Colorado Trail Journal With Pictures

Hiking the Colorado Trail

Random Memories of a 68-Year-Old Rambler

By Chet Anderson (aka Gray Ghost)

Colorado Trail - July 9th to August 2nd 2010.

Journals, photos, and more available at: http://www.grayghost.info

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2010 Colorado Trail Journal

The Colorado Trail (CT) is 488.1 miles long, with an average elevation of 10,000’. The lowest

point was at Waterton Canyon, 5,522’ elevation at the start near Denver. Coney Summit at

13,334’ was the highest elevation on the trail.

When I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail I met Mike. He and his wife had hiked the Colorado Trail and

she sent me a link to her pictures. He said the trail was well marked with bridges (no streams to

ford!) and her pictures showed it would be a beautiful hike.

After finishing the Arizona Trail on May 18, I took an 8 week break waiting for snow to melt in

the mountains of Colorado. I went home to Eloise in Wisconsin for five weeks, and then drove

to Nevada and California to visit my grandchildren. I hiked with my son in Yosemite before

heading back to Arizona. I had to hike the Arizona Trail between the north rim of Grand Canyon

and Jacob Lake, the part that we had to road walk because of snow in May. Shirley and her

fiancé, Bob, brought their horses and joined me.

From there I drove To Durango, the western end of the Colorado Trail. My daughter, Cheryl,

and grandson, Neil, were kind enough to drive from Carson City, Nevada, to meet me in

Durango and transport me to Denver to start the CT. After dropping me off they headed to

Wisconsin to visit Eloise. I had made arrangements to leave my van at a ranch near Durango.

This would mean I had no schedule to meet; my van would be waiting whenever I finished.

I spent one night in the hostel in Durango waiting to meet Cheryl. That evening at the hostel, I

met Mark who had just come in from completing the Colorado Trail. I would guess he was one

of the first finishers of the year. What a

great opportunity to get the latest trail

information. I was surprised to find that

he had only a minimal amount of snow

on the trail. However, he did experience

a number of afternoon rain and sleet

storms. This was his second thru-hike of

the Colorado Trail, having hiked it a few

years previously.

On July 9th Cheryl and Neil left me off at

Waterton Canyon, the eastern trailhead

of the Colorado Trail. The morning

temperature was 40 degrees. The first 6.2 miles followed a gravel road along a river to Strontia

Springs Dam. The only vehicles allowed on the road were for dam maintenance personnel.

Gray Ghost

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The road was a great place for exercising; quite a few people were walking, running or biking.

Because of the river there were many birds-both in the water and in the bushes. I also saw a

mother Bighorn Sheep with her youngster. Nice way to start the trail. An added bonus was

restrooms along the road until the dam. The first day I hiked 23 miles and camped at 7,760’

elev.

July 10th, 25 miles, (48) camped at 10,460’ elev, morning temp 31 degrees

Day two was Saturday. Still being so close to Denver, there was a lot of activity on the trail,

mostly mountain bikes. I estimated that I was passed by more than 50 bikes before noon. They

appeared to have a circular route because I saw very few on their way back. I knew I would

share the trail with bikes but I find it hard when they are approaching from behind; it’s much

better to meet them and have more of a warning to find a place to step off the trail.

Crossing the South Platte River, I watched a father and son panning for gold.

July 11th, 27 miles, (75) camped at 9,880’ elev, morning temp 36 degrees

There was much less traffic on the

trail; the further from Denver the

more peaceful it is. I saw a

Goshawk/Cooper's Hawk? I’m not

sure which; I thought it sounded like

a Cooper’s but it acted like a

Goshawk. Goshawks are noted for

their defense of the nest. One of

them dived at me from behind, just

clearing my head by inches. I heard

later that one hiker had actually been

struck on the head by those hawks.

I hiked through the first of many broad open valleys that had beaver ponds and dams, one right

after another.

It’s time to admit my incompetence. The first night I set up camp I found I was missing my tent

poles. I assumed I had left them in the van in Durango. I had to lay the tent over me like a

blanket for the first three nights. My grandson, Dan, had the same model tent at our house so I

called my support crew (Eloise) to send his poles to me. I was able to pick them up at the

Breckinridge Post Office. I am lucky. I hated to think of camping for 500 miles without them.

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July 12th, 29.6 miles, (104.6) stopped at 9,200’ elev, Breckinridge Hostel

I had a couple of climbs of 1,000’ or more today but the trail is laid out so well that I was able to

do a big mileage day and reach the hostel in Breckinridge before sunset. The towns around

Breckinridge have a free regularly scheduled bus service. That was nice because the trail crosses

Hwy. 9 at a bus stop and I was able to catch a ride and be in my hostel within a half hour. As

much as I like hiking, it is always enjoyable to shower and do laundry.

At breakfast the next morning, I was able to visit with Cindy and Mick, a young retired couple

from Colorado. They were also hiking the Colorado Trail. This was their second night at the

hostel. They had taken advantage of the bus routes and hiked 13 miles and used the buses to

return to the hostel. That put them 13 miles ahead of me; I was planning to do more miles per

day than they were, so I hoped that we would meet again. I wasn’t able to start hiking until

noon; I had to wait for an outfitter to open. I had lost one of my carbide tips for my trekking

poles. I’m glad I have Leki poles. They seem to have the widest distribution and usually it’s easy

to find parts for them. This worked out well. I was able to have an early lunch before catching

the bus back to the trail.

July 13th, 12.7 miles, (117.6) camped at 9,800’elev, morning temp 45 degrees

The elevation slowly increases from the start of the trail. It takes 48 miles to reach 10,460’, and

112 miles to reach 12,000’ for the first time. That’s why they recommend starting on the east

end. Your body has some time to adjust to the altitude. This is also the first time I have ever

been above 12,000’ elevation under my own power. Previously I have been as high as 14,265’

on Mount Evans, but that was by car. I am seeing some wildlife: a few mule deer and one

porcupine.

July 14th, 25.7 miles, (143.3) camped at 10,424’ elev, morning temp 43 degrees

My elevation gains were 4,200’ which

left me camping 624 feet higher than

last night. I was between 10,000’ and

12,000’ elevation most of the day. This

meant many miles above tree line; the

views are tremendous. At 12,000’ elev.

the mountains don’t appear so high.

Most are less than 2,000’ higher than

you are.

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There is a system of huts in Colorado that you can reserve and travel to from hut to hut. A few

are close to the trail but I saw only one. l believe it was called Janet’s Cabin. Most are open

from November to April and then three months in the summer. They are considered rustic; you

have to bring your own food and bedding. They are run by the 10th Mountain Division Hut

Association.

Quite often I have some snow around me. This was the only time on the whole trail I had snow

on the tread itself, for about 20 feet. I walked through a flock of domestic sheep that seemed to

number over a hundred, maybe a couple hundred. They covered the trail and it was hard to

walk by them without sending them running. They were very nervous and I hated to disturb

them. The best I could do was move at a steady pace with no extra motions and that seemed to

help some. At the far edge of the flock I saw a sheep dog lying on a jacket in the shade. Earlier a

biker had told me that the sheep dog had bit a biker as it tried to protect the flock.

I also hiked by the remnants of Camp Hale, a World War II military base used to train troops for

mountain and winter warfare during World War

II. Later I saw the remains of old charcoal/coke

ovens. There may have been as many as half a

dozen of them in different stages of disrepair. I

have read about the people (usually families)

who did that for a living and it was described as

a hard dirty job. They had to constantly maintain

them; if the amount of air wasn’t closely

controlled, the whole batch might be lost.

I did catch up with Cindy and Mick. We hiked

together for some of the day and we ended up camping at Tennessee Pass. We had heard there

was possible trail magic here including the unbelievable possibility it would include ice cream

on dry ice! We weren’t quite that lucky-no ice cream-but there were sodas, snacks and first-aid

supplies. This was Cindy and Mick’s first trail magic experience and I was lucky to share it with

them. On my hikes I have been fortunate to have quite a few trail magic experiences but it is

always special and such a great morale booster.

As we were setting up camp, another hiker (Shane) came by and camped also. His father was

meeting him at the pass the next morning to resupply him. Talking to him then and meeting

him again later, I came to appreciate his hiking style. His general appearance did not match that

of most hikers I meet. First impressions are often wrong and that was the case this time. He was

taking his time on the trail and fishing every spot that was possible. And in general he was

having a great time. It’s nice to see how the trail can be so much different for each person on it.

Camp Hale

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The elevation was between

10,320’ and 11,480’ all day. I

passed an area that had been

logged on top of the snow

years ago: the stumps that

remained were six feet high.

(A similar sight on the Tahoe

Rim Trail was said to have

been logged in the late

1800s). I stopped to camp

three tenths of a mile before

a side trail to Mt. Massive. At

14,421’ elevation, it is the

third highest peak in the

lower 48 states. When I was planning this trip I didn’t plan to do any peak bagging. The most I

had thought of was possibly Mt. San Luis at 14,014’elevation. At 1.3 miles off the trail with an

elevation gain of 1,400’, it seemed like the easiest one to try. But as I hiked closer to my first

chance to try one of the fourteeners, I realized that it would be easy to camp in a position to

climb Mt. Massive the next morning.

It is recommended that you try to climb any peaks early in the day. The mountains in Colorado

are known for their afternoon storms. Another consideration was Skip, whom I met when I

hiked the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin in 2009. He was kind enough to host me one night when I

hiked through the town of Milton, Wisconsin. He had hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in the 1970s

and had done much mountain climbing since then. If Skip found out that I was so close to a

number of peaks of 14,000’ or more and didn’t try even one, he would lose all respect for me.

After I was asleep in my tent, I heard another hiker (Jesus Jalapeno) coming in. He was trying to

be quiet as he unpacked. I told him not to worry about any noise. I was in my tent and sleeping

bag all this time; it was just voices with no bodies. I have been in that situation. Setting up after

dark is hard enough without worrying about bothering somebody. Shortly he went back down

the trail to help his friend. When he came back with the other hiker (Michigan Wolverine), they

set up camp and fixed their very late dinner. We all had the same plan to hike Mt. Massive in

the morning. I was having a hard time believing that Wolverine could make the climb: he was

continually gasping for air and trying to breathe. He sounded more like he needed an

emergency room than a hike up a mountain.

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The next morning I was the first one on the trail with my usual predawn start. I left my tent set

up and most of my gear in it in order to lighten my load for an easier climb. I thought that three

tenths of a mile backtracking to pick up my gear would be easy. Since the data book was

printed the approach trail had been rerouted and the new one was quite a bit further than the

three tenths quoted. I wished I had packed up and brought my gear with me and left a cache

when I actually reached the side trail. The climb went quite well: 3.5 miles with 3,180’ elevation

gain to summit according to the old data, not a hard climb but just steady. I found out on the

Appalachian Trail that any time you gain 1,000’ elev in one mile, it is hard work and this was

close to that. When climbing, you lose the complete picture that you have from a distance and

any bump makes it look like the peak is just ahead. This creates one false peak after another for

the climber.

Near the top I met Dave. He was familiar with peak bagging and explained the concept to me:

the challenge of climbing all the 14,000’ peaks in Colorado (54) or all the 14,000’ peaks in the

lower 48. This was something I had only the vaguest knowledge of. If I understood right, this

was the 54th, 14,000’ peak

for one of the other men on

top with us that day.

I met Gwendolyn and her

boyfriend for the first time

on top of Mt. Massive; they

had summited earlier and

were just starting down. She

was cold! All you could see of

her face was a small circle

showing through her hood.

They gave us a quick friendly

hello and headed down.

When I made it back to my

campsite, Lori and her dog, Denver, had stopped there to prepare lunch. I had a nice visit with

her as I packed up. I found out she was a very determined woman. She has fibromyalgia and the

trail is a special challenge for her. Still, she persevered. She did say that the exercise is good for

fibromyalgia.

Gray Ghost on Mt. Massive

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From Mt. Massive it was five

miles to the side trail to my next

chance to bag another 14,000’

peak. This was Mt. Elbert at

14,440’ elev., the second highest

peak in the lower 48. This would

be a 3,861’elev. gain and a 6.4

mile round trip off the Colorado

Trail. I enjoyed being on top of

Mt. Massive and I had already

planned on climbing Mt. Whitney

in California at 14,481’ elev., the

highest peak in the lower 48,

when I’m hiking the Pacific Crest

Trail in 2011. Climbing Mt. Elbert meant that I would have a chance to claim the three tallest

mountains in the lower 48 (see how fast one can get into peak bagging). Since I had only a short

hike between mountains, I hiked part way up the approach trail before setting up camp. This

meant that I had less elevation gain and less distance to reach the summit in the morning. I

camped near a family from Utah. They had three children ages 10, 11, 5 and one small dog.

They all planned on summiting Mt. Elbert the next day.

July 17th, 5.9 miles, (177.3) stopped at 9,320’ elev, Hotel in Twin Lake

I started hiking before daylight again. I didn’t summit by sunrise but I was reasonably close

which gave me a beautiful look at the sun coming up. I wasn’t the first to succeed that day. One

young couple with their dog passed me as I neared the top. We met a man heading down while

it was still dark. I haven’t been able to figure out what he was doing. I would think if he spent

the night on top or if he had reached it that early in the morning, he would have stayed to see

the sun rise. I stayed up there for quite a while and rested and enjoyed the views. Climbing two

peaks in two days was hard; this one took more out of me. Still, I didn’t have any problems-just

a general tiredness. The other couple left and I had the summit all to myself for a time. This was

going to change!

Shortly after, another couple summited and she came over and gave me a hug saying, “You

beat us to the top today.” Is this a tradition when climbing fourteeners that Dave had forgot to

tell me? I liked it at any rate! It was Gwendolyn (who was freezing on Mt. Massive) and her

boyfriend. She had short pants, t-shirt, and braids. I didn’t recognize her until she said who she

was. There were more people summiting as I started down. This was a nice Saturday morning

and I was amazed at the number of people heading for the summit on this trail.

View from top of Mt. Elbert

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There are other approach trails to these summits. There was a steady line of climbers of all

ages: men, women, children, and dogs of all

sizes. One man had two small dogs. He

carried the older one in a daypack on his

chest. He said that the older one had gone

everywhere with him for many years and

he wasn’t leaving him at home just because

he couldn’t make the climb by himself.

I met Jalapeno, Wolverine, and the family

from Utah climbing up as I headed down.

When I reached my campsite, I ate the rest

of my food and took a siesta. I was short on food because of the unplanned summits. I wanted

to wait and see how the family from Utah did. When Jalapeno passed by on his way down, he

said he would reserve a room in Twin Lakes for us that night. I was impressed with the family

when they returned. They had all summited and looked like they still had energy left. I asked

about the number of people on the summit when they were there and they estimated 75

people. It was hard to imagine I was alone on the summit for a while that morning.

I had less than six miles to the road into Twin Lakes and then another mile into town. I didn’t

even try to hitch a ride in to town considering the short distance and the usual lack of success I

have hitchhiking. It wasn’t worth the effort. I was very surprised when a couple stopped and

gave me a ride the rest of the way in to town.

When I stepped out of the car, it felt like I was on the Appalachian Trail where many hikers

would get together and socialize at every stopping place: here on the CT there was a group of

hikers having a party on the deck of the pizza parlor. First a strange young lady got up and gave

me a big hug which I liked but I didn’t recognize her. Well, it was Gwendolyn again. She had

glasses on, and changed into shorts, and let her hair down. Most of the hikers I’ve met lately

are here: Jesus Jalapeno, Michigan Wolverine, Cindy and Mick, Gwendolyn and her boyfriend,

and two friends of Gwendolyn’s who had driven here to meet them. I had to pick up a food

drop at the store/post office before I could join them. I bought some ice cream treats for a

small offering; otherwise they had everything bought and paid for. We had a great evening with

good stories and jokes and enjoyable company. It is surprising how fast you can form strong

friendships on the trail.

Jalapeno, Wolverine, and I spent the night in an old hotel. Jalapeno booked the room so he had

dibs on the bed; Wolverine and I slept on the floor. There were no laundry facilities in Twin

Lakes so I washed my clothing while showering.

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A full breakfast in the hotel restaurant was included with the room rate. A family had recently

bought it and they didn’t seem to have a clue how to manage a restaurant. I think they made a

mistake on every person’s order. At least one customer sat there and was never asked for her

order. Their hearts were in the right place but they would never make it where they had any

competition. Cindy was a teacher by profession but she wanted to spend a month there and

teach them how to run a restaurant!

After breakfast,

Gwendolyn’s friend

shuttled us back to the

trail. The start of the

day’s hike was at 9,300’

elev. around Twin Lake

reservoir and we never

hiked above 10,000’ all

day. I hiked with Mick

and Cindy most of the

day. That afternoon we

reached a forest service

campground on Clear

Creek. As we were

walking through the

campgrounds looking for the bridge to cross the creek, we walked by a fellow in a screen

shelter set up by his camper. As we talked to him, I noticed he had a hummingbird feeder. He

said that both the Broad-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds were using it. I stayed to see if they

would return so I could add them to my trip list. Cindy and Mick went ahead to find the bridge

and sterilize water. As we waited for the hummingbirds, I told some of my hiking stories. Both

species did return to feed. When I was leaving, he motioned me to walk down to the creek with

him. He proceeded to pull a sack of beer out of the creek and sent me on my way with three

beers. When I met Cindy and Mick at the bridge, they were surprised that I had yogi beers for

us. We sat by the stream relaxing and enjoying our beer before filtering water and moving on.

The Cauley family (parents, two daughters, and an aunt) was camped next to the bridge: they

offered us clean water and as we talked, they became interested in our hike. Then they invited

us to join them for more drinks and snacks. That was a nice way to end the hike for the day.

Later that evening and the only time on the entire trail, the mosquitos were bothersome.

Gwendolyn in the middle

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July 19th, 18 miles, (210.1) camped at 9,400’ elev, morning temp 55 degrees

I started the morning at 8,950’ and climbed steadily for another 2,850’, then descended 1,000’

and went right back up 1,000’. This was a tough morning climb for me. I do like to do big climbs

in the morning when it’s cooler and I am fresh. The trouble was I never felt fresh that morning.

The afternoon hike was easier: 9 miles of gradual descent to 9,400’. The Colorado Trail is shared

with horses; I had only seen a couple until now as we were passed by a group of women riders.

Cindy, Mick and I hiked together most of the day and ended up camping together. Thinking that

my pace would put me ahead of them I said goodbye to Cindy and Mick. We had said goodbye a

few times now. But somehow we met again. Once was because of my peak bagging which they

chose not to do. They passed me and I caught up to them in Twin Lakes.


I have a hard time sleeping late and am usually on the trail by first light. This doesn’t mean I am

completely rested; I just can’t stay in my sleeping bag any longer. Then between 9:00 am and

noon I am ready for a siesta. Twice hikers came by when I was napping on my pad and were

concerned if I was okay. Then in the afternoon I get my second wind. Often I have hiked a large

part of my intended mileage for the day between 5:00 pm and dark.

After a morning climb of 2,480’ in 3 ½ miles, I had gained the saddle for the approach trail to

Mt. Yale at 14,196. This is in the Collegiate Wilderness where five peaks are named after

universities and colleges including Mt. Harvard, Mt. Oxford, Mt. Yale, Mt. Princeton and

Columbia. There is way too much time when hiking to think up dumb ideas: While approaching

the collegiates, I thought it would be fun when I returned home to tell friends I went to Yale.

With only a 4 mile round trip and 2,316’ elev. gain with some scrambling, why not? Well, it was

considerable scrambling for me but by the time it was bad, I was too far along and didn’t want

to turn back. As usual there were some false peaks and places that I felt better using hands to

steady myself. This was not a technical climb, just a

little out of my comfort level. When I was

approaching the summit five younger hikers caught

up with me (almost everybody is younger than I

am). We all spent some time on the summit along

with three men who came up another trail. On

each peak I have been seeing Rosy-Finches, a bird

that nests in the open rocky high elevation. They

peck at the snow or right at the edge of the melting

snow.

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Somebody said they saw a humming bird when we were on the summit but I missed it. A little

later I did see one but could not identify it. I was surprised to see them above 14,000’ but there

are a lot of alpine flowers at the higher elevations.

It was after 2:00 pm when we heard

thunder and decided it was time to

descend. I turned to head back down the

trail and there was a mountain goat within

200 feet and slightly below us. What a great

sight! It was still shedding its winter wool. I

had time to take pictures before it ran off. I

have seen mountain goats before on auto

trips but seeing this one so close was a very

special feeling. I felt by hiking up there I had

met it on its own terms.

The six of us decided to head down a rocky slope instead of following the route we used

ascending. This would let us drop to a lower elevation faster because the trail uphill had

followed a ridge and was slow to descend. There was much rock hopping for me; the others

found a snow chute to slide down part way. We did see another mountain goat heading up the

mountain. We didn’t hear or see any more signs of a storm but I was glad to be down. At 4:00

pm, just before we reached the saddle we met a man heading up. We tried to discourage him

from starting up so late in the day but we weren’t successful. When we reached the saddle, my

fellow hikers took a break and I packed up the gear I had left and moved on. It rained during the

night and I packed up a wet tent in the morning!

July 21, 17.2 miles, (240.5) camped at 9,650’ elev, morning temp 50 degrees

The morning started with a 1,500’ descent over 9.6 miles before breakfast. I caught up with

Cindy and Mick again (they had passed me while I was climbing Mt. Yale). Steve was also with

us when we reached Mount Princeton Hot Springs. We went to the lodge/restaurant to have

breakfast. We asked if we could be served on the deck or, if not, maybe a corner table. No, they

had to seat us aromatic hikers right in the middle of the dining room. It was a very nice place

with linen tablecloths and napkins. They treated us like royalty and the servings were hiker

sized. Cindy and Mick were meeting friends and planning on enjoying the hot springs. Steve had

a mail drop to pick up and was going to cover 180 miles before his next drop. I planned to

resupply in Salida and then hike 160 miles to the next resupply. The reason for doing this was

that the towns were too far off the trail. Also, the roads were not heavily traveled and it might

be hard to get a ride.

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There was a campground along the trail 2 ½ miles out of Mount Princeton Hot Springs. I

stopped there and dried my gear out while I took a nap on a picnic table. I spotted a

hummingbird on a nest right above me. It had left when I lay down apparently because I

noticed it when it returned. After that, it wasn’t bothered by me until I got up to leave.

July 22, 12.8 miles, (253.3) stopped at 8,840’ elev, Salida Hostel

My goal for the day was to reach US Hwy 50 as early as possible and hitchhike the 13 miles to

Salida. I saw another pair of goshawk/Cooper’s hawks that had a nest with at least one young

right above the trail. They scolded me but never dived on me. At the parking lot on US Hwy 50,

there was a woman (Just Mom) sitting in an SUV. I asked if she was heading east toward Salida.

She was waiting for her husband, (Cuzin), and son, (Land shark), who were hiking a section of

the Colorado Trail. She said they would be glad to give me a ride to town. She fed me

chocolates and cold soda while we waited. Her son has hiked some of the Appalachian Trail and

would like to hike all of it. We went to a pizza parlor/ micro-brewery for lunch. Afterwards, they

took me to the hostel and waited to make sure there was room for me. One of the women,

Julie, at the hostel, volunteers in the office for the Colorado Trail Foundation. She is the one

that handles the registration of hikers who have completed the trail.


The first 8.6 miles of the day had an elevation

gain of 3,080’; the remainder of the day was 5.7

miles with 1,040’ of descent. I met Lisa on the

trail and we hiked together for the afternoon.

When we crossed a bridge made of natural

materials, she recognized it as one she had

helped build some years before. Lisa’s dad was

a devoted trail volunteer and she had worked

on it when it was being constructed. Lisa

identified a flower that I had been seeing and

found very intriguing: Elephanthead lousewort: Pedicularis groenlandica. The stem has a series

of flowers that look like pink elephant heads, ears and trunks included.

Lisa said that Cindy and Mick were also in Salida the night before, but they had stayed

somewhere else and we never met. There was a nice camping spot at Marshall Pass trailhead

where we could watch the trail. Lisa and I stopped there and waited for Cindy and Mick

because I was quite sure they would hike at least that far for the day. They did show up about

an hour later, just like I thought. The four of us camped together and started hiking together in

the morning.

13


The day’s elevation varied between 10,280’ and 11,160’. We planned a long day because there

wasn’t any water between Seven Mile Creek at mile 11.6 and Baldy Lake at mile 22.1. We

wanted to be at or close to Baldy Lake when we stopped for the night.

Lisa hadn’t been doing this many miles in one day but she wanted to join us and try it. Lisa

seemed to be doing great but when we reached Seven Mile Creek she decided to stay there and

let us hike on. We were about two miles short of Baldy Lake when it started sprinkling and

threatening rain so we decided to stop and set up our tents before it got too bad. The rain

didn’t amount to anything but it was still better to be safe and dry. I said goodbye to Cindy and

Mick again because I would be hiking earlier than they would.


I started hiking at dawn again and at mile 11 I met a man (Apple) on the trail. He seemed to be

dressed like a trail maintainer wearing a trail logo shirt with trail patches on it. We talked a little

and he told me that just down the trail he had set out some treats and to help myself. When I

reached the treats it was an impressive site.

Apple had a canopy set up with chairs, cooler,

water, and a large bottle of hand sanitizer on the

cooler. He also had another large tent nearby that

I understood was for storage or to let hikers stay

in if the weather was bad. The first priority was

the hand sanitizer. Then there were sodas, beer,

chips, cookies, and fruit to choose from. There

was also a garbage bag. It is always nice to get rid

of any accumulated trash. Shortly he followed me

down the trail and heated a couple cheese dogs

for me. As we talked there was what I thought

was a phone on his belt that gave out an

occasional sound. Actually it was a receiver for

sensors that he had set up across the trail and

would signal when somebody was approaching.

Two beams were set apart. The signal would let

him distinguish between an animal and a hiker

and if it was one or two hikers. I told him that

Cindy and Mick were a short way behind me. Apple

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I decided to stay and wait to see their reaction to and enjoyment of such elaborate Trail Magic.

When the receiver signaled that they were approaching, Apple went up the trail to greet them

by name, giving them quite a surprise! He is a true Trail Angel. He spends all summer doing this.

I am not sure of the dates or amount of time spent at each trail. He is a Trail Angel for the

Florida Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and here where the Colorado Trail and Continental Divide

Trail (CDT) share the same tread. He did say that he spends July and August here and has

recorded 147 CT and CDT hikers as of July 25th.

The three of us were hiking together again. I think it was in less than five miles we encountered

Trail Magic again. There was a cooler that had recently been restocked with sodas and ice. We

did take another break and we each had an ice- cold soda. They decided to stop earlier than I

wanted to, so we said goodbye again.

Most of the day’s hiking had been in pine forests. Then at the end of the day the land changed

and it was all wide open spaces (which in the west are called parks) and only occasional clumps

of trees. I camped inside an old log house with only the walls still standing. This gave me

protection from the wind.


Quiet day: lots of open country with long views. Steve and I hiked together part of the day.

Besides this trail, he has also hiked the Appalachian Trail. We have been meeting regularly

along the trail-the first time was the morning I was leaving Twin Lakes. He stopped to resupply

and asked me what I knew about using yellow Heet for a denatured alcohol stove. (Works

great). I think the next time we met was on Mt. Yale. He was one of the five hikers that I was

with on the summit. Another time was at Mount Princeton Hot Springs where we had breakfast

together. We met many other times. We were covering about the same miles each day; we just

had different paces. We did meet a cowboy

with his horse and dog. The cowboy

explained how the herding and grazing has

changed on public land through the years.

They are not allowed as many head of cattle

now and they can’t keep them on the same

section all the time. They have to be moved

on a regular schedule to let the grasses

recover. It sounded like they were mimicking

the buffalo that were constantly moving and

grazing, never staying and overgrazing in one

spot.

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We hiked in high elevation except for one road

crossing. We stayed above 11,000’ for 63 miles

and 30 of those miles we never dropped below

12,000’ elevation. Steve and I reached the saddle

of Mt. San Luis, 14,014’ elevation. From there it is

only a 2.6 mile round trip, with 1,400’ elev. gain to

reach the summit. We left all our extra gear at the

saddle for the climb. It’s not a difficult climb, just

steady. With clouds/fog drifting in and out, the

scenery was constantly changing. At one point the

morning sun created a rainbow around the head of my shadow showing against a cloud.

During the climb we watched a small plane flying below us. Steve pointed out a White-tailed

Ptarmigan with young scurrying around in the rocks. By this time I had refined what I took to

the summits with me. Besides water and a snack and clothes to protect me if there was a quick

weather change, I had added my sleeping pad. I liked to spend time on the summit and enjoy

the views and experience. With the pad, I could lie down and be comfortable and out of the

wind. On top of Mt. San Luis the clouds continued to drift in and out. Sometimes we had views

that went on forever and the next minute we were socked in and couldn’t see a hundred yards.

As we were descending to the trail we saw two people in white cowboy hats waiting by our

extra gear. They were Kevin and his nephew, Don, who were hiking from Mexico to Denver via

Durango. We found that we have a mutual acquaintance, Sharon, who volunteers for the Ice

Age Trail (IAT). Sharon and Kevin have both hiked most of the major trails. Sharon was a wealth

of information when I was planning my Ice Age Trail hike. Steve and I camped at 12,160'

elevation. This was the first of three nights

camping above 12,000 ft. As we were setting

up for the night, we were hearing sounds

that we couldn’t identify. We climbed up

over a low ridge to see if we could find the

source. It turned out to be a sheepherder on

a horse with his dogs and a large flock of

sheep. The large number of sheep bawling

mixed with the dogs barking. None of the

sounds stood out; they all mingled to make a

unique sound. We heard sounds close to us

during the night that we were quite sure were elk.

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Shortly after starting in the morning we saw a herd of elk on a ridge above us. These were the

only elk I saw on the trail. When hiking at 12,000’ I observed quite a few Horned Larks. Often

they sat on rock cairns because the cairns and the trail signs were the only things that gave

them an elevated perch to watch over their territory. The terrain was all slow rolling that

seemed almost flat with no vegetation that grew over a few inches high (alpine). They did have

some very impressive rock cairns. Some were three feet in diameter at the base and five feet or

more high.

I reached Spring creek Pass on CO Hwy-149 at 10:00 am. This was our lowest elevation for a few

days, 10,898'. There were picnic tables and a restroom. I decided to take advantage of the

accommodations and have an early hot lunch. Because of either rain or condensation, I needed

to dry my tent again. Four women drove in and two of them, Sheila and Amy, were unloading

backpacks that indicated they planned to be out for a while. I talked to them and they were

hiking a section of the trail. I asked the two other women if they would take my trash because

there were no containers at the trail head. They were glad to do it. One had worked for the

forest service and one of her duties was picking up trash on backcountry trails and at campsites.

She was very happy to see that I had carried mine out with me. They were heading out for a day

hike and their van would be there for a while. They gave permission for Steve to leave his trash

by their van, also.

Steve came in a little later and we were hiking together again. Steve and I did catch up to Sheila

and Amy. While they were sterilizing water, we had a nice visit. The four of us walked together

for a few hours before they stopped for the day.

Many varieties of flowers like these were found along the trail.

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In the morning, we met three men who were hiking from Durango to Denver. One, Steve Staley,

was board chairman for the Colorado Trail. He was doing a meet-and-greet hike to be even

more knowledgeable of the trail and hikers. We passed by quite a few pretty alpine lakes during

the day. In the afternoon we overtook Melanie and her dog, Spetzl, along with Bridget and her

dog, Boggy. Bridget gave me camera batteries. That evening we crossed an old road with a

collapsed log cabin and an old mine nearby. There was a five gallon bucket hanging from the

cabin with a sign that said Trail Magic. It was half full of wrapped snack candies.

July 30th, 14.9 miles, (411.5) left 10,880’ Silverton Hostel

The first 3 miles I stayed high, reaching 12,680’. Then it was time to leave the high country. It

started with 33 switchbacks down a green alpine slope to Elk Creek drainage. I could see at

least two old mine tunnels cut into the rock wall along the Creek as I headed down. I followed

Elk creek for 7 miles near to where it joined the Animas River. At one place there was a rock

slide over the trail. As I looked up the mountain, I wondered if it was caused by an avalanche.

I knew I would be crossing The Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad tracks which follow

the Animas River. When I was close I heard the steam engine. I wanted to see it and take

pictures. I started running. Soon I could see the

tracks but had no opportunity for photos. I kept

running and managed to reach the crossing and

take pictures as it passed. This was when I finally

realized how well I had become acclimatized; I

wasn’t even breathing hard.

When I crossed the bridge over the Animas River

at 8,920’, it was the first time I had been below

9,000’ elevation on the trail for 150 miles. Right

after crossing the river, there was a 1,700’ climb

in 3 miles, most of which seemed to be in the

first mile. I was amazed at how easy it was climbing at a lower elevation.

My goal for the day was Hwy-50 at Molas Pass. I hoped to hitch a ride for the 5.5 miles into

Silverton to resupply. I held my thumb out for a while with no luck. There was a rest area

nearby. I decided to walk to it and ask people in the parking lot for a ride. Maybe it would be

harder turning me down face to face than it is to just drive by. It worked! I was soon in the open

bed of a pickup truck headed to town in the rain. The first two motels I tried were full.

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When I picked up my drop the postmistress called the Silverton hostel, and learned they had a

vacancy. She gave me directions. After drying out and cleaning up, I took my spoon and went

grocery shopping. The store was small but nicely stocked with a patio in front. I bought a few

extra things that weren’t in my food box plus my pint of Ben & Jerry’s. The next priority was to

sit on the deck and take out my spoon and enjoy. It became quite interesting. I was like a hero

for eating a pint of ice cream. Everybody going in and out of the store had some good-natured

comment and a boy about 10 years old gave me a high five. I would never have guessed that all

you had to do impress people was eat a pint of ice cream.


I started the day by paying for a shuttle back to Molas Pass. My luck with the weather is running

out. The last couple days I have been experiencing more fog and drizzle. The morning was

pleasant but in the afternoon, it was lightly raining. It wasn’t enough to make me set up my tent

and get out of the rain; it was just muggy and wet. The highlight of the day was meeting Mark.

Mark was the hiker I met in Durango who had just finished the Colorado Trail. He had been

hiking around Durango and decided to take the trail back to Denver. He was hoping to meet me

but was surprised that I was almost finished. Mark thought he would be on the trail a few days

before we met.

August 1st, 28.5 miles, (463.8) camped at 11,600’ elev, morning temp 47 degrees

Another cloudy damp day; not enjoyable for breaks and relaxing, just a day to put on miles. I

did encounter Trail Magic in the forenoon; it was a cooler of beer. Between the weather and

the time of day it held no attraction for me. Elevation on the trail varied from 10,400’ to 12,300’

for the day. Yet I ended up camping only 40’ higher than the night before.

August 2nd, 21.5 miles, (485.4 old) finished at 6,960’ elev, Durango Trailhead

It was misty and foggy again as I packed up. Everything feels damp or wet. This is the second

day in a row that there has been no chance to dry out my gear. I am doing fine, though. If I had

to go on, I could have; my sleeping bag and essential equipment is dry. I had 21.5 miles left,

1,400’ of elev gain and 4,700’ of elev loss. I just wanted to

finish. It took me less than eight hours to reach the end at

the Durango trailhead. I was tired of everything being wet

or damp. I did pass a tent with two horses nearby but

nobody was out and about. When Steve went by later, the

woman (Trish) was out; he stopped and visited. Trish fed

Steve breakfast. She was planning on completing the trail

with horses. http://trishwild.blogspot.com/

http://trishwild.blogspot.com/

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Postscript

This is a trail that I would recommend to anyone thinking of hiking a long distance trail. With

mostly good tread and an easy-to-find route, the CT at 500 miles is a long trail, yet it doesn’t

take months to complete. The scenery is extraordinary, water is plentiful, and for the most part,

resupplying is sufficient. If that’s not enough, you can also do a little peak bagging. The journal

ends at mile 485.4. This is the trail length in the data book. Since that was published, 2.7 miles

have been added making it 488.1. I’m not sure where those miles were added, but at some

point, I had to have hiked days with longer mileage than I recorded.

On top of Mt. San Louis 14,014’ Water from its source at 12,000’

Documents

Colorado Trail Journal With Pictures