Favorite CT towns and hostels?

[lonehiker]

Leadville used to be a great little town with a good hostel. Is it still?

Ya, it is a decent town and hostel. But, it is a real hostel so you won't have that many hikers staying at any given time. All types will be there so it doesn't have the same feel. They do have bikes for CT hikers to use though to resupply etc.

[San Juan Ron]

Leadville used to be a great little town with a good hostel. Is it still?

The hostel in Leadville is very nice. Unfortunately, the owner (Wild Bill) passed away in an auto accident last year. Last I heard, his wife was still running the place. Ron

[saltysack]

The hostel in Leadville is very nice. Unfortunately, the owner (Wild Bill) passed away in an auto accident last year. Last I heard, his wife was still running the place. Ron

Sad...I spoke with her recently about my collegiate loop hike. Place is up for sale and has interested prospects..

[Dogwood]

I'm a wandering evangelistically nomadic gloibetrekker sometimes going into towns just to add to "seeing what I can see." LD hiking is so beyond just narrowly thru-hiking a trail. I've been to all those towns plus all that Mags lists in his End to Ender's guide other than doing a a Creede'(hostel here) or Sargent's resupply.

To answer your question it depends on what you're looking four. If it's just an in and out shortish distance to a mailed or buy on the fly resupply take your picks from Mags already well detailed resupply info. No need to rehash what's already been well done in fewer words than I could. For me, as a 95 % of the time solo hiker, what I want in a resupply AND zero sometimes changes but most times it's an inexpensive well run hostel(I'm tight with my on trail budgets) with a clean bunk room with showers and laundry availability. If there are kitchen privileges all the better since I want freshly made fresh produce non dehydrated food for off trail meals and don't want to buy fast food. Since I'm often not toting much electronic gadgetry when hiking I like internet access either at a nearby library or hotel or at the hostel. Since I like hanging in coffee houses/small cafes journal writing and reviewing the upcoming trail and sights to be taken in I prefer some quiet on a zero but I also prefer exploring the town and hopefully interesting surrounds wanting some intelligent and local conversation. Great to add to the zero's activities sightseeing or doing something interesting beyond anything strictly hiking.

The hostels:

Breck - two GOOD ones, has it all, near other great Zero day towns of Frisco, Copper Mnt, and Silverthorne(I like the Health Food Store, right across from the Starbucks, Do NOT CONFUSE with Silverton)), I like doing a long day hike of Greys and Torrey Peaks or the Dragon on the Ten Mile Traverse or walking the trail into Silverthorne along the Blue River noting the conscientious river restoration efforts, little uppitty hoity toity but still a great CO outdoors town, hostel in Silverthorne too never stayed there though

Buena Vista - i like this walkable full service town, I hear there are reduced room rates for hikers and maybe even a hostelette but I'm not positive, I always stay with hiking "horticultural" friends who work in a coffee house, LOL, I have always gotten easy hitches from Twin Lakes when I needed greater goods and services than in Twin Lakes

Durango - great outdoor town, never stayed at a hostel there, chance to get in with the college crowd who might put you up for the night if you regale them with your adventures, I like walking along the Animas River, lots of gear and beer browsing opps, food options, taking the Durango&Silverton Narrow Guage in spring with a bit of snow still on the peaks or during fall leaf peeping sea on is a TREAT! despite the cost!(inquire about a hiker fare!)

Gunnison - small walkable town with another well run hostel, long two part hitch but again patiently go with the idea of seeing what you can see, not hard of a hitch, very few hitches are to me and I usually don't wait more than 20 mins, another train to see, only been there twice with only one hostel stay, two lovely young ladies run/own it!

Lake City - good one right next to a coffee house w/ good meals/deserts w/ limited menu, quiet neat historical small walking town, take the short walk down by the river behind the park, Lucky and his wife and child(children) are great!(may even provide a shuttle back to the trail)

Leadville - GREAT well run Hostel but haven't been there since Bill's passing, he was insightful, knew a lot of outdoors people, Ok town, historical, locomotive right up the street was cool, usually was a quiet rest stop for me

Salida - one of my favorite hostels and favorite stops for a day in a centralized location w/ nearby everything, I like day hiking to the Lookout Tower, spending tome in the town park down by the river, dropping a line in the river, and hanging out at the "garage" coffee house)

Silverton - historical iconic CO mining town set in a scenic Curry & Ives Nighttime Christmas setting when some snow is on the surrounding peaks, has a lot other than a good outfitter, again train access, try to include it in the hike, when train arrives the town comes alive with Tourons, far end of town near laundry at the RV park has historical Town Hall and Jail

I'm missing some but I'm getting tired. It's way past hiker midnight. And, I'm doing what I said I wouldn't …getting wordy.

[The Bivvi Hostel]

LuckyMan, we are doing laundry in-house this year. It is all dialed in. Just drop the load off with one of our staff and we will get it back to you fresh and clean. Just a little update..

[The Bivvi Hostel]

Hi guys,

The Bivvi Hostel (www.thebivvi.com) in Breckenridge will be opening on a June 9th this year and will have in-house laundry service this year.

ALSO, we are giving all CT Hiker's a special rate at $29 which includes a huge all you can eat breakfast. Use promo code "HikeCO" when booking.

If you would like to send a resupply box, please send to:
The Bivvi Hostel
9511 HWY 9
PO Box 7425
Breckenridge, CO 80424
*Please make sure to write your name and approximate date of arrival on the box. UPS seems to be the most reliable carrier for this area.