In the morning I passed Hopewell lake campground, it's Sunday I found out. There was loads of campers here and was a slightly overwhelming with everyone packing up and driving out on the dirt road I walked. I got some waves and some weird looks. Very rarely do people actually know what thru-hiking is or the CDT is out here. Deep down I was hoping there would be some juicy trail magic waiting for me under one of the gazebos full of picnic tables. Beggars can't be choosers.

Not too far back on trail I ran across a napping Brit who did happen to know of the trail, his name was Johnathan. He was from Taos and claimed to have filmed a commercial that was CDT related. I never got what it was for exactly. I sat down and chatted with him for a good while about the hike. Since he works in the film industry in Taos I mentioned that I've done grip and lighting work before. Perhaps I could work out here sometime in the future.

Moving on, a two track rose above 10,000ft and I could definitely start to feel the altitude while moving at a good pace. I stopped for some munch time and ate the fastest I've eaten yet on the hike. Hiker hunger has set in.

Eventually the trail opened up into a vast soggy field of winding streams and cow crap. Isolated thunderstorms loomed in the distance, so I took my harmonica out and fiddled with it until the wind and rain hit me for a short while, maybe 30 minutes. As I curved around the valley a pair of Elk scampered off to a tolerable distance from me, but seemed to begin walking with me up the valley. When I stopped they stopped, I laughed out loud. Another storm passed through and they disappeared into the nearby woods.

I too continued to the woods the wind was making the trees sway like crazy. I dropped my trekking pole after the suction from the ground pulled it from my hand and, WHOOM, about 20ft in front of me a tree fell. Not terribly big, nor would it have likely hit me if I hadn't dropped my pole. The "What are the odds of the tree falling on you" or "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound?" thoughts started going through my head. I guess trees do make sound while falling and the odds aren't that low out in this terrain, in this weather, of it falling on your noggin.