Segment CW01: Twin Lakes to Sheep Gulch, 11. Before long, the thru-hiking and backpacking season will be upon us. I ended up walking it and it wasnt so bad. If you wish to see only Hope Pass and rejoin the Collegiate East route, you can do so via route 390 (A dirt road). As of 2021, the trees in this area were still mostly alive. (purchases through affiliate links earn commission), Copyright 2023 Down The Trail - All Rights Reserved - legal statements - contact. Segments 9-11 Theyre responsible for coordinating the volunteer work to maintain the trail. 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. Here's a checklist of what I'm bringing and how I'm planning for any backpacker to use as a jumping-off point. Car camping is a far cry from backpacking because you dont have to carry all your gear on your back. Colorado gets frequent afternoon thunderstorms in July and early August. Youll be tempted to leave all of your backpacking gear behind to bag these summits. Even if you dont know anyone personally who has hiked the trail before, technology makes it easy to discover a whole community of people who are more than willing to lend advice or insight. This also acts as a shorcut, shaving 3.5 off of the official route. My base weight for my thru-hike is 16.06 pounds. Twin Lakes to Monarch Pass is about 85 miles. "The Best Urban Hikes: Denver" guide also has all sorts of recommendations for hikes throughout the metro area, including options in Arvada, Aurora, Brighton, Broomfield, Centennial, Commerce City, Golden, Lakewood, Littleton, Thornton, and Westminster. Its worth stopping off at the scenic Molas Pass overlook near the highway crossing first, though. Following a seven-mile, very gradual climb from Camp Hale (including several miles of smooth, gently-graded walking on a retired dirt forest road), youll reach Tennessee Pass and the end of Segment Eight. Dont forget to have a look at my thru-hiking journal! The female supported record was established by Betsy Kalmeyer in 2003 9 days, 10 hours, 52 minutes. Take everything Im about to tell you with a big old grain of salt because the conditions of the day will dramatically affect your experience of the Colorado Trail: the same stretch of trail could look and feel completely different to two hikers on different days. Consider taking a wilderness first-aid or outdoor survival course. Most of us mere mortals would probably take something like 15-20 days. Its hard to consume as many calories as you burn when you are walking 10-20 miles a day. These give a great overview of the trail and surrounding area. The drawback to prepackaged dehydrated meals? Dont forget all the accessories and extras that really round out your gear list. Ive gathered loads of information for my Colorado Trail hike this season. It passes through high alpine terrain and is a great thru-hiking trail for beginners looking to try a shorter trail before tackling the longer Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian Trail. Some segments take more than a day to hike, and others less. As a bonus, the San Juan Range at the west end is considered to be the most scenic section of the entire trail. In my experience, the section from Creede to Silverton is the most scenic (Segments 21 through 24). Either way, youll pop out of the Collegiates at Highway 50 some 75 miles later and most likely hitch down to Poncha Springs or Salida to resupply. Colorado Trail Segment 5 is by far the most pretty of the first 5 segments of the 485 trail. Elevation profiles are listed in the Data Book. This 486-mile routefrom Denver to Durangoaverages 10,000 feet high and tracks through the country's densest clutch of 12,000-foot (and taller) peaks. Photo via. Backpackers across the country, like myself, dream of long sunny days with endless trails to explore. How easy it is to join someone along the way on the CT? I have friend who invited on the CT with him, but I cannot join him for the first two weeks. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 9 h 58 min to complete. Support us! Among these is 14,439-foot Mount Elbert, the tallest peak in Colorado and second-tallest in the continental US after California's Mount Whitney. Collegiate West is more grueling but also more scenic, while Collegiate East doesnt have quite as much elevation change and keeps to lower elevations more of the time, so youre less at risk during thunderstorms. Segment 24 A great gravity option is the MSR Guardian Gravity Purifier. Youll climb up and over a gorgeous pass, then drop down for a few miles until you cross appropriately-named Cascade Creek (home of incredible camping and at least one unbearably snoopy marmot). After Twin Lakes, you have to decide whether to hike Collegiate East or the Collegiate West Alternate. 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. Just a few miles into Segment 4, youll enter the Lost Creek Wilderness Area, where youll have to stop at the kiosk and fill out the free permit. The race is held each year in early July. Shortly after the high point, youll join a dusty jeep road (watch out for ATVs), pass an interesting sinkhole, and then start contouring one side of a long valley. $7.99 + $1.50 shipping. Mountain bikes are not allowed in this or any other Wilderness area. Featured image: Graphic design by Chris Helm (@chris.helm). Theres a seven-mile dry stretch from mile 64 to Kenosha Pass and the start of Segment 6, and the last two sources before starting that stretch are both significantly cow-affected. Colorado Trail : Segment 28 Moderate 4.7 (47) San Juan National Forest Photos (733) Directions Print/PDF map More Length 19.6 miElevation gain 1,935 ftRoute type Point to point Check out this 19.6-mile point-to-point trail near Durango, Colorado. If I were to go again, then thats the road Id choose the Collegiate West. Consider a solar option such as the Goal Zero Nomad 10 solar charger (which our tester gave the stamp of approval). Youll connect with the CT near Strontia Springs Dam. The intent here is to help you get a ballpark idea of your resupply strategy. Here are some popular segments throughout the state: Youll bounce around in these curious hills for some miles. In 2012 the Colorado Trail Foundation introduced the 83-mile Collegiate West route. So, you can really read this list as how scenic, or how much bang for your buck you get in these sections! Then you start the long climb up to the beautiful Georgia Pass. For more information about specific services and hostels available in towns, check out Pmags guide. 4-6 miles. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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! Most segments start and end at a road or trailhead, and they can sometimes be pretty remote. It has everything I need for minor emergencies on the trail. The Colorado Trail is about 485 miles long and is split up into 28 segments. Segment 11: Mount Massive Trailhead to Clear Creek Road, 22. Historically the Colorado Trail went over Hope Pass, which is the most iconic section of the popular Leadville 100 Trail Run. From there youll have one little climb to Kennebec Pass, then a long downhill into Durango. The trail alternates between open meadows and lush forests that are teeming with wildflowers and wildlife. The fact that air-conditioned motorists can appreciate this view just as easily as flea-bitten thru-hikers does not negate the fact that it is one of the most spectacular vistas on the trail. Peanut butter is one of my must-haves on any thru-hike. 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. Holy Cross & Mount Massive segments 9-11, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness segments 11-13. . Georgia Pass was really the first time I felt like I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains on this trail. Segment CW04: Tincup Pass Road to Boss Lake Trailhead, 17. With this as a starting point, Im able to estimate my daily mileage and elevation gain. It should be noted that the trail hasnt broken above 8,000 feet so far, so if youre hiking in the summertime like most people, conditions will likely be pretty toasty. Segments 9 through 11 are great too, primarily because this is where you can do Mount Elbert and Mount Massive. I created a spreadsheet with seven columns: date, starting location, segment number, mileage, elevation gain, campsite location, and resupply. chamber@lakecity.com 970-944-2527 Lake City/Hinsdale County Chamber of Commerce PO Box 430 Lake City, CO 81235 Visitor Center Winter Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat - 10am - 2pm 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. Most segments start and end at a road or trailhead, and they can sometimes be pretty remote. Vintage Vail Ski Pin Colorado Crossed . Just remember that youre bound to see plenty of other hikers in this section. Youll walk 4.4 miles to connect with the official Colorado Trail. The pocket map is worth mentioning, but only because it exists. Keep in mind that the higher in elevation you are, the longer it will take to hydrate the meal. My favorite maps of the CT are published by Trails Illustrated. This alternate became popular a few years ago, when Waterton Canyon was closed for almost an entire season. If youre looking for an ultralight pack, Id recommend checking out the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Southwest Pack its got a 40L capacity and weighs in at just 1 pound, 14 ounces. CT - Segment 17: Sargents Mesa to Colorado Hwy-114 CT - Segment 18: Hwy 114 to County Road 17FF CT - Segment 19 - 21 Detour: La Garita Wilderness Bypass CT - Segment 22: Spring Creek Pass to Carson Saddle CT - Segment 23: Carson Saddle to Stony Pass CT - Segment 24 Detour: Weminuche Wilderness Bypass CT - Segment 25: Molas Pass to Bolam Pass Road I created a free guide for backcountry skiing in Colorado! Segment 6 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. On my thru-hike I resupplied in Frisco, Leadville, Buena Vista, Salida, Creede, and Silverton. What's the elevation up there? It can also be fun to get creative with meal planning. Thats it. 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. There are 28 segments along the Trail, each with its own access point. 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 This is somewhat of an old school method. Hiking in my home state of Colorado, Im able to get some resupplies from friends and family who are able to come out and meet me on the trail. This is a long section for rookie thru-hikers. The segment is mostly through open fields, rolling hills and ends on beautiful Kenosha Pass which is littered with Aspen Trees. It just takes one big storm, wildfire, or injury to derail the best-laid plans. In Colorado, however, more scenery comes with higher elevations and exposure to lightning. Segments 20-21 Beside the San Juans, this area was the most scenic and enjoyable of my entire hike. The trail segment initiates just south of the entrance to the Kenosha Pass Campground, which is located on the west side of the pass. A friend who has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and Appalachian Trail passed along some sound advice when it comes to these meals, though make sure you try them and like them before buying a bunch for the trail. Segment 9: Tennessee Pass to Timberline Lake Trailhead, 19. If youve had enough of high, exposed elevations and lightning, then go East. 1.Segment 23: Carson Saddle to Stony Pass Trailhead, 2. There are no dogs, bicycles, horses, camping, etc. Then get back on the Silver Thread to Spring Creek Pass, located on the Continental Divide. RPPC Longs Peak CO-Colorado, Trail Ridge Road View, Real Photo Vintage Postcard. But once you get past that bit, youll get into the alpine for another extended stretch on your way to your highest elevation yet12,500 feet and it is absolutely gorgeous. Once you have a medical kit, make sure to keep it well stocked and know how to use it. Its highest point is 13,271 feet (4,045 m) above sea level, and most of the trail is above 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. Eventually, youll find yourself on Jeep roads again as you approach the shores of scenic Celebration Lake. Popular with hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers and horseback riders, many take it in segments, as it could take four to six weeks to hike . READ NEXT Everything You Need to Know to Hike the Colorado Trail, Segments 1-3 Hiking and journeys life this are a part of his life. Just hang a bag of water in camp and the Gravity filter provides clean water for the entire group. OR you can continue on the Collegiate West Route. It appears to be formed in solid rock. The Klymit Static V is another great option thats new for 2023 and comes at an extremely affordable price ($55). As always, and maybe even moreso here, this is my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt! They have a separate map for that. Others like Mount Elbert are just fine. Now it gets even more love as part of the Collegiate West route. The Colorado Trail is a 500-plus-mile trail that extends from Denver to Durango. The route is near to Colorados highest peak, Mount Elbert, at 14,443 feet. Indian Creek Campground Sedalia on Google Maps will essentially get you there, but youll want to have a copy of this PDF file with precise directions. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. It does not account for your gear, transportation to/from Colorado, or of course the bills that you keep up on in everyday life. 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