10.10.24

 

 Colorado Trail (Aug 13 '24-Sept 17 '24) Blogs List

 

Colorado Trail Week 1
102 miles - Indian Creek TH to Breckenridge

It’s a busy Tuesday afternoon in Breckenridge. The shops are open. Tourists with children and small dogs in tow politely dodge each other, pointing toward the mountains, following various aromas wafting out of various doors. Hanne and I sit on a small balcony in front of the Mountain View Coffee Shop with our cappuccinos and pause for the first time in seven days. The trail has been good. Beautiful alpine views, challenging climbs, a few raindrops here and there. Bjørn has been the main priority each day; keeping him hydrated and cool and fed up to three times his normal daily intake. He can put in the miles no doubt, but his thick coat of black fur quickly causes overheating when in direct sun. Fortunately most days have had enough clouds and forest shade that it hasn’t been an issue. We’ve been mostly above 10k for the last few days as well, which kept the the temperature down. Right now, he’s having a mandatory R&R back in our room at the Breck Inn and enjoyed a piece of raw sirloin last night for being such a good sport through his first 100 miles.

Six days saw a bit of everything as we climbed to our present elevation. We dropped the rental car in Castle Rock outside Denver and took an Uber to the official “alternate trailhead” at Indian Creek. The main trail starts with a section that dogs aren’t allowed on so we took this route northwest for a few miles to meet the CT and head south.

Day one saw a few faces here and there. Hikers were cordial but most had that “first week seriousness” about them. It reminded us of the PCT. All the planning and logistics and then you’re there, walking in the middle of nowhere, and the thoughts turn to the mission at hand. Of course, when we passed north bounders, they were all smiles, cheering us on and casually sauntering down the trail.

We noted lots of contrasts over the first week. From the stark ranch land of the AZT to the lush, almost tropical humidity we endured in the valleys and the abundance of fresh water pouring down the hills every few miles or so. I think I’ve filtered only twice in the past week. Overall, it feels a lot like the PCT - but I know we are in for some major climbs and switchbacks are not a given in this trail. Insanely graded Jeep trails strewn with loose granite are also not uncommon. It’s called “America’s most scenic trail, mile for mile.” But as most thru-hikers know, after mile 13 or so, you often see a lot more of your feet or the feet in front of you than anything else.

The Rockies are a different beast. Even in the summer, they feel like they’re moving. They remind me of the Alps far more than the Sierra or Cascades. There’s a sort of rawness to the passes where everything is still in flux. Massive ecosystems spring up in the summer, only to be covered in meters of snow a few months later. Shards of shale and sedimentary types are broken and flung about the hillsides. Clouds build and loom over peaks and disappear an hour later. Insects and snakes, birds, squirrel and deer are all pollinating, munching, and cackling to each other as we come through any given section.

But that will change a bit as of tomorrow. We climb to 12k and pass the tree line. This routine of up and down and up will take us over multiple passes as we make our way to Twin Lakes to grab our next supply and onto Princeton Hot Springs where we’ll take our next zero. It’s eight days split into two sections with no real breaks in between and some big climbs. Storms are on the way but we plan to be well below the tree line when they pass over.
 
It’s been a fantastic time so far and thanks to all for your support as always. A few pictures are included from the first stretch.

Much love,

Campfire and Hummingbird

Mt Princeton Hot Springs
CT Mile 227.6

We left Breckenridge early in the morning to catch the bus to the trailhead. It would be four days to resupply in Twin Lakes and another four to Mt Princeton Hot Springs for another zero / resupply. I’d say this section presented the first official challenges in terms of weather and sheer sustained grades as we spent at least part, if not the majority of some days climbing up and down between 9k-12k feet, very often without switchbacks. Comments in our trail app “Far Out” made numerous comparisons to the Appalachian Trail, famous for its unforgiving straight up and straight down routes. The passes however, offered glimpses above the tree line at rows of 14ers in the distance. This would also be where we had to choose the East or West Collegiate route as we left the Twin Lakes area and made our way around the perimeter of Mt Yale, Harvard, and eventually Princeton (all 14ers). The “Collegiate Loop” is also a popular summer trail for people who want a shorter experience, going around all three mountains, sometimes continuing north toward the Littleton terminus if time allows. We’re still averaging about 16 miles per day as Bjørn gets his hiker legs as well. He’s gotten much stronger since the first zero in Breckenridge (where he basically slept for two days) and likes to sneak up between our bags in the morning, eyeing which of us will be the first the say “Good Morning” with a nice ear rub. Leaving Twin Lakes, we were briefly caught in a lightning storm and huddled under a clump of pines until it passed. We were given enough of a window to make it to camp and crawl in the tent before the sky unleashed again. Things get soggy, including socks and clothes, so we try to use any sunshine as an opportunity to lay things out and dry. Most days of the last stretch however, were mostly gray - which was good for Bjørn, but a bit mysterious and moody and you move through so much forest, occasionally crossing a road or trailhead or junction. I will say, despite these insane grades, that the CT is very well maintained and well-blazed making it easy to zone out and put our energy into walking. We continued to leap-frog with a few people of a similar pace until the Collegiate split. Most people still keep to themselves, but do run into the occasional “thru-hiker” who gets excited talking about other trails and adventures. We pass groups out for afternoon runs, solo kids doing the summer things, plenty of day hikers, and a few international souls as well. Yesterday we gave a younger French man our best advice for hitching up to Denver. He said “This country is so amazing but I am sorry, your public transportation is terrible.” “I know.” I say. “I know.” So, we are about halfway now. Two days at the hot springs have let us have a little rest, a LOT of food, and I can’t tell you how good it feels to sit in the warm water and let the muscles just float for a bit after the strain of the past week. Tomorrow morning we head out for a seven-day stretch to the little town of Creede, CO. It’s our heaviest pack weight so far, but thankfully none of the big ascents/descents - at least according to the maps. As we head south, we’ll be passing through more 14ers, but there’s only a few passes where we’ll ascend to 13k and I believe those are on the stretch after this. All is good! Now I must off to another snack!

Much love,

The Strudels - (official new trail log name ;)

Creede, Colorado
Mile 341.5
(Into the San Juans)

A zero in Creed. Another former silver mining town that ceased operations in the 80s leaving most of the original 19th C tunnels and infrastructure intact. A quiet town of 300 or so stretched along a main road that hasn’t suffered the same fate as most of the other “destination towns”. It’s still locals and farmers markets and family dining hotel restaurants for the most part. We came off the San Luis Peak trailhead yesterday and took an hour ride in from Nancy, a 3rd generation local, on her ATV sidecar through dynamite-carved cliffs and we’re dropped next to the Aspen Inn - the only dog-friendly accommodations in town.

It was a rough seven days. Every thru hike has that section that makes you question the motives and meaning behind extended journeys through remote forest, dealing with whatever elements are put in front of you. In this case, it was section 17, which was a combination of multi-use motocross/ATV/hiker trails littered for miles with ankle high loose stones, damaged forest full of widowmakers, and vertical climbs without any views for all the sweat. This might have been bearable, even typical except for the stomach bug I picked up around Mt Princeton (my guess) that silently drained my reserves for days. All that being said, it was a cleansing experience. We had to push through either way and being our third thru, it brought up a lot of questions about how we fundamentally view these adventures after six years and close to 5,000 miles underfoot.

It wasn’t without interesting connections either, which can really add the necessary color to a trail. We’ve been leapfrogging with “C-3PO”, a shy yet perpetually inspired and gregarious kid from Ohio who is “finally missing his mom’s blueberry pies”. We met Ken, a retired chemistry teacher with 30% kidney function whose doctor said “Just go for it.” He often has to make sure his water is double or triple filtered and sleeps semi-cowboy style under a tarp that he lashes down from any suitable tree. Then there was the guy wearing flip-flops and carrying a cat in a lightweight box on top of his pack. Apparently, the cat does indeed enjoy walking on its own here and there. They were preceded by a Swiss duo who asked questions about the AZT (their next goal) and John, who finished the PCT in one stretch last year walking over a snowpack of what looked like 15-20 solid feet in the Sierra. “Americans are afraid of everything, so I went through with a group of 14 other Europeans” he laughed. I told him how we had decided to flip-flop in 2018 with less than 4’ of snow but there were, of course, other factors involved.

The good news is that we’re heading into the San Juans, the most beautiful part of the trail after all this endless forest. We hope the weather continues to hold as we make our next stretch down to Molass Lake just outside Silverton. It’s just a night at the campground and a resupply then four more to or final destination at Durango. For the rest of the day in Creede, we hydrate, stay off the legs, augment the food with whatever extras we can find in the market, and maybe opt for another round of Uno at the Sunnyside Bar.

Take care,

Campfire & Hummingbird


Silverton, Co
Mile 408

A zero at Molas Lake just up the road. We hitch into Silverton and grab our hiker box from the post office, a couple cappuccinos, and grab a bite before final resupplies at the market.

Now we’re on the final week, well and deep into the San Juans living around 12k for the past week and onward to Durango. The high tundra is like a different planet. Rolling grass turning into razor sharp walls of scarred stone that arch and lean and send house-size shards tearing through the valleys that sit motionless for ages. We climb over scree fields, crunch over raw slate, through muddy grass, and have the rain gear at the ready as the weather changes by the minute. The temperature changes by twenty degrees when a shadow gives way to sunlight. Rain turns to hail which turns to sleet and disappears within 10 minutes. As far as the eye can see, endless mountains.

The elevation gets to us a little bit but not much. Strange stomachs and light sleep. We’re used to it by now. It’s a matter of filling the sleeping pads to the right pressure. Not too much or too little.

While the scenery is breathtaking, the climbs are still arduous and 18 miles feels like a “long day”.

Tomorrow morning starts the last four days into Durango.  Always wish I was more lucid, less tired for these little updates but John Denver just came on the radio downstairs at the Avon, the new hiker spot in town. I’ll take that as cue.

Best wishes from Campfire and Hummingbird :)


Last Blog

Well, we made it home Tuesday night around 10 pm after spending a night at the Siesta Motel in Durango. It just so happened to be close to a build-your-own taqueria so that’s where we spent the majority of the evening. A couple other hikers we’d seen back in Silverton joined us so it was good to end everything by talking some trail while gorging ourselves on the local food. The last stretch held its own challenges like all the others but while I hesitate to call it the “easiest” stretch, it was a little more forgiving at least in terms of the general grades and physical exertion. We stayed up on the tundra around 11-13k for most of it and at that point in the adventure, our bodies were starting to feel the effects. Appetite diminishes a bit, there’s not as much raw energy to climb, and there can be a general feeling of being “off” a bit. We also got pelted by plenty of showers (combinations of hail, sleet, and rain) around noon as well which sent us underneath the largest pines we could find until they blew over. The very last night on the trail we were awoken by a flashes of lightning and thunder all around camp, and while the site itself was a bit of a slanted last alternative at the end of a long day, the tree next to us was so massive that its backside provided a spot of nearly 100% dryness for us to stage everything in the morning. The trail always manages to provide. The rest of the last day we walked through more rain, thunder, and about two hours in the clouds high above Durango until day hikers started passing, asking questions, and offering congratulations. I think overall, the stretch between Creed and Durango, including Silverton was our favorite. After so much forest, everything opened up to the huge San Juan panoramas for the last 100 miles and I think it was all worth it just to walk across the great formations, scree fields, and grassy plains. Plenty of picas and marmots. I don’t know if Bjørn was in heaven or slowly losing his mind, but he was definitely excited to see home after so long. He probably figured we were going to keep going indefinitely at that point, but his nose picked up the scent of Kachina on the last 1/4 in and he has been enjoying some much deserved rest as well. So, that’s about it! Happy to share this little journey with you all and thanks for the kinds words along the way. We’re going tor rest up for a few days, eat a lot more food, and take it easy. Have a happy autumn!

Campfire + Hummingbird + Bjørn