View Full Version : Colorado Trail info
OK..it is a bit off the AT, but I know many (some?)
of you have expressed interest in doing the CT at some
point.
This past week, met with a friend at local coffee shop
here in Boulder and we talked about my CT adventure
for three hours. As he plans on doing it this summer,
it was helpful.
I also thought "I should write all this stuff down".
Since I plan on doing a CT workshop at the ALDHA-East
GAthering this year, may as well get it done. Maybe
I'll catch a red-eye type flight and go to Aldha West
as well.
So, I posted a CT info doc. It is not everything you
need to know about the CT, but is a good place to
start.
The formatting is a little funky in places[1] , but
the info is there and it looks pretty good.
Should be a nice little doc for those planning the
trail.
http://www.magnanti.com/miscwritings/co_trail_info.pdf
It is in PDF format, so you need an Adobe reader
(free download).
If you have questions, let me know.
[1] WARNING GEEKY STUFF AHEAD: Wrote the bulk of it on
Open Office for Red Hat in HTML format, wrote the rest
of it in Word, looked a bit off. Converted it into to a .doc format, converted THAT to a .pdf file. Phew! Surprised it even came out. :D
BookBurner
04-07-2005, 17:06
Colorado Trail -- You read my mine! Thanks for the info. Compared to the AT and PCT, I was having a harder time finding quality first-hand info on the CT.
-- BookBurner
www.enlightenedthruhiker.com
Thanks for the info. The CT is our hike for the year. We already have our train tickets for July 1.
Smooth03
04-10-2005, 21:16
Thanks Mags. Haven't viewed the info yet but I'm sure it will be helpful.
Amtrak to denver on June 23rd!!!!!
Thanks for the kind words all.
I should note I updated the doc this weekend. THanks to Jest Bill from AT-L, I found out about a bus that takes you within 1 mile of the trailhead. Leaves at just before 6am. Early start is good I hear. :)
Smooth03
04-11-2005, 09:18
Mags:
Any comment on how the blizzard of this past weekend will affect the passes?
Thanks.
BookBurner
04-11-2005, 09:19
I understand that the snow is running about 150% of normal this year in Colorado? What impact will this have on the traditional CT thru-hiking season?
-- BookBurner
www.enlightenedthruhiker.com
It is only the San Juans that are REALLY high. If you are hiking the CDT NoBo that could be a problem.
If you are starting from late June in Denver (and hiking at a pace where the trail will take 5 wks), it will not be until late July until you get in the San Juans. The Denver foothills are only about 7000 ft. It is not until you hit Kenosha Pass (about 70 miles down the trail) where you top out at 10k feet.
My guess? Worse case scenario you may have to delay your start by a week if you had planned on starting ~June 20th...and that is only if the snow does not melt or we get a ton more between now and then. Keep in mind however, even up higher these spring storms go quickly in terms of snow melt.
I think you will be fine. If you had planned an early or even mid-June start then you may have trouble. If you arrive in Denver on June 23rd, rest up for a day or two at altitude (highly suggested!), you will not be hitting the San Juans until late July. You'll be fine. I am doing a race the weekend of June18th in the San Juans, I'll have to give a snow report from 13k feet. :)
Finally, 2003 was a slightly high snow year. I hiked in the San Juans (off trail) July 4th weekend.
I'll let the pics speak for themselves...remember, these pics were taken 3 wks before you will be coming through:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/Co03/adk
http://gallery.backcountry.net/Co03/adl
Mags, I really enjoyed your photos! Thanks for sharing.
I have been planning a hike this summer with my daughter. We have had our eyes on Maine. However... my sister in Vail, CO has been working me pretty hard to come out for a visit. She's only about 45 minutes from Copper Mountain.
Here is my question. What can you tell me about the CT between Copper Mtn & Leadville (Halfmoon Creek)? It looks like an interesting 50 miles.
If you were going to hike a 50 mile segment of the CT (finishing in Leadville) what would you do?
Thanks!
I have been planning a hike this summer with my daughter. We have had our eyes on Maine. However... my sister in Vail, CO has been working me pretty hard to come out for a visit. She's only about 45 minutes from Copper Mountain.
Now there's a a great choice: Maine or Colorado?!?!?! Both beautiful places. I am biased towards Colorado, naturally. :)
Having said, you are in a for a treat if you do the stretch between Copper and Leadville. It is where you hook up on the CDT, see 14ers (including the highest peak in Colorado: Mt. Elbert), and is a great entry/exit point. Copper itself is whre the last of big ski resorts end (trailwise). It is also off of I-70. Makes it easy for your sister to drop you two off.
The trail is well marked and easy to follow. You will be above treeline for parts of it a good ways. If you are taking it easy (say 10 miles a day -with the CT tread that is a nice, mellow pace), should be an great backpack.
If you end at the Half-moon Creek area, you can hitch to Leadville fairly easily as it is near a well used Forest Service road. Or you can also end at Twin Lakes (57 miles by trail from Copper). Even easier to get in and out of if you have the Leadville Hostel pickyou up. The hostel is hiker friendly and also does shuttles! www.leadvillehostel.com (http://www.leadvillehostel.com/) You and your daughter can shower, eat some food in town and relax after such a great stretch of trail. Leadville is not huge by any strech of the imagination...but it is big by CT standards! Nice main street, very scenic and at 10k feet!
Many people want to "bag" Elbert and Massive - two very popular 14ers. Those peaks are walk ups BTW. Nothing technical. If you have the time, you may want to camp out and make a day of doing one of these two peaks. Doing a 14er can be fun. Elbert is the highest in the state and is easier to do. Massive is longer, but a more scenic hike, if somewhat harder.
The trailhead to Elbert is a few scant miles from where you go to Twin Lakes. So camping out near Elbert, do Elbert and hike out early the next day could be a great option. There are enough people doing Elbert that you may also be able to get a ride into town (Leadville) as well, even if you decide to not do Elbert. The CT literally goes by the TH, and the road people use to access the TH.
I don't have my databook with me right now (I am house sitting), but Monday can add some more details.
I have pics on line of my CT adventure if you are curious:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/magsct04
Naturally, if you have more questions, please let me know!
Thanks Mags! Yeah, the lure of Maine is pretty strong, but it's only about 50 miles further to Edwards, CO than it is to Monson, ME (from Chattanooga). My daughter seldom get to see her cousins, and this is an opportunity to hike someplace COMPLETELY different, AND get to spend that all important time with family.
Funny thing... About 4 years ago I took my daughter out to see my sister, and we drove up to Leadville in her Turbo Saab (vroom vroom). We had a nice lunch and then drove back to Vail Valley by passing Copper Mountain. My daughter has no recollection of our visit to Leadville!
Well... I have some choices to make. So many trails.... So little time!
BookBurner
04-17-2005, 10:17
Mags- Planning is in full gear now that the Guidebook and Databook arrived in the mail! Two questions though :-? :
1. How difficult is the hitch into Buena Vista and is it easier on Hwy 24 or Rd 306?
2. Is the CT marked well enough that the Guidebook maps would suffice if one is not planning on taking a lot of alternate routes or sidetrips?
Thanks for the help-
BookBurner
www.enlightenedthruhiker.com
Well... I have some choices to make. So many trails.... So little time!
Ain't that the truth!
1. How difficult is the hitch into Buena Vista and is it easier on Hwy 24 or Rd 306?
Hwy 24 is the major road into/out of many of the towns in the mountains. If you take 24, it should be a pretty easy hitch. I have not done it myself...but like many people here in Colorado, have traveled on it. In other words, many peope going into/out of the mountains take 24.
Having said that, 306 may get less traffic..but you are more likely to get people who wouldn ot mind giving a hitch as it is near a well known trailhead.
Think any option should be ok.
2. Is the CT marked well enough that the Guidebook maps would suffice if one is not planning on taking a lot of alternate routes or sidetrips?
The maps in the guidebooks are USFS maps - no topo lines and limited scope. They are adequate..but I am biased towards maps with larger scope and topo lines.
You could navigate fine with those maps (and the guidebook instructions). If you do use the UFS maps in the guidebook, be sure to pay good attention to the guidebook descriptions! Yeah..the trail is well marked by western standards, but if you are more used to the well marked AT, it will be a different type of experience. Not hard..but different.
Many CT hikers seems to do fine with the USFS maps in the guidebook. I know Rainmaker and Brawny did. They have a journal on-line if you are curious:
http://trailquest.net/RM2003ctjrnl.html#journal
I would like something more than the maps in the CT guidebook, so I bought the CD, and have been printing them out.
I would like something more than the maps in the CT guidebook, so I bought the CD, and have been printing them out.
When are you planning to do the trail Peaks? Just curious.
When are you planning to do the trail Peaks? Just curious.
Well, I did consider doing the CT this summer, but have since planned to do some other trails, including the Cohos Trail. Maybe the following summer. CT is definately getting to the top of the list of trails to do.
Looks like the CT is still on my radar screen, but pushed back to early August for a variety of reasons - including the heavy snow pack in the Rockies. I had hoped to hit the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and hike the CT in late June, but Profile tells me the passes might be unpassable due to snow.
Oh well... that'll give my daughter & I an extra month or so to get in shape for the trail.
Well, it's official. I booked my flight today and head to Denver with my daughter on July 21. We'll probably spend 6-7 days acclimating in Vail and then hit the CT for about a 60-miler. Can't wait!
Mags, thanks for your advice.
That is so awesome!!!!!
Have a **GREAT** trip. Who knows..maybe we'll bump into each other: :D
That is so awesome!!!!!
Have a **GREAT** trip. Who knows..maybe we'll bump into each other: :D
OK, I'm just back from a brief 5-day 57-mile stint on the CT/CDT. My daughter Martha and I had an AMAZING time. The scenery along the trail is almost beyond description. I am hooked! I'll be posting photos (I took a boatload!) in my BLOG and journal entries on Trail Journals by the weekend. Until then, here are a few highlights.
On day #1 we cowboy camped under the stars above 12,000' (just south of Searle Pass). The night sky was awesome! We awoke to a herd of Elk about 150 yards away! Speaking of the night sky, the evening before we left for the hike I watched the space shuttle fire it's rockets in prep for docking with the space station - with the naked eye. Try that back East!
Camping at Bear Lake was AWESOME! Sunrise from 11,300' on the flanks of Mt Massive was UNBELIEVABLE. The wildflowers along the trail were SPECTACULAR. Really!! Beyond my wildest expectations.
On the last day we ran into AT hikers Brave & Squaw (Jen & Zach) who met on the AT, fell in love & married. They had met Bookburner somewhere along the way. My sister ended up shuttling them 8 miles from Twin lakes to some cabins close to Leadville. They are some nice folks!
My daughter Martha did great. Other that a few winded moments, neither of us had any problem with the elevation. I'll defiinitely be back (can you say San Juans?) and maybe my daughter will too. Right now she just wants to be a 15 year old and sleep in. What a great father/daughter experience though.
Special thanks to Mags and Youngblood for their help! You guys are great! Heading to Denver later today and back to Tennessee tomorrow.
Jeffrey Hunter
OK, I'm just back from a brief 5-day 57-mile stint on the CT/CDT. My daughter Martha and I had an AMAZING time. The scenery along the trail is almost beyond description.
So glad you enjoyed the trip! Looking forward to seeing the pics and reading your journal.
My state is quite cool, I must say. :)
Footslogger
08-02-2005, 10:59
Anxious to see the pics Mowgli. The CT is definitely on my "list", especially since I live so close.
Glad you and your daughter had such a great experience.
'Slogger
BookBurner
08-04-2005, 08:23
Just got back from the CT, and man, what a trip! As Mowgli reported, I ran into Brave and Squaw while walking "downtown" in Buena Vista in search of lodging. Of course, they immediately asked what they could do to help out. What a small, wonderful hiking world!
From my perspective, the CT is a perfect 4-5 week thru-hike. Beautiful scenery, beautiful weather (this year at least, thankfully), beautiful animals, beautiful people, and a beautiful experience. Definately, put this trail on your wish-list!
-- BookBurner
www.enlightenedthruhiker.com