It rained a little during the night; otherwise, it was calm and peaceful, and I got some good rest. Camping on the ridge provided an equally epic sunrise to yesterday’s sunset. I was back on the trail by 6:20 a.m.
With blue skies overhead, I entered State Forest State Park, which requires a $4 day pass, purchased through Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s website. Fortunately, I had cell service (T-Mobile) on the ridgeline, where I purchased the pass. The route I selected entered the state park via the Ute Pass Trail. This trail had the worst blowdowns of any part of the route—it was obvious that not many people had traveled this way this year.
As the Ute Pass Trail descended out of the mountains, it followed and crossed streams, marking the end of the first dry section of the trail. Ten miles and a dry camp were better than I had expected when planning the route. Passing by the East Sand Hills before reaching the Canadian River, I ended the day walking on County Road 10 onto BLM land.
As I walked down CR 10, I saw a structure that looked like a water tank. I ventured over to see if it had any water access, but it was old, unmaintained, and dry. However, it provided excellent shade and a windbreak from the afternoon heat. After hanging around in the shade for several hours, I decided the windbreak was worth staying near for the night. As the sun set, I pitched my tent and ate dinner while looking at the ridgeline I had slept on the night before.
