The view near Bald Mountain.
Wildflowers near Silver Prince creek
Wildflower-covered slopes near Silver Prince Creek.
Me 'n the flowers. The CT isn't really strenuous -- if you take your time, pretty much anybody can complete it.
This is the segment in which I came closest to spotting a bear. Only about a third of hikers on the CT -- to judge by my informal questionnaire -- ever actually see a bear over the course of their adventure, and nobody that I asked has actually been bothered by one, whether food is kept in the tent or not. But 'round about mile 8.5, where I was walking early in the morning, a dayhiker headed the other way said they'd seen one not ten minutes back. The man's yappy yorkshire terrier, straining at its leash, had terrified the bear and sent it fleeing.
Many car-campers along the trail asked me if I wasn't frightened of the wildlife. Well, no, not exactly. For one thing, grizzlies are vanishingly rare in the area, and aren't habituated to humans, anyway. For another, with my big pack and wildly-flailing walking sticks, I'm roughly troll-sized -- and not the cute kind of troll, either. After a week on the trail, most hikers probably smell rather like a troll, too. Cows look on hikers with a slow, bovine anxiety. The dogs I met nervously tried to herd their humans away, or took a stand to defend their families. Squirrels chattered their alarm. Everything else out there -- with the possible exception of birds, such as one angry young hawk near Salida who keeps trying to divebomb passing hikers -- is intimidated by humans.
Non-primate animals have a harder time of it. Twice along the CT, I found a thoroughly gnawed young deer leg lying in the trail. Just a leg. That's it; nothing else. What kind of critter kills something and then just leaves the legs off? And right in the middle of where I'm walking, too. Sheesh.
Why, oh why?
The end of this segment is very close to the half-way point, and if you haven't had a shower since Breckenridge, it's tempting to splurge on a fancy hotel room here. The Princeton Hot Springs Hotel, however, is often booked very much in advance. Also, other hikers have reported that if you arrive at the front desk looking like, well, someone who hasn't had a shower since Breckenridge, the hotel staff may claim falsely not to have rooms available. The is a Fancy Place. Or something.
Instead, I used their courtesy phone to call Cheri, who runs the Roca de Tiza, a bed and breakfast just up the road. Her rates are roughly comparable to the hotel's ($140), but you get an enormous breakfast, free pickup and dropoff to a point of your choosing (if you'd like to skip the long walk along the busy road, for example), laundry, and all the bathing supplies of which you've been dreaming. No tiny hotel shampoos here, but rather a selection of oils and creams and soaps and bubblebaths and conditioners -- it's a wonder I ever left the bathtub. Roca de Tiza is some distance from the nearest hotsprings, however, it does have an outdoor jetted hottub overlooking the river, as well as an enormous deck, swinging chairs, hummingbirds aplenty, a book exchange, deeply comfortable couches, a pool table, a fire pit, deer browsing in the back yard in the morning, gorgeous architecture... and Cheri, who is pretty darned awesome, not least because she built the all-wood house herself. She's also fantastically accommodating, will let you use her landline, and even permit you to check in early if she can, so that you can run and lock yourself in the bathroom and hug yourself with happiness. If you're going to treat yourself, definitely try Roca de Tiza -- they do have only four rooms, though, so call ahead. Cheri: 719-395-8034
A bridge over one of Maxwell Creek's many streamlets. I'm consistently impressed by the volunteer-built bridges along this trail. They are, quite frankly, a marvel. In Malawian villages, footbridges used daily by hundreds or thousands aren't built nearly this well. I'm still not sure why; there are plenty of trees of this size in most areas, and everyone has the tools needed for a bridge like this: a nail or two and a really big machete. Strange.
My pack takes a breather near Dry Creek.
The road you follow down into Princeton Springs. Last chance for cell phone service.
The Roca de Tiza, exterior.
The Roca de Tiza, bar and breakfast table.
Databook update suggestions:
2.5
This is a beautiful little valley, and would make a fantastic place to camp. The final climb is very steep and nasty in stormy weather.
4.8
Note that this water source is hidden down a gully to your right, and is hard to find. Don't necessarily count on getting water here.
6.0
This bit looks (from the elevation profile) like a very, very steep descent -- but switchbacks have now been added, and it is presently a very pleasant section of trail. It is exposed in case of rain, though.
8.0
A trail heads steeply down to the left, to the edge of a beaver lake. It had fish and possible campsites. Stay high for the CT.
11.6
It's actually really hard to tell where this saddle is located along the trail. Don't worry, there aren't any intersecting trails, so you really can't get too lost.
12.8
There was a tiny little stream running across the trail here, a couple days after heavy rain. Silver Prince Cr is up ahead.
14.0
Maxwell creek was actually a series of about five small babbling streams, all winding their way down a small wooded valley.
15.9
A nice sized creek, but shallow, so probably no fish. Last water for 4.5 miles.
17
The trail abruptly disgorges you onto an enormous dirt road. No camping past this point -- not that you'd probably want to.
19.5
The view coming into town is fantastic. Follow the road as it heads downhill, bends left, ends in a T intersection. There is no cellphone reception in this valley.
20.3
The CT hits a T-intersection and turns right, heading down the paved road for a darned long ways. The main hot springs hotel is directly ahead at this intersection -- you'll need reservations in advance, especially friday, saturday, and sunday. The convenience store is superb for restocking; it's across the street and 100yds to your left, sharing the parking lot with the main hotel. Make sure to check in the upright refrigerated cases directly ahead -- mmm, tasty cheese!
Elevation profile is mainly correct.
----> Onward, to segment 14!
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