Day 40-43 Salida - Indianna Pass

You have to get to a point where your mood and direction doesn’t shift based on the actions of someone else. I left Salida with a renewed determination to get to New Mexico. The next climb was a monster, the highest and toughest on the whole route. Indianna Pass, standing at an impressive 11,958 ft above sea level in the Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, the road to the summit is completely unpaved. The road is pretty steep but not impossible. You know those dreams where you can’t run and it seems like you are in quick sand?, that is how it felt at times. I was looking at the road thinking this should not feel this hard. When I eventually did reached the top, it was above the tree line, it didn’t look as if I was at the top of a mountain, more like I had arrived at a golf course surrounded by mountains. Instead of immediately descending, I wanted to spend the night at the summit under the stars, but the wind was at 20mph, Undeterred I set up my tent in a place to try to avoid the high winds. Making my dinner on my little stove then hanging the rest of my food in a tree so the bears didn’t eat it, I felt a sense of achievement for continuing on and excitement for the night that lay ahead. Settling down for the evening, a huge white Pyrenean sheep dog came bounding over. These dogs are raised with the sheep to protect them from predators, so they can be notoriously vicious. This boy however just wanted a love. He sat outside my tent protecting me like one of this flock all night. The stars that night were incredible, totally no light pollution and sleeping under the Milky Way. By far the best and cheapest hotel I have ever stayed in. And so for the decent and onwards to Platero I go and New Mexico here I come.Read more