We’ll be hiking the whole trail this summer and are planning out food now. I know sometimes we’ll be able to get into town to get food, but we’ll need to send out at least some packages. How many do you think we’ll reasonably need to send out? Which places?
Also, how many water bottles will we each need? Will we be going by streams or rivers every couple hours or only once per day?
Nancy Sathre-Vogel
i live in state and all i can see as on trail resuppply mailing points are: twin lakes, monarch rv park and molas lake cg ups only). i seems like alot of people hitchhike into towns for resupply.
jennmiko
With all due respect, if you haven’t taken the time to figure out where and when you’ll find water, then that would be a danger sign that you might not be prepared for a thru-hike at this time, logistically as well as psychologically. Recommend immersing yourself in the maps, guidebook, and planning materials readily available, then checking back if you still have questions. You have to want a thru-hike enough to feed yourself as opposed to taking the easy out via spoon feeding.
dw
We bought the guide book a while ago, but didn’t pay attention to details when we read it. Now, we can’t find it. I’ve ordered the databook, but we haven’t gotten it yet. We’re trying to get gear together now but aren’t sure how many water bottles we’ll need.
Nancy Sathre-Vogel
I was about to write a detailed response, but dw makes an excellent point. Don’t take offense, but these things take a bit of self-motivated planning. I’d like to direct you to a couple resources where you can start:
http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm
http://www.shop.coloradotrail.org/Guides_c4.htm
Andrew M
Oh and water might be low this year because of snow, so I would say you want a carrying capacity of about a gallon
Andrew M
No offense taken! We are trying to plan things out, but without the guidebook or databook on hand, it’s hard to find this info. Besides that, we know from experience that we’ll get MUCH better info asking specific questions from people who have done it.
Although we haven’t done a thru hike like this, we have done a lot of bike touring - a lot of the skills will transfer to backpacking. We spent a year biking around the USA and Mexico (9300 miles) when our children were in 3rd grade. Then we spent their 5th, 6th, and 7th grade years biking from Alaska to Argentina. What we learned on those treks was that we got way better info when we talked with people who had done it and could answer our specific questions.
Nancy Sathre-Vogel
Wow that’s an impressive bike trip! I speak spanish fluently and I still wouldn’t have the balls to bike mexico
Definitely read Pmags guide
As far as water go, the guidebook highlights the availability of water. Get the newest edition (2011) if you have the older one. Seg 18, 22, 27 are drier segments. Popular resupply points: Buffalo Creek, Jefferson, Breckenridge, Leadville, Twin Lakes, Princeton Hot Springs, Salida, Creede, Silverton
Andrew M
We LOVED cycling Mexico - it’s a wonderful country and we had no problems at all. I would head back down there with my children in a heartbeat.
I’m in Pmags site right now - fabulous resource. Thanks so much!
Nancy Sathre-Vogel
For the most part, there is abundant water along the CT. I have done the trail several times in varying drought versus rainy years and have never carried more than 2 liters. I use two one liter bottles and a ceramic filter. Most of the time I carry the second bottle empty. It is used for additional camp water but is really only necessary in a few dry stretches. When I encounter water, I stop and drink a lot of it, fill one bottle, and carry on. When that bottle is empty I start looking for water again. The exceptions are:
Segment 2. You need to go about 17 miles from the S Platte to the first reliable water in Segment 3. I fill two bottles at the river and do the 17 miles in a single day. There is emergency water available near the end of segment 2 at the firehouse. Read the guidebook for details.
Segment 18 gives some people problems but I have always found water in Los Creek at mile 9.0. If the creek is not running at the point where you turn left and uphill, stay low and follow the stream bed a bit (don’t turn). There is a muddy pond about a half mile along the creek if needed but I’ve always found good water in the creek itself. I’ve camped at this location a couple of times.
Segments 26-27 have a 20 mile dry stretch from mile 8.4 of 26 to mile 19.4 of 27. There is a really good spring right at treeline at about mile 7.1 of Segment 26. I fill up there and drink a bunch. Then I dry camp at about mile 10 or so of Seg 27. You should get as close as possible to Indian Trail Ridge ahead without actually going up there. Hit the ridge first thing in the morning and you will be at good water by noon and off of the ridge, which is a lightning magnet in the afternoons. A third liter of camp water would be nice for this stretch but as I said, two has always worked for me.
As far as water quality is concerned, be aware that Giardia is carried by beavers and is widespread in Colorado. Any stream that has a beaver pond on it should not be trusted. I will drink directly from springs but always filter stream water.
bearcreek