Doubt I’ll be much at a trip report but I’ll give it a try.I’ve been planning to do the Colorado Trail for some time and had the month ofAugust off. A torn meniscus had been bothering me for two months before thehike and I was able to start walking on a tread mill only two weeks prior tothe hike, worst shape I’ve been in for a long time but decided to try the hikeanyway, hey, stupid is what you do when you’re young and when you’re old. Didn’tmake it but 71.7 miles but still enjoyed it.
Day 1 (8.7 miles): arrived at the Denver airport about 9:30a.m., caught a bus to downtown Union Station, caught a train to LittletonMineral Station and Colorado Rob graciously took me to the Waterton Canyontrailhead, started hiking about 1:00. The first 6 miles was a gravel road walk,first few miles saw lots of hikers and bikers, quickly dwindled as I got a fewmiles behind me, saw deer and herds of bighorn sheep in the road, I was moreafraid of them than they of me. When the road turned into a trail the peoplewere gone. Hiked 8.7 miles to Bear Creek to camp the first night, rain startedabout 30 minutes before I reached the camp site, set my hammock up for itsmaiden voyage and settled in. A young woman came in and set her tent up in themain campsite only to have it flooded within minutes so she pulled up stakesand set up down a side trail. She was the first thru hiker I saw and the lastwhen I was 20 miles off trail trying to get home in Fairplay…hammock sleptgreat!
Day 2 (18.8 miles) : Hiked 8.1 miles to the first watersource and intended to camp there and let the knee acclimate but I got thereabout 10:30 and who can sit around doing nothing for that much time so I headedon to the next water which was an emergency water supply 10.1 miles furtherfurnished by a firehouse. It was 10 miles of burned forest, no shade and nowater, rough section. The knee and the rest of me was pretty beat so I gotenough water from the emergency jugs and headed on wanting to camp at theearliest opportunity, found a good stand of trees and set the hammock up andlaid back at about 3:30, was going to set the tarp up after I rested, got boredlaying there so I got the phone from the bottom of my pack just to see if I hada signal, didn’t, as I expected, then thought I’d check the GPS just for theheck of it, I was on the wrong trail, packed up and went a few more miles andset up camp, great spot.
Day3 (15.4 miles): broke camp and headed off around 7:00,saw a mule deer with a huge rack as I left camp, had a doe with him, saw myfirst elk also. This was a great day, the knee ached but not enough to spoilthe fun, saw fox, deer, rabbits, and a gazillion squirrels, they don’t seem tofear you out there. Met another thru hiker, young woman, who was expecting aride at the next trailhead, I thought I could catch a ride if I could keep upwith her, bad move, the knee was happy. I met 5 thru hikers, 4 of 5 were youngwomen. Got lucky when I reached the trailhead and caught a ride into town, hadlunch with the young hiker’s family and got a ride back to the trail…16 milesof road walk saved.
Day 4 (17.1 miles): this day put a big time hurting on me,steep, rocky, and long, the knee was paying the price for a fast hike the daybefore and the rest of me for a two month lay off without exercise, when I gotto camp every muscle was hurting, including the heart, which I’ve never hadhappen before, 10K elevation could have contributed but I believe being out ofshape was the issue. Still was a great day, saw moose, deer, grouse, smallgame, and wild flowers galore.
Day 5 (5.5 miles): The knee had gotten worse each day andthe rest of me wasn’t too good either, knew I had to make a bail plan but washoping to make it to Beckenridge, but didn’t believe the knee would make itanother 30 miles and Beckenridge had no means to get me home, Fairplay at mile71.7 was the last bus station until mile 215.9 at Buena Vista. I had food andthought about just hanging out in the woods until it ran out but decided Ibetter take advantage of the week end bikers to catch a ride into Fairplay.
Day 6 (6.2 miles): Hiked the short (6.2 miles) hiketoKenosha Pass and caught a ride to Jefferson 4 miles down the road, after3-1/2 hours trying to catch a ride into Fairplay I gave up and had a seat at apicnic table, a couple of young men sat down and we struck up a conversationand they gave me a ride into Fairplay. I found the bus station and bought aticket to Denver and was sitting ona bench waiting for the bus when a fellow hiker named Randy came up and offereda ride to the Denver Airport,saved me a lot of time and trouble…was I grateful! Got to the airport about 5:00, called my travel agent (daughter) andasked for help finding the best way home, within minutes she had me set up, shewas in Key West for lobster season soI hated to bother her but I knew she’d be glad to help. Had to spend the nightin the airport, had a 6:30 flight, thankfully Burger King was open all night soI had an opportunity for food…had three whoppers and two fries to hold me overuntil I got home, I had no appetite on the trail and had trouble forcing fooddown…interesting that I gained 3.6 pounds…go figure.
I told the wife this would be my last long hike attempt butI’ll wait and see what the orthopedic surgeon tells me Thursday. Weather wasfantastic, nights were chilly, upper 40s I’d guess, mornings comfortable,started warming good by 10:00 and sunny, overcast in the afternoons startingaround 2:00, very dry.
Day 1 (8.7 miles): arrived at the Denver airport about 9:30a.m., caught a bus to downtown Union Station, caught a train to LittletonMineral Station and Colorado Rob graciously took me to the Waterton Canyontrailhead, started hiking about 1:00. The first 6 miles was a gravel road walk,first few miles saw lots of hikers and bikers, quickly dwindled as I got a fewmiles behind me, saw deer and herds of bighorn sheep in the road, I was moreafraid of them than they of me. When the road turned into a trail the peoplewere gone. Hiked 8.7 miles to Bear Creek to camp the first night, rain startedabout 30 minutes before I reached the camp site, set my hammock up for itsmaiden voyage and settled in. A young woman came in and set her tent up in themain campsite only to have it flooded within minutes so she pulled up stakesand set up down a side trail. She was the first thru hiker I saw and the lastwhen I was 20 miles off trail trying to get home in Fairplay…hammock sleptgreat!
Day 2 (18.8 miles) : Hiked 8.1 miles to the first watersource and intended to camp there and let the knee acclimate but I got thereabout 10:30 and who can sit around doing nothing for that much time so I headedon to the next water which was an emergency water supply 10.1 miles furtherfurnished by a firehouse. It was 10 miles of burned forest, no shade and nowater, rough section. The knee and the rest of me was pretty beat so I gotenough water from the emergency jugs and headed on wanting to camp at theearliest opportunity, found a good stand of trees and set the hammock up andlaid back at about 3:30, was going to set the tarp up after I rested, got boredlaying there so I got the phone from the bottom of my pack just to see if I hada signal, didn’t, as I expected, then thought I’d check the GPS just for theheck of it, I was on the wrong trail, packed up and went a few more miles andset up camp, great spot.
Day3 (15.4 miles): broke camp and headed off around 7:00,saw a mule deer with a huge rack as I left camp, had a doe with him, saw myfirst elk also. This was a great day, the knee ached but not enough to spoilthe fun, saw fox, deer, rabbits, and a gazillion squirrels, they don’t seem tofear you out there. Met another thru hiker, young woman, who was expecting aride at the next trailhead, I thought I could catch a ride if I could keep upwith her, bad move, the knee was happy. I met 5 thru hikers, 4 of 5 were youngwomen. Got lucky when I reached the trailhead and caught a ride into town, hadlunch with the young hiker’s family and got a ride back to the trail…16 milesof road walk saved.
Day 4 (17.1 miles): this day put a big time hurting on me,steep, rocky, and long, the knee was paying the price for a fast hike the daybefore and the rest of me for a two month lay off without exercise, when I gotto camp every muscle was hurting, including the heart, which I’ve never hadhappen before, 10K elevation could have contributed but I believe being out ofshape was the issue. Still was a great day, saw moose, deer, grouse, smallgame, and wild flowers galore.
Day 5 (5.5 miles): The knee had gotten worse each day andthe rest of me wasn’t too good either, knew I had to make a bail plan but washoping to make it to Beckenridge, but didn’t believe the knee would make itanother 30 miles and Beckenridge had no means to get me home, Fairplay at mile71.7 was the last bus station until mile 215.9 at Buena Vista. I had food andthought about just hanging out in the woods until it ran out but decided Ibetter take advantage of the week end bikers to catch a ride into Fairplay.
Day 6 (6.2 miles): Hiked the short (6.2 miles) hiketoKenosha Pass and caught a ride to Jefferson 4 miles down the road, after3-1/2 hours trying to catch a ride into Fairplay I gave up and had a seat at apicnic table, a couple of young men sat down and we struck up a conversationand they gave me a ride into Fairplay. I found the bus station and bought aticket to Denver and was sitting ona bench waiting for the bus when a fellow hiker named Randy came up and offereda ride to the Denver Airport,saved me a lot of time and trouble…was I grateful! Got to the airport about 5:00, called my travel agent (daughter) andasked for help finding the best way home, within minutes she had me set up, shewas in Key West for lobster season soI hated to bother her but I knew she’d be glad to help. Had to spend the nightin the airport, had a 6:30 flight, thankfully Burger King was open all night soI had an opportunity for food…had three whoppers and two fries to hold me overuntil I got home, I had no appetite on the trail and had trouble forcing fooddown…interesting that I gained 3.6 pounds…go figure.
I told the wife this would be my last long hike attempt butI’ll wait and see what the orthopedic surgeon tells me Thursday. Weather wasfantastic, nights were chilly, upper 40s I’d guess, mornings comfortable,started warming good by 10:00 and sunny, overcast in the afternoons startingaround 2:00, very dry.
I may grow old but I'll never grow up.
