My draft resupply plan for the CT using the Collegiate West route includes Breckenridge, Twin Lakes, Monarch Crest Store, Crede, and Molas Lake Campground. It was originally planned with the intent of avoiding most hitch hiking and staying as close to the trail as possible. Since I put together that plan, I've been convinced that I should look at adding a couple of additional town stops to lower my pack weight even more but I'm not sure which towns to add so I'm looking for feedback on the potential additions listed below:
- Buffalo Creek or Jefferson? I'd like to break up the 105 mile Denver-Breckenridge segment in some way to make things easier as I start out. At this point, I've narrowed down the possible stops to Buffalo Creek or Jefferson. Going to Buffalo Creek would make for a very light first day and a half of hiking. I'd get into Buffalo Creek early afternoon of my second day so I would only be carrying a little over a day of food starting out. Buffalo Creek is only three miles off trail so even if I have no luck hitching I would road walk an hour or so each way. If I go with Jefferson, I would get there on the afternoon of my 4th day on the trail. So I would start from Denver with a little over three days of food and then have about two days of food waiting in Jefferson to get me to Breckenridge. Five miles off trail but supposed to be a very easy hitch.
- Leadville. This is looking like a good possible addition since it will break up the Breckenridge-Twin Lakes leg of the trip allowing for a very light pack out of Breckenridge if I decide not to slack pack Segment 7 or a super light pack if I decide to slack pack and start the next day from Copper Mountain. I contacted the Leadville Hostel and they provide shuttles for $10 each way to Tennessee Pass. I'm not sure if there is a phone or cell reception at the pass but since there is a vista point/pullout there, I figure that hitching would be easy.
I don't see a good way to break up the Monarch Crest-Creede segment since hitching to Gunnison or Saguache seems more trouble that it is worth - so if I add the two stops above, the Monarch Crest-Creede segment will be my longest segment without resupply but still not too bad at just 4 1/2 days of food with a total estimated pack weight still under 27 pounds.
Any input would be helpful - particularly on the Buffalo Creek vs. Jefferson decision. I think that I'm pretty much sold on adding Leadville at this point. Thanks!