Backpacking Day 2

After a chilly night we were eager to get moving early in the morning. By 7:30 we were on the trail and heading for lower elevations---eventually. We first had to hit a 11,700+ saddle before we could begin our descent.


We obtained the highpoint of the trail around 11:00 and Dan wanted to check out Zephyr Peak to the west. It topped out at 12,067 and had awesome views of everything! We could see Pike's Peak, Fairplay, and mountains to the west and north of us.

Later in the afternoon we got off the Brookside trail and started heading east on the Colorado Trail. Despite some intermittent snow we made good progress. In fact, by the time we reached our campsite for the night (which was off the trail in the dense forest) we had gone 10 miles. Not too bad if you ask me.

Night #2 was definitely flatter and a bit warmer than the first night. We tried to find the Beaver Ponds before we hit the sack, but didn't make it before we lost sunlight. It was a fun excursion, though.