SUMMARY:  It was quite a challenge loading our packs this morning—we had all the usual stuff PLUS snowshoes and ice axe.  But we figured it all out and headed to the train station for our ride back up to Cumbres Pass.  Wow, was that fun!  The engine huffed and chuffed its way along–according to the resident “docent”, it takes 2 1/2 TONS of hand-shoveled coal to make it to the top!  Then (with train passengers cheering for us) off we went on the CDT.  It was nice trail at first (only some fallen trees and creek crossings) but then there was more and more snow, much on steep sidehills and in forest, where it was hard to see where to go.  But we always found the trail again, and the views are spectacular–snowy mountains, deep valleys.  It rained for a couple of hours.  Tonight we are on a ridge at 11,6001.

DETAILS:  Before breakfast this morning, we loaded up our packs–quite a challenge, with all the usual stuff, plus extra food, plus snowshoes and ice axe.  I lashed my snowshoes to the top of the pack, where I could get at them easily.  But when I lifted it up to try it on, oh man!  Heeeeavy!

Down in Chama, there was no snow at all; the morning was sunny and warm.  We stuffed ourselves with a great breakfast, then went over to the train station to get our tickets for the ride back up to Cumbres Pass.  ($25 each)  Then Fixit went off to do last minute stuff, while I went to mail the journal and have one last “garden fix”.  When we are hiking all summer, the one thing I miss is my garden–I grow pretty much all our veges and some of our fruit.  So I really enjoyed seeing the vege garden preparations going on in people’s yards.  I think every yard had a lilac bush in full bloom–beautiful!

Lots of people were gathering at the train station, and I enjoyed talking to a “re-enactor” couple who come along to add a bit of late 1800’s “color” to the train ride.  The guy re-enactor was dressed as a Texas Ranger, and his wife was with him.  Finally came the call, “All Aboard!” and the train began chuffing its way up to Cumbres Pass.  It’s a 4% grade, with only one engine, so that locomotive was really working hard!  Docents came by periodically to tell us interesting tidbits.  For example, it takes 2 1/2 tons of HAND-SHOVELED coal to get the train up to the top of the pass.  That means the fireman is lifting about 35 lb. of coal per shovelfull.  Wow, he has muscles!  Also, the black smoke coming out of the smokestack also contains many hot cinders (despite the screen designed to minimize them).  So travelling along behind the train is a little “fire engine” that puts out all the fires that are started along the tracks by the fiery cinders.  Apparently in the 1800’s and early 1900’s, when the railroad was busy serving the gold and silver mines, the trains all ran at night when everything was soaking wet with dew.  That way the cinders died a dewy death and there were no fires.

A costumed young guy walked into our passenger car and announced, “I’m Ranger Steve and I’m here to SHOOT you!”  Then he brandished a camera.  He then arranged people in family groups and took pictures.  We declined, since we were getting off at Cumbres Pass.  All the kids & parents were having a great time–there was a snack car and an observation car, and the scenery was magnificent.  When the train finally reached the pass, we were amazed to find that all the passengers waved at us and cheered as we got off.  “Happy Trails!” they shouted (many were taking pictures of us) and we yelled back, “Canada, here we come!”  Away went the train, and we faced our first challenge–finding the start of the trail.  We’d been told it was down below the trestle, and yes!  There it was, complete with a trail register!  I decided to put on my SNOW gaiters, because it looked like soon we would be in the snow.

At first the CDT was just regular trail, with an occasional fallen tree to climb over.  Sometimes there were patches of snow.  We went through three creek crossings–the last one was the hardest.  I forded it, while Fixit crossed on a log.  Gradually the snow patches grew larger, and the trail was winding and twisting uphill through forest.  Finding the route was becoming harder.  I began to feel a bit uneasy–“Oh no, here we go again, losing trail in the forest.”  But God intervened.  It was like He was saying to me, “Don’t be afraid.  I’m with you–I will help you find your way, even here.”   So every time we spotted a bit of trail in the snow, I would mentally cheer, “THANK YOU!”  to Him.  Finally the snow was everywhere, and we put on our snowshoes for the first time.  The route included several long sidehill traverses where a slip in the snow would mean a long fall to the bottom.  Normally I find these very scary, but instead, I felt God’s peace and was able to just walk across OK.

In the afternoon, it began to drip ‘n drizzle, and that continued for some time.  At one point, instead of snow,  we were crossing a clinky lava field, all shiny wet, but then it was back into deep snow and postholing.  Sigh. This Colorado snow is so soft and mushy that snowshoes don’t really help much.  It just means that when you posthole, you make a bigger hole.  We lost the trail for awhile, then spotted it again and managed to get over to it.  Up and up it went, switchbacking, to the top of a ridge where the wind was fierce.  The trail immediately plunged down into the snow on the other side, but looking ahead, we saw that if we stayed on the ridge, we could reconnect with the trail up ahead and stay out of the snow.  Fortunately, the rain had stopped and we were only dealing with wind.  Wow, the views were spectacular! Snowy mountains!  Deep valleys!   We were WAY up high!

At 7:15, we found a little hollow just below the top of the ridge, and (thank you, Lord!) the wind stopped while we were setting up our tent.  Once we were inside the tent and in our sleeping bags, the wind returned, but we didn’t care.  Here we were, at 11,600 feet, and so far we have managed OK, with God’s help.  We will see what tomorrow brings.