15-05-15.    Day 34.  Ghost Ranch – Mark Trail CDT

Hiking The Continental Divide Trail
Mark Trail CDT 2015

Since we had a relatively short day we made hot water at 6:00 am. We took out time trying to empty our pack of food. Shoving in the last crumbs of crumpled crackers and nuts. Whatever we had to eat. Yumm.

 

 

We packed up and headed to the Ghost Ranch Living Museum. As we walked up to the doors you could tell there was nothing living at the museum. It looked like one day someone locked the doors and never come back. The weeds were growing up through the pavement and the front sign was removed. We looked around for the “Nature Trail” we were supposed to follow to the ranch. We found the trail on the right side of the building with all the signs still identifying plants sometimes that were there otherwise, long gone. It was spooky… Get it…. “Ghost Ranch”….OK.

 

As we hiked the temperature dropped. I looked over my right shoulder and it was coming. I put on my pack cover and rain coat bracing for and racing for the ranch. The rain started to really come down as we reached the registration building. “What do you want to do? Camp?” I asked. “Get a room if they had one” Sourdough said. I was all in. The rain poured as we arrived just in time.

We split the room four ways and bought lunch and dinner tickets. We quickly took showers and was at the front of the line for lasagna and the salad bar… Oh Boy…..It was great. My body craved fresh greens and I was more than willing to shove it in. I ate for the full lunch hour…

Susan, one of the Ghost Ranch Staff asked us if we were hikers. Of course, come sit with us. She offered to take us to buy some beer for us on her next break… What a wonderful place.

Sourdough had food for two since Phil went home so I lucked out. Sorry Phil. I forwarded my food I sent to myself at Ghost Ranch to Lake City, CO since it was the next stop that needed 5 days of food.

It was Bluegrass Camp this week at Ghost Ranch, our lucky day. We listened to the students play and it was wonderful. After the show, there was a impromptu hiker party back at the corral dorm rooms. Yippee….

At 10:00 I drifted off to sleep…happy I wasn’t in the rain or snow.

Ghost Ranch.  8 Miles.

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