Bikepacking The CT: Princeton Hot Springs, Foos, Tank 7.

July 25th started on segment 13 at Cottonwood Pass.

Passed the trailhead to 14r Mount Shavano near the highway 240 crossing.

Our ride started with a steep 1000ft of climbing then we quickly dropped 2000ft descending into Princeton Hot Springs where we had ice cream and resupplied. I was a little disappointed as this place struck me as more of a tourist trap then a place where I could soak tired legs. After Princeton there was another quite steep rocky hike-a-bike and the rest of segment 14 was a lot of up and down on rocky rough trail. A camping place near Cree Creek not far from highway 50 is as far as we got today.

Cree Creek camp dinner.

We met a group ride coming the other way today. They had support vehicles meeting them at the segment trailheads and so only had to carry a little food and water. 

Reid caught up to us today and his father rode out and did part of the trail with him.

This was a very tough day for me. We had single digit low temperatures overnight and my summer sleeping bag was not good for this. I put on everything i had and was still too cold to sleep. Next time I will have a better bag and down middle layer.  Today my eyes had puffed up and I was hurting from the start which just got worse as the day progressed. By the days end the body was starting to shut down and I was worried about falling but luckily had only one minor tipover. Hopefully tomorrow will be better as it starts with a 3000ft climb up to Foos.

Top of Fooses Creek Trail

July 26th - Cree Creek to Tank Seven.
Followed Fooses Creek Trail for nine miles ascending 3000ft on nice trail up to the last mile which was super steep on loose aggregate. It was five miles to Marshall Pass and then on to segment 16. We rode as far as Tank Seven Creek and camped.
We met Reid twice today. The first time  at Marshall Pass where I bought two freeze dried packets from him and then again nine miles later. We noticed that he had dropped his stormshell on one of the descents. James picked it up and we returned it to him a few miles later where he had stopped to camp. I think he was pretty happy about that.

An eroded section near Marshall where motorized vehicles use the trail