Carolyn dropped me at Cottonwood Pass and picked me up 36 hours later at Monarch Pass. I packed light with no tent or stove. Going light allowed faster speed but I was knackered at the end of both days. I bivouacked amidst a grove of Krumholz (stunted alpine trees) on the crest of the divide.

 

 

 

 

Rocky Mountain National Park: Milner Pass-South Boundary

Traversed through this section with no pack in a 24 hour nonstop push except for a 45 minute nap on the tundra between Hallet Peak and Mount Otis. Equipment consisted of a knife, headlamp, one pint water bottle, Clif Bars, rain gear, and a microfleece shirt. My mom dropped me off at sunset on Trail Ridge Road. There was a little scrambling and climbing on solid rock in this section especially at McHenry’s Notch; it was a nice change from the rotten rock of the San Juans. I bypassed the Cleaver because I was way too tired to take the risk of climbing it without technical gear. I will return to climb the Cleaver with a partner at a later date. Upon arriving at the south boundary of the park I faced an eight mile hike out to the road in the dark. I was stumble bumming a couple miles into the darkness and lay down to fall asleep in moments only to awaken shivering uncontrollably thirty minutes later. I walked until I was warmed up again and fell asleep again in moments and repeated this through the night until reaching the road at first light.