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Looking for some basic info on the Colorado Trail


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Home Forums General Forums General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion Looking for some basic info on the Colorado Trail

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  • #1223847
    Derek Hakim
    Member

    @yondermountain

    Locale: North Woods

    I am going to hike the Colorado trail starting mid-july and have been looking around for information. There seems to be not all that much info on the web. I am just wondering a few things that I can't seem to find the answers to:

    1. How plentiful will water be? On the AT this last spring I never carried more than 2 liters. Most of the time I carried just one. Obviously the amount of water I consume will be different from the amount of water you consume, but as far as springs and creeks go, are there enough to where I won't need to be carrying 3 or 4 liters of water?

    2. I know that a lot of the trail is above tree line and that there are usually t-storms every day, and that lightning can be a hazard. Will I always be able to camp below tree line or are there certain sections where it is just not possible? If I was caught in a storm while hiking above tree line, will the trail dip into tree line after a couple of miles or could I possibly be stuck up there for 10-20 miles? Also what would you do if you were caught on a long stretch above treeline in a thunderstorm that was producing lightning?

    3. Obviously different parts of the trail are going to have different difficulty levels, but overall how would you compare the CT to the AT, specifically the southern sections, as I did not hike further north than Harper's Ferry this last spring.

    Any input is appreciated. Thanks

    #1393445
    Robert McGaughey
    Member

    @havoc

    Locale: North Texas
    #1393491
    Richard Matthews
    Member

    @food

    Locale: Colorado Rockies

    Tha Wookie did the field work for the Data Book in a very dry year. A lot of the water comes from snow melt, so is heavier early. There are some places along ridges where the water is a little scarce, but you just need to drop a few hundred feet to water.

    You will always be able to camp below timberline, but some times that will mean stopping early or stretching the day. The trail is seldom on the high ground and generally there will be places to hunker down.

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