50: Wolf Creek
If I had hoped to find South Fork livelier than Creede on an off season Sunday night, I was quickly disappointed. Nevertheless, I got a hotel, washed some clothes, and drank too many beers.
18 miles of asphalt brought me to the summit of Wolf Creek Pass, where I rejoined the CDT, which runs across the top of the Wolf Creek ski area (where I once saw my friend Griffen throw a monster 40’ backflip off a cliff… so much for terra incognita). From there the trail winds into the southern San Juan Mountains. I was grateful once again to see many piles of sawdust where a few months ago would have been an arduous concentration of downed trees.
The volcanic colors and shapes of the San Juan’s are unlike any other mountains encountered along the route to date… thoroughly enchanting!
After 20 miles or so of interesting and predominantly ridable trail, I hit a major junction around 7 pm with the GDMBR (which I last saw in Steamboat Springs), which will be my primary route for the next few days where the CDT passes through the Southern San Juan wilderness.
