a known destination. There's a campground there. So morning morning went really quite well, it rained on us throughout the night so everything was a little bit wet in the morning misty.

[53:46] Brigham: Misty. It's kind of fun. Fact, I can through that.

[53:48] Tayson: Yeah, that big that big Valley. There was was really pretty. So like a 9000 or nine or ten thousand foot, big flat Valley and kind of were skirting around the valley. So I had some some cool views, just different views Awesome. Some salamanders, you know that would come out in the in the moisture and then we you know, just kind of continued on pretty easy.

[54:20] Tayson: You know, he'll type walking and, and then got over to Kenosha pass. And we got there. We were, we were actually expecting to not have water for a good section of mileage there, as you're walking through the campground, you know, point or next to the campground pointed in.

[54:35] Tayson: So they can tell me a water down here, went down in there and were getting some water and a guy swung by. And so they've got, you know, some drinks or snacks. If you want to come over by. He was, he was a former to Colorado, Trail hiker, who was now managing that Campground some post So as we can't post, he we came down to his spot and had a had a fun conversation with him and his brother.

[54:58] Tayson: They were they were characters for sure. For sure but you know got a soda which is, I'm like a soda. I love carbonation. So, that that hit the spot for me. It didn't matter what it was. I was like, I really enjoyed that and we're able to dump some trash, you know, like our trash from from the day which was, which was good.

[55:21] Tayson: One interesting thing is, when I went to dump, my trash, I was surprised that just didn't feel like, there's that much. And one thing that every single person on this trip did this time is we all repackaged? all of our like, Peak Refuel meals.

[55:40] Tayson: And that the amount that that cuts down on on Weight. And bulk specifically in your Packers is really substantial when you're out for for five plus days. So, He's, you know, we put our our food in and well, the best advice is to put him in a like a microwave Ziploc style ice steamer bag.

Editor’s note: Repackaging freeze-dried meals changes the preparation container. Use only containers explicitly rated by their manufacturer for the intended hot-water temperature and method.

[56:04] Tayson: And it really does, it just cuts down a lot on on the bulk and the weight. So there's there's definitely one good takeaway there. The rest of that day. Might have been my least favorite section. I was not feeling super great, but we had some really hot exposed hiking, that's how I felt specially.

[56:30] Tayson: So we kind of we pushed through the past, it was okay for a bit, we had lunch, it was We had some shade. I wasn't like phenomenal Chase but it's a warm that's really warm. It was really hot. Yeah, it was really hot.

[56:43] Tayson: And then right after lunch, it just got even more hot. Um, you're kind of walking through like, Sagebrush type clearing because you're still at like, 9,000 feet. I want to say But the tree coverage just was scattered and then you're walking through big open clearing for, you know, a mile or so at a time and that got really hot.

[57:09] Tayson: And, you know, and there's not necessarily that much water through. There's no water through that section. So, you know, a different situation. When passed the creek, I'm just gonna fully submerge my hoodie and stuff on my cool. The clerk temperature off. Wasn't any of that available.

[57:25] Tayson: And so man that section felt very hot and I didn't love it and my achilles was really bothering me at that point. I think, honestly, I was thinking at that point, the one good thing from that was I was thinking if we had done the Collegiate West route, 100 mile section.

[57:45] Tayson: Instead of this one, I was thinking that I don't know if I actually could have finished it because on the uphills, I was getting a lot of pain in fact that tried to stay in front of the group on one uphill and I was like redlining so I do it.

[58:01] Tayson: It's not like a steep or Long Hill. As I was like the only one where I was in the like the front of the group before a client and yeah was super painful. So, Not my favorite section of Trail which finally got to some water.

[58:14] Tayson: Cool off. I drink a bunch of water packed a bunch of water. and then we have a long section of kind of winding a gradual climbing for like, Three to five miles. I want to say nothing too steep, but just constant up And so yeah, at that point again.

[58:36] Tayson: I don't know where you guys ended up. I just kind of separated off and started on my own pacing again, but Yeah, I mean any additional thoughts on that that section of Trail or that that part of the day?

[58:56] Lucy: Strenuous kind of like you were saying how it's kind of up and down like manual Trail. I guess with the heat. I was just really glad that we had that section of trail on that day.

[59:08] Brigham: Yeah, it was definitely warm. Towards it. I mean, kind of towards the end of the pushing dinner time, they're We did at least get to walk in some like shaded sections of forest but it was yeah, I was really Meandering kind of gradual.

[59:26] Brigham: Trail. So there's like he walking, but Like, just not. Just yeah, warming. It was okay. No. um, so we got

[59:40] Tayson: up there, got into some some higher country, more into the trees, which is really nice, kind of walking through some of those sections. There's Bigger taller Pines, and Mike ponderosas and stuff like that. That gave us some some break once we got a little higher in there, you know, closer to dinner time.

[59:59] Tayson: I've got some water had dinner. And then we wanted to do one last push to get like some climbing done after dinner. And then we would set camp and it was looking like the climb was only a couple of miles. But it was maybe 1,000 or so.

[01:00:16] Tayson: If you decline so opted to do that, which, which was Good. I mean we ended up doing 26 miles that day but it didn't. I don't know, I didn't feel like 26 miles is easygoing. It was it was fairly mellow. And in terms of getting it done other than just the heat.

[01:00:35] Tayson: So I like we got to dinner time and we were you know over 20 miles We knew that we needed to do more than 20 miles as we got going though. And I was kind of watching like my my GPX track and and falling out along.

[01:00:50] Tayson: And we need that there was going to be some extra miles at the end of The 100. So we couldn't just do 20s every day. We knew that we'd eventually have to do some bigger miles than 20. So this was an easy day to get that done and do some extra mile.

[01:01:02] Tayson: So I ended up a 26 miles climbed up again. This spot had a really good camp spot. We're higher up so it was cooler and we stopped still fairly early. I would say, 7:30 is probably when we hit Camp, which for us. Like to actually have a camp spot picked by 7:30 is if there's a is usually a little bit earlier than we're stopping on these hikes.

[01:01:28] Tayson: So Yeah, cam sat up. Well, I'll kind of sat around for a little bit and talked and had a little bit of time and I was that was the end of that one. So At that point, we're starting our last day so I was like, four on the trail and then we're on to our very last day.

[01:01:48] Tayson: Now we had we'd shuttled our vehicles. So we were hiking to our van at the end of the trail that day and then we were gonna start driving home, a portion of that. So, the trip Day was was pretty straightforward. Was pretty much walk out of there and we also had little to no climbing which I printed.

[01:02:08] Tayson: In particular was a specially happy about A little no climbing definitely suited me best. So yeah it was it was it at that point to me felt like it was a it was we made it over, everything was going good like and we just have that last day to walk off the mountain and in a sense but the last day was not just short mileage, but we I guess it was short-term mileage.

[01:02:37] Tayson: So I have that day and at the end just under 18 miles left in the trail. but I think as per the usual, Team starts generating building a little more speed. How is acquitted to? I grew up riding horses a bit and whenever you'd like turn a horse back to the to go home, they would speed up significantly a lot faster than when they're walking away from home.

[01:03:04] Tayson: And I always kind of joke and laughed, but do you guys? I always give Derek probably the hardest time on this, but it's like that last day, especially when he knows, he's walking to the car, he typically like clicks up a few notches, and speed takes less breaks.

[01:03:19] Tayson: And he's just, he's booking it out of there. I think, I may have teased him a little bit too much because he purposely later in the day, I feel like slowed down and made sure to stay with the group. Whereas, in the past, he's like, he's out there and Brigham, is typically right there with them, I will say.

[01:03:35] Tayson: So, I think it was a milestone for Derek to not like Sprints to the car at the end. But yeah, the last day I thought it was quite enjoyable. First half the day just really walked on this really, really long. Of a valley.

[01:03:54] Tayson: But but Meadow area it's like five six miles of just one single

[01:03:59] Brigham: Valley. Just it was just like a really long narrow Valley that just had like low-lying hills on either side and it was It was basically flat. I mean just I don't know six or seven miles long and just very gradual saw bear that morning bear kind of jumped out of the actually, The Willows in the middle and yeah,

[01:04:21] Tayson: it's actually the first bear that some of the guys, on the team had seen like, while on a hike like that. So that was cool. I mean it's not on animals just like goats we saw moose we saw Bears. This was plenty of wildlife along the way, but Yeah, there was, there was a bit of one client and then after that climb, it was fairly downhill.

[01:04:50] Tayson: And I feel like it started to really heat up again. The second half of that day. and just kind of interesting, we kind of dropped into this area where it seemed like there was Different roads and cabins or homes kind of scattered down and throughout there.

[01:05:07] Tayson: So, yeah, not sure exactly what the full way out of that area was, but Yeah, it was it was pretty easy hike and essentially after after lunch to get down off there and we finished it at a good time. I want to say we were getting off trailer on 3:00 So, yeah.

[01:05:27] Tayson: And Yeah, we all made it through. No, no one had to get off the trail this time, which was, which was great. We love those ones. and, overall, just just A solid trip. Nothing nothing too eventful, nothing too crazy, nothing, you know, no terrible trail conditions, no massive thunderstorms that, you know, pin down Intense or pin us down and passes.

[01:05:56] Tayson: So, and a lot of ways, even though you're like the whole time you're like, please don't put us in the thunderstorm. Like like that's like the last thing you want. There's maybe slightly less, major events to to address, which is overall a good thing.

[01:06:12] Brigham: Yeah. I felt like I felt like it was one of those smoothies we've ever had. It was just really smooth sailing, really easy going. Like, Dan on the train wasn't real. There wasn't a lot of compounding difficulty in the trail. Yeah, turns of issues and obstacles are old UPS like it was.

[01:06:36] Brigham: Definitely been sailing. I mean like if you think that there was the one day where we did oh which said 26 miles would like we ended that day early than any other day. You know, there's something to be said for the trail conditions, the terrain.

[01:06:53] Brigham: another thing I think is that It's interesting that. You know, whatever Pace that you had to do to manage with your like Achilles or whatever. The. injury to your Achilles, you know, I mean like you you mentioned you needed to slow down on the uphills but it's pretty interesting that no matter like what that pace is it's not or no matter how fast somebody else that may be like going ahead of the group, pretty much end up at the same place.

[01:07:27] Brigham: You know, maybe one person, one or two people are waiting for like 10 minutes at a water stop. But over 20, 25 miles. You know. It's like the average pace between the fastest and the slowest person. At any given time, you can still cover a lot of miles in a really efficient way.

[01:07:51] Brigham: you know, I mean, we never ended up ending up in a spot. Half hour after dark.

[01:07:58] Lucy: Mmm.

[01:07:58] Tayson: So Yeah.

[01:08:00] Tayson: Think like you can't just like Meander down the trail, like we definitely hike with with purpose in terms of like speed, you know? But What's I would say was more important for getting mileage. Done a lot of the time is The amount of breaks you take versus like being a quarter of a mile, an hour, or half a mile an hour faster than someone you can definitely eat up a lot more time and breaks and stop time.

[01:08:25] Tayson: Then then just like pushing an extra 20% on a climb if that makes sense. I mean I was kind of making conceited. the like thoughts to be like, all right, I slowed down the hills and then I push a little harder per se to try to the gap down on the flats or the downhills, to make sure it's keeping up with the group, but I think overall people And maybe you can speak to the Lucy after like having me how you hide before doing the shape

[01:08:54] Tayson: down and 100 mile hike. With us. But There's, there's a difference I think for people. that are doing to my days to realize, like hiking is what we're doing and set of like hiking to a stop point and Hiking to a stop Point that's like you just like again and kind of comes back to like that you start tracking your brakes more than your time walking.

[01:09:15] Tayson: If that makes sense. How to but to recap, maybe unlike your, your 100 mile experience and how you what your takeaways were from it, I guess, maybe start with a concept of like,

[01:09:32] Lucy: Yeah, it was definitely new for me. Doing 20 miles a day, you really have to just walk and walk and walk. but I now, I don't know if I could really like, go back. Because you it is really satisfying to cover a lot of ground.

[01:09:54] Lucy: Like I remember, From Monday, to Tuesday, we were at, you know, one of the certain high points on Tuesday and we were able to see across the way one of the spots that we had seat. Like just had a totally different angle and it was really satisfying to see that.

[01:10:12] Lucy: You know, we covered that much ground and like small amount of time and so yeah, definitely. Very different from what I was used to but I'm, I'm looking forward to doing that more.

[01:10:24] Tayson: Yeah. What's your? I don't know. Words of advice for someone who's never done 100 miles. Hem. You being like the freshest to have done it with the group. Yeah. What do you what do you say to that person? I guess.

[01:10:39] Lucy: Um, be mindful about the food you're packing.

[01:10:44] Tayson: Wait, he never told us much about the food. What was wrong with your food?

[01:10:47] Lucy: Oh, just the repetition. And just like even something small with you know, my like gummy snacks. I kind of had like the same assortment every single day and I kind of wish I broke it up. So okay Monday is sorry about kids, like Tuesday is features.

[01:11:05] Lucy: It's like to have more things to look forward to in those break times or just feeling all along the way. I feel like overall that could be words of advice but I was really impressed with myself that I didn't get too many headaches like fairy minimal.

[01:11:22] Lucy: I'm usually pretty prone to that. So just words of advice is like always stay. Like up to date, I guess on electrolytes, you know, like every one layer water, I had a leader of electrolytes and just a kind of switching off every time I would hydrate and salt tablets just being really consistent on hydration, helped get me through.

Editor’s note: Electrolyte and salt needs vary with the person, conditions, exertion, diet, and health. This personal routine is not a universal hydration protocol.

[01:11:50] Tayson: Oh, Marcia. um, He has, I just look at some of the, the last, you know, things I noted down. One of the conversations we had was around shoes and I think pretty much everyone now that goes out on these. Hikes. We really plan getting a brand new set of shoes, really close to the start of the 100 mile hike.

[01:12:11] Tayson: So we have like the freshest foam underneath our feet. That's definitely something that is that is solid. I guess I can speak a little bit to those Trail. Those Trail Ventures, those Topo shoes. I did actually like them. I just think I needed to break them in and figure out a lacing strategy.

[01:12:27] Tayson: Earlier on, I never blistered on the one foot, it was only on the other foot. I did feel like they were a little bit more stiff along the bottom. So you have a trail with a lot more. Like Round Rock jobby rocks that are poking up like directly pinpointing up through the shoe.

[01:12:43] Tayson: I think I would prefer that shoe over the HOKAs that I've used for a lot of years. I still try running on the coast, I still like those the most for that. But as far as hiking, I thought they were good. So don't necessarily just say because someone got a blister in his shoes.

[01:12:57] Tayson: It's a bad shoe to me. That was 100% leasing issue and, and a lack of maybe additional training and my feet being a little bit more calloused per se But we had a lot of blisters between the entire group and so yeah, just make sure that you're stopping early and taking care of blisters.

[01:13:18] Tayson: Early pre-taping before blister forms is a great thing and so far our preferred method is still to use Leukotape. So take that for what it's worth. The other thing I guess last things here so we still have 40 miles left from from where we ended to Denver.

Editor’s note: Foot-care products and techniques should match the wound, skin, footwear, and current professional guidance; stop and assess pain early rather than treating this account as a fixed protocol.

[01:13:38] Tayson: Plan right now is just to like, day trip that if my achilles heals. Well, I may be, I'll be out in Denver in October. I may be able to just go like trail run, that lasts, 40 miles. And then next year, when we go up and do the West Collegiate section, that will be our last section of the Colorado Trail, and we'll have have completed that.

[01:14:01] Tayson: So I guess last thing is I did I did come off the trail and go like evaluate my achilles with the doctor. So I had torn it. I had a 25% partial tear on my Achilles and so I'm supposed to be in a boot for four, six weeks.

Editor’s note: The diagnosis, recovery timeline, and October plan reflect this speaker’s September 2026 situation. Tendon injuries and return-to-activity decisions require individualized medical evaluation.

[01:14:18] Tayson: I did not last that long took the boot off because it was causing back pain and other things. But yeah, as I guess as I reflect back on that, like whether it's a good decision or bad decision to keep hiking, the major thing that I was constantly evaluating on the trail is, is it getting worse?

[01:14:35] Tayson: Am I doing more damage? And that's kind of where like, because of those trail conditions I did not feel like I was and that turned out to be right. Like when I consulted with a doctor they're like, Yeah, you like you probably didn't make it worse, you just weren't healing it right away.

[01:14:51] Tayson: Like you didn't start the healing process on it, but you probably didn't make it worse. And so my, my diagnosis, I guess in the mountains was was accurate in the sense that like it was okay for me to continue. I do feel like if I was on much rougher Trails where I was constantly having to push off my toe or like when you're coming down he'll sometimes you got to land on your toe.

[01:15:10] Tayson: I think that would have been a recipe for disaster and it might have actually been my first like time that I would have had to do got off Trail. I really don't know if I could have done that or if I had done it I would have been sending you guys like ahead and I would have just found you after dark essentially because I would have slowed me down that much.

[01:15:32] Tayson: But we also recently talked at and asked of view podcast about just kind of mindset and like the don't quit mindset and funny enough, right? Before we had gone on the trail. I had a conversation with someone. About quitting and how like I feel like I had I don't know like in a lot of different ways.

[01:15:52] Tayson: About something that's like being a part of my life is not quitting and like making it a point in like never quit things and I don't think I'm not giving out his advice. Not only I don't I think there's times when you probably should tap out of things and and whatnot, but I do think there is a must a muscle, a mindset that you can take into some of these that's valuable and, and You can definitely tap out of hikes and things before you should or

[01:16:19] Tayson: before or times. When you would look back and regret maybe quitting a hike too early. And I feel like in this situation, if I had come off the trail on day two, I think I probably would have regretted that later on that's not to say that it didn't hurt like heck and was not my it was honestly this is not my favorite 100 mile hike.

[01:16:41] Tayson: It was it was not my favorite under my eye because I was just hiking in pain the whole time but I think I would have regretted it to have not heard of come off, Charlie. I know I would have regretted it which is why I continued, I guess to stay out there.

[01:16:56] Tayson: So something to consider, I don't know if there's lessons in there that can apply to you guys, but that's just kind of, I guess a full recap on where that ended up and now I'm Trying to rehab this because I got some big plans to do in September.

Editor’s note: The later medical feedback and the speaker’s regret calculation describe this specific case. They do not establish a safe field test for continuing with a suspected tendon injury.

[01:17:12] Tayson: So we'll see how that that ends up going but Any last? Last thoughts I'm using. So on the whole, the hike as a whole.

[01:17:22] Brigham: Um, I'd say this is probably my least favorite

[01:17:27] Tayson: Conner saying this at the end of it too. After I've already listened to the whole thing.

[01:17:32] Brigham: Well, I mean there's I Just there's things. I think about. Everybody hikes for different reasons, you know. And The 100-mile hike of the objective is the 1 0 0. oh, that doesn't mean. Don't do it, there's just you know my preferences are different than Lucy's or Tayson's, or Derek and Caden’s.

[01:17:55] Brigham: And it was, it was just it was different. I like spending time in the mountains because typically that's where I can get away from civilization and Yeah, I don't. it's for me, it would be disingenuous to not mention things like yeah, I don't really typically like hiking within a mile of a freeway or crossing through towns and Out.

[01:18:22] Brigham: And so it I still find ways to enjoy what I'm doing or enjoy the mountains and take them for what they are. But, you know, like, okay, I think I was telling my wife like Maybe 10 to 15% of this Trail, I really liked.

[01:18:42] Brigham: Wow. Which is like, I think most people that Hike like big sections of Trail. I think that's okay. You know what I mean? Like you telling me everybody's the the PCT is gonna say they like to 100% of the scenery probably not. But It was, I'd say 10 to 15% of this section, was the type of terrain.

[01:19:10] Brigham: The type of scenery that that I really enjoy the rest of it was just okay. so, I mean, all that says is like I've been to some really pretty places and but that's I think. Probably for people's preferences like expect that there's going to be sections of trail that you don't love.

[01:19:34] Brigham: and that's okay, that's that's really kind of all that I'm saying is I'm really bummed other than to just recap day by day. Like, talk about some of the things that People can also expect to experience, you know, you might expect to experience.

[01:19:51] Brigham: Terrain that you really love but also expect to experience some things that are out of place, you know that are great. So yeah, for me that was those were those things, you know, the crossing the roads here in Vehicles driving, you know, 80% of the time you're hiking and but sure, made me really grateful for the really pretty places that we did go, you know, like the three or four passes that we Went over.

[01:20:20] Brigham: That's a lot different than say. Like the San Juan stretch. so does It was. Not, not the favorite but it's okay.

[01:20:33] Tayson: As I'm really bummed though that you didn't get to do that. That second leg You know, kind of from Silverton Washington because that is. Yeah, if you had missed one section of the car, out of trouble, it's too bad. That was about that section, and instead of like, this year section, but no, On a healthy back to it.

[01:20:53] Tayson: About you Lucy. I mean one question I guess I would I would have is just what did it feel like having done it now? Because you get a sense of accomplishment, did you get You know any any like that?

[01:21:04] Lucy: Yeah, definitely. I was able to just learn putting one foot in front of the other like that will get you there and yeah afterwards I guess I was kind of coming off of a high of accomplishing it. Like, I could do this, I could do that.

[01:21:20] Lucy: Like, all these different other Ventures? Like, maybe, I mean, I'm training for a marathon right now, but then after that, you know, Grand Canyon rim-to-rim is definitely like. Now, I know that I'm like, capable. I I feel like I am tough and resilient But like after a conversation that I'm I know, I'm capable of doing these things.

[01:21:41] Lucy: That I've also wanted to do. So

[01:21:43] Brigham: that's awesome because we were just started about that in the podcast. You mentioned earlier about just Met like mentally going through getting through things. And we talked about like, how just having done something is a huge step in doing anything in the future.

[01:21:59] Brigham: Not because now, you know what, it's like to just Walk for 20 miles. Plus or minus a little bit just because, you know, that's just what you have to do for the day. So

[01:22:10] Lucy: yeah,

[01:22:11] Brigham: goes a long way.

[01:22:13] Tayson: I think I think that's just a great way to wrap this up, honestly, as we will do the 100 Mile Challenge again, if this sounds like something you'd be interested in doing, make sure our email list and we'll let you know. We start doing sign ups.

[01:22:26] Tayson: Usually around January and we had over 1,000 people that did this with this this year and we continue to do it for just what Lucy described there is, kind of that empowerment that people get as they go and do you know, they just push it on limits as they pushed her limits, go farther than they've gone in the past that big goals accomplish big goals.

[01:22:46] Tayson: And it's DIY challenge. You get to set the goal, you get to set what you want to make happen. But you know we just know that on the other side of that. That there's that there's great things or senses of accomplishment. There's extended Horizons.

[01:22:58] Tayson: There's there's new opportunities. So I hope that, you know, any of you guys listening to, this will join us in future years. This is something we don't do for profit at OV like we we break even on this. That probably lose money but we do it because it's of the stories that we get and the community that gets developed inside the Facebook group for the 100 Mile Challenge.

Editor’s note: The OV 100 Mile Challenge and signup details reflect the September 2026 recording. Check current Outdoor Vitals communications for present availability and terms.

[01:23:23] Tayson: There's just story after story. It's just it's phenomenal to read of people, you know, just kind of summing up just like, just, like Lucy did or talking about all the benefits that got whether that's physical benefits, or they build a relationship, you know what, with friends or family, you know, from going and doing things like this or just expanding their own Horizons.

[01:23:43] Tayson: So hopefully, you guys will join with us. Despite it not being our favorite hike of the, you know, five or whatever, or six, the hikes that we've done as a team on these 100 milers, it was still a really enjoyable experience. I still really enjoyed it.

[01:24:00] Tayson: Glad that I did it and really happy too to just have another section done on the bigger goal of hiking, the entire Colorado Trail as a team. So yeah just really, really excited about that. But appreciate you guys listening in. If you found value in this or you've got a hiking buddy that you think needs to hear this.

[01:24:21] Tayson: And go 100 mile hike with you next year, please share it with definitely appreciate that. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast and we'll catch you guys in a future episode.