Note: I can't figure out how to embed the videos. The Youtube tags aren't working.
On July 20, Taozenchi(Jim), Ringtail(D ick) and I set out to backpack sections 8-11 of the Colorado Trail. D ick was joining us for just sections 8 and 9 and was going to be our shuttle into Leadville after finishing 9. The plan was to take 3 days to do 8, 1 day on 9, 1 day on 10, then finish up with 7 some odd miles of section 11 the last day, to my truck parked at the S.Mt.Elbert / Colorado Trail TH parking lot above Twin Lakes.
I lost my camera on section 9, so I don't have the pics I had of starting 8 out of Copper Mountain. Had to resort to using just my cell phones camera.
By the time we got the shuttle vehicle stashed at the end of 9 and drove back to and stashed a vehicle at Copper Mountain, it was around 10am before we got on the trail. Snaking our way up the mountain under the ski lifts, we soon got into some nice scenery. Sometime during the day we met a thru hiker by the name of Gene, a retired Denver Fireman. We hiked and camped together until we left the trail on our last day.
It was about 9.5 miles to Janets Cabin, near where we planned to hang the first night. If you look to the left, off trail from this picture............
You see this............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3kSjNMNycI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e5abDlsECk
As expected, it drizzeled off and on all day. When we got there, it was clearing for the moment, so we started and ate supper on the Cabin decks picnic table. Afterward, we set out to look for suitable trees to hang from and found some right at the edge of the treeline before you get too high.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISui5rf3CmQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcTFu43GrBQ
Day 2 we were up early and headed toward Searle Pass, Elk Ridge and Kokomo Pass. I never felt any effects of altitude sickness but I was sure sucking wind that whole climb. With no trees up that high, the scenery was wide open, as was the sky. If weather moved in, we were at the same height as it was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7CAxJBKFzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rkRjoN6uFs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdEebM9it8o
We stopped somewhere after Camp Hale and set up our hammocks for the night.
Day 3 I didn't get many pictures. I guess I was enjoying a day without rain. Came across the old coking ovens mentioned in the Databook. Lots more streams, rocky trails, scenery, then soon it was time to call it another day.
Day 4 had us Finishing section 8 at Tennessee Pass. That's where D ick gave it up. I think it was his feet that were taking a beating. I guess he caught a ride from the parking lot there to where we parked his car at the end of section 9. Jim and I said our goodbyes and headed out on section 9. I think we stopped to make camp somewhere shortly after entering the Holy Cross Wilderness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTlpP-w7z70
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lovCCZk212Q
We finished up section 9 by probably noon the next day and D ick was there waiting for us. He decided to stay in Leadville with us and we had a nice sit-down dinner and company. We did the usual town routine of laundry, showering and relaxation. The next morning D ick dropped us off at the section 10 TH. This was probably the wettest day of the hike. Pretty section of trail tho. Lots of bridges and water crossings, small trickling streams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjHsqG2SVDQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgqdS2rz0z0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvPBBnYOtM0
When we finished with section 10 it was still raining. The suggestion was made to hike on and see if it let up, instead of setting up camp in the rain. Well it never really quit so we decided to hike the rest of the 7 miles of section 11 to the truck and finish the trip early.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAd0yfvtZhg
When we got to where we needed to exit the Colorado trail to catch the S.Mt. Elbert TH to the parking lot where I had my truck, we said goodbye to Gene. The trail signage was very poor and confusing. There was a sign indicating the trail up to Elbert off the Colorado Trail and a sign for the continuing Colorado Trail. Ok, I figured the trail off the CT that goes to the parking lot will be further down the CT. But there were branches off the trail that were not signed, nor any indications of where they went. We hiked down one such trail for a little ways and came to a big pond. The trail around it was overgrown and looked like it was used very little, not what you would expect the CT to look like, so we turned back. Staying on what we thought was the main CT, we got dumped out on a FS road. After talking with some campers and people we saw driving up the road, the parking lot we want is 3-4 miles down the road. Not the way we wanted to end things but at least we were heading in the right direction, which was a big point of contention. Being lost and sucks.
About 1/2 mile from the truck we come up on a swollen water crossing in the road. I'm glad those logs were there, as I'd have hated to have to ford that thing, drenching my feet. Jim went across first and a log buckled under his weight at the last second and he drenched his anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sko1R5S_DCk
Adding it up, for the day, we did 21 miles, OMG I can't believe I hiked that far. I don't know about Jim, but I felt like hammered dog ****. LOL
We drove back to Leadville and stayed the night. Got up the next morning, went for a sit down breakfast, then we each headed for home.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by trailryder42
Bookmarks