HI all,
I'm looking at doing the colorado section of the Continental Divide Trail next summer. Has anybody done this section in its entirety? I'm thinking mid to late July as a start time and starting from the south. Also, how would those who have done it think about adding a dog to the hike? What kind of distance was normal for a day? Just trying to get a feel for timelines.
Any tips or suggestions would be awesome!
Grazie!
John
Colo part of CDT, help
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- JohnWilliams
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Colo part of CDT, help
-I tend to be a Longs Peak nerd. If you have questions about the Longs Peak Massif please, feel free to ask.
But at times I wondered if I had not come a long way only to find that what I really sought was something I had left behind-Tom Hornbein
And this time you gave me a mountain. A mountain I may never climb-Marty Robbins
But at times I wondered if I had not come a long way only to find that what I really sought was something I had left behind-Tom Hornbein
And this time you gave me a mountain. A mountain I may never climb-Marty Robbins
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Re: Colo part of CDT, help
Hey search pmags on internet & read his backpacking trips he has done many thru hikes (including the whole CDT) & gives great info. I contacted him about doing Colorado Trail & he was a great resource & will get back with you. As for me I think most years starting in July would be good but this year it was hard to get over Kenosha Pass in July. The CDT average elevation is crazy high so July might be doable most years. Also I think if you train before your hike you should be able to do 20+ miles a day, it just depends how long you have. Pmags also does lightweight backpacking so the less you carry the farther you go. If you get your pack right you could have base weight of less than 10 lbs, this is without food but you could at least double your miles instead of struggling with 20-30+ lb pack. Some people want to carry a lot of heavy/useless equipment and to each is own but if you want to save the extra weight on your back & legs lightweight is way to go. Hope this helps, happy hiking.
- ETA
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- GeorgiaTyler
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Re: Colo part of CDT, help
I started in early August to avoid monsoon season and crowds and to hit the san juans in early fall ,to get some fall colors and snow( Den -> DGO). I only covered 10 miles a day because I wanted to fly fish creeks/rivers/ponds everyday. I ended up finishing on my 30th bday, 50 days from when i started. Caught 85 + trout (cutts, bows, browns, brookies, cuttbows) and had a blast. Most people can cover 15 - 20 miles a day pretty easily (but they won't catch as many trout...) have fun.
Climb up Pints down