Colorado Trail Segment Hike 2015!

[Brandt]

Hello all, and a happy New Year.

I am in the process of planning a 120 mile segment hike of the CT from Denver to Copper Mountain Resort where I'll meet up with friends and enjoy a 7 day vacation. I am super excited and have already started planning. I wanted to do a thru-hike this summer but was not able to, so this is my chance to get a good chunk of hiking in this year. So far my gear list looks like this:

http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=14178

A couple of questions that I have:

Pace: I will be starting the trail on either June 25th or 26th and hope to travel at least 15 miles a day for an 8 day finish at Copper Mountain. I am training for a marathon, ran one marathon last year and have run multiple half marathons recently. Is this a reasonable goal/pace?

Weather: What should I expect in late June temperature wise? I already have the 30 degree Prodigy quilt, bivy, balaclava and Montbell down jacket. Will this be a sufficient sleep system for the weather?

Shelter Choice – Will an MLD Grace Duo be enough protection from the wind and rain?

Resupply: just for the lightest weight possible, I plan to mail a resupply for pick-up in Jefferson, which should be about 70 miles into the trail.I could probably make it all in one go, but I just feel that one resupply would make my pack lighter and my life easier. Is this a good idea?

Transportation to trailhead: Any recommendations or ideas on getting from the Denver airport to the trailhead efficiently? I have researched alot on this topic but was wondering if anyone had any real great ideas or recent experience with doing the same thing.

[Drew Smith]

Brandt, my thoughts on your questions:

Pace – if you are in marathon shape you will have no trouble with a 15 mile per day pace. There are only two serious climbs in this stretch (Guyot Pass and the 10 mile range) and the average altitude is probably only 9000 feet or so.

Weather – late June and early July can be an ideal time to hike in CO, a relatively dry interlude between spring storms and summer monsoons. But expect some nighttime temps in the upper 20s, and be prepared for the low 20s. Snow is not out of the question. So I would add lightweight long johns to your list, but you won't die if you don't.

Shelter – you will not have to camp above treeline anywhere in this stretch, so any quality shelter will do.

Resupply – be sure to get a burger at the Jefferson Depot – they are the best burgers in CO, and I believe they will be serving beer in 2015. I always stop there when passing through South Park. An alternative strategy would be to resupply in Bailey and Breckenridge. But you should do fine with a single resupply in Jefferson.

One other thought – the section north of the Platte River crossing is still shadeless due to the Buffalo Creek fire. Try to do this early in the day as the sun can be truly merciless there. An umbrella would not be a bad idea.

And a more subversive thought – consider hiking north through the Collegiates, over Tennessee Pass and Kokomo/Searle pass to get to Breck. It is a much more scenic (and challenging) stretch. You can take a bus from Denver to Buena Vista, and it should not be a hard hitch to get to the trail.

Have fun, and don't forget to write a trip report!

Drew

[Jack M]

Brandt, I did the same exact hike this year so I hope to be of some help.

Late June is generally fine, but as Drew said there may be snow. This past year was a big snow year and it lasted in places until mid July but there were only a few hundred feet of snow that I encountered on the trail. The Colorado Trail Foundation does a great job of updating the current trail conditions on their Facebook page (especially with regards to snow). Check their page in the weeks before you go for updates.

Definitely make sure to stock up at the Platte River as Drew said. I did a few miles at sundown and the rest first thing in the morning (around 6 am) and it was still pretty hot. I brought 3 liters and that was barely enough. A trail angel left a water cache near the road (off the trail, before the firehouse) toward the end of that "desert" section. However, I'm not sure if they do that every year or not. Regardless, make sure to plan ahead there.

15 miles a day will be more than easy if you're training for a marathon. I did the section in 4 days and was forced to stop 3 out of the 4 days early in the afternoon due to thunderstorms. Its generally not too difficult.

I haven't done the alternate route into Breck that Drew suggested but I'd recommend it over the standard. The last 10 miles into Breck is all down hill but it goes through clear cuts and terrain that isn't visually extraordinary by any means.

I don't have experience with the grace tarp but you should be fine. The section is very forested so you should be able to choose good sites. I took my MLD SoloMid.

On transportation to the trail head- I had the same issue. I took public transportation as far as I could but ended up having to take a $15 cab to the start. Although I should note that I started at Roxborough State Park instead of Waterton Canyon.

I guess a final point is I'd recommend checking out the Colorado Trail Guidebook (or databook). I found it pretty useful on the trail and it contains a lot of great information.

Enjoy!

[Brandt]

Thanks for the help so far! It look like my shelter choice and pacing are okay for what I plan to do. I have never done a backpacking trip longer than two nights, so I am a bit unfamiliar with what I should expect pacing wise. This will be a good journey into longer trips so I can perhaps thru-hike in 2016. But alas, I digress…

I will definitely keep that bit of info about the Platte River in mind. Being from South Texas, I am definitely used to the terrible summer heat, but I wasn't aware that stretch of the trail was barren.

@Drew:
I have a pair of UnderArmour ColdGear tights on my gear list for the hike. Is this what you were referring to as Long Johns, or did you mean something else in addition to these?

And while I bet those burgers are fantastic, I'm actually vegetarian. Though beer does sound like a fantastic reason to visit the Jefferson Depot!

I'll also shoot you a PM you about the alternate route you suggested.

@Jack
Glad to hear you didn't encounter too much snow on a heavy snow year like last year. I will definitely keep myself updated via the FB page and other resources as the date draws closer.

Thanks for your info about getting to the trailhead. Would your recommend starting where you did at Roxborough State Park? Or would it be fine to just start at Waterton Canyon?

I definitely have the Colorado Trail Guidebook and Databook on my to-buy list. Thanks for the suggestion!

One big question I forgot to ask earlier: What is bug pressure like in Late June? Will I be fine with a bivy and DEET or do I need to look at some alternatives?

Also, another question about my sleep system which would consist of the following:
MLD SuperLite Bivy
EE Prodigy 30 Quilt
Montbell EX Light Jacket
MLD Apex 4.0 Balaclava
ColdGear Tights
EE Apex 4.0 Synthetic Booties (My feet are always cold)
Gloves of some sort

Do you think this would be sufficient down to the possibility of the 20s? I have never tested that system to temps that low. I have taken it down to around 30 and was very toasty, so I THINK I could get it down to the 20s. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Drew Smith]

Sorry I missed the Under armor. You should be fine with your gear.

The "alternate" route I was suggesting was just hiking the CT north/ east to Copper, rather than west from Denver. That is, taking a bus to Salida or Buena Vista, and hitching west from there. I'm pretty sure there are hostels in Salida that will drive you if you don't like hitching. The advantages of this stretch of the CT over the Denver to Copper stretch are that you will pass some hot springs (commercial), go through Pine Creek (one of the most beautiful valleys in the Rockies), have the opportunity to climb multiple 14ers, have more and better fishing, and have more spectacular scenery in general.

But you can't go wrong either way. You will have a blast regardless.

[Jack M]

Outside of one bad night near Georgia Pass I did not notice any bugs (mosquitoes) at all. I'd imagine you'd generally be fine with what you propose. I brought no bug spray and only a head net. I also think you're sleep system would be fine if it went down to the 20s.

Regarding the start- I enjoyed Roxborough. I will admit that I made somewhat of an error and ended up there on accident instead of Waterton but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Roxborough is different because it has a southwestern desert feel. Red rock and fairly dry with not as much human traffic. From what I hear Waterton is fairly crowded so you may be hiking with a group of people and see a lot more than otherwise. The mileage is the same. There are some tricky, unmarked sections but the route is fairly straightforward. I'd be happy to detail them for you if you decide to do Roxborough. I don't think you can go wrong either way.

[Jack M]

I'll also add that I initially misinterpreted Drew's alternate suggestion as well but it's something to consider. With that section of the trail, you'll be in more alpine terrain and have what I'm sure are some amazing views. The trail from Denver to Copper is enjoyable but it should be noted that it is heavily forested and very different in that manner than the higher sections past Copper Mountain.

You would definitely have to pay close attention to snow then though because it tends to linger later in those sections because of the high elevation and north facing slopes.

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