We were tired, it was steamy hot after the storms and the thought of continuing on felt daunting. Camp was set up and we called it a day.
Colorado Trail Segment 1 of 28
Start: Indian Creek TH (alternate)
End: South Platte River TH
Distance: 13.3 Miles
We did it! We completed our journey across Colorado along the Colorado Trail. Spanning nearly 500 miles from Denver to Durango, we anticipated 30 plus days hiking on trail with six stops to resupply and get cleaned up. We finished, surprisingly, a few days earlier than planned. This was due to our unknown ability to make bigger miles than we originally thought. Go figure. Now in our 50s, we knew it wouldn't be easy, and no doubt, it wasn't. This is by far the hardest thing we have ever chosen to do, both physically and mentally, emphasis on the later. There were days we didn't want to hike. There were days, it seemed, that hiking is all we did. There were days that were filled will awe-inspiring views. There were days that were very uninspiring. There were days that we climbed. There were days we just walked effortlessly. There were days that were cold. There were days that were hot. Each day on the Colorado trail was a new chapter in a month long hike. The most surprising aspect of the CT? The people we met and became friends with, our Colorado Trail "tramily" that we became accustomed to seeing in towns, in camp and on trail. A source of strength, support and laughter as we vented, shared stories, food and experiences. There is more than just a trail out there, there are people, good people, all moving at different speeds with a common goal.
Segment 1 of the CT was hot. We generally never hike at lower elevations during the summer months in Colorado just for this reason. Needless to say, it is a part of the trail, the beginning. We quickly lost our enthusiasm as the miles went on. Heat is no friend to a thru-hiker who is carrying their very life on their backs. But, like hiking up a mountain, there were rewards to come, and it would just take a week to get to the high country and cooler weather. We pushed on. Rolling hills, dry creeks and relentless sun were a test, no less, of our endurance. We quickly learned that this trail was going to be more of a mental challenge even if it was physically demanding. Did we mention the heat? It was overbearing. We just kept looking to the west and the distant snow-capped peaks. We don't want to overdramatize our hike, nor do we want to romanticize something that is truly a difficult undertaking. This trail, as we are sure all thru-hikes are, is demanding and will test you to the core. All this and it is only day one. We have a month of hiking ahead of us!
Starting at the Indian Creek Trailhead, an alternate to Waterton Canyon for those traveling with animals, we quickly found ourselves on a single track trail hiking in the woods of the Denver Front Range. The evening before must have been rainy as all the foliage was wet. We dubbed it the "car wash" trail as all that moisture moved from the plants to our clothing! Once we gained our first climb and ridgeline, we dried out and began to have views of the surrounding hills. It was starting to sink in that we are out here for the duration, for a month, with nothing but the packs on our backs. Are we crazy? We can just go home if we want. Or, as we did, we swept those thoughts to the backs of our minds where they stayed close at hand to remind us at any given moment that we could recall them and entertain getting off trail. We hiked on. Upon reaching the high point of segment one we could see segment two, that and, storms heading our way. Thunder echoed overhead as we quickened our decent down off the ridge and towards the end of the segment. Once at the end, down at the Platte River, we through off our packs and sat under a lonely tree affording us just enough shade. We were tired, it was steamy hot after the storms and the thought of continuing on felt daunting. Camp was set up and we called it a day. We drank water till dark and watched a deer stroll up on our camp. Mia, sound asleep and snoring, startled the deer and it ran off. A little laugh and we, too, were heading towards sleep. The next morning we would get up and begin segment two and the dreaded "burn area" with no water for ten miles.
Peace,
MAD