CDT50
13th June Tuesday
22 miles
Collegiate West low Route (Mirror Lake alternative)
Fortunately there are a few alternatives along the CDT, the one I’m taking today is the low route where this avoilds the high mountains passes which would require long climbs of up to 12,500 feet for most of the 30 miles, I’m hoping for an easy 25 mile walk today with the understanding that I do have a long climb at the end of the day to get back onto the main trail again.
Mirror Lake
Slow start with a nice sleep in of 7 am, I missed out with the sun hitting my tent so the best I could do was put my cold wet trail runner out in the sun to warm then up and hopefully make then a little dryer.
As I arrive at Mirror Lake, I had a stream to cross and as there was only one for the day, I took time out and removed my boots and socks and crossed with my plastic camp shoes. Nothing worse that having wet boots and socks to make your feet soft which in turn create problems.
Before leaving my camp site, I washed my socks in the stream then tiled them to my backpack to dry, however, when I stopped for lunch the socks were frozen, I didn’t realise it was that cold.
Mirror Lake looks to be a popular spot for fishermen as there were three groups trying their luck and there looks to be plenty of camp sites.
ATV passing by
I stopped for lunch and from a distance I could hear a motorbike making it’s way up the trail, it was in fact a ATV, it stopped briefly and asked if I had seen any bears, no I replied and i thought to myself that with the noise of that ATV , you’ll definitely not see any if that’s what you are planning. They hired the vehicle and it looks like fun and after the carried up the hill, they returned because the trail was blocked from a fallen tree.
Mirror Lake from a distance
I’m camped next to a stream which is about 25 miles from Twin Lakes so hopefully tomorrow I’ll get there in the early afternoon as I have a box of goodies to pickup, there’s even a campsite there so depending how things go, I may camp at the paid campsite to charge up batteries, WiFi and of course have a hot shower