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alexandraaforte
12-12-2012, 01:56
Hello,
My name is Alexandra and I will be 20 soon, so I still relatively young. I go to the University of Michigan. I first found my love of hiking two years ago when I worked on the Colorado Trail and hiked some of it, so much fun! I am still relatively new to backpacking, but I wouldn't call myself a beginner, but most definitely not advanced. Since I am young and a woman, I would not like to hike the trail alone and my friends are all quite busy this next 2013 summer, as I am. But, I would love to make time for this opportunity. So, I was wondering if anyone was still looking for a partner. Thank you so much for your time!
The dates are open. I am a girl and would not like to hike the trail alone. Is anyone else looking for a partner or for someone to add on? Let me know.
Alexandra

avalonmorn
12-12-2012, 03:12
Alexandra, woman was worried about her daughter hiking alone, she's about your age. Her member name was abbykat134, I believe.

Hitchin' Post
12-12-2012, 11:22
If you're traveling northbound and leaving any time in March or April, you'll have no problem finding a group to travel with. No need to find a hiking partner ahead of time--the AT isn't a lonely place.

Cookerhiker
12-12-2012, 11:28
Alexandra, you may want to contact the Colorado Trail Foundation. They might be able to help you with ideas of how to find partners either through them or other groups. When I thru'd in 2011, my partner and I met a single woman hiking who joined us for about 10 days but it's not something you can count on for the CT.

I know of at least one single woman and one couple planning a 2013 thruhike. I don't know if the former is planning a solo or not but if you'd like, I can put you in touch with her. She's middle-aged.


If you're traveling northbound and leaving any time in March or April, you'll have no problem finding a group to travel with. No need to find a hiking partner ahead of time--the AT isn't a lonely place.

Looks like you're thinking of the AT - the OP is hiking the Colorado Trail.

Judo
12-12-2012, 14:22
I'm planning a CT hike starting in late August thru September. Happy to chat directly to see if schedules and styles mesh.

Judo

Nean
12-12-2012, 14:47
It is often -and I do mean often, better to find a partner on the trail. Young ladies often -and I do mean often, have their choice of many willing partners. It isn't about hookin up as you youngsters call it but hikers tend to look out for each other and enjoy the company of a kindred spirit.

Judo- try if you can to start a month earlier IMHO. September in the CO mountains can have many nasty days which means less fun/ veiws/ shorter days/ hunting season/ etc. etc....

Cookerhiker
12-12-2012, 14:58
It is often -and I do mean often, better to find a partner on the trail. Young ladies often -and I do mean often, have their choice of many willing partners. It isn't about hookin up as you youngsters call it but hikers tend to look out for each other and enjoy the company of a kindred spirit. ....

Well then, perhaps my CT thruhike experience was an aberration. The ability to easily find a hiking partner on the trail is starkly different between the CT and the AT.

In 38 days hiking on the CT (late July to end of August), we met 5 fellow SOBOers, one of whom probably didn't get too far. And in the hostels, motels, etc, we didn't hear of too many others. I think it would be disingenuous to assure the OP's mother that she'd find companionship on the CT (the OP didn't mention this concern specifically but I'm sure it's there). It's not likely to happen, even if she is a young woman.

Oh, we also met 2 CDT SOBOs but less than half the CT follows the CDT.

Hitchin' Post
12-12-2012, 14:59
Cookerhiker--I stand by my post. If she wants to leave Springer in March or April to hike the Colorado Trail, she should have no problem finding a partner :)

bearcreek
12-12-2012, 17:33
Judo- try if you can to start a month earlier IMHO. September in the CO mountains can have many nasty days which means less fun/ veiws/ shorter days/ hunting season/ etc. etc....

August to mid - September is one of the nicest time frames to hike the CT. Usually a bit colder than mid-summer, but the bugs are less, the thunderstorms are less frequent, fewer people, and the colors are spectacular. Low probability of encountering snow then, but it possible to have some. (Also possible in any other month of the summer.)


Cookerhiker--I stand by my post. If she wants to leave Springer in March or April to hike the Colorado Trail, she should have no problem finding a partner :)

April is absolutely a terrible time. It is one of the highest snowfall months in the Colorado high country. You will not find fellow hikers, nor will you find the trail in many places because it will still be buried deeply in snow. The trail is not marked for snow travel and extremely difficult to navigate at that time. It is also potentially very hazardous unless you are highly skilled in winter travel and avalanche safety, and carry the appropriate gear.

Earliest time to realistically begin a CT thru is mid June, and that can be sketchy in a high snowfall year. July 1st is usually a reliable beginning date.

Although there are many hikers at any given time in the summer, almost all hike in the same direction which is from Denver to Durango. The only others you will encounter will be those who are faster or slower, neither of which will be a perfect match as a partner. Keep working these forums, and check out The Colorado Trail Foundation on Facebook and you should find someone compatible.

Mags
12-12-2012, 18:34
April is absolutely a terrible time. It is one of the highest snowfall months in the Colorado high country. Y


I think HP was writing tongue in cheek. :) HP did not realize he (she?) was posting it the CT forum at first instead of the AT forum.


(April on the CT would be hard to say the least, though! )

Cookerhiker
12-12-2012, 20:18
I think HP was writing tongue in cheek. :) HP did not realize he (she?) was posting it the CT forum at first instead of the AT forum.


(April on the CT would be hard to say the least, though! )

That was my impression also, especially when he added the :)

bearcreek
12-12-2012, 22:24
Alexandra, age 19, who started this conversation, may not be used to the rather unconventional logic or humor of thru-hikers. Hopefully she now knows that this April concept is a joke as opposed to being a good idea.....

alexandraaforte
12-13-2012, 01:04
Alexandra, age 19, who started this conversation, may not be used to the rather unconventional logic or humor of thru-hikers. Hopefully she now knows that this April concept is a joke as opposed to being a good idea.....
I caught on towards the end. Thanks!

Also, thanks for all the information. But, I will also still keep continuing into looking for a partner ahead of time instead of once I am on the trail.

Drybones
12-13-2012, 10:52
I caught on towards the end. Thanks!

Also, thanks for all the information. But, I will also still keep continuing into looking for a partner ahead of time instead of once I am on the trail.

It's not needed but it's still a good idea to have someone to start with just to make you comfortable. Odds are you and whoever you start with will be traveling with a different group within a short period of time, you tend to just fall in with a group that's right for you. Have a blessed hike.

Texdaniel
12-13-2012, 11:04
Hi
My name is tex, im hiking the trail this year and wouldnt mind a partner, when were you planning on beginning, and at what end?
BTW im 26 im a fairly expierienced hiker, im in the military but my active service ends Feb 4 2013, so anytime you wanted to start after that would work for me.

Nean
12-13-2012, 12:16
Well then, perhaps my CT thruhike experience was an aberration. The ability to easily find a hiking partner on the trail is starkly different between the CT and the AT.

Yeah, could be. We met and hiked with a young lady for a week or so and later a young man joined us for a couple of weeks along the way. And I did probably overstate how easy it is to find a partner (on the CT). MY experience is that most prearranged partnerships don't mesh but you find others that suit your style on the trail.

alexandraaforte
12-16-2012, 03:05
It's not needed but it's still a good idea to have someone to start with just to make you comfortable. Odds are you and whoever you start with will be traveling with a different group within a short period of time, you tend to just fall in with a group that's right for you. Have a blessed hike.
Thank you. I'll keep looking and I'm sure things might change once on the hike, but always good to have someone to start with.

jbsbestfan
01-13-2013, 21:04
It might be beneficial if you provided information about when you plan to begin the adventure, which direction you are going, and about how many miles per day you will be undertaking out of the gates (will likely increase afetr the hiker legs kick in)

Dash
01-14-2013, 04:22
I'm leaving in two weeks 1-30-13 if you want to share the cost to Georgia. I Think starting out with someone is a good idea. Later on once on the trail hiking partners adopt "hike your own hike" mentality.

Cookerhiker
01-14-2013, 09:07
I'm leaving in two weeks 1-30-13 if you want to share the cost to Georgia. I Think starting out with someone is a good idea. Later on once on the trail hiking partners adopt "hike your own hike" mentality.

I don't think she's interested in a ride to Georgia since this thread is about the Colorado Trail.

-Slingshot->
01-14-2013, 23:49
Starting the trail alone at a young age can be daunting, but it's really exciting once you get there. I started a thru-hike this past summer at 18 as a solo male hiker. I started on June 23rd during all the fires and the temperature in Denver was 105F. I ran into multiple thru-hikers and spent some time hiking with most of them. I ended up hurting my back about a mile from the end of segment 5 by not stopping to rearrange my pack when something was digging into my back. After a 4 day rest in Breckenridge, I tried to continue with segment 7, but my back was a no-go and I ended up turning around and bailing back at Breckenridge. I still haven't decided whether or not I'm coming back this Summer to have another go at it, so I don't know about partnering up, but you can PM me if you have any questions about planning or what the experience is like from a young hiker's perspective. Barring any weather oddities like this past Summer (heatwave - little water in the first few segments), I believe mid to late June is the best time to start the trail as long as the snow has melted. That's when the seasonal streams are most likely to be active and the bugs and monsoonal storms are not as bothersome.

The Phoenix
01-16-2013, 02:59
I haven't decided what my summer hike will be... I will be in Peru for a good portion of the Spring and am debating between the IAT, Pacific Northwest Trail, Florida Trail (though nobody seems to suggest it as a Summer hike... naturally), and lastly your Colorado trail...

When I hiked the AT I did about a 300 mile section with a few 60 year old women... (oddly enough they were great company) ... I suppose there may not be much in common between 60 year old women and a 20 year old gal... but I am pretty open minded...:-?

I have been known to attracted rabid animals... which is something I feel like I should disclose before we are hightailing it away from a 400 lb grizzly bear frothing at the mouth...:eek:

I can solo hike, hike with a pack of grannies, or somewhere in between... don't matter to me!

nsiderbam
01-22-2013, 00:27
My brother and I will be starting the trail sometime near the end of July. I'm 21 and he's 19.

Dash
01-22-2013, 00:43
I don't think she's interested in a ride to Georgia since this thread is about the Colorado Trail.
Good point! that is not really clear from the "what's new" page or any page for that matter because of the MOUNTAIN SYMBOL.
I decided to take the Greyhound anyway at this point. Thanks for looking out VERY FUNNY MISTAKE.......

slpierce39
01-25-2013, 10:26
Hey Alexandra,
My name is Shayna (P.C.) and I will be hiking the CT with my friend Kara (Ros). We should be starting in early July. Funny enough, we are from Michigan as well. So if you don't mind talking with 2 MSU Alums, we'd love to chat with you about the trail :) Happy planning!

Walking Thunderbird
05-13-2013, 01:06
Hey Alexandra,
My name is Shayna (P.C.) and I will be hiking the CT with my friend Kara (Ros). We should be starting in early July. Funny enough, we are from Michigan as well. So if you don't mind talking with 2 MSU Alums, we'd love to chat with you about the trail :) Happy planning!


Interesting. I'm a grad student at U of M and also thinking about doing the CT this summer. Probably starting late June to early July. I did an AT thru a few years back, and I'm a pretty fast hiker, so I'm probably not the best hiking companion (I'm looking at doing the trail in somewhere in the 17-20 day range). But, if yall live anywhere near A2, I'd love to chat about plans and share any knowledge. You don't meet too many people in Michigan who are excited about long-distance hiking.

shelb
05-14-2013, 23:17
(I'm looking at doing the trail in somewhere in the 17-20 day range). .

????.............................

fcoulter
05-21-2013, 12:24
It's interesting the number of Michigan posters who are planning on hiking in Colorado. There's a nice stretch of the North Country Trail that runs through Michigan.

Perhaps they've already hiked it?

HeartFire
05-21-2013, 19:25
Alexandra, I'm starting August 1st. planning on about 35 days or so - I have a (male) hiking partner, but you are welcome to tag along with us. There are quite a few people starting right on or about August 1st that I know of, starting about 10 - 12 miles/ day maybe as much as 15 - 17 per day. we are headed Denver to Durango, and plan on doing the newer Collegiate West route.

Cookerhiker
05-21-2013, 20:34
It's interesting the number of Michigan posters who are planning on hiking in Colorado. There's a nice stretch of the North Country Trail that runs through Michigan.

Perhaps they've already hiked it?

Perhaps they'd rather not deal with the northwoods mosquitoes and/or they'd like to save the North Country Trail for the Fall.

BTW after my Superior Trail hike in Sept-Oct of '11, I spent some time in No. Michigan and marveled at the beauty and setting of the North Country Trail on the UP. I'd like to return and hike parts of it some day....in the Fall.

rastayogi
05-24-2013, 11:07
I would just make sure you don't rely on your partner for shelter or any of that sort of stuff. Always beware of Military men, I once was one and know how they roll. But each person is their own and we should trust in the love of one another.