The trail continues to bounce around through forested landscapes mostly between 10- and 11,000 feet. Theres no good resupply options from Silverton to Durango. For more information various trailheads to access these sections, pick up a copy of the Official Guidebook. The forest becomes very aspen-dominant around Elbert, meaning shade will be on the sparse side. Shortly after you first break out of the trees (warning: the section right around treeline is particularly steep and exhausting), youll have an incredible view of Tenmile Peak (Peak 1). The Collegiate West alternate route is not included. Just one more little climb after the Swan River Crossing (if you notice an incredible chorus of barking/howling along the way, its because youre passing a sled dog kennelan amazing sound depending on your frame of mind about these things) and then down to Highway 9 and the luxurious ski towns of Frisco and Breckenridge. Base weight is the total weight of all of your gear minus food and water. Mount Elbert is especially tempting too, since its the highest mountain in Colorado! Favorite sign sighting on the whole CT. But if the Fortius doesnt strike your fancy, check out GearJunkies best backpacking tents. 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. 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. Moved from CT to CO. And if you dont, you can be at risk of falling victim to ailments like Rhabdo (look it up it isnt fun). Missouri Mountain, in particular, had a short section that struck me as exceptionally exposed. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. But its particularly useful for anyone considering thru-hiking the Colorado Trail yourself. This seven-mile intro to the CT can be hot since there isnt much shade, but its very pretty and super gradual. Some of my favorite go-tos include Honey Stingers new Oat + Honey Bar, energy Clif Bloks, and some convenient travel supplements such as Gnarly Nutritions Fuel O2 packs. Featured image: Graphic design by Chris Helm (@chris.helm). Im not a big spender, but I found myself longing for a $400 GoPro all throughout this stretch. Although Collegiate East is the official route of the CT, both paths are accepted by the Colorado Trail Foundation as part of a CT thru-hike. The CT isnt especially crowded like the AT or PCT, so more thru-hikers is generally a good thing. Life is distilled into its most basic elements. His recorded time was 3 days, 19 hours, and 15 minutes, set in 2016. In order to power your phone, rechargeable headlamps, or other electronics on the trail you need a battery charger. Links to e-commerce sites earn commission. Theyre heavier than what I prefer to use, but they also offer a lot in terms of stability and durability on the trail. Youre likely to encounter quite a few mountain bikes in this stretch. Trail Magic or Angels are always a special treat to encounter on any thru-hike. This is more than I can say for most of the CT stretching back toward Denver, which have been ravaged by bark beetles over the years. Its lowest point is at 5,520 feet in Waterton Canyon the trails eastern terminus near Denver. Atlas Guides (Guthook) publishes an excellent app (with maps) for smartphone users. I know we all love to hike, but I personally like to hike in really pretty places. Oh hey there! and hunker down. Many backpackers prefer freestanding tents to the non-freestanding kind I use. 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. Its a gorgeous, desertlike stretch if youre prepared to handle the heat. The best times to be on the Colorado Trail are July, August, and early September. Remember that the Colorado Trail is hiking trail that simply allows cyclists to use it if you dare . Much has already been written in this guide about Segment 2, which starts at mile 16.5 at the South Platte River. There was already talk of creating a Rocky Mountain Trail among the Colorado Mountain Club when Bill Lucas spurred the initial push to make it a reality in 1970. Gudy never gave up, and the trail was officially completed in 1987. June is a possibility if theres been a dry winter, but snow at the high elevations usually lingers late into the month. 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. The first few miles of the climb out of Breck are hot and dry thanks to a wildfire that incinerated much of the slope. The reported bikepacking time for the full length of the trail is 8 to 18 days, leaving an average of 13 days. Youll be tempted to leave all of your backpacking gear behind to bag these summits. Some trekkers also consider getting medevac insurance to help in case they need to be airlifted off the trail. Segment CW02: Sheep Gulch to Cottonwood Pass Trailhead, 9. Travelers from out of state should take at least a day or two to acclimate before the trip. $19.99 + $2.99 shipping. While all backpackers will pack slightly differently for a multiday trip, there are always some staples that go into a pack. Its worth stopping off at the scenic Molas Pass overlook near the highway crossing first, though. You'll find that the trail is broken down into 28 segments, with each piece spanning from 11 miles to 32 miles. 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. Segment 21: San Luis Pass to Spring Creek Pass Trailhead, 6. A series of sharp climbs will get you up and over the ridge, going past several lovely alpine lakes along the way. Another great option is creating resupply boxes and mailing them to post offices in these towns. Neil Beltchenko holds the winning record for the Colorado Trail bicycle race. Traveling through 6 wilderness areas and 8 mountain ranges, the trail offers the full spectrum of Colorado lakes, peaks, creeks, and ecosystem diversity. You can enter Waterton Canyon Trailhead on Google Maps to see the precise location. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 9 h 58 min to complete. They're also convenient bail-out points should something go wrong (i.e., injury or bad weather), and determine where hikers can resupply. The views are to die for up top, and the surrounding peaks are indeed starting to look bigger and wilder. Camped among the aspen near the base of the Mount Elbert approach trail. Divided into 28 segments, the trail end points are Denver and Durango. Segment CW04: Tincup Pass Road to Boss Lake Trailhead, 17. Shortly after the campground, you cross Jefferson Creek around mile 75. I hope this page has satisfied what you needed to know about the trail, or at least pointed you in the right direction. Segments 11-14 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. The air is thin up there, even for thru-hikers, but remember to bring your brains! Segment CW03: Cottonwood Pass Trailhead to Tincup Pass Road, 7. Segments 22-23 Its lowest point is at 5,520 feet in Waterton Canyon - the trail's eastern terminus near Denver. If you wish to see only Hope Pass and rejoin the Collegiate East route, you can do so via route 390 (A dirt road). Collegiate West leaves the CT (Collegiate East) in Segment 11 and rejoins it in Segment 15. Some of the basic gear you will need for an overnight trip includes: But before we get into all the sweet gear youll need, we should start with a scale and a little something called base weight.. Sometimes you end up hiking faster than planned, and other times, slower. The Data Book shows a number of campsites marked on its maps. Biking is most popular on the sections of trail nearest to Denver and Durango. Elevation Gain: 5,196 feet. Eighteen made it onto our 2023 Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags roundup. Its best to be on the Colorado Trail only from July 1st through mid-September. 11 Highlights of the Colorado Trail You Wont Want to Miss So, you can really read this list as how scenic, or how much bang for your buck you get in these sections! Most segments start and end at a road or trailhead, and they can sometimes be pretty remote. The standard hiking trail is 486 miles, but the biking bypasses extend a full length adventure to approximately 540 miles. 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. Or more. Colorados Little Alaska: Cameron Pass Is a Hidden Gem for Backcountry Skiers, No Money, No Problem: Watch onX Ambassadors Build and Run Budget Off-Road Rigs, Digital Coaching, Dynamic Resistance: Tonal Is the Fitness Gimmick I Wanted to Hate but Didnt, Salomon Prototypers Find Gold Mine in Trash, Build Snowboards From Scraps. Check out the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 15 or the Kelty Cosmic 20 for some other solid three-season options. Snacks, water, headlamp, and extra layers are essential. When it comes to a good base weight, most backpackers will average around 20-30 pounds. From there you can take a taxi or Uber, private shuttle, etc. 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). Another great resource is apps such as farOut and onX, which allow you to put the entire trail in your pocket. The trail climbs a lot in Seg 4, so show up ready to work. Segment 3: Little Scraggy Trailhead to Rolling Creek Trailhead, 26. This water-bottle filter weighs 3.3 ounces and will filter 3 L of water per minute. Its over 40,000 words with 1,500 beautiful photos. 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. Its a great bag. Elbert is the second-highest mountain in the lower 48 states, only 62 feet lower than Mount Whitney in California. Open full screen to view more. Colorado Trail Packing List 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. Segment 15: US Hwy 50 to Marshall Pass, 29. 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. The trail is mostly exposed, so this may be a section to tackle early in the day if possible. As always, and maybe even moreso here, this is my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt! So, I decided to create this ranked list of the segments, from best to worst. 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. Hiking just one 14er offers an unparalleled experience, with views that arent found along the official trail. Colorado Trail Segment 5 is by far the most pretty of the first 5 segments of the 485 trail. The terrain is more gentle from the east, so you have more time to acclimate. Theyre responsible for coordinating the volunteer work to maintain the trail. Distance: 32.9 miles. AllTrails/Rolf Asphaug. Other hikers will carry a weeks worth of food and select meals based on how they are feeling on any given day. The Klymit Static V is another great option thats new for 2023 and comes at an extremely affordable price ($55). In exchange, youll get above 10,000 feet for the first time and the trail will start to feel cooler, lusher, and more mountainous. This is not the John Muir Trail. Im not a big fan of the map book thats published by the Colorado Trail Foundation. Others like Mount Elbert are just fine. This is easily bypassed via the Indian Creek trailhead (see above). Fortunately the logistics of traveling to Denver and Durango are fairly simple. You can ship it via USPS to a local post office. Five bypasses from the official route are necessary to go around the designated wilderness areas (more on this down the page). 2. Or, you can weigh yourself on a scale without your gear, and weigh yourself a second time with your base gear. Should you get caught on an exposed ridge, descend immediately off the trail if necessary (Dont get lost!) For more information about specific services and hostels available in towns, check out Pmags guide. But you need a good water purifier to drink the water. When I started ranking these, the main category I went off of was beautiful views. Segment 28: Kennebec Trailhead to Junction Creek Trailhead, 24. This is a long section for rookie thru-hikers. Many mistakes were made. Likewise, the chances of encountering an early-season snowstorm increase significantly from September into October. Start planning your trip! Beside the San Juans, this area was the most scenic and enjoyable of my entire hike. Best Time to Hike the Kalalau Trail. The Colorado Trail is one of the great walks of the American West. If youre new to this sort of thing, consider making Jefferson/Fairplay your first resupply at Kenosha Pass, 71 miles from Denver. July has a higher incidence of lightning, but more wildflowers and more thru-hikers. The trail is divided into 28 segments. Here's a checklist of what I'm bringing and how I'm planning for any backpacker to use as a jumping-off point. Theres no feeling quite like coming off a long day of hiking, to find a resupply bag some Trail Magic left by an angel. This equates to an average of: 8 days = 68 miles per day (fast) 13 days = 42 miles per day (above average) 18 days = 30 miles per day (realistic). Dedicating a month of your life to the Trail has its price. 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