Day 18 to Cottonwood Pass

We woke to coyote packs serenading each other from distant ridges while herds of elk grazed the meadows below. Descending Wild Cat Pass we came across a Southwest Youth Conservation Corp crew doing trail work. They were building beautiful switchbacks to replace the old eroded trail. We thanked them for their hard work. They were glad to see their hard work get used.

We ascended on dirt road to Tin Cup Pass. A rowdy mining district in the 1800's now it was over run with ATV's. Numerous signs reminded us to stay on the road yet cows grazed this area in all the high meadows. The vegetation in this valley was sparse and the wildlife gone. In my opinion bovines should not be allowed above treeline. The amount of damage they do to alpine ecosystems is incalculable.

Fortunately the dirt road was fast and we were soon back on trail, the Timberline Trail to be exact. It was nice to get away from the machines and cows but the trail itself was badly eroded, rutted and rocky. A closer look at the map showed the Timberline Trail to be open to motorized use. We did not see them much, only 3 times in the 24 hours we followed the Timberline Trail, but the ATVs and motorcycles were hard on the tread.

Cassi's knee was much improved and she returned my hiking pole to me. I was glad to have it back. Eventually we crossed the well graded road over Cottonwood Pass. A few miles past, our feet sore from the rocky trail, we called it a day.

new plants seen-King Boletus mushroom, monument plant, mt bluebells, fire weed, narrowleaf cottonwood

animals identified- moose, elk, marmot, pika, gray jay, Abert's squirrel, Colorado chipmunk, rosy finch, ruddy copper butterfly