Colorado Trail #3

"We were thinking this is just going to be a unique season in the high country, but the more we thought about it, they are all unique. Every season offers up its own particular experience. Every day has its own personal gift for the adventurer."

June 2019, 2 months till the Colorado Trail

Time is speeding up. We now have two months until we begin our journey of hiking the Colorado Trail end to end from Durango back to Denver. It would be a lie to say we are not getting a little anxious. While our gear choices and route planning are all but done, we still continue to iron out the small details, all of which can quickly feel overwhelming if not kept in check. Final menu choices, how we will advance our supplies along the route and where exactly we will stay at those towns we have already chosen for our resupply points are still being thought out. But those are all normal issues that we have known will need to be addressed as we get closer to our departure.

A thru hike of any length will have logistical issues that will need to be considered at some point, and likely will change several times throughout the planning stages. Being fluid is key, while being dogmatic about everything can become exhausting. A happy balance is needed, especially in light of the fact that the traveler of the CT does not change the trail, on the contrary, the trail changes the traveler. Keeping in mind the trail itself is in constant change, the first four letters of WILDerness is a statement to that.

The 2019 hiking season is already abuzz with trail conditions and the impact winter has had. Amongst the most talked about for the Colorado and Continental Divide trails, along the high routes through Colorado, snow depths. If one were paying close attention over the winter and the now spring months, it will quickly become apparent that there are, and will be, a few route finding issues after an above average snowfall season. In the aftermath there have been severe avalanches, known and yet to be known. After the melt off there will likely be surprises on trail that will be uncovered, reroutes or difficult terrain crossings will certainly exist.

Living in Colorado, we have seen and heard about all these reports all too frequently in the last few months while continuing with our plans. We were thinking this is just going to be a unique season in the high country, but the more we thought about it, they are all unique. Every season offers up its own particular experience. Every day has its own personal gift for the adventurer. Accepting these constant changes is just something people have to do. No one sets off to explore and experience the great outdoors in a predictable manner. Predicting that it will be unpredictable is as good as it gets. Training, knowledge and preparation of long-term backpacking in an alpine environment, alongside having the proper gear and clothing is the best we can do.

Preparation has been our motto all along. It is who we are, how we operate. We don't like surprises, granted we accept they do and will exist. The amount of snow Colorado received over winter was definitely a surprise, but one we calculated as a risk, a risk we built into our plan as we scheduled a late start for our thru-hike early on. What surprises we are unable to account for come in the form of our personal lives. We all have those on any given day, it is called life. We have had our share in that department and will continue to do so, responding to such and their impacts on our lives is the meat of our ability to move forward. As we get closer to our departure to begin our CT adventure, it becomes crucial that all of our ducks are in a row, both technically and personally.

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"Each day is a unique opportunity to make memories and embrace life. Live your passion!"

Peace,

MAD