Colorado Trail 2017: Segment 8 (July 19-21)

Colorado Trail near Copper Mountain ski resort

Typical wet morning tent

Vibrant day near Searle Pass

T-Rex and Caveman on Searle Pass

White Columbine

Historic concrete bunkers

Coking ovens near Tennessee Pass

Moosie and I reached Copper Mountain by bus in the late afternoon after resupplying in Breckenridge and waiting out a storm and drinking a beer at the brewery in Frisco. We had to skip Segment 7 due to a trail fire closure. We both had hiked the beautiful stretch of trail during our Continental Divide Trail hike in 2013. It was disappointing to have to skip this scenic area, and we later found out that the trail reopened the very next day after being closed for weeks.

Once we reached the trail, Colorado was up to its old tricks. Rain showers persisted. We also had noticed that campsites were tough to come by on the CT, especially early on in the hike. Due to the trails growing popularity, most ideal campsites were taken, often as early as 3:00 in the afternoon.   I  joked that "CT" stood for the "Camp by Three" trail. Moosie and I were both used to hiking late into the day, so we would often find ourselves in a bind once we were ready to camp. Also the increasing death of trees due to various pine beetle outbreaks made many ideal sites uncampable in my opinion. Moosie and I grew increasingly sketched out by the possibility of a dead tree falling on us in the middle of the night, and we usually chose not to take the risk. As a result, the evening of the 19th was a difficult one. We were both tired, wet from rain, and had trouble finding a place to camp. Sun had already set. We had to bushwhack up a steep mountainside where we found a relatively flat area to call it a night.

The next day however was one of the most vivid hiking mornings I've ever experienced. We woke up to a blue bird day and hiked over Searle and Kokomo Pass. We had bright skies, white puffy clouds, snow fields, and some of the most vibrant wildflower displays I had ever seen. During this stretch we also leapfrogged several other CT hikers including T-Rex and Caveman- one of the most colorful couples we met on the trail, Nemo, Twig, and others. By the time Moosie and I reached Kokomo Pass, thunderstorms arrived again, but at least we were descending in elevation and no longer exposed. We were still experimenting with various storm strategies at this point, and decided to set up a tent and eat lunch and wait out the storm. Once the storm passed, we eventually descended further down the trail and passed some historic WWII concrete bunkers used by the 10th Mountain Division. By evening, Moosie and I were in the familiar dilemma of locating a place to camp as the obvious sites were once again already taken. We eventually found a nice spot off trail on a small knob.

The next morning, we were only a few miles away from one of my favorite trail towns-Leadville. By the time we were near Tennessee Pass, the road leading to town, I noticed that the trees were once again beginning to look more healthy, and pine beetle casualties were becoming fewer and fewer. We passed some old historic coking ovens that were most likely used to make fuel from coal for local trains. Moosie and I reached Tennessee Pass in the morning and hitched a ride into Leadville with a fly fisherman named Pete who was scouting out places to fish for the day. Segment 8 was finished and Moosie and I spent the night warm and dry in the Leadville Hostel...

Colorado Trail 2017: Segment 6 (July 17th-19th)

Bristlecone Pine and natural shelter

Approaching Georgia Pass

Georgia Pass

Reconnecting with the CDT

Lodgepole beetle kill: Massive piles of dead trees organized into piles near Breckenridge, CO.

Battle scarred beetle killed hillsides near Breckenridge, CO

Breckenridge, CO

Delicious calzone ordered from the only dive bar in the town of Breckenridge

Moosie and I order a round of local micro brew in the town of Frisco while waiting out another afternoon thunderstorm and downpour.

After taking a bus around section 7 which was closed due to fire, Moosie and I fill up our water bottles in the locker room of Copper Mountain Ski resort before returning to the trail, beginning section 8.

Moosie and I began the morning of July 17th hitching up to Kenosha Pass to begin section 6 of the Colorado Trail. We were picked up by an older gentleman who happened to see us at the Fairplay coffee shop earlier in the morning. We were hiking by noon. By 1:00, our daily thunder storms and rain showers were upon us. By now, the trail brought us above 11,000 feet for the first time. I could feel shortness of breath mostly during climbs, bending over to take pictures of wildflowers, or trying to take gulps from my water bottle through the Sawyer filter. Overall, I didn't feel too affected by the elevation.

Also during this section, we reached the Continental Divide for the first time at Georgia Pass and reconnected with the Continental Divide Trail, thus beginning the maddening game of trying to remember where I was back in 2013. (Moosie and I both hiked the CDT in 2013) In fact, the "game" became so frustrating to me, I'm not sure I ever would want to hike a long distance trail for the second time. I could not turn the brain off, and it was frustrating how fleeting my memory was. Very little was how I remembered it to be. Also during this section, Moosie and I hiked through our first major area of beetle killed forest. Lodge pole forests have been devastated near and around Breckenridge for the last couple decades. Dead trees are everywhere which made camping a challenge. Section 7 was closed for a few months due to a fire that raged through the area this summer. One local resident said it was very scary, especially due to the fact that the area is a tinder box at the moment. Moosie and I walked through a couple hillsides where trees had been cut and gathered into massive piles outside of Breckenridge. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of piles. They try to burn them when the snows are high enough to prevent a huge wildfire.

Highlights during this section included reaching the Continental Divide where views became more majestic. We passed a few classic u shaped, glacially carved valleys. We passed a giant sled dog kennel where the hundreds of dogs gathered there sounded off in a group chorus of howls around lunchtime. Moosie commented that it sounded like a chorus of suffering souls in hell which I think was pretty accurate. We also saw our first northbound CDT thru hiker. He was sitting in some shrubs with a busted bleeding lip, stuffing his face with a doughnut. A true badass of the forest. We stopped in Breckenridge to resupply and eat some food and were out the same day. We also took a bus into Frisco to grab a beer and wait out a storm. The bus also took us to Copper Mountain ski resort which I can only explain as an oasis. I am a sucker for warmth, lights, and music. Copper Mountain had all three when I passed through on a cold fall night on the CDT in 2013 and when we passed through on the CT this July. Thank you Copper Mountain!

By evening on the 19th, Moosie and I were back on the trail beginning section 8...

Colorado Trail 2017: Sections 1-5 (July 11th-17th)

Flying to Denver

Beginning of Trail

Bighorn sheep in the canyon

Hiking through burn area before Buffalo Creek Firehouse

Moosie stands next to large bristlecone pine

Lost Creek Wilderness in rain. Last time I was here was over 15 years ago with my brother.

Small town of Jefferson

Town of Fairplay

Fairplay

Moosie and I cleaned up, rested, and resupplied in the town of Fairplay. Hitching back up to Kenosha Pass to start section 6.

Moosie and I began our southbound hike of the Colorado Trail on July 11th 2017. After flying to Denver, an unbelievably generous trail angel picked us up from the airport and drove us to Waterton Canyon, the start of the CT (Colorado Trail) about 45 minutes away. Before we knew it, we were back on the trail.

As could be expected, the first week on trail was an adjustment period. Thankfully, the trail leaving Waterton Canyon was nicely graded and elevation increased gradually, giving us plenty of time to acclimate. Our first day on trail started with sun and ended with afternoon rain, a trend that would last almost the entire hike.

Personally, I felt out of sync the first week. It had been a year and a half since stepping off the Appalachian Trail in 2015, and I definitely noticed my "edge" was gone, and I felt self conscious during our first resupply stop, did not like feeling wet, dirty, smelly, and did not like traveling without my vehicle. I had to remind myself to be patient, and let go of control which was difficult.

Otherwise, scenery was great. Moosie and I commented how the trail seemed to be created by "artisans," twisting and turning, rising and falling, providing certain views for maximum effect. We were fortunate to see bighorn sheep and a green rattlesnake in Waterton canyon. Temperatures were warm for the most part, and there were very few mosquitoes. Walking through several stands of ancient looking bristle cone pines was a highlight for me. Also passing briefly through the Lost Creek Wilderness was nostalgic. Last time I had been there was over 15 years ago during a two week trip with my brother. It still looked the same as I remembered, complete with thunder storms, dead trees, and meadows. Thankfully this time I did not get lost (a story for a different time!)

I tried to be mindful about staying hydrated during the first few days which tends to be a problem as the body adjusts to its new environment. I also taped up any hot spots that developed on my feet right away which prevented blisters. One thing I had forgotten about was how exposed western trails can be. I had to be mindful about how much sun I was exposed to, which I didn't do as good a job as I should have. I wore pants, long sleeves, and a hat, but my hands and face were repeatedly sunburned throughout the trip. The first week, I definitely felt "sun stressed."

Overall, it was as good a week as could be expected. After resupplying and spending a night in the town of Fairplay, Moosie and I were ready to get back to the trail...

Colorado Trail 2017

Mt. Elbert, Colorado's tallest peak 14,440 feet. Photo was taken while hiking the CDT in 2013.

In one week I will be heading out to Colorado to begin hiking the Colorado Trail. I'm going to meet my hiking friend Moosie out there and we will start hiking south from Denver to Durango. I'm most excited to see the San Juans in the south west corner of the state. I had to skip the San Juans and take the Creede alternate when I hiked the CDT southbound in 2013 due to snow. I'm excited to see the state during the summer this time, rather than the fall. Updates to come...