MAD Hippies Life

"The trail began to become quite elusive, covered with debris and indistinguishable from the surrounding landscape. To sum it up, it was quite a mess that took some time to navigate and get a good feel as to where the trail "should" be based on the topography. Route finding was demanding and at some point, was more of a guessing game than anything." 

If you are looking for a challenging backpacking loop in the Colorado backcountry for two or three days, this is one you will want to consider. Though it can be done as an overnight trip, we highly recommend at least two days. Three or even four days would be perfect as there is so much to see and explore. 

We could see the parking lot now, we were almost laughing with excitement as we took our last steps and arrived at the southern terminus. We took off our packs and just deflated, as if on cue, in an emotional end to an incredible journey.

We crossed through treeline and across the open tundra where we were greeted by a spectacular array of mountain peaks and ridgelines. Back in the alpine we were. 

Our pace was quick, our focus acute, we were only 53 miles away from the southern terminus of the Colorado Trail.

There was a sense of harmony in this place. We needed to pass through it, but didn't want to disturb the energy. Peacefully we made our way across, absorbing it's beauty and leaving no trace of ourselves. 

If the avalanche debris we were finding off on the side of the road was any determination to what we were bypassing in Elk Creek, we were assured of our decision to take the detour.

Traveling in the alpine region for this long was a special treat for us that we will cherish for a long time to come. Sunsets, sunrises, extreme views and starlit skies beyond imagination made for great moments and everlasting memories. 

We found an inviting saddle to camp in that would offer, not only a great sunset in the coming minutes, an incredible sunrise the next morning, but also a starlit sky that night like nothing we had ever seen before. 

We neared a known avalanche debris field and began a tedious game of "where is the trail" in the dark. Our headlamps allowed us to see only so far.

We paused, looking forward into segment 21 and were in awe of the trail as it climbed straight up the other side of the valley as if a stairway to heaven. We had arrived, we were in the San Juan Mountains. We pushed on in silence.

The bridge crossing, more like log crossing, had been washed out earlier in the season, so we took off our shoes and waded through the cold waters to the other side. It was invigorating.

It was just a quiet stroll through a place lost in time. Nothing out here spoke of modern man. It was just earth, sky and far off mountains as far as the eye could see. 

The thunder cracked, the rain began to increase and we found ourselves pitching our tent on an awkward hillside trying to take shelter. 

In the middle of the night we heard what sounded like a pack of wild hyenas coming up from the valley below in search of a late night snack. Coyotes.

We were in a happy place. Good vibes just seemed to wrap around us. We hiked, we talked and we shared our stories. It was a day of recognizing all the good that exists. 

The day had been great, travel had been great, breakfast had been great. We were hiking with a new and encouraged mindset, each day just seemed to bring new and wonderful surprises.

We were nearly at the halfway point of the Colorado Trail and were beginning to realize that someone was watching over us.

We had found ourselves in a valley surrounded by mountains, lush with pines and aspens, cool running streams and a beaver pond the size of Texas. It was obvious that here, in this place, man was just a visitor.

We were a sight. With our backpacks leaned up against a tree, we began going through our resupply box, inhaling our fries and chasing them down with cold blueberry iced tea. 

We listened to audio books and enjoyed some of our favorite music. Straight forward hiking with seemingly one goal in mind, reach the end of the segment.