Colorado Trail – Summer 2017
I recently completed a solo hike on the Colorado Trail, which begins on the west side of Denver and terminates in Durango, Colorado. I decided to write this blog post to share some of the pictures and details of my experience with friends and family. I started my hike at the Copper Mountain Trailhead and ended it at the Clear Creek Road Trailhead near Granite, Colorado. I covered approximately 75 miles over five days and four nights (a far cry from the full 500 mile length of the Colorado Trail). Most of my hike was above 10,000 feet, with a highest point of 12,282 feet on Elk Ridge between Searle Pass and Kokomo Pass (Segement 8 of the Colorado Trail). My high mileage day was 22 miles, but that was not my hardest day. My hardest day was my first full day on the trail when I went over Searle Pass and Kokomo Pass before I was fully adjusted to the altitude; I won’t make that mistake again. Overall, this was a great (if sometimes lonely) experience. I did encounter one afternoon thunderstorm (complete with hail), but for the most part the weather was cooperative. Here are some of the pictures that I took along the way. Unfortunately, pictures can’t convey the true majesty of the trail as experienced firsthand. Click on the arrow at the bottom of each picture to advance to the next picture.