Adela and the Colo. Trail

I remember meeting Adela in the early '90's, when I lived in San Diego and would come see friends in LA who were working on immigrant and human rights issues. She was a "force to be reckoned with," and I was glad to meet a kindred soul, and was pleased when she & Todd began sharing their lives. When she decided to hike the Colorado Trail a few years ago, I was incredibly impressed, but also confident knowing she had climbed some impressive peaks in Colombia. The Co. Trail is more than 500 miles long, and crosses the Continental Divide more than once. She was eager to tackle it. I got her started at the trailhead in Golden, and had planned to meet her in a few days when she made it to Leadville, where she could shower, sleep in a bed, & replenish supplies, before she "hit the trail" again. In true Adela form, she made it there much more quickly than I had imagined. She refueled, did laundry, and headed out, before the crack of dawn, in order to be on the descending side of the summit before the daily afternoon storms hit, so I did not have a chance to hear about the next leg of her journey until later. Sadly her adventure was interrupted due to a family emergency. I asked her afterwards whether she could come back soon, and start the hike again, even starting at the other end in Durango, and stopping where she left off, it seemed to be on her list. I hope she knew those of us who cared for her will miss her and cherish her memory.