colorado trail segment 2 camping

The Colorado Trail and Continental Divide Trail are overlapped at this point. Map Information, Forest Service Home | USDA.gov | recreation.gov | Recreation Customer Service Standards | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov, Plug-Ins | FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Important Notices | Information Quality, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/psicc/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=82634&actid=24. One man offers his sage advice on how to tackle the 486-mile Colorado Trail, piece by piece. Although it was a bit cold up at 10,900 feet, the moon was incredible, and I slept well to the sound of owls hooting through the night. Segment two is by far my least favorite so far. Night two was kinda rough. I hiked with Izzy through most of the morning, but ended up slowing down to take a break at some point in the day. There's also segment 3, Colorado Trailhead to Wellington Lake Road, a little bit longer at 12.2 miles (19.6 kilometers) and a 1,268-foot (386.5-kilometer) elevation gain. It is amazing. Continuing on Segment 4, we began the day hiking a 6 mile stretch of trail that followed a long meadow adjacent to the creek. We took the gondola up to the resort and I was able to schmooze the ticket office into letting us take the Colorado chairlift up toward Peak 8. We bathed and ate lunch on a bridge by a stream, and I accidentally threw my hat at oncoming mountain bikers and yelled “Ahoy” while doing so. I discovered that although I originally felt extremely passionate about being a “thru-hiking purist,” I decided to say screw that and have truly embraced the motto of “hike your own hike.”. I am sad I didn’t get to see you in all of your Tiger King glory! The trail crosses Hagerman Pass Road at mile 1.8 (this is the old segment 10 start point, easy to access but no parking). This area showed off some large rock towers containing perfectly stacked boulders, and the trail was lush, soft and windy. I met some incredible humans on trail, and have found myself a wonderful little tramily. As you descend out of Lost Creek Wilderness and toward the Valley of the Sun, the trail becomes somewhat exposed. After making phone calls to our loved ones, snacking under the shady pavilion, and refilling with fresh water, Izzy had a genius idea… What if we take an alternate route using the gondola at the ski resort to shave off some miles and a few thousand feet of elevation gain from the climb? I’m not entirely sure which exact mile marker I stopped at, but day four ended up being around 26 miles. Colorado Trail Segments 20 & 21, La Garita Wilderness Area. Once I reached the high point at mile 13.1, I was running low on water so I immediately made the plan to hike down to the South Platte River and refill as well as find somewhere to camp. You have to be prepared with equipment and to know where good camp and water spots are. I woke up our entire camp while apologizing profusely. We ended up losing Stash early in the morning, but Izzy, Lil Engine, and I had a great day of hiking together! The trail starts at the end of CT - Segment 1 along the Platte River. (719) 553-1400 Below is a description for Colorado Trail Segment 1. ... On day one I started off with a bang and decided to truck it the entire 16.8 miles down to segment 2, South Platte River trailhead. This segment definitely seemed like a mountain bikers dream. When I got back to camp, I accidentally grabbed Lil Engine’s hair thinking it was my sleeping bag.. Hahahaha. The route links eight groups of mountains, six National Forests, and six Wilderness Areas in one of the most coveted high … Hiking the Colorado Trail: Segment 1 and 2 I am blessed to live within a 30-minute drive of the Colorado Trail. The hiker hunger and coffee cravings were real. Izzy and I made it up and over the Divide and immediately met back up with the CT/CDT. Yes, we shaved off some miles, but we also blazed our own trail and created a fun and awesome alternate route. They respect me and I feel safe with them. When entering the Lost Creek Wilderness, be sure you to go right toward the marked CT trailhead after crossing the road. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. HEY LEGEND, I know you’re on the home stretch and ABOUT TO CRUSH THIS FKT. Day 2/Segs 2-3. It’s getting cold at night! Get a book or do lots of online research. From here follow a well defined trail winding its way through the Buffalo Creek Fire (1996). We gained about 700′ of elevation over the 6 miles. This day was honestly rather eventful. I met Stash just after this toward the beginning of segment 6. Well, that’s exactly what we did. Thanks for your support! I trekked on through the day and made dinner at the Brookside McCurdy Trail junction. There we started climbing and doing some off-trail adventuring to get us up and over the Divide. Side note: The only reason I am a bit sad that we took an alternate route is because Lil Engine and Garden Center got to meet Jeff “Legend” Garmire on his FKT attempt on the climb out of Breck. Izzy and I ventured over to City Market for some snacks and then walked to the Rec Center to attempt to take a shower. I hiked to mile 26.6 and walked over to the North Fork Fire Station to refill water and have lunch on their little shady bench. From the eastern terminus at Waterton Canyon, southwest of Denver, the trail winds its way for 486 miles (782 km) through the state's most mountainous regions, to its final conclusion, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of Durango. TTY: (719) 553-1404 and ride back to Platte River Trailhead for a great out and back ride. Hiker, vanlifer, mountain girl, wanderer, minimalist, wife - Midwestern hospitality with a western mentality - I love carbs and cheeeeese, Gossamer Gear LT5 Carbon Trekking Poles Review, 19 Things 2021 Appalachian Trail Hikers Need to Know, Hiking Fanny Packs: The Ultimate Thru-Hiking Accessory, 5 Things You Should Know About the Lone Star Hiking Trail, 5 Books You Need to Read to Better Appreciate the Outdoors, Best Deals from the Backcountry Post-Cyber Sale. Brain had packed up and left before I woke up so I spent another day hiking solo while listening to podcasts and the audiobook, Born to Run. I’ll update ya again soon. Luckily I picked it up and was able to make a call to the owner’s brother. For 485 miles between Denver and Durango, the Colorado Trail (CT) winds over rocky, 13,000-foot peaks and passes, through wildflower-filled meadows, in and out of dusty mining towns, and past snow-clad vistas as it draws a line through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The crew has been reunited! This day ended up being super significant because it was the day that I met Izzy and Lil Engine! The Colorado Trail Databook is highly recommended, both to support work on the Colorado Trail and to provide in depth information relating to passes, water points, and camping spot. Luckily the boys all thought it was hilarious and are still giving me crap about it. I ate some more delicious town food, organized my resupply, and did some foot surgery on my sad toes and blisters. Brian and I hiked together while leapfrogging for most of the day. We were on edge the whole time because we saw like four piles of moose poo and knew we had nowhere to hide in the event of an encounter. Yes, there are access points at each end of every Segment (28 Segments) plus some in between. It had rained a bit on the night of day one so my tent was somewhat wet when I put everything away the next morning. Our new group of four trekked down to a flat camp site about four miles outside of town. I found my homie Izzy and we camped at the top of a saddle after hiking through a beautiful square-shaped valley full of cow pies, willow bushes, and a continuous winding stream. Also, WOW LOST CREEK WILDERNESS IS BEAUTIFUL! Trail on South Platte River and Spring Creek in Pike National Forest. Parking at South Platte River Trailhead at Gudy Gaskill Bridge. Colorado is expecting some snow so we’re all going to chug along and get a hotel together before the weather gets bad. Unfortunately due to COVID, we were unable to do so, so we washed our clothes and took some sink baths in the public restrooms near the skate park. You can camp near the start of the segment or continue about 3 miles for your next widespread options. Segment 4 of the Colorado Trail #1776 brings the hiker up out of the Ponderosa pine forests north of the Lost Creek Wilderness and into the open parks and Lodgepole pine and Douglas fir forests to the west. This planning guide covers when to go, which direction, navigation, dangers, section highlights, elevation, wildlife, terrain difficulty, how long it takes and more. From here follow a well defined trail winding its way through the Buffalo Creek Fire (1996). However, the CT was closed near Durango due to the 416 fire.As an alternative, we decided to start at segment 8 and work our way southbound. Luckily, these people were also accepting of my loud self and the weirdness that comes along with it. Cross the large iron bridge over the Platte River and begin by heading south along the river for a brief stent before heading west over a short section of shale. This conflagration charred nearly 12,000 … Colorado Trail Segment 2 . Midnight, I had to pee and couldn’t find my headlamp so I ventured across the trail to let it out. Get Here. We saw pika, marmot, and even a pine marten! I decided to skip segment 8 and take a zero day with my husband at a hotel in Silverthorne. For Segment 5 (Long Gulch Trailhead to Kenosha East Trailhead), bikes are not allowed beyond/east of the Rock Creek Road/NFSR 133 from the Rock Creek Trailhead. Although there was a small, lush pine grove, this segment mostly traverses through a burn scar from a fire in 1996. Advertisement Colorado Trail … Voles were scurrying underneath the rain fly and up and over the roof my tent, though I am still unsure if this actually happened or it was my mind was just playing tricks on me. Several were doing day hikes over a portion of the Colorado Trail. How to thru-hike the Colorado Trail from end to end complete with a detailed and zoomable interactive map of the entire 486 mile long distance trail. The first quarter of the trail is the majority of the climbing you'll do. We said our goodbyes as we thought that this would be the end of our fun lil group. I was in low spirits at the beginning of day three. Colorado Trail Segment 2 ends at the Little Scraggy Trailhead in the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area. Summiting Georgia Pass and having breakfast at around 12,000 feet was amazing and a great start to day five. The water source at Bear Creek was dry, and I didn’t feel like bushwhacking it to the stagnant pool that Guthook claimed to have a lil off trail. Heck, I live here and I can always go back and do segment 8. After that the trail flattens out for the most part, with a brief stretch of forested area that provides some shade. Entering ski resort territory brought incredible views along with a lot of climbing and descending. This trail winds its way through the Buffalo Creek Fire burn area (1996) offering views of the fire's devastation and the recent new growth. Although the trail is mostly off to the side, the first half of the segment passes through an area in which camping is extremely popular. They’re kind, chill, and we all get along great. We weren’t expecting Lil Engine to show back up, as he was planning on staying in a hostel, but we were stoked and pleasantly surprised to see him chugging along down toward us late afternoon. It’s a win/win for me. Whoops. It took me just over five days to hike from the Waterton Canyon trailhead all the way to Breckenridge. Bike: The Meadows and Gashouse Gulch rides cover most of this segment, except for a short section in the middle, near Meadows Campground. Just doing segment 2 would make a fairly easy day (9.18 mi, +2515'/-1098') so I decided to add a bit of segment 3 with a lollipop loop including an extended off-trail segment … We had originally planned to start in Durango (segment 28) and work our way northbound. I hiked on and met a man named Dave and a dude named Stash throughout this day. Elevations and difficulties of the sections vary. I am going to meet them at segment 9 tomorrow near Cooper Ski Area. ELEVATION: average ~10,300 feet ROUTE: well maintained, popular trail, signed junctions GUIDEBOOK: Colorado Trail 9th Edition DATA BOOK: 7th Edition Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. This made day three a 22-miler for me. It was a blast! Pueblo, CO 81008 Hiking the Colorado Trail. There is a large parking lot on Platte River Road (Jefferson County Route 97), which marks the end of segment 1 of the Colorado Trail and the beginning of segment 2. Follow the well-marked trail south, cross the bridge over Glacier Creek (mile 0.4), and Busk Creek (mile 1.2). MAP: Trails Illustrated PERMITS: none (easy self-registration for wilderness areas) DESIGNATION: primarily 7 different National Forests BEST SEASONS: July, August, September DISTANCE: 485 miles from Denver to Durango WATER: I thru-hiked with 4 liters capacity. Day hikers will be able to access 28 segments of the Colorado Trail, each with check-in points. We both accidentally took a wrong turn while entering segment 4 and ended up hiking about a mile out of the way. Segment 1 of the Colorado Trail is easily accessible, located only 30 minutes from downtown Denver. Happy trails ya’ll. I am totally a lil Nemo, and this adventure has truly been a quest to find myself. OUR FIRST TRAIL MAGIC! M-F, 7:30am–4:30pm. Congrats dude. The three of us crushed another 22-mile day together, and took a break while chatting with some flip-floppers on an incredible bench on a switchback with our first real views of Breck. The descent was somewhat steep, and I was definitely a bit sore on the way down. The trail begins at Waterton Canyon and follows a gravel road for the first seven miles. Brian called me Nemo on night two due to my tent, and it honestly just stuck! What a fun week it’s been. The four of us took the bus over to the Blue Moose and smashed our first real food since starting the trail. Recommended bike: The train can be extremely rocky and demanding in places. This segment is popular with day hikers, backpackers and mountain bikers and is one of the most heavily … Colorado Trail #1776 - Segment 2 Segment 2 of the Colorado Trail (#1776) begins at the South Platte River Trailhead/Gudy Gaskill bridge, and continues towards the Little Scraggy Trailhead. Along the way it meanders through high alpine mountains and valleys, offering a glimpse at some of the finest terrain Colorado has to offer. This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. WOW! The views of 14er Quandary Peak couldn’t be beat. There were more people on the trail that day, maybe because it was a Saturday. My family did the first 3 segments last summer in four days, 3 nights camping. On day one I started off with a bang and decided to truck it the entire 16.8 miles down to segment 2, South Platte River trailhead. Izzy and I were certain that Legend would have passed us already, but we were clearly mistaken. Camping: While hiking Colorado Trail Segment 5, you will have plenty of options to camp along the way. This group of dudes has made me so happy as a solo female hiker. This is where I said goodbye to Brian as I ended up trucking it up to mile 55.1. More Colorado Trail: Segment 2 is a 9.6 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Sedalia, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. Segment 28’s claim to fame is the southern end of the Colorado Trail, just a few miles from Durango at Junction Creek Trailhead. I can’t freaking wait to just keep positively swimming down the trail! By J.B. Bissell • July 24, 2018 Like. The Colorado Trail is an established, marked, and mostly non-motorized trail open to hikers, horse riders, and bicyclists. From here, we hiked some of the Horseshoe Loop into “Hiking Trail” and took that up until it ended somewhere between Peaks 6 and 7. There are one-off spots before that point. Segment 26 includes Blackhawk Pass, just a smidge above treeline. The terrain was STEEP. My squeeze bag broke, and it rained pretty hard all night. It required us to cross a few streams, loose scree patches, do some traversing, create our own switchbacks, and even bushwhack through a dense willow/pine grove. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until November. This is where we met another member of our tramily, Garden Center! ... and ended up spending the following days hiking and camping with him. I had lunch at Rock Creek, did some journaling, and ended up expelling a demon as I puked a bit after eating too fast. I hiked until I found Brian again, and we camped by a small stream near mile 33.4. Colorado Trail segment 2 officially ends at the Little Scraggy Trail (marked on map). Izzy, Lil Engine, and I cowboy camped under the stars in a small flat spot while Stash set up just on the other side of some trees. This seems to be a somewhat common mistake because a hiker who is now in my group accidentally took this slight misdirection too. Honestly, I wasn’t too upset about this because I drank some water and felt great afterward. We chose to end this segment at Deckers Rd. Photo: thedurangoteam.com. WOW! One of the country’s premier long trails, stretching from Denver (technically, Littleton) to Durango, the Colorado Trail winds its way 486-miles from central to the southwestern corner of Colorado. Segment 2 of the Colorado Trail (#1776) begins at the South Platte River Trailhead/Gudy Gaskill bridge, and continues towards the Little Scraggy Trailhead. The Colorado Trail (CT) stretches 486 miles from Denver to Durango, and is divided into 28 segments. Day three turned around when I checked my attitude and remembered that my soggy tent would dry out. It traverses eight mountain ranges, six wilderness areas and stays above 10,000’ for the majority of the trail. I was able to pickup some emergency bivys for me, Izzy, and Lil Engine at REI. Dave and I took a nice rest at the top of Kenosha Pass and enjoyed some snacks and chats. I had a great day with my love and my doggo, and I am ready to meet up with my tramily again bright and early in the morning. Segment 3 is 12.2 Miles long and starts at the Little Scraggy Trailhead and ends when you reach forest service road 560 (wellington lake road trailhead) Segment … I was originally planning on staying the night at Kenosha Pass, but I decided to truck it along to see if I could catch up with Izzy and Lil Engine. More Stats for Colorado Trail (Seg 5.2) bike trail The Northeast Ridge route of San Luis can be accessed right off the Colorado Trail at Segment 20, at the Eddiesville TH (38.0256, -106.8361). Colorado Trail Segment 1 -Waterton Canyon Trailhead to South Platte River Trailhead. This day was honestly rather eventful. To learn more, please visit the About This Site page. These are among the top multi-day hiking trails in Colorado: Colorado Trail The Colorado Trail. Pike and San Isabel National Forests Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands, Pike & San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands, 2840 Kachina Drive All are described (with driving directions) in The Official Guidebook of The Colorado Trail Foundation, available through the CT Store.Some are accessible for passenger cars, … Resort staff was totally on board of J.B. Bissell Adventure 4 Things to know Before you Segment-Hike the Colorado and. 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