I woke up this morning with a renewed outlook and decided to keep going. My plan was to head to Bailey after setting out. At some point along the trail, I thought I had inadvertently walked into Segment 4. I figured, oh well, I guess I’m not going to Bailey. But then I approached a trailhead in confusion and realized it was the spot where you can hitch to Bailey.

A woman in a red Tesla pointed me to where Segment 4 begins. I mentioned I was deciding between starting Segment 4 or hitching to Bailey. She kindly offered to drive me to Bailey, and I was so appreciative. We had a wonderful discussion about the Colorado Trail and her interest in hiking it one day. She had spent the previous night near the trailhead to test how she would handle a night alone. Even though I’d only been on the trail for a few days, I shared some pointers from my experience so far.

When I got to Bailey, I stopped at a lovely little coffee shop and ordered an iced coffee. I found an empty table to charge my phone and make a reservation at a nearby hostel. Once my phone had enough charge, I called Two Bridges Lodge. They only had camping spots available, which was good enough for me.

After leaving the coffee shop, I headed to the local outfitters and met up with some hikers I had encountered along the trail, along with some other amazing people. After picking up a few items, I went to Two Bridges, set up my tent, and began charging all my devices. As my devices charged, I wondered how I would get back to the trailhead in the morning. One of the hostel owners mentioned there was a shuttle. The cost was $25 per person with an 8 AM pickup.

Although I still had no idea how many more segments I would do, I felt a renewed sense of adventure. Bailey turned out to be an incredible place to stop for the night.