Leasons learned on the CT

[Slo-go'en]

Just got home from my little 7 day, 110 mile hike on the CT, Sections 1 through 6 and a few miles into segment 7.

1) It's really hard to breathe at 10,000 feet and above and it takes a long time to acclimatize. All the "locals" I talked to said it took them a good month to get used to the elevation when they moved there (Breckenridge/Frisco/Leadville).

I did fairly well having only a low grade headache some of the time. If your not so lucky, you can come down with something called "High Altitude Pulmonary Distress" and end up in the hospital on oxygen. The uphill trail grade was very slight, but even so I had to stop to catch my breath every 20 steps or so. It took a long time to to do a 5 mile, 2000 foot climb. Flat or down hill I could move along reasonably fast without having to stop to breathe.

I also had a hard time sleeping and even eating at high elevations. My nose would often clog up at night so had to breath through my mouth and the air was so dry my mouth would dry out too.

Besides the elevation, much of the trail is exposed. The sun is very strong and it's often windy. Okay if it's to your back and not so much if you have to walk into it. Get a wide brim hat with a chin strap. Hiking in the sun and wind with few places to stop and rest in the shade took a lot out of me too.

My suggestion to any flat landers wanting to thru hike the CT would be to go to Breckenridge or Leadville first and spend a week or more just hanging around town. Do some easy day hikes or rent a mountain bike, but don't do anything very strenuous at first. Maybe find somewhere to camp just outside of town to help keep the costs down.

2) My pack was way too heavy. At 19 pounds base and nearly 30 fully loaded with food and water, it was a real struggle. I don't know how I can get my base weight much lower and geared up for 20 degree temps, but I guess I'll have to spend a ton of money if I ever want to go back up there.

3) Mountain bikers are everywhere. Section 2 is the worst and I was there for Labor day weekend and the riders were out in force. The problem with the mountain bikers is they sneak up on you with little or no warning and expect you to jump out of the way. Sometimes on a very narrow track with nowhere to go. You have to listen very carefully for the soft crunch of gravel as they approach, then find a place to step off the trail to let them go by. Some will ring a little bell or shout out when they are 10 feet behind you. Worst is when they come flying down hill around a corner and are suddenly aimed right at you. A couple scared the crap out of me that way. Forget about wearing earbuds and listening to music as you hike. You'll get run over for sure that way.

The other problem with the mountain bikes is what they do to the trail. They tend to wear a grove into it so your walking in a "V" track much of the time. A very dusty one at that. The only sections I really enjoyed hiking on were the few wilderness areas where bikes are not allowed. Those sections were more like AT type tread.

I was not very happy with having to dodge mountain bikers all day. Maybe it gets better farther south in the more rugged mountains and away from the popular tourist towns of Breckenridge, Leadville and Copper mountain. Anyway, the mountain bikers will be a major reason I may never go back to try more of the CT.

All in all, even though I didn't get nearly as far as I hoped, it was a worthwhile trip and had some great views. And if I ever do go back, I'll be better prepared and with a much lighter pack.

[garlic08]

Colorado MTBers are the most courteous of the several states I've hiked, much more so as a whole than AZ or CA. I hiked the first half of the CT last year and actually enjoyed the company of the MTBers. Some were obviously accomplished bikepackers and were willing to chat about their trips. I do a lot of trail work around here and MTBers are very well represented on the crews, and on the CT Foundation. Sorry you didn't enjoy that part of the trail. By comparison, the motor bikes illegally on the PCT around Mojave are the reason I will never hike that part of the PCT again.

I got my base weight to the ten pound level with only one expensive purchase, a Marmot Helium bag. The Tarptent and Gossamer Gear pack I use cost less than $300 together (cheaper than the sleeping bag). The rest was just leaving stuff at home, mainly learning how to hike comfortably with less and lighter clothing. Water and food management is important as well. If I get to my resupply with any extra food, or to a water source with something in my bottle, I consider it a mistake. Many don't like taking that risk, though.

Excellent advice about sleeping a few nights at higher altitude, if you can afford it. A diet rich in iron helps, as well as good hydration of course.

[colorado_rob]

Yeah, bummer about the mountain bikes, but for future CT hikers, I strongly recommend timing your hike through sections 1-3 and 6, which seem to me the busiest mtn bike areas on the northern part of the trail.

I have mentioned this many times in the past, but of course in scattered threads and also many folks cannot time their start dates due to travel restrictions and who listens to me anyway.

Anyway, basically, you want to avoid sections 2, 3 and 6 on a weekend. Section 1 ain't bad, and sections 4-5 are basically off-limits (really only 4, but folks could cruise down and back up 5, I suppose).

So, start on a Tuesday if you're fairly slow, a Wednesday if moderate or fast. That will get you through section 3 before the weekend. Do sections 4-5 on the weekend, then hit 6 the next Monday.

I agree with Garlic about the general courtesy of the mtn bikers in Colorado and along the CT, nevertheless, they do get excited, and rounding those blind curves on that gravel in section 3 can be problematic. My wife almost got clobbered a couple times in section 3.

As Slo said, FORGET about earbuds on the busy Mtn bike sections!

[Slo-go'en]

To be fair, the majority of the mountain bikers were courteous, did their best not to run me over and warn me if another was behind them, many said hello as they went by but only one actually stopped for me and chatted for a while. I guess the less courteous bikers were the tourists and not the local regulars. Weekends were bad, but they were out there everyday of the week, just not in real big numbers. Maybe half a dozen instead of 20-30. I know they do a lot of trail work but still, they do beat up the trail a lot too and make it much less enjoyable to hike on then it otherwise would be. I suppose if I lived out there, I'd be on a bike too.

[rafe]

All I know about the CT is what I read from Cookerhiker's book. He spoke well of the bicyclists. So, I'm surprised by your report. Hmmm.

[Coffee]

I think that everyone reacts to altitude differently but it would be a good idea to spend some time at elevation as a precaution. Probably the most affordable place to do this would be Leadville (compared to Breckenridge) since the hostel there is inexpensive and a cool place to stay as well. I started my trip during the week to avoid mountain bikes on the most heavily impacted sections and it wasn't a huge issue for me. I did encounter lots of bikes due to the Leadville 100 but that was very brief. The other hot spot for mountain biking was near Monarch Crest on the final leg of the collegiate west. After that I don't recall being particularly bothered by bikes.

Overall, I loved the CT and want to hike it again, probably around this time of year to avoid the monsoonal thunderstorms which were a nearly daily occurrence on my late July-late August hike two years ago. Hopefully you can acclimate better next time and things will be smoother.

[Uriah]

You'll find cyclists on almost every summer/fall weekend on the CT, sometimes even in the wilderness areas where they're not allowed. But they tend to thin out the farther south you go, 'til outside Durango. Jeeps then become more prevalent...yay! I've hiked the CT numerous times (and have even ridden it on two occasions...it's what I consider a "standby trail" when I don't want to plan in advance a lot), and in time I learned to make it a habit of reaching a town on Fridays, so I could rest a day or two and avoid the hassle and risk that weekends provoked. Summer holiday weekends, as you allude Slo-Go'en, are to be avoided at all costs!

The wide-brim hat is a wise advice, but you'll still get plenty of reflective light from the sparkling rocks and exposed terrain (above tree-line or within burn areas)...enough to get a burn when out all day. Sunscreen helps, as would a big-ass beard. That's why some of the mountain women nearby grow them!

Fitness is your best defense/offense in coming to altitude if you can't otherwise acclimate. But even a thin, fit, lightly-loaded runner/backpacker would still benefit by spending time up high first. Three weeks seems to be the magic time-frame, according to most physiological studies and/or journals. 8,000 feet seems to be the "most appropriate" elevation. Adaptations slow after three weeks, as most have been made, while going higher almost becomes too stressful, impairing sleep and day-to-day recovery. Drink more than normal, sleep as low as practical (below tree-line, generally, depending on views!), watch the clouds closely, and indeed skip the earbuds. There are certainly nicer routes here in the west, but the CT is a great mix of good, bad, and incredibly beautiful. The San Juans almost rival the High Sierra. Almost.

[Coffee]

The San Juans almost rival the High Sierra. Almost.

I agree. I felt the same way about the rerouted Collegiate West especially the 20+ mile single track exposed section after Cottonwood Pass. Just spectacular and uncrowded.

[DuneElliot]

Just got home from my little 7 day, 110 mile hike on the CT, Sections 1 through 6 and a few miles into segment 7.

1) It's really hard to breathe at 10,000 feet and above and it takes a long time to acclimatize. All the "locals" I talked to said it took them a good month to get used to the elevation when they moved there (Breckenridge/Frisco/Leadville) I'm lucky to live at 5200ft so altitude doesn't hit me in the same way. I can cruise up hills while my parents, who live on the UK coast, struggle to climb 20 paces at 8000ft.

I did fairly well having only a low grade headache some of the time. If your not so lucky, you can come down with something called "High Altitude Pulmonary Distress" and end up in the hospital on oxygen. The uphill trail grade was very slight, but even so I had to stop to catch my breath every 20 steps or so. It took a long time to to do a 5 mile, 2000 foot climb. Flat or down hill I could move along reasonably fast without having to stop to breathe. Only when it's super steep and rocky do I have to take a break, and that's more to do with muscle fatigue than altitude. I do love me some flatter trails, but don't know where to find them in the mountains!!!

I also had a hard time sleeping and even eating at high elevations. My nose would often clog up at night so had to breath through my mouth and the air was so dry my mouth would dry out too.

Besides the elevation, much of the trail is exposed. The sun is very strong and it's often windy. Okay if it's to your back and not so much if you have to walk into it. Get a wide brim hat with a chin strap. Hiking in the sun and wind with few places to stop and rest in the shade took a lot out of me too.

My suggestion to any flat landers wanting to thru hike the CT would be to go to Breckenridge or Leadville first and spend a week or more just hanging around town. Do some easy day hikes or rent a mountain bike, but don't do anything very strenuous at first. Maybe find somewhere to camp just outside of town to help keep the costs down. Good suggestion

2) My pack was way too heavy. At 19 pounds base and nearly 30 fully loaded with food and water, it was a real struggle. I don't know how I can get my base weight much lower and geared up for 20 degree temps, but I guess I'll have to spend a ton of money if I ever want to go back up there. My 10F set-up is 13-14lbs, depending on what I decided to carry...but that is with a ZPacks Arc Haul, ZPacks Duplex and EE Convert. My pad is still heavy. Hoping to go to a hammock soon.

3) Mountain bikers are everywhere. Section 2 is the worst and I was there for Labor day weekend and the riders were out in force. The problem with the mountain bikers is they sneak up on you with little or no warning and expect you to jump out of the way. Sometimes on a very narrow track with nowhere to go. You have to listen very carefully for the soft crunch of gravel as they approach, then find a place to step off the trail to let them go by. Some will ring a little bell or shout out when they are 10 feet behind you. Worst is when they come flying down hill around a corner and are suddenly aimed right at you. A couple scared the crap out of me that way. Forget about wearing earbuds and listening to music as you hike. You'll get run over for sure that way. I'd probably be teaching them trail etiquette since the cyclists, both pedal and motor, are required to yield to hikers. And both to yield to horses. I've ridden mostly horses in the backcountry vs hiking for the past 20 years...I'd be pretty p!$$ed at any cyclists that didn't yield to a spooky animal...and I'm sure I would make it known.

The other problem with the mountain bikes is what they do to the trail. They tend to wear a grove into it so your walking in a "V" track much of the time. A very dusty one at that. The only sections I really enjoyed hiking on were the few wilderness areas where bikes are not allowed. Those sections were more like AT type tread.

I was not very happy with having to dodge mountain bikers all day. Maybe it gets better farther south in the more rugged mountains and away from the popular tourist towns of Breckenridge, Leadville and Copper mountain. Anyway, the mountain bikers will be a major reason I may never go back to try more of the CT. I do think it gets more remote the further south you get as it tends to favor the wilderness areas and NF that are further from Denver and other towns.

All in all, even though I didn't get nearly as far as I hoped, it was a worthwhile trip and had some great views. And if I ever do go back, I'll be better prepared and with a much lighter pack.

I plan on going next year, with dogs in tow...and yes, they are trail trained! If I move to a hammock I'm going to have to do some adjusting with what to do with them at night!

[saltysack]

How bad are the mtb's on collegiate loop?....got me thinking as I'll have my dog with me...on and off leash.......ill be starting clockwise Monday at twin lakes and plan to be at monarch crest @ Hw 50 on Friday...hitch into Salida, start CW on Saturday...damn...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DuneElliot]

Also, if you want a true wilderness hike...but only 55 miles...think about coming to Wyoming for the Solitude Loop Trail...a few miles of ATV roads, that are actually avoidable for the most part, and very sparsely traveled. I'm a slow hiker and did it in 6 days, but could have done it in 5. Gorgeous scenery and few people, and even then in only a few specific places. You could combine doing this loop with lonehiker's Medicine Bow One Hundred for a good vacation!

[Dogwood]

Labor Day, what did you expect?

+1 "Colorado MTBers are the most courteous of the several states I've hiked, much more so as a whole than AZ or CA. I hiked the first half of the CT last year and actually enjoyed the company of the MTBers. Some were obviously accomplished bike packers and were willing to chat about their trips."

You'll experience heavy MB use on the Monarch Crest on single track and into the area around Durango on good weather weekends as well all the way into late fall. Yeah, vegging out on single track at peak MB times on those segments wearing ear buds isn't wise as I found out.

On the AZT they go all night. Freaked me out at 2, 3, 4a.m blazing through some with no head lamps just riding under the light of the moon. Makes me want to do that just talking about it.

[Dogwood]

As Rob said it's more of a timing thing just as it is to avoid NP crowds.

[Dogwood]

The Roxborough and Lost creek Wilderness alternates Mags has detailed are GREAT alternate suggestions to the official CT.

[colorado_rob]

Also, if you want a true wilderness hike...but only 55 miles...think about coming to Wyoming for the Solitude Loop Trail...a few miles of ATV roads, that are actually avoidable for the most part, and very sparsely traveled. I'm a slow hiker and did it in 6 days, but could have done it in 5. Gorgeous scenery and few people, and even then in only a few specific places. You could combine doing this loop with lonehiker's Medicine Bow One Hundred for a good vacation!

Good call, WY is kinda like "Colorado-light", just as gorgeous, but fewer people, and shifted down in elevation a couple thousand feet. A bit shorter season though, and a few more bugs in mid summer, but that's all manageable. We (my wife and I) were inspired by your recent trip report and plan on hitting that area next summer.

[DuneElliot]

Good call, WY is kinda like "Colorado-light", just as gorgeous, but fewer people, and shifted down in elevation a couple thousand feet. A bit shorter season though, and a few more bugs in mid summer, but that's all manageable. We (my wife and I) were inspired by your recent trip report and plan on hitting that area next summer.

Just don't tell anyone else about it Let me know, and if I'm around it would be nice to get a beer somewhere!

[Slo-go'en]

How bad are the mtb's on collegiate loop?....got me thinking as I'll have my dog with me...on and off leash.......ill be starting clockwise Monday at twin lakes and plan to be at monarch crest @ Hw 50 on Friday...hitch into Salida, start CW on Saturday...damn...

I'd guess not as many as I ran into. The sections I did do seem to be the most popular MB areas. I did see several bikers with their dog chasing behind them.

Good luck to you, hope you make a report when your done. Like everyone says, drink lots and lots of water (with electrolytes) and take it easy. Although the guide doesn't show them, I found every place there was water, there was a campsite near-by. I hope you have the Gunthook Colorado hiker app, I found it really helpful to know exactly where I was and how far I had to go.

[Slo-go'en]

Labor Day, what did you expect?

Having never been there before, didn't know what to expect. I had no idea that Mountain Biking was such a popular thing out there. The shear numbers surprised me. What also surprised me was how few other backpackers there were.

I only meet one couple out hiking/camping for the Labor day weekend and I camped alone every night but one while I was out there. I passed one couple from Germany going North (who amazing enough I had also meet on the AT a few years ago). I meet a 20 something couple at Kenosha Pass, but then lost track of them until they showed up at Breckenridge the day after I did. I got ahead of them somehow. Then a guy showed up where I was camped just before Breckenridge and we ended up hiking together into town the next day.

[saltysack]

I'd guess not as many as I ran into. The sections I did do seem to be the most popular MB areas. I did see several bikers with their dog chasing behind them.

Good luck to you, hope you make a report when your done. Like everyone says, drink lots and lots of water (with electrolytes) and take it easy. Although the guide doesn't show them, I found every place there was water, there was a campsite near-by. I hope you have the Gunthook Colorado hiker app, I found it really helpful to know exactly where I was and how far I had to go.

Will do....with a few new gear purchases I've got my base weight down under 11-12 lbs inc pups bag. Although it's just a guess as I don't own a scale but I pick up 10 lb plates at the gym daily so think I'm close. My food haul is a different story...I'm prob closer to 2.5+lbs per day...I like to eat hourly and bring Gatorade powder....yea it's heavy! I find I keep my energy up if I eat something every hour or so. I'm doing 3 food drops to keep load down....I'm a big fan of the Guthooks app! I used it on the JMT and loved it! I bought the Collegiate loop app...already have target camp spots etc.....let the fun begin!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[colorado_rob]

Just don't tell anyone else about it Let me know, and if I'm around it would be nice to get a beer somewhere!

don't tell anyone about what???? Cool, we'll tip one if possible next summer, WY has lots and lots of great brews.