Here are some beginner tips for future thru hikers on the Colorado Trail. Please keep comments focused on hiking and be nice to each other. We're family here, ya'll.
Just starting to make plans for this summer's hike. Thx for sharing your thoughts on resupply points based on your experience. Look forward to your future segment reviews. Greatly appreciate your content!!!
An additional question: what was the capacity of your backpack? How many days of food (realizing that base weight varies among us) did that hold for you? East coaster here wanting to be realistic about pack weight and gear needed. I have a list, I have it paired down, but I've never done a long trail. So while I'm all about a lighter load, I realize food is heavy and want the right capacity bag for the trip. Thoughts? Maybe a video to accompany this one. Thanks again!
Thank you, Steven! I used a 50L back on my trip, and I have carried as much as 12 days of food in it, though I think 6 days is about the most I would recommend. This year, I am actually hoping to max out at 5 days per resupply because I've gone stoveless which lightens the weight and because the less food weight I carry, the faster and more miles I can hike. Hope this helps!
Good info. You read my mind with little or no hitch and buy as you go. I never like what’s in my boxes and I’m the one who packs them! If it wouldn’t be much trouble I would like to see your itinerary and where you think it’s feasible to buy. Then I can look at days/weight. Thanks
Glad these are helpful. For what it's worth, I think it'd be tough to avoid both hitches and sending resupply, but I think it could me minimized on some level. My plan is resupply in a grocery store in Breck (104 miles), grab a few small items in Twin Lakes at the General Store (which is really a convenience store around 177 miles in), then go West (don't go East) and resupply at the Monarch Crest gift shop with a drop box or hitch to Salida (what I plan to do) around mile 262. From there, hope to make it to Molas Pass at mile 411 for a shipped resupply or to hitch into Lake City at mile 357 to grocery shop. These will be my final resupplies. I hitched last year with lots of success and never felt unsafe, but hopefully this will help you see where you might need to mail stuff and where you could go without. Happy hiking!
Thank you for these!! I’m a (tho a bit “older”) a newbie. I’m anxious about making reservations for hotels, etc NOW, and then being slower/faster than what I imagine. Looking at primarily August for my hike. Your videos have really helped!
Welcome, Angela! Logistics can be scary or stressful, but don’t let that shake you. Anyone brave enough to start hiking is also resilient enough to solve problems as they arise. You got this!
Thanks for this video. I retired last year and started putting in bigger miles. I did the Long Trail in Vermont this year with my hound mix dog Maggie and the Colorado Trail I feel is next up. Since I hike with a dog I never hitch and to be honest I don’t really have any desire to. Hiking the Long Trail has really helped me to dial in my gear and I am now truly UL. The Colorado trail looks so smooth it looks like 25 and 30 mile days are possible. What’s your feeling on that. We averaged between 15 and 20 on my LT. Take care and thanks for taking the time to provide so much information. Take care
Hi Scott, I think, generally speaking, your sense is spot-on. If you can do about 15-20 on the LT, you will likely find 25-30 a day pretty doable on the CT. There are exceptions, of course, but the average should be doable. It's definitely a bit tougher in the dryer areas with dogs because you have to really carry a lot more water given the heat exposure is so much greater than the LT, so be sure you have the Databook to help you know when you might hit a particularly dry stretch. Hope this helps and good luck!
Great question! I will work on a video soon for that topic. In the meantime, I think it's worth noting that I've never taken a footprint and have never had an issue. I do use a floorless tent, though, so I have a Tyvek sheet I use, but I think a normal tent would be fine without any footprint.
Thank you for this info. I no longer care to send boxes, plus, I don't eat well, unfortunately, so I can go a pretty long distance without resupply. A convenience store with a package of instant mashed potatoes is considered a well-stocked store to me. :) Have you discussed food storage on another video?
From Monarch Pass to Molas Lake campground is about 150 miles. So unless you hitch a ride or get a shuttle to Lake City, is there no hitchless resupply option for that part of the trail? That would be about a 7-to-10-day food carry depending on how many miles per day. Is that correct? Thanks for all of your videos. I plan on hitting the trail 8/30/2023 and your videos are very helpful in planning my first thru hike attempt.
@@OutsideComfortZone yes, I hit the trail on 8/30/23 with a good friend. He succumbed to AMS at Breckenridge. I only made it to Molas Lake campground and had to get off the trail with only about 75 miles left. The campground had my last resupply box and were closed for the season when I arrived on 9/30 ☹️. There was a weather system that moved in and I think it would have been unsafe for me to continue on the trail at that point anyway. I was the only person up there. I went days without seeing anyone else on the trail after the CDT split off. It was a magical experience and hopefully I will be back again to either finish it or re-hike the entire thing! Thanks again for your helpful videos.
