Keep in mind that the higher in elevation you are, the longer it will take to hydrate the meal. Sometimes businesses along the trail will accept packages too (Especially worth considering for UPS and FEDEX, which do not deliver to the Post Office). Still, if youre like me and manage to go across the high point on a summer afternoon, with impending thunderheads of doom nipping at your heels, it will be dramatic enough regardless. But you need a good water purifier to drink the water. Segment 28: Kennebec Trailhead to Junction Creek Trailhead, 24. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Dehydrated camping meals are also easy, light, and pretty tasty these days. Sinkholes are formed in soil,clay gravel or a combination of these. Missouri Gulch is not part of the Collegiate West Alternate and rejoins the CT in Segment 12. Package Deal: Colorado Trail Complete Guides Bundle $ 81.85 $ 75.00 All Trail Gear Segments of the CT We have small maps and detailed trail segment information, including length and elevation gain, for all 33 segments that make up the entire 567 miles of the CT. Check out the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15 or the Kelty Cosmic 20 for some other solid three-season options. No. Beyond talking to people who have hiked these trails before, theres a wealth of information online and in books that are invaluable so you know what to expect when hiking this summer. If youre looking for a quick small-scale topo map to do your own research, look no further than the wonderful resource that is CalTopo, free on the internet. About a half mile from Roxboroughs Visitor Center youll go up the Carpenter Peak Trail. Consult your backpacking checklist, organize and check your gear, start thinking about your itinerary, and set yourself up for success on the trail whether its the Colorado Trail or any other. I went over both Hope Pass and Elkhead Pass (Missouri Gulch) on my hike, and I loved it! Holy Cross & Mount Massive segments 9-11, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness segments 11-13. Your total pack should weigh no more than 20 percent of your body weight when fully loaded with gear, food, and water. Segment 24 If you wish to see only Hope Pass and rejoin the Collegiate East route, you can do so via route 390 (A dirt road). Bear canisters are not required anywhere on the Colorado Trail. Segments 9-11 Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 18 min to complete. Eighteen made it onto our 2023 Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags roundup. While the tent is lightweight, its still easy to assemble. From the top of the climb, you can see down to Copper Mountain Ski Resort on the other side. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VAIL MOUNTAIN 2010 Summer Hiking Biking trail map RESORT Colorado USA at the best online prices at eBay! Segment 6: Kenosha Pass to Gold Hill Trailhead, 13. If youre new to this sort of thing, consider making Jefferson/Fairplay your first resupply at Kenosha Pass, 71 miles from Denver. Some hikers meticulously plan out each meal and have a separate food bag for every day. $19.99 + $2.99 shipping. Youll walk right past the old bunkers, and there are still signs in the area warning hikers to stick to the trail because of possible unexploded ordinance in the area. Dont forget to have a look at my thru-hiking journal! Kenosha Pass is probably the best place to view the changing aspens near Denver. The CDT was established after the Colorado Trail, and coincides with it for roughly 200 miles, from Segment 6 through Segment 24. I have friend who invited on the CT with him, but I cannot join him for the first two weeks. Youll have prime wildflower-viewing opportunities as you make your way up a tough climb to Elk Ridge and Kokomo Pass and then down the other side to Camp Hale, a WWII-era Army training camp that is now retired. Companies like RightOnTrek are also moving the needle on backpacking food, toward even tastier, more nutritious meals. Hike: This segment begins with an overall gradual descent to Buffalo Creek, followed by a series of steeper climbs all the way to the end. You can expect to see more crowds on these mountains than the main trail. Colorado Trail: Kenosha Pass to Georgia Pass 12.4 mi 2,623' Up 844' Down Jefferson, CO RECOMMENDED ROUTE Park County Adventure 18.6 mi 2,890' Up 4,606' Down Jefferson, CO RECOMMENDED ROUTE Bald Mountain 10.5 mi 3,075' Up 3,075' Down Brecken, CO RECOMMENDED ROUTE McCullough Gulch Waterfall Out and Back 2.3 mi 465' Up 465' Down When you see it, know that this view signifies the beginning of a steep, knee-crunching, nine-mile descent down to the Animas River. (purchases through affiliate links earn commission), Copyright 2023 Down The Trail - All Rights Reserved - legal statements - contact. At mile 175 you can take a shortcut side trail down to Twin Lakes Village, or you can continue on the CT and do a short road walk into town (which really just means the general store, theres not much around) if you need to resupply. The CDT, alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail make up the triple crown of hiking. The Colorado Trail is about 485 miles long and is split up into 28 segments. Snowpack can be a problem through late June, and winter storms are more likely to hit the mountains after mid-September (I even experienced a light snowstorm in August). In 2012 the Colorado Trail Foundation introduced the 83-mile Collegiate West route. Youll be tempted to leave all of your backpacking gear behind to bag these summits. Either way, going with the flow is part of thru-hiking. Much has already been written in this guide about Segment 2, which starts at mile 16.5 at the South Platte River. Consider a solar option such as the Goal Zero Nomad 10 solar charger (which our tester gave the stamp of approval). Twin Lakes to Monarch Pass is about 85 miles. As always, and maybe even moreso here, this is my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt! Youre likely to encounter quite a few mountain bikes in this stretch. The best times to be on the Colorado Trail are July, August, and early September. Some reports say that about 10 percent of the distance is spent hiking with your bike, but others say that it feels like quite bit more. My son Justin is on the trail as I write this. Best Time to Hike the Kalalau Trail. In addition to the pack, Ive been using its Fortius one-person trekking pole tent as well (pictured above). (Mount Elbert is the highest summit in Colorado and second-highest in the Lower 48 after Californias Mount Whitney). WINTER PARK 2009 2010 Winter Downhill ski resort trail map RESORT Colorado USA. But weve also got a list of 10 other canister and liquid-fuel stoves that were some of our favorites from last year. A good backpack, tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad are all essential. Distance: 32.9 miles. (867 KM) Days 13 % Unpaved 80% % Singletrack 55% % Rideable (time) 92% Total Ascent 72,500' (22,098 M) High Point 13,270' (4,045 M) Difficulty (1-10) 9? The CDT is by far the most rugged of the three . 2. Or, you can weigh yourself on a scale without your gear, and weigh yourself a second time with your base gear. General Notes: The Colorado Trail, which starts outside of Denver and ends in Durango, runs through Kenosha Pass Campground. Completed in 1987, the Colorado Trail stretches 485 magnificent miles from Denver to Durango. Our intent was to hike the 11 miles , camp and . Segment CW01: Twin Lakes to Sheep Gulch, 11. Each segment ranges in distance, but in theory, if you hike an average of a segment per day, the entire hike would take around a month. Add about 50 miles to this figure if you follow the Colorado Trail's Collegiate West route. Colorado Trail Segments 8 and 9 Watch on The Colorado Trail (CT) stretches 486 miles from Denver to Durango, and is divided into 28 segments. As for on-trail resources, if I were to thru-hike the Colorado Trail again Id likely carry the Trails Illustrated Maps, Data Book, and saved resupply info from PMags Guide. You can essentially camp wherever you like along the trail. Youll climb up to a saddle with an unmarked mile-long trail up to the top of San Luis Peak and then continue on a steady downhill to San Luis Pass on the other side, from where you can access Creede. Im pretty sure what you called a sinkhole is a geological pothole. The Colorado Trail is about 485 miles long and is split up into 28 segments. You should also note that I did not hike the Collegiate East, which is comprised of segments 11 - 15. The Colorado Trail is a 486-mile-long greatest hits collection of the Centennial State's most picturesque scenery, from wildflower-strewn meadows to sky-high rocky ridges, that runs from Denver to Durango. The steady climb up to Sargents Mesa is a section highlight, offering a more pastoral vibe than the CT normally serves up. From there youll have one little climb to Kennebec Pass, then a long downhill into Durango. You can get as elaborate with your food as you like. Its an ultralight pad at 12.5 ounces that stands 3 inches thick with a horizontal baffle for a comfortable nights sleep. This is a great stop to break up your first big climb of the CT into more manageable chunks. Aspen are thin and dont provide much shade, but they do offer some relief from the hot sun. 261.5 Collegiate East/West Junction 302.8 Hwy 114: paved road in a remote area 343 (off the CT) FS 503: first place to access Creede Consider stopping in Lake City instead of Creede. . Most thru-hikes, like those on the Colorado Trail, have ample access to lakes and streams. The Collegiate West route has only a few unique resupply options, like Taylor Park and St. Elmo. You should try and go as light as possible. Youll have to pay an entrance fee for the state park, but some folks still like this as a quiet alternative to the busy Waterton Canyon Trail. The Colorado Trail is broken down into 28 Segments. Rather than diving deeply into each individual segment, Im going to break down the main sections of the trail according to my own thru-hiking resupply strategy. Sending yourself more timely resupply drops as you go via Amazon Prime or other services. Read more. You wont go so long again without water as you did in Segment 2, but the environment will continue to be arid and shrubby with sparse shade from tall shrubs and evergreens. The first few miles of this descent are treacherous due to the unhappy combination of a steep gradient and an abundance of pea gravel that works like ball bearings under your feet. Jeannie Dreyer set the female course record in 2015 at 5 days, 15 hours, 36 minutes. The Colorado Trail is a long-distance trail running for 486 miles (782 km) from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado, United States. After the high point at 47.5 and descending for about a mile, youll start a very long, gradual, beautiful five-mile climb through a long valley thats fairly open and features many expansive views. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. In exchange, youll get above 10,000 feet for the first time and the trail will start to feel cooler, lusher, and more mountainous. Nothing will take the air out of your sails faster than a deflating sleeping pad. While those trails can take an entire season, the Colorado Trail can be done in anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how fast of a hiker you are. This way youre less likely to get caught on the move above treeline. Segments 11-14 Hunger is a stark reality of any thru-hike. Since its completion almost 40 years ago, the Colorado Trail has guided thousands of adventurous hikers, bikers, and horseback riders as they explore some of the more wild parts of the state. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. In case of a major emergency, I can also use it to call for search and rescue. So Ill just summarize here: 10 miles, very hot, very dry. The most popular places for cyclists to resupply are Frisco, Leadville, Buena Vista, and Silverton. Segment 19: Saguache Park Road to Eddiesville Trailhead, 20. 1.Segment 23: Carson Saddle to Stony Pass Trailhead, 2. Collegiate West leaves the CT (Collegiate East) in Segment 11 and rejoins it in Segment 15. I hope you enjoy it! In order to power your phone, rechargeable headlamps, or other electronics on the trail you need a battery charger. Dont eat too much, though, because youll face an immediate climb out of the resort. Having a comfy, quiet, reliable sleeping pad is essential for having a good time on any backpacking trail. Looking at length and elevation gain is a good way to gauge each segment's difficulty. If youve had enough of high, exposed elevations and lightning, then go East. Some of the peaks listed here require a little 3rd class scrambling. ), you were forced to pick up the following maps, listed in order from Denver to Durango: #135 Deckers Rampart Range #105 Tarryall Mountains, Kenosha Pass #104 Idaho Springs Georgetown Loveland Pass #108 Vail, Frisco, Dillon #109 Breckenridge Tennessee Pass #110 Fairplay, Leadville #127 Aspen, Independence Pass #129 Buena Vista, Collegiate Peaks #130 Salida, St. Elmo, Mt. Incredible backpacking sleeping bags are a dime a dozen. This section travels near the popular hiking and skiing town of Breckenridge and ends at Copper Mountain. to Waterton Canyon. I mostly spend my spare time scheming new adventures and inadvertently setting my hair on fire while cooking. The Collegiate West alternate route is not included. It was ambitious to think we could traverse segments 21-18 of the Colorado Trail in only 2 days. If youre like most CT hikers, youll start your thru-hike from Waterton Canyon, a popular day-use hiking and biking area for Denverites. Because of this, its super common to see people talking about certain segment numbers online, and the guidebook is written according to them. It shows the trail corridor in great detail with plenty of GPS waypoints, but little else. Some can be noisy, and some can be untrustworthy or uncomfortable. Vintage Vail Ski Pin Colorado Crossed . Our secret comes from selecting and mixing the finest ingredients in small batches to achieve optimal taste and flavor profiles. Learn how to create your own. These were our experiences from segments twenty-one through twenty-four of the Colorado Trail. Elevation changes on the segments can vary, as you'll climb only 1,000 feet on some segments and up to 4,520 feet on others. The campsite is adjacent to a dirt road and you may encounter car campers on summer weekends: consider yourself warned. Youll do a lot of unremarkable cow pasture walking (still interspersed with forested sectionsyou arent constantly exposed) after getting out of the Collegiates. Segment CW03: Cottonwood Pass Trailhead to Tincup Pass Road, 7. Oh hey there! Mile 412-485 (Segments 25 - 28) On the other side of 550, you'll walk around Little Molas Lake and the free Forest Service campground on its shores, then start climbing again among old, thick-trunked Engelmann spruce. The highest sustained elevations occur closer to the trails western terminus, so most hikers choose to start their trip on the Denver side. and hunker down. The last major piece of gear is the sleeping pad. Or more. Many mistakes were made. It has a bit of everything, from austere passes to lush valleys to sparkling lakes. Divided into 28 segments, the trail end points are Denver and Durango. The Colorado Trail Race (CTR) is known as one of the hardest, if not the hardest and most scenic bikepacking routes in the entire United States. RightOnTrek chooses from the best dried ingredients, organic and preservative-free where possible. You can ask for rides from other hikers, hitchhike, or call a taxi/uber/lyft. Now is the time to bust out that backpacking checklist. They have a separate map for that. Segment 11: Mount Massive Trailhead to Clear Creek Road, 22. Most thru-hikers start from the east end of the trail at Waterton Canyon, on the west end of the greater Denver metro area (Technically Littleton, Colorado). Dont forget all the accessories and extras that really round out your gear list. The wilderness areas on the Colorado Trail do have a permit system in place, but they dont involve any designated campsites, fees, or general planning. A friend of mine reported seeing a moose submerged almost to his antlers in a lake in this section while he grazed the lake bottom. During the 2017 Colorado Trail Race the average amount of H.A.B (Hike-A-Bike) was about 70 miles. 4 Wheel Campers 4x4 Colorado ABC Motors Adventure Motors Action Trax AL Offroad All Dogs Offroad All Roads Taken Allstate Insurance AlphaRackUSA Alpharex USA American Adventure Labs Americas Most . Durango Its only about 4 miles from the end of the trail to downtown Durango. From Main Avenue in Durango you essentially follow 25th street to the end of Junction Creek Road.

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