View Full Version : Anybody ever hitched Durango to Denver?
GlobeTrotter
06-21-2014, 10:51
Yes, I will try to post on rideshare on craigslist in anticipation of the last week of my thru, but i am otherwise curious if anyone has ever tried to thumb it all the way back to Denver out of Durango?
Public transit options do not appear to exist (ie Greyhound etc) as far as I see.
I did a flipflop CT thru-hike. Salida to Durango and then Salida to Denver. I hitchhiked from Durango back to Salida via 160 east through Pagosa Springs to Monte Vista where I took Hwy 285 north into Pocha Springs which is next to Salida. Although I did that hitch, which took me two days(the hardest part being on RURAL Hwy 285), I could have taken the Arrow/Black Hills Stage Bus Lines from Alamosa which is only 18 more miles east of Monte Vista on Hwy 160 to Salida, Buena Vista, etc, AND ONTO DENVER. This is a reputable typically ON TIME BUS Company. What I'm saying is that you do not have to do a complete hitch all the way back to Denver. http://www.blackhillsstagelines.com/schedules.asp I just checked for ya. It's about 150 miles from Durango to Alamosa. Although this sounds like a massive hitch Hwy 160 which is the only HWY you'd be on if you did this hitch is very well traveled west to east and vice versa with quite a few folks using this Hwy to travel through the southern part of the state west to east. It's also traveled extensively by Coloradans. Greyhound also has a station at Alamosa but....(read on). I think Alamosa has the closest Greyhound station to Durango but I THINK their routes go east/west from Alamosa not north to Denver at least not in a rather sane(direct) way back to Denver.
The much anticipated Roadrunner bus from Durango to Grand Junction still seems to be in the future based on a check of the website, but as of late last year they were actually in the process of purchasing vehicles for the route. The viability of the route seemed to depend on federal subsidies, however, so maybe one of the budget deals of the last several months caused a funding cut? It might be worth making some calls to see if this bus service will happen before the end of the summer. I personally gave up on it a while back and booked a return flight from Durango.
http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20131104/NEWS01/131109986/
There are Frontier Airline one way flights from Durango to Denver in July and Aug for as low as $69. http://matrix.itasoftware.com/view/calendar?session=65a82173-04cc-42dc-8f46-9fa5ae4b8d3f ITA, which makes software for the airline industry, notes the cheapest publically advertised airfares/info condensed into one site that I know. ITA doesn't sell tickets. They only provide the info where you can go to purchase the cheapest publically advertised flights. http://www.itasoftware.com/ Tab on Airfare search.
GlobeTrotter
06-21-2014, 12:03
etc, AND ONTO DENVER[/U]. This is a reputable typically ON TIME BUS Company. What I'm saying is that you do not have to do a complete hitch all the way back to Denver. http://www.blackhillsstagelines.com/schedules.asp
Dogwood, Thanks for the link! I checked it out and Alamosa to Denver appears to be daily and cost just under $40. From Salida it is only $25.
Cookerhiker
06-22-2014, 10:01
I did a flipflop CT thru-hike. Salida to Durango and then Salida to Denver. ....
My term for that direction of hike is "inside-out." That's how I describe my 2007 Long Trail hike which was Rt. 4 north to Canada, Rt. 4 south to Massachusetts.
bearcreek
06-22-2014, 11:59
Those good fares with Frontier Airlines are difficult to get unless you reserve way in advance. (like right now) Hard to do if you are not exactly sure of how long your hike will take. Durango has numerous car rental places, however, and you can usually get a good one way rate to Denver. Especially if you split it with some other hikers.
GlobeTrotter
06-23-2014, 11:57
Those good fares with Frontier Airlines are difficult to get unless you reserve way in advance. (like right now) Hard to do if you are not sure exactly sure of long your hike will take. Durango has numerous car rental places, however, and you can usually get a good one way rate to Denver. Especially if you split it with some other hikers.
great info. no way would I tie myself to an airplane ticket...number one way to kill the beauty of open-ended travel and serendipity. But the car rental is a great option I wouldnt have considered before until hearing more about the estimate of thru-hikers per season...seems probable to finish about the same time as a couple others.
btw, i absolutely love these forums and appreciate everything that the contributers share here, it is a great aide to anybody far away from the trailhead to get a handle on things beforehand.
LuckyMan
06-27-2014, 11:44
Greyhound goes from Grand Junction to Denver (Amtrak supposedly does too, but I have tried clicking on multiple dates and keep getting a message that there's no train that day), so I was thinking about trying to hitch up to Grand Junction and then going by bus. Or I might just rent a car.
Sprout2011
06-27-2014, 17:26
great info. no way would I tie myself to an airplane ticket...number one way to kill the beauty of open-ended travel and serendipity. But the car rental is a great option I wouldnt have considered before until hearing more about the estimate of thru-hikers per season...seems probable to finish about the same time as a couple others.
btw, i absolutely love these forums and appreciate everything that the contributers share here, it is a great aide to anybody far away from the trailhead to get a handle on things beforehand.
My two friends and I are looking to get back to Denver around the 16th of August or so (if our hike from Denver to Durango goes relatively as planned). If renting a car or sharing rides seems to be possible with other hikers we would definitely be interested! Looking forward to meeting other hikers out there. What is your estimated arrival date to Durango globetrotter?
GlobeTrotter
06-28-2014, 00:44
What is your estimated arrival date to Durango globetrotter?
I plan to start about July 14th, so assuming 5ish weeks including stops and zeroes, somewhere about August 15-21st. Honestly, I am not making major planning details besides knowing how far I can go in between resupply and the bigger waterless stretches. I have my gear and maps, so I will take it from there. If we encounter each other, I would be down to split a car rental if it is convenient at the end....good luck out there...i know i am stoked!
In 2012 I hitched from Durango to Alamosa. Missed the bus by an hour. Paid an extra $10 to switch the day on my bus ticket, waited 23 hours, got on the bus, and was back in Denver five hours later. An enjoyable trip, especially since on of the trail angels let me drive his 1967 Buick Le Sabre convertible over Wolf Creek Pass! Don't be fooled though. There is NOTHING to do in Alamosa. It was a very boring 23 hours. Best of luck!
In 2012 I hitched from Durango to Alamosa. Missed the bus by an hour. Paid an extra $10 to switch the day on my bus ticket, waited 23 hours, got on the bus, and was back in Denver five hours later. An enjoyable trip, especially since on of the trail angels let me drive his 1967 Buick Le Sabre convertible over Wolf Creek Pass! Don't be fooled though. There is NOTHING to do in Alamosa. It was a very boring 23 hours. Best of luck!
Have you ever been biding your time waiting around for the bus to arrive on a previously purchased bus ticket that you simply started to hitch and got to your destination sooner than had you waited for the bus? I have. LOL. You could have been in Denver within 23 hrs if you had started hitching a ride.
Have you ever been biding your time waiting around for the bus to arrive on a previously purchased bus ticket that you simply started to hitch and got to your destination sooner than had you waited for the bus? I have. LOL. You could have been in Denver within 23 hrs if you had started hitching a ride.
Haha, this thought crossed my mind. I got stranded between Durango and Pagosa Springs along side the highway the day before, and I ended up sleeping in the median of the highway, practically begging for a ride. I ended up getting a ride at 3:00 AM from a police officer. No side story, he literally picked me up in his cruiser and took me to Pagosa Springs. Awesome guy. I didn't want to risk getting stranded again, though, and I figured a boring day followed by a guaranteed ride was better than another night on a highway!
I got rides to Pagosa Springs and found a stealthy spot in some willows on a sandy beach down on the San Juan River the first night. Practiced strong LNT principles. Just downstream I found some small impromptu hot springs that the locals alerted me to. I cleaned up like a shiny new penny. The next morning I went into a coffee shop on the river where the owner wouldn't let me pay for any food or coffee. Turns out she was a CT hiker as well and was enthusiastic to share hiking stories. Most Glorious. My new found freshness didn't last long though. It never does when you hike. Got caught out in the open plains in a nasty driving dust storm proceeded by rain and flurries just north of Monte Vista on Hwy 285. Trying to get a ride after first covered in dust and then wet and then frozen with ice must have made me look a poorly prepared McDonald's Sundae with shredded coconut. I was wide awake from all the caffeine though. It made for an interesting hitchhiking experience. Someone heading through Salida to Denver finally took pity on me.