Day 28 to Mount Flora

Our penultimate day on the trail was a blast. We stayed high and on the divide all day. We crossed 4 wheel drive Jones Pass in the morning then entered the Vasquez Peak Wilderness. The trail tread was good and the views great despite the haze. Mid day we crossed above the Henderson Mine, second only to the Climax Mine outside of Leadville, in its production of molybdenum. Unlike Climax this mine was underground so wasn't an eye sore but the constant hum of machinery did make it an ear sore.

After four weeks of hiking and trying every form of energy bar imaginable we came up with a hierarchy. Our criteria were: cost, taste, durability and the all so important calorie per ounce. The winner- the humble Snicker bar with a price and calorie per ounce that can't be beat. Durability in warm climates may be a concern but for us high in the mountains this trip that was a non issue. Kind bars were second though first for taste. Generic Kroger sweet and salty tied Cliff bars for third. Odwalla, Luna and the others weren't worth packing.

It felt strange to descend to Berthoud Pass at 11300 our lowest point of the day. I was used to climbing up to the pass on the drive to Winter Park. Originally I had thought we should end our trip here. Always the one to set high goals, Cassi convinced me that we should keep walking all the way to my parent's condo in Fraser. We called it a day at 13000 feet at a flat spot on the side of Mount Flora. It was our highest camp yet and an appropriate location for our last night. Unfortunately our last supper was tainted by olive oil that had gone bad. Storm clouds streamed above while bighorn sheep scampered on the cliffs below. We felt torn. In one sense we were coming home. In another sense we were all ready there.