Youll duck in and out of these clusters of ancient trees, often swapping them for lush, grassy meadows and (especially in July) brilliant wildflowers. The last major piece of gear is the sleeping pad. The CT isnt especially crowded like the AT or PCT, so more thru-hikers is generally a good thing. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 9 h 58 min to complete. Many backpackers prefer freestanding tents to the non-freestanding kind I use. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. San Luis Peak is the easiest one to get, as its summit is nearest to the official trail. ), 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. Why not? Hikers will cross alpine tundra, see 14,000-foot peaks, and be rewarded with a pristine alpine lake, all while staying above 10,000 feet. Highest Elevation: 14,278 ft (Grays Peak CO) Lowest Elevation: 4,200 ft. GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. . 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 Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado Distance: 25 miles Difficulty: strenuous Time allotment: 2-3 days Driving the Great Divide. Segment 20: Eddiesville Trailhead to San Luis Pass, 16. About fifty so-called Fourteeners are in the state, and a few are within striking distance of The Colorado Trail. Likewise, the chances of encountering an early-season snowstorm increase significantly from September into October. And if youre looking for the lightest, highest-quality bag from 2023, take a look at the Rab Mythic Ultra that thing is a beast. 465.9 accessible via 171 485 Route 171 at Junction Creek end of the trail! Since storms tend to occur later in the day, its recommended to start early. You should try and go as light as possible. Read more. Segment CW04: Tincup Pass Road to Boss Lake Trailhead, 17. David has been writing about skiing, fly fishing, and outdoor gear for 10+ years. A busy highway goes through Kenosha Pass, and theres a campground there where you can fill up your water. Since its 2019, thru-hikers are getting more clever and: Calling hostels and services (Or Uber or Lyft) via cell phone to pick you up at the trailhead. Some trekkers also consider getting medevac insurance to help in case they need to be airlifted off the trail. Fritos are a staple that is great to add to almost any backpacking meal. The trail is divided into 28 segments. Gudy never gave up, and the trail was officially completed in 1987. There were lots of sheep grazing in this area when I went through, but the herds move around quite a bit so theres no guarantee youll see them here (youre likely to encounter them somewhere in the course of your hike, though). They have a separate map for that. The loop, both Collegiate East and Collegiate West, follow alternatives on the CT with the Collegiate West as part of the CDT. $19.99 + $2.99 shipping. I created a free guide for backcountry skiing in Colorado! Its best to be on the Colorado Trail only from July 1st through mid-September. So Ill just summarize here: 10 miles, very hot, very dry. The trail alternates between open meadows and lush forests that are teeming with wildflowers and wildlife. Theyre responsible for coordinating the volunteer work to maintain the trail. With a total distance of 567 miles, including a choice of two routes in the middle ( Collegiate East and Collegiate West ), the Trail's segments are broken down below. Trail Magic or Angels are always a special treat to encounter on any thru-hike. For more information about specific services and hostels available in towns, check out Pmags guide. You can donate to their efforts here, because money makes the world go round. READ NEXT Everything You Need to Know to Hike the Colorado Trail, Segments 1-3 and hunker down. Segment 24 More flag On Ute, Cheyenne & Pueblos Land Distance 539 Mi. My son Justin is on the trail as I write this. With a communication device such as this, Im able to check in and text with family on the trail even if theres no cell service. The Colorado Trail is a 500-plus-mile trail that extends from Denver to Durango. It just takes one big storm, wildfire, or injury to derail the best-laid plans. And theyre just around the corner. Segment 16: Marshall Pass to Sargents Mesa, 30. 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 . You can always find something valuable about a segment even if its not your favorite. The forest becomes very aspen-dominant around Elbert, meaning shade will be on the sparse side. Section (segment) hiking is a great way to see the trail and being able to do the trail a weekend, week or more at a time. Just like any other long distance hike the beauty is that it brings all kinds of people of all different backgrounds for all kinds of reasons. You can hitch into the charming town of Leadville pretty easily from here. 1 m ost active state, the second-best state in which to live and the fourth-happiest state overall. Thats when some good-hearted, kind-natured soul will provide beers, soda, candy bars, or other supplies for thru-hikers along the trail. 2. However, the CT was closed near Durango due to the 416 fire. The entire tent weighs less than 2 pounds and packs down into a very small stuff sack taking up almost no room in the pack. For the Colorado Trail, Ill be using a Big Agnes Sidewinder bag. Either way, going with the flow is part of thru-hiking. For backpacking, I tend to carry an Adventure Medical Kit for Hiking. Favorite sign sighting on the whole CT. Ive crossed it both and have indeed had crappy, dangerous weather both times (lightning and freezing rain, respectively). Sometimes you end up hiking faster than planned, and other times, slower. For any long-distance thru-hike, such as the Colorado Trail, planning a route and resupply points is key. 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. Spring snow is flittering outside my office window, and I am meticulously weighing gear, charting paths across topographical maps, and preparing for hiking the Colorado Trail this summer. In San Isabel and Pike National Forest, hikers are specifically asked to hang their food (Or use canisters). Sponsored. I weigh 250 pounds, so my pack fully loaded should never be more than 50 pounds. This also acts as a shorcut, shaving 3.5 off of the official route. 357.8 Hwy 149: Lake City, Creede 411.1 US Hwy 550: Silverton. Breaking Down | Segments 18-21 Resupply on the Colorado Trail Beside the San Juans, this area was the most scenic and enjoyable of my entire hike. This split in the CT occurs in Segment 11. Sometimes businesses along the trail will accept packages too (Especially worth considering for UPS and FEDEX, which do not deliver to the Post Office). Twin Lakes to Monarch Pass is about 85 miles. The Data Book has useful overview maps to follow your progress through each segment. Or more. Remember that the Colorado Trail is hiking trail that simply allows cyclists to use it if you dare . These cookies do not store any personal information. I hope this page has satisfied what you needed to know about the trail, or at least pointed you in the right direction. Try entering Junction Creek Campground Durango in Google maps to get on the right track. Sure, the trail is simple. GearJunkie Copyright 2013 2023. Along the way it meanders through high alpine mountains and valleys, offering a glimpse at some of the finest terrain Colorado has to offer. It offers both an East and West trail option with gradual ascents to stunning views. The shrubby cow pastures slowly give way to tall, jutting peaks on either side and a marshy, willowy valley floor. A lightweight backpacker can get that down to 10-20 pounds. 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. Open full screen to view more. From Hope Pass one can continue to the Missouri Gulch trailhead and over Elkhead Pass, eventually picking up the Pine Creek Trail that leads east back to the official CT. From the pass youre within striking distance of three Fourteeners Missouri Mountain, Belford, and Oxford. Location: Forest Road 550 / Buffalo Creek, CO. Start Access: Paved roads. Hold plans loosely. This is easily bypassed via the Indian Creek trailhead (see above). Colorado Trail Packing List Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of altitude sickness (dizziness, headache, nausea, etc.) You can ship it via USPS to a local post office. The views are to die for up top, and the surrounding peaks are indeed starting to look bigger and wilder. Segment 18: CO Hwy 114 to Saguache Park Road, 28. 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). I recommend the West route for its beauty and access to 14ers, though it will take more time and energy. And it tastes pretty damn good too. Segment 19 is a nice way to wrap up this little interlude. ELEVATION: average ~10,300 feet ROUTE: well maintained, popular trail, signed junctions GUIDEBOOK: Colorado Trail 9th Edition DATA BOOK: 7th Edition. Colorado Trail Segment 5 is by far the most pretty of the first 5 segments of the 485 trail. Each one is a moderate to exceptional hike in its own right, from 11.4 miles (18.3 kilometers) to 32 miles (51.5 kilometers) in length. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. Foot races include the on and off-road marathons of Denver, Silverton, and Aspen. Segment CW05: Boss Lake Trailhead to Ridge Above South Fooses Creek, 12. Highlights include the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe, which weighs just 2.9 ounces and will boil 1 L of water in 3 minutes, 23 seconds. Taylor Lake itself is very beautiful and basically signals the beginning of the end of this trail. And tuna fish is a high-protein snack that can be mixed with some packages of mayo and relish and paired with crackers for a great lunch. The Colorado Trail Foundation even offers a CT Shuttlers List of people willing to provide transportation on the trail to hikers. Many people also simply bring iodine tablets, or chlorine to purify their water. 5 is by far the most pretty of the 485 trail read NEXT Everything you to. Forest, hikers are specifically asked to hang their food ( or use canisters ) to in... Pass is about 85 miles trail only from July 1st through mid-September 85 miles Ill be using a Agnes! 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