Denver local looking for experienced backpacking partner(s).

Hey Paul,

I'm in the same boat but only go out about 4 times a season. Lets touch base when the snow clears.

Gordon

Hey Paul,

I'm kinda in the same boat. 28 years old and been in Boulder about 18 months. I've got a few friends who will join me occasionally on trips, but I'm down to go just about every weekend and have often ended up out there by myself.

Man I wish so badly that I could have Fridays off! — would open up infinitely more trip options. I can take off early 2-3pm some Fridays, though.

The last 18 months or so in CO I've been exploring the canyons and Colorado river near Gran Junction. I just got an Alpacka raft last fall and there are some great spring/fall packraft and backpacking loops to do around there if you can tolerate 4-5 hours driving. Flat Tops, Indian Peaks and Lost Creek were pretty cool last summer, and I hope to get back to each this summer and do some fishing. The Rawahs and Gunnison Gorge look cool too. I also wanna check out Mesa Verde, Dark Canyon, Desolation Canyon. And those are just the weekend trips that keep me daydreaming at work. I won't even get started on the big trips. Anyways, enough rambling…

My brother and I are actually heading up to Lost Creek for one night tomorrow if you have any interest in joining. I just set up my PM on this so ping me if you're interested. Otherwise, just get in touch via PM and let's get out there…

Take it easy,
McCain

You guy interested in doing a 25-30 loop at lost creek the last weekend of May? McCain, how was it this weekend? Snow?

Paul,

Now you know why some of us prefer solo hiking. When we started we couldn't find anyone to go with us. So we went alone. After a while, we figured out we like going alone anyway.

“Now you know why some of us prefer solo hiking. When we started we couldn’t find anyone to go with us. So we went alone. After a while, we figured out we like going alone anyway.”

When I started backpacking in the dark ages of 1996, my buddy Tim took me on my first trip.

Despite all our mistakes, I became hooked.  I wanted to go more and more. Tim, having a lovely girlfriend, wanted to do something other than spent 2 days in NH with his buddy so often. :)  So I borrowed his tent, raided the family kitchen for pots and eating utensils, used a discount store external frame pack and bought my first stove.

The gear was heavy, bulky and not very efficient. But I got out there and went solo for the most part. 

I went often enough that my parents expressed concern. Mom was scared that bears would get to me. Dad said he camped enough in the Army and can’t see the joy in it..thank you very much.  Even a mutual friend of ours (who is still , along with Tim, one a handful of people I can call at 2am in the morning if I need anything.) expressed his concern in a crude, funny and ultimately caring way that was better suited for our shared working-class upbringing than the more genteel (re: too much artifice at times) life I now have in Boulder.  :)  [1]

But if I wanted to hike, I had to go solo. And I did want to hike.

In 1996, USENET and mailing lists certainly existed..but never occured to me to look online for a hiking partner. The folks at rec.backcountry seemed too advanced for this n00b.

So I went solo.

I soon discovered setting my own schedule, exploring my own trails and changing plans on the fly is much more suited for solo backpacking and my personal temperment. 

I stumbled, I fumbled but rarely grumbled. I had discovered a passion that quite frankly shaped my life.

A year later, I did Vermont’s Long Trail solo (and my Mom used all her powers of Catholic Guilt to try  dissuade me. Did not work. ;) ).  and discoverd, again, how much I enjoyed solo for longer jaunts.

In my 20s and early 30s, I was in my thru-hiking stage. Social trips among friends was fun. I had the long trails to do by myself…

So here I am almost 20 yrs after my first backpacking trip. Life has a different focus. Time is precious. Almost all my friends have children. My wife loves to be outdoors, but mostly prefers some remote car camping.

So, if I want to go backpacking, I mainly have to go solo. 

And I am still very happy to do that.

Which is my long winded way of saying, don’t be afraid to go solo if you have to hike that way. Solo can be an enriching experience. If anything, it is more flexible. Take longer..or go shorter. Explore a different trail than intended.   And the skill set you develop may just help with future outdoor adventures.

[1] “Hey Paulie, what the hell are looking for out there?  A f****** knot hole in a tree?!??!”   True story. :)

Gordon, still plenty of snow in LCW. I wanted to get to Wigwam Creek near the campground to do some fishing. I got a late start so I thought I'd just walk Lost Park road in to make it there in time. Parked at the gate and headed up. By the time I got near the top I was postholing in foot deep snow. I'm sure it's deeper on the CT which isn't as exposed. A friend went in on the Goose Creek Loop last Thursday. Tried to go over Hankins Pass but hit waist deep snow. So still a ways to go before being snow free.

Here's a little trip report

We headed up Goose Creek trail from the parking lot and encountered only a few patches of snow no more than 12-18 inches deep until we took a right at the fork towards Wigwam creek. Once we got over the ridge and into the narrow valley that runs North-South the snow was covering everything and there were no human tracks that we saw. The ~1-2 miles from there to Wigwam Park involved post-holing past to our knees and sliding around on some of the steeper sections. Certainly do-able if you're willing to suffer a little bit. We camped near the beaver pond in Wigwam Park, headed down the creek the next morning and then cut off-trail due south back to the car. Goose Creek was running so high that we had to hike up to the bridge that's about 10 minutes from the parking lot in order to cross.

Overall it was a great trip. Looking forward to getting back up there with my fly rod next time. On a slightly different note — has anyone here been up the South Platte above Cheesman Reservoir? Looks like potentially some good fishin up there.

McCain, how was the snow around the beaver ponds and back down Wigwam trail? Thanks.

There was some snow on the way out down along Wigwam creek, though it was patchy and not very deep. Lots of running water on the trail.

Hopefully the snow wont be an issue in three and a half weeks.

If anyone is going out again and wouldn't mind if I tagged along (not much experience so would prefer not to go solo), I can make myself available around July 5-11th for a 2-4 day hike. PM me if so!

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't replied. Apparently I don't get email notifications that people replied.

First off, I have been going solo and have grown accustomed to it and find it relaxing. However, I think doing a group hike would be fun every once in a while. I will reply more later.

Thanks!

I'm planning this for the last weekend in August (Friday early AM -> Sun afternoon) if anyone wants to come along. Its the southern section of the Gore Range. Going solo I planned to park in Silverthorne, leave my car, and take the half hour public bus ride to Copper Mtn. With 2 cars it could be a simple 10 minute shuttle. The hike is about a 25 mile route.

Here is Dondo's write up of the the route: https://dondo1.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/gore-range-trail-copper-mountain-to-silverthorne/