After hiking Segments 1–3 in beautiful weather on dry trails last week, we had hoped to keep the momentum going and tackle Segments 4–5 the first weekend in May. I’d been closely watching the weather reports for towns near those sections, knowing segment 5 climbs to nearly 11,000 feet at one point. May 1st in Colorado Springs, we woke to a spectacularly snow-covered Pikes Peak, confirming for me that there was no way we’d be hiking Segments 4–5 this weekend. So, Project 491 is on pause for now.
We had received new ultralight backpacks in the mail since our last outing, and I was anxious to load mine up and take it for a test drive. (Karen thought I was overzealous and opted for her normal day pack.) I stuffed a climbing rope, a hammock, and a few other items into my new pack, bringing the total weight to about 25 pounds, and we drove up to one of our favorite trails in the foothills.
It was a gorgeous blue-sky day in the 60s. Snow depth increased as we gained elevation, but it was melting quickly. Around midday, surrounded by six inches of snow, we strung up our hammocks in a grove of aspens and enjoyed a peaceful nap in the silence of the forest.
On the hike out that afternoon, the snow was melting rapidly, and it felt like hiking through applesauce until we reached lower elevations, where even the snow that had been there that morning had completely disappeared. By the end of the day, we had logged 12.5 miles and roughly 2,700 feet of elevation gain—and my new pack felt pretty good.
6th Decade Adventures 