Farewell Knoxville

We successfully left Knoxville to travel to the start of the PCT, but there is no better way to train for desert hiking than for us to stop off in Colorado and play in the snow for 10 days with our friends the Noodleheads.

Here we are snowshoeing 3 miles in to the hut where we are staying, in a place called Gothic, outside of Crested Butte. It felt surreal to be in such a beautiful, wild, and wintery place after taking allergy medicine and being in airports the same day.

Possum has never been in Colorado or any snow like this...I think he likes it!Here is the Noodlehead's winter home where we are ecstatic guests.

Each morning we get to enjoy the view of Gothic Mountain through the window at the kitchen table. It feels like another world in comparison to our southern scenery.

We went for our first cross-country ski! It had snowed 10 inches the day before we arrived so we were able to enjoy untouched snow. The snow depth is currently at 58" but spring is coming fast! 

Getting acclimated to the altitude was tricky but the main change is the slower pace and relaxation that solitude provides in a place only accessible by foot. We are cognitively having to tell ourselves to slow down and enjoy and stop checking what is next on the list to accomplish. This place is a sanctuary and we are so grateful to be here before we embark on such a rigorous adventure.