I woke up bright and early to get into town and get some breakfast. I passed a few old mines along the road, some which were even converted into houses. Nobody was going into town that early, so I had to walk a few miles to get to a bigger road.
On my way down I heard some rustling in the bushes and noticed two moose just off the road. Moose can be pretty aggressive, so I kept my distance, but it was still cool to see them.
Shortly after hitting a bigger road I was picked up by a woman who worked for the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and she drove me into town. She asked where I wanted to be dropped off and I told her I wanted the best breakfast in town.
I was dropped off at the Kendall Mountain Cafe where I spent the morning eating breakfast. My friends were about 7 miles behind me, so I knew it would be awhile until they showed up.
After breakfast I wandered the town for a bit and then hung out in the park for a couple of hours. I made some phone calls, sorted through my leftover food, and enjoyed some snacks from the grocery store.
When one of the breweries opened for lunch, I went there and ordered a sandwich called the Poughkeepsie. It’s named after one of the mining claims nearby, which I assume is named after the city in New York. That was about the time my friends made it to town.
They had decided they wanted to stay the night so we got a room at the Avon. It’s sort of a hotel/hostel, but the owner has done an amazing job of remodeling it.
Most of the hostels I’ve stayed in have a bit of a grungy feel, but this was really nice. We spent the night watching some TV in the lounge and then we’ll try and get a ride to the trailhead in the morning.