2015 Colrado Trail Thru Hike Registry

[Chaps]

Taking a cue from the AT forum, I'm sure many of us would be interested in who will be attempting to thru hike the Colorado Trail this summer. Post below to help solidify your commitment:

• Your trail name
• Direction you are hiking (Toward Denver or toward Durango)
• Estimated start date
• Any additional info that you want the world to know

When you have finished your hike, come back to this thread and tell us how far you got and how many days it took you to get there.

Good luck, everyone!

I'll start.

• No trail name yet
• Toward Durango
• July 12th-ish
• This will be my first long distance thru hike

[nattyB]

• nattyB
• Toward Durango
• Last week of June (subject to change)
• Hiked a 600 mile section of AT in 2011, lots of hiking/backpacking in Montana, and will be hiking the PCT in 2016

[bpowell1014]

• Brad aka "Doxen"
• Direction you are hiking - Toward Durango
• Estimated start date - 7/15ish
• Any additional info that you want the world to know - This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and the amount of time I will have to do this may rarely ever present itself again. Also have section hiking experience on the A.T. so I'm all in!

[Onda Road Again]

My wife and I will be thru-hiking the trail together this year.

• No trail names yet
• Towards Durango
• July 5th
• This will be our first thru-hiking experience. Being from Central Iowa our backpacking opportunities are few and far between so we're looking forward to spending the summer in the Rockies!

[CarlZ993]

In the planning stage of hiking the CT this summer.
- Zman
- Towards Durango
- Start around July 9th (ish)
- Thru hiked the AT in 2013; attempted to hike the CT last year; hurt back (weight training) just prior to hike; had to abort hike due to back & some animal chewing off my shoulder strap to my pack on night 3

[jbsbestfan]

Hopefully a thru for me this summer
no trail name that has stuck
going southbound
starting late June
have section hiked 1/3 of AT and had section hiked 1/3 of CT before the 2012 reroute

[Birdogsid]

Stephen
SOBO to Durango
3rd time hiking trail-doing a full thru this time
Hammock Hanger
Starting last week of June
I would love to have someone to start with.
[email protected]

[gee2dee4]

Garrett
SOBO to Durango
First Thru hike
Starting mid to late June
Excited to get back to Colorado and will hopefully not be returning to the Midwest after. We will see what happens.

[Onda Road Again]

Garrett
SOBO to Durango
First Thru hike
Starting mid to late June
Excited to get back to Colorado and will hopefully not be returning to the Midwest after. We will see what happens.

My wife and I are tossing around the same idea of not returning. Her having a large amount of family in Denver is working to my advantage thus far!

[katerbrown]

"Saturday"
To Durango
Early to mid June
AT thru hiker 2012

[gee2dee4]

My wife and I are tossing around the same idea of not returning. Her having a large amount of family in Denver is working to my advantage thus far!

Having the wife support the idea is a huge plus. I don't have a ton of ties holding me down but still a big decisions. Going to have to commit very soon. I have a lot of friends in Denver and the surrounding areas so should get some help landing there if need be. Will be making some calls this month to see if I can't line up work for August.

[kyled1]

* No trail name yet

* Denver to Durango

* July 15th-ish

* I'm going solo and this will be my first thru hike


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[colorado_rob]

My wife and I are tossing around the same idea of not returning. Her having a large amount of family in Denver is working to my advantage thus far!

Please PLEASE do not move to Colorado!!!! :-) (<--- pure joke, we'd love to have you)

My wife and I were contemplating a thru this year, but alas, her work schedule will prevent it, but we do plan on hopping around various sections throughout the summer and fall, hopefully we'll cross paths with some of you all.

For those contemplating an early start, keep a watch on snow conditions, seems we're kinda caught up on snowpack, I would think a mid-June start, maybe slightly earlier for SWBO's like around the 10th or so would be the earliest start that avoids messing with lots of old post-holey snow starting around sections 7-8. And if you do start mid-June, plan on some snow here and there, but at least not the first week (sections 1-6).

For NEBO'ers, seems like the San Juans are getting hit pretty good with snow right now too, so keep an eye out. our heaviest snow season (March/April) is just getting underway.

[Onda Road Again]

Please PLEASE do not move to Colorado!!!! :-) (<--- pure joke, we'd love to have you)

My wife and I were contemplating a thru this year, but alas, her work schedule will prevent it, but we do plan on hopping around various sections throughout the summer and fall, hopefully we'll cross paths with some of you all.

For those contemplating an early start, keep a watch on snow conditions, seems we're kinda caught up on snowpack, I would think a mid-June start, maybe slightly earlier for SWBO's like around the 10th or so would be the earliest start that avoids messing with lots of old post-holey snow starting around sections 7-8. And if you do start mid-June, plan on some snow here and there, but at least not the first week (sections 1-6).

For NEBO'ers, seems like the San Juans are getting hit pretty good with snow right now too, so keep an eye out. our heaviest snow season (March/April) is just getting underway.

I promise we won't spoil it! Would love to cross paths with you guys somewhere along the way! This is our first major hiking excursion so it'd be nice to run into some pros.

Good news on the San Juans getting some snow. I was starting to get concerned about some of the waterless stretches with the low snowpack they've had this winter.

[alawls]

Taking a cue from the AT forum, I'm sure many of us would be interested in who will be attempting to thru hike the Colorado Trail this summer. Post below to help solidify your commitment:

• Your trail name
• Direction you are hiking (Toward Denver or toward Durango)
• Estimated start date
• Any additional info that you want the world to know

When you have finished your hike, come back to this thread and tell us how far you got and how many days it took you to get there.

Good luck, everyone!

I'll start.

• No trail name yet
• Toward Durango
• July 12th-ish
• This will be my first long distance thru hike

Hey guys! I'm new at this. I hike where I can, but being from the Midwest I have never gotten the opportunity to do something like the Colorado Trail. I'm seeking some advice: I teach and have to be back at my job mid JuIy. Do any of you think the trail would be doable snow wise beginning in Denver the last week of May? I don't anticipate reaching Durango for 5-6 Weeks. Thanks for the help!

[colorado_rob]

Hey guys! I'm new at this. I hike where I can, but being from the Midwest I have never gotten the opportunity to do something like the Colorado Trail. I'm seeking some advice: I teach and have to be back at my job mid JuIy. Do any of you think the trail would be doable snow wise beginning in Denver the last week of May? I don't anticipate reaching Durango for 5-6 Weeks. Thanks for the help!

Sorry, It might be doable, but a real pain for many miles. I suggest waiting at least a week, or doing some creative flip-flopping... like start in Denver, get as far as you can before you are thigh-deep (maybe 80-90 miles?), drop off, skip around to a drier section (tbd), hike on and hope for the best, come back and finish what you had to skip. OR, maybe just plan on carrying snowshoes; send them to Jefferson (mile 72), pick them up there along with a resupply, send them home somewhere near Salida, perhaps.

Or, since we've been warm and dry for a week or so now, hope beyond hope that CO has a dry March/April. In that rare event, you could start in late May without too much snow bother.

[nickoli]

Name is Nicholas. No trailname has really stuck yet
Towards Durango
Mid to Late June or August--super flexible, still haven't decided
I hiked Denver to Kenosha in 2012 and Segments 9-10 outside of Leadville last year. Average ~20 miles per day. Opting to do a thru this year, and am planning on hammocking the whole way. I got pretty decent setting my tarp up without trees, so I'm pretty confident in the quality of sleep I'll get for the few days that may be above treeline.

My current gearlist needs a few additions, but here it is: http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=6784 . It's likely that if I go later there will be a fire ban, so I'll need to replace my alcohol stove. Also depending on when I go and how my funds look, I am planning a few upgrades to save some weight--mainly in my raingear. Although if I go in August I may not bring as much raingear...always so many decisions.

Anywho, hope to maybe chat with a few of you as our dates quickly approach! Its full on spring temperatures in the high country. We had 50 degree temps yesterday at 10k feet, and the end of March looks similar. If there aren't many April snows, and it keeps up with this warm weather, I'm a lot more likely to go in mid/late June to avoid water shortages/fire problems.

[Hole-In-The-Hat]

Looks like a good kit, and light weight!

Do you take sunscreen, knit hat, gloves, maps, or compass?

You could get by with a smaller knife and save 5 ounces... but overall, it looks good.

[nickoli]

Negative on the sunscreen, I don't wear it. My buff acts as a hat, and no maps other than the guidebook. Without maps a compass is a lot less useful, but maybe I'll toss one in.

Gloves! Yes, forgot to add my merino mittens and a few nitrile gloves for waterproofing under them. I have some other lighter knives available, but I really like my buck.

Time to start dehydrating!

[CarlZ993]

Sunscreen causes cancer? My dermatologist might beg to differ.