It rains and hails like mad all morning as we start our drive back to Pagosa Springs. Then it clears up and gets hot when we enter the San Luis valley. Crazy mountain weather.

At a pit stop Ann notices we have a headlight out. Because of the weather she keeps it on for safety. Later we get pulled over for it, and the officer issues us a warning for failing to register our car in Colorado. Registration must be done in Denver. We pretty much have to put that off for now or scrap our plans. We buy a new headlight in Monte Vista and hope nothing more comes of it.

Approaching Wolf Creek Pass I’m relieved to see no new snowfall at the ski area. We remember that our Subaru rattles at high RPMs as we engine-brake down the pass. It’s done that for a long time, so hopefully it’s nothing to worry about.

We return to Frankie’s Place in Pagosa Springs for one last pizza before I hit the trail. Then we drive up the East Fork San Juan River to a spot we passed on foot less than a week ago. We set up a car camp for the first time of the trip.

We’re both a little nervous about to tomorrow, but we show it in opposite ways. I get clingy knowing we’ll part in the morning, and Ann gets distant, bracing herself. We’ll only be apart for one day to start with, but it still feels very real.