Colorado Hut-to-Hut Adventure – Day 3 – 9/10/12 – Pearl Peak– 5 Miles
I woke to a pink sunrise over a mountain panorama…and aheadache. I had left all of my ibuprofenin the rental car so I relied on the kindness of Mike and Cathy to keep memedicated (therefore quiet). The bestmedicine, though, was being upright and active. We enjoyed a leisurely morning with a cup of hot tea as we watched Jeffgear up for a solo peak-bagging day. Hehad an agenda longer than my arm and the face of a five-year-old at 5:00 a.m.on Christmas morning. Enough metaphors! Jeff was looking forward to the day.
Along with preparing and eating food at the huts comescleanup, heating water for dishwashing and then storing food and trash. After all, we didn’t know who else would comealong to join us and we didn’t want to be sloppy guests. By 8:30 a.m. Cathy, Mike and I set out toexplore our new world. The temperaturewas a comfortable 46 degrees. 
First we back- tracked down our little old jeep road that seemedso insur- mountable yesterday and continued past where we had joined it from thewinter ski trail. After a half milethrough the trees we took a left turn, joined an ATV track, sloped back up abovea tree line and then…let’s go straight up this hill. Mike was not giving many directions and I wasdropping mental white stones a la Hansel and Gretel so I could turn around atany point I chose. 
I walked up this hill like a glacier going backwards andwaited for Mike. Of course, at the topof it was the next hill. 
Looking back at Jackal Hut – see the “bald spot” on thetree- covered mountain in the middle ground? See the tinytrace of a trail? That’s our jeep road.
Cathy heading for a better view
Mike – the mountains behind him are farther away than theyappearAnd so it went - at the top of the next hill was another hilland then another. Mike was new to this section,as well as Cathy and I, so we were all guesstimating distances and elevationgains from the NatGeo map. All I knewwas that I still had trouble breathing and lifting my elephant legs. Even my arms felt heavy. Perhaps there was one degree difference inhow I felt yesterday, but I wasn’t confident of my hiking abilities today.
And how do I balance my “need to know” with rambling exploration? This is my constant struggle. At least here we were above tree line and Icould reconcile the map with the landscape. And what we were actually doing slogging up all those hills was climbingPearl Peak (12,147 feet).
Pearl PeakAt the summit we stopped for a good rest and a snack. The wind was brisk and we put back on thelayers we had removed, plus gloves. Mikepointed out where he wanted to go next, over the summits of Elk Mountain andSugarloaf Peaks (and back to Corbett Peak?). I decided that my turnaround point was now. It was a beautiful spot, I was feeling verygood, I knew the way back to Jackal Hut, and it just felt right. I am known for taking a “timeout alone” or “town”day on these week-long trips and I guess this was going to be my town day.
I hung out for a long while watching Mike and Cathy’sprogress to Elk Mountain
Then I looked around and tried to match up what I was seeingwith the map. I think this is NorthSheep Mountain. (Jeff, please let me know corrections.)
Looking at Corbett Peak
Elk Mountain
Sugarloaf Mountain is the peak in the center background
Just hangin' outAfter an hour or so I began to make my way back down Pearl Peak, zig-zaggingoff trail to avoid the steepest parts and the loose pebbles. Back below the tree line I stopped to eat anapple and just enjoy the solitude. Wavesof peace and contentment washed over me just like in the woods back home.
Always something interesting to ponder. What split this tree apart?That last half-mile climb on the jeep road to Jackal Hut wasstill exhausting. I was really ready toput my feet up and play lodge loafer. Atfirst I couldn’t figure out the combination lock on the front door and wasresigning myself to sitting outside for a few hours (no problem, I had food,water, sunshine), but I finally jiggled the lock the right way and it poppedopen.
The 10th Mountain huts are equipped not only withpots, pans and bedding, but also with games, puzzles, books and magazines. The books tend towards skiing and hikingtrails and history of the area, fascinating reading (no, really!). I had my own books, too, and I lounged aroundreading until I fell asleep. Howdecadent! How luxurious!
A few hours later, Cathy and Mike returned. Hearing their stories was affirmation thattheir adventures went farther than I would have been agreeable to go, soturning around was a good decision. Ididn’t reach as many summits as they did, but I was happy with my day. Jeff pulled in a little while later with hisown narrative. He had seen us wanderingaround on the peaks but we didn’t see him.
Another awesome sunset at Jackal Hut 
Supper was delicious and the guys cleaned up as Cathy and Isat on the window seats and read (now how many women can say that?) Dessert this time was lemon pudding cups, onesquare each of dark chocolate, and a glass of wine. Oh, yeah, and another round of Phase 10…
“Now he walks in quiet solitudeThe forests and the streamsSeeking grace in every step he takes…”~ John Denver
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