Meeting Friends at Tincup Pass Road

I left camp early, hiking along the river, taking in the views of Mount Aetna and the surrounding 12,000- and 13,000-foot peaks.

As I approached the Alpine Tunnel, the trail exploded in color — yellow sunflowers, pink and red Indian paintbrush, purple alpine daisies, bluebells, and blue and white columbines crowded the path. I stopped several times to smell the wildflowers and explore the abandoned railroad tunnel. As I left the Alpine Tunnel and climbed to the saddle above, I noticed clouds gathering on the horizon.

I hiked quickly, scanning for trees or any kind of cover. The sky continued to darken with the approaching storm. I saw lightning flash in the distance and counted the seconds until thunder followed. I looked over my shoulder and saw two hikers with their dog also racing for cover.

For four heart-pounding miles above Tunnel and Wildcat Gulches, I ran, only glancing back to see if the hikers were still behind me. The trail finally dropped into the trees, following a series of switchbacks down to Tincup Pass Road as it started to rain and hail. Relieved to be off the ridge and below tree line, I set up my tent near the bridge over North Fork Chalk Creek and sheltered from the passing storm. The two hikers arrived with their dog; they planned on camping nearby, but they had a car parked at the trailhead and offered me a ride if the weather worsened. It was comforting to have others around and the option to bail.

Later, after the storm passed, I heard from Katie, a friend thru-hiking the Colorado Trail south with her partner. She'd started her thru-hike in early July, moving fast. I hoped to time my hike so we would cross paths. Katie arrived just before hiker midnight. It was awesome to see her on her thru-hike and swap trail stories. Exhausted, we both went to sleep soon after.