View Full Version : Colorado Trail/CDT Continuity
RangerPhil
09-08-2012, 15:00
Along which sections are the Colorado Trail and the CDT the same trail or pass through roughly the same area?
-Ranger
Cookerhiker
09-08-2012, 15:23
I'm glad you asked! I'm covering this very question in my presentation on the Colorado Trail at the ALDHA Gathering.
The Colorado Trail is 486 miles. Of this total, 234 miles are concurrent with the CDT in 2 disparate portions:
1. From a SOBO perspective, the two trails first meet up atop Georgia Pass and run together for 99 miles until partway around Twin Lakes where the CDT heads westward towards Hope Pass (the CT used to go there) while the CT heads due South. If you're tracking CT segments, they join partway through Segment 6 and split partway through Segment 11.
2. After leaving the highway near Salida near the half-way point, the CT heads 8 miles to the top of Monarch Crest and rejoins the CDT for 135 miles. The two trails separate again about a mile before the CT's steep descent into Elk Canyon, the most magnificent canyon of the CT's entire length. The CT segments are part of 15 through part of 24.
RangerPhil
09-08-2012, 15:34
Thank you so much! This is great info!
RangerPhil
09-08-2012, 22:03
Cookerhiker - Approximately how long would it take the hike the entirety of the CDT through Colorado? I know the answer to this question is complex - I'm willing to listen to whatever explanations you have.
Regards,
Ranger
Cookerhiker
09-09-2012, 07:26
Oh, I really couldn't guess - for me, at least 45 days but that's a WAG. Mags, BearCreek, Garlic, many others can probably give you a better idea. Or you could go to TrailJournals.com and follow the journal of someone who covered all of CO in recent years.
bearcreek
09-11-2012, 10:38
About 740 miles NM border to WY border. I'd say 45-50 days is about right.
Just so that it might help orient Ranger Phil I'll add:
I'm glad you asked! I'm covering this very question in my presentation on the Colorado Trail at the ALDHA Gathering.
The Colorado Trail is 486 miles. Of this total, 234 miles are concurrent with the CDT in 2 disparate portions:
1. From a SOBO perspective, the two trails first meet up atop Georgia Pass *(near Breckenridge very near the Tiger Run Subdivision, BUT that depends on your choice of CDT Routes!, for me this was true because I took the Grays Torrey peak ridge route summiting those two 14 ers along the way) and run together for 99 miles until partway around Twin Lakes where the CDT heads westward towards Hope Pass (the CT used to go there) while the CT heads due South. If you're tracking CT segments, they join partway through Segment 6 and split partway through Segment 11. *( I've done both, the now official CT re-route and the current CDT route over Hope Pass which is the old and alternate CT route. Hope Pass is harder at a higher elev. but DEFINITELY more scenic than the now newer CT re-route which basically follows a dirt road along some power lines past the Cache Creek TH and up a PUD, that takes you to the now defunct but historical Interlaken Resort, going NOBO!. The CDT route takes you past this resort too and that's basically where the two trails split in Twin Lakes on the southern shoreline of the lake itself).
2. After leaving the highway near Salida near the half-way point, the CT * (located below Monarch Pass) heads 8 miles(via Fooses Creek Trail) to the top of Monarch Crest and rejoins the CDT for 135 miles(the CDT goes across or very near Monarch Pass!). The two trails separate again about a mile before the CT's steep descent into Elk Canyon, the most magnificent canyon of the CT's entire length(that's absolutely correct!, stunning descent on the CT SOBO into Elk Creek!, I would suggest descending into Elk Crk rather than climbing out of it NOBO!) The CT segments are part of 15 through part of 24.
Cookerhiker - Approximately how long would it take the hike the entirety of the CDT through Colorado? I know the answer to this question is complex - I'm willing to listen to whatever explanations you have.
Regards,
Ranger
Once you view the Nat. Geographic Trails Illustrated maps that cover the CDT and CT in Colorado OR Ley's Colorado CDT maps you'll begin to realize the ample opportunities for alternate routes via the Colorado CDT or CT AND by taking some(all) of these alternates which are shown on Ley's Colorado CDT maps and/or coming up with possible new CDT routes yourself it can certainly effect your hiking time in Colorado on the CDT as well as the entire CDT! I consider the opportunities for alternate CDT routes to be one of the greatest characteristics of the CDT! This DOES NOT have to be a cookie cutter hike by the numbers trail where everyone hikes the same route!