I just heard the Denver water department will be closing Waterton Canyon up past Poncha Springs reservoir beginning August 2nd 2010 till 2012. The reservior is full of settlement from the wildfires of past years and needs to be dredged. So if you want to do a purist thru-hike start at the trail head before August 2nd 2010.
Woofer
woofer
great info. am planning my thru sometimes late july so this is good to plan around
grateful
The closing will be from the Waterton trail head up to Strotia Springs Reservoir… Not Poncha Springs reservoir. Woofer
woofer
Here is the link to the press release from Denver Water about Waterton Canyon: http://www.denverwater.org/AboutUs/PressRoom/46FE19EA-ED92-7C8D-A8AB98748E45ACB3/
Bernard
On CT Foundation site there is info and MAP showing CT alternate route to Waterton Canyon:
http://www.coloradotrail.org/waterton_closure.html
Hope this helps.
On Track
Hey Jym #1 No offense but some of us want to say we thru-hiked the entire Colorado trail not 28 segments minus 1. #2 Anyone coming from out of town will have a little more difficulty getting to a starting point on the trail. Woofer
woofer
I submit that if one walks as much of a trail that is legally open to the public, including any authorized re-route around closures, they have thru-hiked said trail.
There will be times when parts of a trail are closed for whatever reason and no alternatives are (yet) available. You skip the closed portion and go on. It’s a thru-hike, albeit perhaps only for that given year.
On the CDT, snow (as in the southern San Juans) often forces hikers to patch together alternate routes around otherwise dangerous or closed (as in Glacier NP) sections. As long as they walk border to border, its a thruhike.
The purists among us will flip back and do the closed sections IF they are reopened or re-routed before we finish the rest and go home. Extreme purists will return another year if they aren’t.
Wandering Bob
Wandering Bob
There are alternatives for accessing the CT without hiking the 6 miles of Waterton Canyon, and without going over to Sedalia. Email if interested. FWIW, when they shut down Waterton Canyon, they shut it down tightly. The parking lot and trail gates will be locked.
TrailGuy
When Waterton Canyon is closed, it is really closed. Locked parking area and locked gate at the trailhead sign. If you enter, you are clearly trespassing. And, there will be so many vehicles and workers in the area, that being “stealth” is not a reality. The actual single track “trail” starts 6.2 miles up Waterton. It is unfortunate that they have chosen to close the canyon for such a long time, but the water situation in the Denver Metro area demands better volume management. Luckily, there are several ways to get to the start of the single track. In addition to the one mentioned on the CT Foundation home page, you can also access the start of the single track by starting in Roxborough State Park, and taking the Carpenter Peak trail, and following the signs to the CT. No dogs allowed on this route. I really don’t see the closure of Waterton Canyon as ruining your “pure” thru hike. It’s just a different approach to get to the same place. BTW, there are other ways to get there as well.
TrailGuy
TrailGuy
CTF office provides completion certificates, free, to completers who request one and provide start/end dates, etc., and during the Waterton closure, a CT start/end at Indian Creek or Roxborough State Park will qualify.
On Track
Let me know if I’m crazy, but im thinking of just blazing a trail through the hills south of the waterton canyon road. With a good map and compass (or gps) I believe it could be done. Only problem is if it’s legal? (Private property at all?)
Andrew M
With a couple of super easy access points, I wouldn’t recommend trailblazing. Email off line for alternatives.
TrailGuy