Mile 169.2 – 179.4 (+3.5 mile side trail to town)
WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT AND DAY.
The wind really picked up right after I set up my tent, and even cantaloupe-sized rocks couldn’t keep my stakes in the ground.
There were four tents at my campsite, two of them broke (thankfully not mine).
Even with my rainfly on, the dust and sand blew into my tent and all over everything, including in my eyes, nose, mouth and ears.
When I tried sleeping on my back, the tent side was so blown over by the wind that it was against my face, suffocating me.
The wind was so forceful on trail that I kept taking a knee, afraid that I would be caught off-balance by the wind and tumble off the narrow trail. I had to navigate around rockslides and blow-downs in the wind.
The wind finally died down around the time the snowpack became intense. For about 4-5 miles, deep snow completely obscured the trail. I found myself post holing up to my waist way too many times.
Wet, exhausted, and footsore, I stumbled into the lodge where I made my reservation – only to find out that they had moved it somehow, and everything in town was booked. The resolution was for me to sleep in the owner’s spare bedroom.
