Colorado Trail day 2 - 15.3 This morning our alarm went off at 5 and we squirmed around in our sleep

Colorado Trail day 2 - 15.3 This morning our alarm went off at 5 and we squirmed around in our sleeping bags for a bit before having to wake up. During one such squirm, I adjusted my sleeping pad under me and all of a sudden the air leaked quickly and I was on the ground. My brand new sleeping pad popped. I found a 1 inch gash on the bottom side where a sharp rock cut right into it. Feels pretty defeating for your pad to pop on the first night. We have another night before our first resupply and I hope I dont have to sleep on the ground for it. After packing up, our neighbor Talus asked if he could interview us for his documentary he’s making about the Colorado Trail. Nate agreed and made some insightful remarks about why were hiking the CT. The first five miles this morning were easy. It was a slow & steady descent down the the South Platte river. We crossed a bridge there that felt familiar. I realized it was the same spot we shot an engagement session two years ago when we first moved here and were living in our car. Crazy how things happen like that. It’s interesting to me how familiar this all feels. The routine Nate and I have is done efficiently and quietly, we’ve both figured out the jobs we are responsible for and we do them without having to discuss it. The pain in my feet, the soreness in my hips, the blisters, all of this feels so normal. We’ve done this so much over the past few years, this all just feels like just a part of our everyday life. The day was mostly dry and hot and long. We hiked through a three mile section of a burned area where it was crazy exposed and we both got severely sunburned, despite the 45 SPF we put all over our bodies. The sun at altitude is no joke. We camped in an area just off the trail with tall pine trees overhead. We got to camp relatively early and we napped for a bit before making dinner. I patched the gash in my pad with some gear tape and it surprisingly held. Hopefully it will last till Buena Vista where I can swap it out for my old one. -- source link

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