My friend Ben, who lives in Paonia, CO, asked me to meet him and his family at Orvis Hot Springs the day after I came out of the trail at Stoney Pass. I was ready to take a day off from the trail, soak in the hot springs, and eat lots of fresh food. 

I hitched a ride from Silverton to Orvis Hot Springs with Anthony, Cassidy, and Jacob. They were traveling from Tennessee to see the Rocky Mountains for the first time. They told me about the AT, the Appalachian Trail, since I mentioned that I would be interested in trying next year. As we drove together, we were all in awe of the massive mountains around us. The winding cliffside road took us to the Red Mountain Pass at 11,000 feet, then descended to the town of Ouray, and then to Orvis Hot Springs. I said thank you and good-bye to them, and walked into the front desk. 

Ben was right there with his two kids and greeted me with a big smile. We hadn’t seen each other for almost a decade since he and Sam, his wife, came to visit me in Japan. As with good friends, reconnecting was so easy. Ben bought me tons of fresh food, and while I cooked a big meal in the communal kitchen, we caught up and then went to soak in the hot springs.

It was incredible. My body sank into the warmth of the springs, completely relaxed. All the aches, stiffness, and chill from being in the freezing world for the past eight days were slowly dissolving. What a luxury! We went to different pools, and my favorite ones were the hot and cold pools that were next to each other. 
While I was in the hot pool, I met Amy, a massage therapist at the hot springs, and she mentioned that the hazardous weather was coming for the next few days. I usually check the NOAA weather website, and when I looked, it was giving severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall threats in southern Colorado. I have already been through a two-day winter storm from Chama, NM, to Pagosa Springs, CO. The terrain north of Stoney Pass would be more challenging and exposed. I thought I’d better wait out for the storm to pass, even if that means I would be almost a week behind my schedule.
As we spoke, the wind was picking up and the sky was becoming dark. I told Ben that I already had a room for the night in Silverton, so I needed to go back. I would make a final decision on the following morning, and if I decided to wait out, I would come to Paonia and stay with him and his family for a few days.
As I was leaving, Amy gave me her phone number and told me to get in touch with her when I come through the area on my bike. Hiking the CDT is the first segment of my Great Divide Loop journey. I’m planning to bike the Great Divide MTB route from Canada to Mexico after hiking the CDT. I have low expectations, knowing how difficult it would be. It would be amazing to reconnect with Amy if I can pull that off. 
From the hot springs, I first hitched a ride with Sarah, who works there. “I can give you a ride to Ouray,” said Sarah. She drove extra miles away from her home to get me to Ouray and dropped me off at a grocery store. I thanked her and quickly shopped for food at the store, then hitched a ride with Meredith, a high-altitude mountain rescue professional. “I’m taking a class in Ouray. I’m going to camp up near the pass, and I can take you there. Someone will pick you up, so don’t worry.” She knew a lot about snow and mountains, including the Wind River Range in Wyoming. She also listened to my stories and resonated with me. I said, “Unless you’ve done snow travel, you wouldn’t know what it’s like. I’m so happy to talk to someone who understands my last 8 days.” I felt seen and heard by her. She said she was on her way to be part of the high-altitude search and rescue team at 7,000 m mountains in Kazakhstan. It was nice to meet another mountain woman!
When she dropped me off, she said, “I wish I could take you to Silverton. I will come back in 10 minutes to check on you.” I told her I would be okay. I stood on the side of the road and put my thumb up for the series of cars that were coming up. All the cars and a motorcycle passed. Then, I saw the motorcycle stop and come back toward me. “Do you need a ride?” said Ron with a smile. He looked like someone out of a western movie. He had a shiny black helmet, a black leather jacket, and jeans with his shiny red 

Harley-Davidson. I said, “I do, but…. hey, do you have an extra helmet?” He said with ease, “No. But I will be veeeeerrrrrry safe.” The way he presented himself to me was trustworthy. I said, “Okay. Let me put my jacket on. I don’t know you, but I’ll hang on to you real tight, okay?” He smiled and told me to hold my backpack in the front and guided me to the backseat of his motorcycle. “Okay, here we go.” 

I have to say that it was the most unique hitchhiking I did. Ron was a safe driver, and he honked at deer and talked to them since it was their time to graze around the road. I was feeling the wind and the evening sun on my face, and blissed out with my first Harley-Davidson ride. At one point, he said, “If your hands are getting cold, you can tuck them inside your pockets. You’re not going anywhere.” The seat was comfortable and it felt like hugging me. I know I wouldn’t go anywhere, but I still hang on to Ron’s leather jacket tight. 

The next morning, I checked the weather forecast again. It was still giving a severe thunderstorm and rain warning. So I packed my bag, went to the post office to pick up my resupply, then decided to hitchhike again to the hot springs. Ben was working not too far from Orvis Hot Springs that day until 5 pm. I told him that I would soak in the hot springs until he could come get me.Out of Silverton, I was standing on the side of the road for a ride for a while. The clouds are becoming heavier and heavier. Soon, it was raining. Right when I was pulling my rain jacket out, a VW van stopped for me. I was so glad to see a car stopped for me. Alex and Kevin, from Washington, made room for me to sit in their van. They were traveling back from a bird-watching trip in the Midwest. When they said the word “ecotone,” I knew I was talking to my people. I said, “I haven’t heard that word from anyone for a while. You two are ecologists!” We enjoyed talking about nature, and they dropped me off at Ouray. They said, “We’ll be here for the next 10-15 minutes, then keep heading north. If we see you, we’ll pick you up.” 

I only had about 10 miles to the Orvis Hot Springs. I saw a pickup truck driving from the opposite direction, then pulling in front of me. A guy came out of the truck and said, “I saw you yesterday at the hot springs. Where are you going?” I told him that I was going back to the hot springs. “Hop in. We’ll give you a ride.” 

Soon, I was at Orvis Hot Springs. When I walked in, I told the front desk person that I was there the day before and I had met Amy and Sarah. “Sarah is right over there if you want to say hi,” said the front desk person. I looked over the lobby and I saw Sarah. I said hi and Sarah responded, “Hi Miho! You’re back!” I told her that I decided to wait out the storm to pass in Paonia, and I would spend another day soaking in the hot springs. She kindly gave me a comp ticket and I thanked her again and enjoyed my time at the hot springs. 
It was pouring rain, and still, it was amazing to just rest and relax. It takes a few days for my nervous system to calm down, and hot springs aid that process. 
While I was soaking, I met Cat and Heather, who live in Ridgway, 5 minutes north of Orvis Hot Springs. I wanted Ben to drive less, so when they were leaving, I asked for a ride to Ridgway. They kindly offered me a ride to a grocery store, and from there, I got a ride with Ben to his sweet home in Paonia.
Ben set me up in his camper van, and I’ve been enjoying staying in it. It has a bed, a table with seating, and a shelf to organize my belongings. I have full access to the large kitchen and have made dinners for the family. Ben and I both treasure high-quality food, and his kids eat everything I make! I have time to fix my gear, take care of adult business, write, eat, and sleep. I am enjoying spending time with them, especially with kids, to share stories and connect through play and meals. They have an outdoor hot tub that we could soak in every evening. 

I also met their friends and even squeezed in one physical therapy session. What a treat! The storm brought me a chance to be calm and still, focusing on resting. My body is happy to have the time to recover and build strength for what’s ahead of me.

Tomorrow, Ben and his kids are taking me back to Stoney Pass. How wonderful it is to have such friends who are willing to be part of my adventure! I am lucky to have people like Ben in my life. I’m looking forward to resuming my trip and I hope the weather will cooperate with me. I’ll see.

Appreciation: I am most vulnerable when I come out of the trail and go to town for resupply or need to get to somewhere. Again and again, people are so generous, helping me to get what I need. Special thanks to Martha and Brandon, and the three girls from the Navajo Reservation for a ride to Silverton; Jacob, Anthony, Cassidy for ride from Silverton to Orvis Hot Springs; Sarah at Orvis Springs for a ride to Ouray; Merejune for a ride from Ouray to half way up the Red Mountain Pass; Ron, the motor cyclist from Durango, for a ride to Silverton; Alex and Kevin with VW camper van for a ride to Ouray; a guy from the hot springs in the pickup truck (sorry I didn’t get your name) for the ride to Orvis Hot Springs; Cat and Heather for a ride to Ridgway; Andrew, the physical therapist in Paonia for taking care of my body. The last not the least, Ben and Sam with their two kids, for hanging out with me, making amazing meals with me, and hosting me at Paonia. You all made my life much easier and wonderful. Thank you.