Incorporating Collegiate Loop into CT Thru Hike

[Coffee]

I've been having trouble deciding which collegiate option to take on my thru hike next year. And then I got to thinking ... why make a choice? With an additional 4-5 days, it seems possible to hike the collegiate loop as part of a thru hike. The way I see it, this could be done in a few ways during a southbound thru hike:

(1) Hike from Waterton Canyon to Twin Lakes. Then hike the loop in either direction. Arrange for a shuttle from Twin Lakes to go south and resume the thru hike.

(2) Hike from Waterton Canyon to Durango picking one of the collegiate options on the way south. Then arrange for a shuttle from Durango to Twin Lakes and hike south. Then arrange for a shuttle to the nearest city with public transportation and connection to Durango or Denver for flight home.

It seems to me that option 1 could be done at lower cost and easier logistics than option 2. It may also be easier from a mental perspective compared to finishing the thru hike and then hiking the second collegiate option. The downside of option 1 is possibly losing contact with other thru hikers going around the same pace, although I could probably live with that since I prefer to hike solo anyway.

Anyway I was curious whether anyone has done this or thought about it.

[Dogwood]

Incorporating Collegiate Loop into CT Thru Hike

I've been having trouble deciding which collegiate option to take on my thru hike next year. And then I got to thinking ... why make a choice? With an additional 4-5 days, it seems possible to hike the collegiate loop as part of a thru hike. The way I see it, this could be done in a few ways during a southbound thru hike:

What's wrong with U? Don't U know every hike has to be approaced as a race. Proposing something like this is ludicrous. This will severely impact the time in which to complete the race which is the thru-hike of the CT. Enjoying different routes and the different scenery and experiences of those various routes has no place in the race we call thru-hiking. This is the thru-hiking equivalent of being poltically incorrect or religious heresy. You're be investigated. You may be scrutinized or ignored even proposing such things. Shh, the powers in control are watching.

[Coffee]

Incorporating Collegiate Loop into CT Thru Hike

I've been having trouble deciding which collegiate option to take on my thru hike next year. And then I got to thinking ... why make a choice? With an additional 4-5 days, it seems possible to hike the collegiate loop as part of a thru hike. The way I see it, this could be done in a few ways during a southbound thru hike:

What's wrong with U? Don't U know every hike has to be approaced as a race. Proposing something like this is ludicrous. This will severely impact the time in which to complete the race which is the thru-hike of the CT. Enjoying different routes and the different scenery and experiences of those various routes has no place in the race we call thru-hiking. This is the thru-hiking equivalent of being poltically incorrect or religious heresy. You're be investigated. You may be scrutinized or ignored even proposing such things. Shh, the powers in control are watching.

Haha ... very funny!

[Dogwood]

I too don't mind being labeled politically incorrect or a heretic. I would choose Option 1) take one leg of the loop SOBO and connecting with the other leg of the loop to go NOBO probably via one or more hardish hitches. Choose sensible logical places to get on/off the various routes and it's soitenly possible to do the loop in the middle of a CT SOBO thru-hike. Want to here what I did summitting four 14ers on a CT thru flip flop? That was even more involved. It can be invigorating to be unconventional?

[Ox97GaMe]

I didnt do the Collegiate loop as part of my CT thru hike, but I did take the time to summit 10 of the 14ers as part of my thru hike. Many of the thru hikers take the time to hit a few of the more popular 'side trips' along the route while they are there (RMNP, Maroon Bells, 14ers, etc), it is not beyond the realm of possiblity that you can talk a couple of them into joining you on this loop, or that you will be hop-scotching other hikers and not miss much hiking time with them. (especially if they take the extra days to sumit Elbert, Masive, Holy Cross, and/or LaPlata Peak while they are in the area).

Have a great hike.

[Coffee]

Hiking some of the 14ers as part of the hike is definitely something I would like to pursue. It seems like there are at least a few that are within easy reach of the CT provided the weather is decent. From reading some CT hiking journals, it seems like peak bagging is something many thru hikers include in their trips. I'm planning to keep the end date of the hike flexible to accommodate some side trips.

[colorado_rob]

Option 1 sure makes the most sense logistically. As far as 14ers go, those are the peaks that get the most attention. But the high 13ers are actually more fun, more spectacular and un-crowded. Still, if you insist on 14ers (and most folks do, especially out-of-state folks), try to time them for week days. Weekends on 14ers mean big crowds, if that matters to you. some 14ers, like San Luis (the trail passes right by) are not crowded, due to their remoteness. But the Sawatch (collegiate) 14ers are a zoo on weekends, and generally fairly boring peaks. Harvard ain't bad. Columbia is a scree slog. Princeton, Antero, Shavano, Tabaguache are all just talus hikes. Elbert and Massive are kinda cool though. Huron is excellent. Misouri/Belford/Oxford combo is fun. I'll shut up now... (I've done all of these peaks many times, so I act like a know-it-all).

[Cookerhiker]

If you decide to do both parts of the loop, be sure to notify the Colorado Trail Foundation afterwards. I think they'll find it interesting and may cite you in their newsletter because I'm not sure that too many hike the entire loop as part of a thruhike.

[Dogwood]

I want to hear Ox97GaMe incorporating TEN 14 ers into a CT thru-hike. That's worth listening to. I think that may be the most I heard *added in while on a CT thru-hike. I'm not referring to simply doing 14ers alone or several at a time(which is rather not so hard to accomplish in several situations) not on a CT thru. Know a few who have done them all in CO. But to add TEN in on a CT thru. I'm all ears. U got my attention.

CR, no you're not coming off as a know it all just a know some good stuff about doing some of the higher(highest summits) in CO.

[Dogwood]

Some of those summits on a weekend are zoos.

+1

[colorado_rob]

. But to add TEN in on a CT thru. I'm all ears. U got my attention.

check out Nolan's 14... 14 14ers all strung together, all "near" the CT: http://mattmahoney.net/nolans14/

[Mags]

IF you want to hike 14ers on a thru-hike, check this out...

http://14ersthruhike.com/

Every single one AS a thru-hike.

[Dogwood]

285,000 ft elev. gain if my memory serves me right is equivalent in elev gain to about 24-25 treks between Mt Everest South Base Camp to the top of Mt Everest which is something in the neighborhood of 11,400-11,500.

[colorado_rob]

IF you want to hike 14ers on a thru-hike, check this out...

http://14ersthruhike.com/

Every single one AS a thru-hike.

Yep, that one was an amazing feat. Took me 20 years to do all of them! (well, most of them in about 4 years, but still...)

[Mags]

Yep, that one was an amazing feat. Took me 20 years to do all of them! (well, most of them in about 4 years, but still...)

Yeah. Pretty cool. 70 days, 1300+ miles...and 300k+ elev gain! Yowsers.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingne...xpect-hit-58th

[wandering_bob]

Haven't done it but have been researching same. From Twin Lakes, take the western route (CDT) south to Monarch Pass. Resupply at the store there. Continue 5 miles further south to the junction of the CT/CDT (east/west loops). Turn north here on the eastern route (CT) for 8.6 miles back to Hwy 50. Resupply either in Salida or at the RV park. Shuttle south to the CT at Marshall Pass and head for Durango. You will be skipping the 5.5 miles of the CT between the CDT/CT junction and Marshall Pass, or you could do a fast 11 mile roundtrip on day one before heading to Durango. Note that this method means you have to make the big climb up Hope Pass on day 2 with a full pack. Rumor has it the pass got its name because you hope you never have to go over it again in this lifetime. On the other hand, if you start from Marshall Pass and go north to Twin Lakes, you'll be climbing it with a much lighter load. Resupply in Twin Lakes and take the eastern route back to Hwy 50. Resupply as above, then pick one of these routes: (1) shuttle back to the Hwy 50 trailhead and take the CT to Durango, thereby going UP one of the steepest grades on the CT, or (2) shuttle to Marshall Pass and slackpack back down to Hwy 50, thereby going DOWN one of the steepest grades on the CT. Hitch into Salida. Next day, pick up your gear, shuttle back to Marshall Pass, and go south to Durango. Supposedly there is a daily mountain bike shuttle from Poncha Springs to Marshall Pass or you might get Circle R Motel or the Hostel to shuttle you for a fee.

[Dogwood]

WB, I could have written your post. I looked into the loop considering things just as you did. Mags, in another thread, or in comment(s) somewhere, gave a brief look at doing the loop too.

I had forgotten about that CO 14er 1300+ mile 300K + elev gain hike and purposely so because I have had a full plate of hikes lined up for some time and this hike so appealed to me mid stream. Uggh.

[wandering_bob]

Oops! Left off the eastern half of the loop in my first routing. Revising: From Twin Lakes, take the western route (CDT) south to Monarch Pass. Resupply for one day at the store there. Continue 5 miles further south to the junction of the CT/CDT (east/west loops converge). Turn north here on the eastern route (CT) for 8.6 miles back to Hwy 50. Resupply either in Salida, Poncha Springs, or at the RV park. Shuttle south to the CT at Marshall Pass and head south to Twin Lakes. At Twin Lakes, hitch back to Salida - don't know how viable that is. From Salida or Poncha springs, shuttle back to Marshall Pass and go south to Durango. The High Valley Bike Shuttle can be found at http://www.monarchcrest.com. From Poncha Springs, it's $30 one way to Marshall Pass; $20 to Monarch Pass. Bikers get priority over hikers so be sure to call ahead.

[Dogwood]

"At Twin Lakes, hitch back to Salida - don't know how viable that is." From TL early Oct 2012 on a weekday afternoon I hitched out to Buena Vista(where the main ? Hwy is that runs N/S, easily could have hitched along this Hwy into Salida). Met some other hikers/thru-hikers(AT, PCT, CT) in BV that live there and work at a café/coffee shop who offered to drive me back to TL. Took them up on the kind generous offer.

[HeartFire]

If I can do Hope Pass, anyone can do it! - But nothing can stop me now that I have climbed it. (and Lake Ann Pass the next day!)