Longstride

Today was a low-key day in Silverton, with a couple of chores completed, and lots of rest and food.

• I got breakfast at The Coffee Bear. Food (and hot chocolate) was good, but there was pretty limited indoor seating.
• I walked to the other end of town and checked out the grocery store. It looks like I can do a full resupply, once I figure out how much I need to get, but it’s going to be one of the most expensive resupplies I’ve ever done. I got a soda and ice cream sandwich.
• I returned to The Avon, grabbed my clothes, and took them to the laundromat.
• While I was waiting for my clothes to wash, I went across the street to High Noon Hamburgers, and got a cheeseburger.
• I returned to the laundromat, put my clothes in the dryer, and waited for them to finish.
• I ran into Dog Bite and Plus one at The Avon. They’d bailed off the trail during the hailstorm, hitching a (three hour!) ride back to town from a couple in a truck on one of the dirt roads I passed during or after the storm.

Steam Locomotive — Two trains (one steam, one diesel) run between Durango and Silverton each day. This is the steam engine.

• I wandered around town with Dog Bite and Plus One for a bit, then went to the post office to mail my waterproof socks and (unused) snow gaiters home. This will save about three-quarters of a pound of weight from my pack.
• We met up with Mr. Freeze, Patches, Boss, and the K2s, who are getting a ride back out to Stony Pass today. Patches actually looked rested for once.

Longstride, Patches, Plus One, Mr. Freeze, Kiernan, Dog Bite, Kite

• I got “huckleberry pie” ice cream from Rocky Mountain Funnel Cake Factory. It was pretty good.
• Returning to the Avon, I chatted with Dog Bite and Plus One. A pair of hikers came in; Cool Whip and Pokemom. They’d just hiked about 100 miles southbound to Stony Pass, and reported that there was very little snow there, and they didn’t need to use their ice axe or microspikes. I think I’m going to keep mine through Salida (about 120 miles ahead) and then reassess, but it’s good to hear a favorable snow report.
• I went to Golden Block Brewery for dinner, and got a pizza and beer. The beer, I just didn’t like, but the pizza was very good, and definitely better than the one I got at Avalanche yesterday. I couldn’t finish it all, so I took the remainder back to The Avon to have for breakfast tomorrow.
• Slowpoke arrived, having bailed out on his planned hike. He had quite an adventure, but exited it due to timing and safety concerns. After five thousand feet of elevation gain and descent in one day, his already hurting knee was bothering him considerably.
• I went back to Golden Block, followed by Dog Bite and Plus One, to join Slowpoke. Also joining us was Gopi, from India, who’d at one point lived in Maryland, and was currently on a motorcycle trip in Colorado (and staying at The Avon).
• We returned to The Avon, long after Golden Block’s official closing time, and continued to chat until near midnight.

The Avon is an interesting and beautiful place. Abandoned for 25 years and on the verge of collapse, the new owner has renovated it extensively. While a hotel, more than a hostel, it has a large common area on the first floor, with a bar and kitchen that are free for patrons to use because there’s presently no food or drink service. It is a very nice and relaxed place to hang out.