It looks like we’ll be hiking the Colorado Trail this coming summer as our very first long-distance hike. We generally travel on bicycle, so this is a whole new experience for us.
We will be starting the beginning of June and have around 2 months. Which direction should we go? Start in Denver or Durango?
Nancy from Family on Bikes
Starting in Denver going towards Durango would probably be better and is the way the guide books are laid out.
You start at lower altitude so the trail is more likely to be snow-free. Although read through some of the posts from June this year…
Also the altitude gain is more gradual going from Denver. Starting from Durango, the first couple of days could be kind of brutal. Especially if you are somewhat new to long distance hiking.
Bill
Bill T
I live in Durango and have done the trail several times from Denver to Durango and once in the opposite direction. I strongly suggest that you go from Denver to Durango. The climb out of Durango is huge and if you are not used to altitude it will be difficult as you reach 12,000’ in 22 miles then stay high for 120 miles or so. Coming from Denver it takes 84 miles to reach this elevation so you have more time to adjust.
I read your other posts about mileage expectations and will tell you that after the first few days you will likely average about 2 miles per hour. How far you go each day depends upon how many hours you wish to hike, but having 8 miles by noon is not difficult. There is a lot of daylight after noon so 15 mile days are a good achievable average to strive for.
What you should concentrate on is making your pack weight as low as possible. The faster hikers usually aim at a pack weight of 15 pounds or so before adding food and water. I usually exceed that a bit but with food, water, and everything else I am still around 30 pounds at the beginning of a week of self contained hiking. If you can come close to that your hike will be much easier than if you carry a lot of stuff. Most beginners carry too much unnecessary weight in the way of clothing, food, and camp gear that goes unused.
Get the guidebook from CTF (www.coloradotrail.org)and use it as a planning reference. It is 100% up to date and will help you a lot.
bearcreek
Thank you so very much! I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable with this. I think we can get our pack weight down as we know what is essential and what isn’t. Granted, we could carry a bit more on the bikes, but we knew we were carrying luxury items. We won’t carry them on the trail.
I plan to order the guidebook now and pore over it for the next month!
Nancy from Family on Bikes
The middle of June may be a bit early. I’d suggest reading the posts from this past year. There were some interesting times with snow. It will help if you can keep your starting date flexible right up to the last minute.
Last year there was a good group of experienced hikers that went out early and kept us posted.
Gershon
First off good luck on your trip next summer. I hiked the CT this past summer in 2011, it too was my first thru and I loved it. It is such a beautiful trail and well maintained.
I would think seriously about starting in late June or the first of July. I started on June 25 along with others and segment 7,8,9 were pretty much impassable a week later. I did get off the trail on June 28 at Kenosha Pass and got back on July 4. I had some really bad blister and this gave the snow another week to melt. I still used snow shoes in segment 6 and 8. It really depends on the amount of snow they get this winter but keep an eye on the snow because it can force you off the trail. By the time I started there were a hand full that got off the trail and gave up due to the snow.
In my oppinion July 1st is a better date. I wish you the best of luck, I hope you enjoy the trail. I will be on the PCT this year.
Pacemaker
In 2011 starting in June, even late June, proved overly hard for most CT users that I heard about. But in 2010 late June was OK. Depends on winter snow depths (CTF site has links to 9 snow depth locations) and spring temps. If you’re able to firm plans last minute, launch when it’s mostly melted at Georgia Pass Segment 6, based on trailforums, CTF facebook, etc. Otherwise, plan to leave in early July.
On Track
Wow! I had no idea we wouldn’t be able to start until July! That may change our plans… We had hoped to be back home by early August, but there is no way if we can’t start until July. Then again, we don’t have to do the whole trail if we can’t make it…
Nancy from Family on Bikes
I think the current thru-hiker average is about 30 days. Twenty and thirty-somethings might tend toward 25 days, some even fewer. Forty and fifty-somethings maybe toward 35 days, some a few more. All ages seem to lengthen their daily hike mileage during their trip.
On Track
I can’t even imagine 35 days for 500 miles. One of the things we learned about us on our bike trip from Alaska to Argentina is that we travel slower than nearly everybody else. Way slower!
I’m not sure how we do it, but we could seriously take ALL DAY to cycle 30 miles. We pedal a little, we take a break and chat and play, then pedal a little, take a long break… Somehow the days go by.
We’re fairly certain we’ll end up doing the same thing hiking the Colorado Trail. We’ll manage to fritter away the days doing low mileages. Yes, we realize we’ll have to make a certain amount of miles because we’ll only be carrying food for x number of days, but still - we’ll keep our daily mileage low.
I am thinking 45 days sounds very realistic for us.
Nancy from Family on Bikes
We are tentatively planning 30 days for the first 14 sections this year. Our longest day will be segment 2 at about 11 miles. The description sounds horrible in the guidebook, but it was one of the best days in my backpacking life.
We like to stop for a cooked lunch and another cooked meal during the day. We cook 5 times a day which slows us down, but it’s our way of having fun.
You may pass us sitting on some looking at a view our we may pass you when we break into our run sometimes when we just get the urge.
Last year, I saw a woman walking on her knees looking intently at something in a meadow. In another place (on a different trail) we ran across a group of older women in fancy dresses having a formal teaparty complete with china in the middle of a meadow.
There were a couple speed packers with tiny packs enjoying the challenge. But somehow we passed them the next day.
Gershon
I LOVE the idea of a bunch of old ladies out in a field having a formal tea party! I hope I meet them!
Nancy from Family on Bikes