In the fall of 2016, John hiked the 500-mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. This is his journal and photos. You can find the first leg of the journey from Denver to Breckenridge here.
Day 8: August 17
Hiked 0 miles
Today I moved from the hostel to a motel room which I shared with two other hikers – Tim and Joshua.
Tim is a bit of a strange fellow. He’s in his 50’s and has a daughter in college. Neither Joshua nor I knew his story and didn’t ask. This was Tim’s first backpacking trip and had gone to the backpacking shops to find out what he needed. Of course, they sold him way more than he needed. We went through his stuff and literally threw away 15 pounds of equipment including a $120 pair of boots. Even after that his backpack was still on the heavy side. We also answered many of his basic questions about hiking and backpacking. He was a complete novice at this.
As we explained what he was up against he became more and more apprehensive about his adventure. But this was a dream and passion of his so we encouraged him to start hiking the next day and that he could do it. But that was bullshit since we both knew he’d never make it. Not only did he not know about keeping dry during a cold rain or how to avoid lightning, he’d just flown in from sea level in Florida. He couldn’t take 10 steps walking up a slight incline without having to stop to catch his breath. What would happen when he strapped on his 40 pound backpack, hiked up to 11,000 feet, and was chased by lightning? And that’s not all. He had some kind of spinal cord injury and because of the cold he was not used to (remember he’s from Florida) it was acting up. He lost some control of his leg and had to lift his body so his leg would swing properly. Very similar to someone with a disability. After all the time and money he invested he was pretty depressed.
Note: Josh and I had been hiking together for 3 days after we left Tim and asked the hikers coming up from Breckenridge if they’ve seen him – nobody has.
Day 9: August 18
Hiked 12 miles
Today our goal was to hike over a 12,500 foot pass which meant a 3,500 foot climb. Josh and I started out from the hotel early while Tim was just going to hike in three and a half miles and see how things went. Josh is a lot faster than me so after a mile or so I didn’t see him until the end of the day. I still have a hard time climbing. I must have looked like the Everest climber heading to the summit, taking a few short steps then a rest. I don’t know if it’s the lack of acclimatization or my heart condition. Maybe a bit of both. There was a good 7 miles of climbing and I didn’t get to the top of the pass until sometime after noon.
There was a 400-person mountain biking race so just about all day long I had to step off the trail to let them pass. It got very old and I wasted a lot of energy stepping off then back onto the trail. Further slowing me down was a front that was passing through. Of course it had to hit when I was above timberline. I didn’t get too wet because what came down was hail. The winds were so strong at times the hail was horizontal. It stung my arms, face, and legs as the winds threw it at me at such a furious speed it seemed to have been embedded into my skin.
Hurrying down the other side of the pass I escaped more punishment from the storm. Walking into a dirt parking lot I found Josh crouching under an overhang in a futile attempt to keep dry.
We looked at the weather on Josh’s smart phone and it didn’t look good: Rain tonight and again tomorrow afternoon and night. We decided to take the free bus from Copper Mountain back to Frisco and get a hotel room. There we could dry our gear, take a hot bath, and come up with a plan.
Day 10: August 19
Hiked 7 miles
Josh and I stared at the maps and looked at the weather. We fretted and fretted some more. Finally we decided that at all costs we would avoid being above treeline if there was a storm. The wind, hail, thunder, and lightning were just too dangerous. We figured that we’d hike to somewhere just below the treeline and spend the night there waiting out the impending storm. The next morning, when the chance of a storm was minimal, we’d cross the pass.
We left the hotel at checkout time and took a leisurely 7 mile hike to a campsite just below the treeline. Since we got there early we had lots of time to sit around and talk.
Josh is only 18 years old, the same age as David and Daryl. He just graduated from high school and was taking a ‘gap’ year before he attends Cornell University where he has be accepted.
It’s been a passion of his to go out west and do a long hike. He’s from Connecticut and has never been out of New England. It’s really something astonishing that he would hop on a plane, fly to Denver, take a bus to Breckenridge, then start hiking a wild and somewhat remote trail through passes and saddles that are 13,400 feet high. With no prior experience, he’s some brave kid.
During this hike he wants to learn or get a glimpse of his dreams and passions. He wants to live the fullest life possible and realizes that unless the passion is there it’s just another job. Very few teenagers can even conceive of this notion, let alone actively pursue it.
We talked and talked until it was too cold to sit outside then retired to our tents.
The last thing he said to me was. “I don’t know if I would have made it this far (on the trail) if it weren’t for you.”
As I lay in my tent I thought about what he said. In retrospect I saw a kid in the Breckenridge hostel a bit overwhelmed who reluctantly latched on to me. Over the next several days we made great companions and became friends. It’s weird that Josh is the same age as my kids.
Two days from now Josh’s dad will meet up with him in Leadville and they will spend the next week doing things together. Tomorrow will probably be the last day I’ll see him.
Day 11: August 20
Hiked 13 miles
We got up early since we had a 5 mile climb up to 12,300 feet. We wanted to minimize the risk of being above timberline if a storm came through. The skies can be clear and sunny one minute and full of dark, threatening clouds the next. Strong winds with lightning storms come through next. We agreed to meet and camp on Tennessee Pass which is where Josh’s dad would meet him.
True to form, Josh was off like a bat out of Hell. I didn’t even try to catch up to him. The day started out great for me, I struggled up to the first pass where I was greeted by some marmots.
“No problem,” I thought. “I can easily make it to Tennessee Pass today.”
But the trail up to the second pass was steep and seemed endless. The views were spectacular but the altitude and mile after mile grind up the pass zapped my energy.
When I was less than 4 miles from Tennessee Pass I gave up and camped out. I was exhausted. I hope to catch Josh at the pass tomorrow morning before his father gets there.
Day 12: August 21
Hiked 17 miles
I got up early and headed up to Tennessee Pass but Josh was nowhere to be seen. Oh well, I tried. With his ability to put in a 20+ day, he just might catch me even after spending a week with his father.
For most of the day I was in Holy Cross Wilderness. I had wonderful views of alpine ponds, meadows, and of course panoramic views of forests, mountains, and valleys. Especially when I was was above timberline I’m sure I could see 100 miles.
Day 13: August 22
Hiked 13 miles
Boys was I lucky! It’s been threatening to rain all day. I figured sooner or later it would rain so I high-tailed it down from above treeline to the nearest camping spot. No sooner than I got the tent set up and all the gear in it, it started raining. I timed it beautifully. So I sat in the tent listening to the pitter-patter of the rain on the tent while I munched on a half pound of almonds.
Later on that evening when the rain temporarily stopped, I cooked dinner. I was so full of almonds I could just barely eat all the couscous.
Today I hiked through the Mount Massive Wilderness. Mt. Massive is the second highest peak in Colorado. In the morning before it got cloudy I got magnificent views of the Massive range.
Day 14: August 23
Hiked 6 miles
It was hard, but I emerged from my warm, dry sleeping bag to a soaked, cold campsite. I decided to keep everything as dry as possible by packing my gear into the backpack (except for the tent) before I even got out of it. It worked perfectly fine and everything stayed dry. I took down the sopping wet tent and hung it on the outside of my backpack. I’d dry it out later.
I arrived into the village of Twin Lakes, picked up my resupply package, and found another hiker to share the cost of a hotel room. I desperately needed a shower and a mattress for the night.
The weather forecast sucked. There was supposed to be a storm coming through that night, followed by an okay day, then followed up by another storm. My roommate and I plus two other hikers staying at the hotel decided we would hitch over to Leadville tomorrow and spend a couple of nights there waiting the storms out. It was a good thing we stayed at the hotel! It rained all night and the next morning when there was a break in the clouds, we saw significant snowfall well below the treeline. It would have been a miserable day if we had hiked on.
Day 15-16: August 24-25
Hiked 0 miles
I guess we’re weenies. The weather report called for another storm to come through the day after tomorrow. We got a ride to Leadville and checked into the hostel for 2 nights.
Safeway provided us with our food. I couldn’t believe my self-control. I passed up the sugary treats. I got oranges, egg & toast, beans, tortillas, and tomatoes. Even when my buddies offered me Oreos, I declined. I’m determined to weigh under 195 lbs when I get back to Boise.
From Leadville we can see the mountains we’d be hiking through. The mountains were covered in a blanket of snow all the way down to what looked like about 11,000 feet. In Leadville there was a steady, cold rain all night long. This certainly gave us justification for the time and money to stay in Leadville.
You can find the remainder of the journey here:
Leg 1: Denver to Breckenridge
Leg 2: Breckenridge to Leadville
Leg 3: Leadville to Princeton Hot Springs
Leg 4: Princeton Hot Springs to Lake City
Leg 5: Lake City to Molas Lake
Leg 6: Molas Lake to Durango
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