Colorado, 4-6 day trip early July

**Nodust** · 01-20-2015, 21:13

Denver is just about the cheapest place to fly to from New Orleans and get to some Rocky Mountain backcountry area. Looking for some possible trips 4-6 days long. Would be nice to be a half day drive from Denver. Loops trails preferred but not necessary, alpine lakes and peaks to climb also a plus.

Renting a car not an issue. Dates available would be Last week of June through second week of July. Not sure if this is still early for snow-melt or not.

I don't know much about the area so open for anything. Me and my son were hiking 12-15 miles per day in Glacier park last summer, so I think 8-12 miles a day would be doable for us given the higher altitude of most of Colorado. But we don't need big mile trails just fun places to explore. Base camp and day hikes would also be fun.

**ufdigga** · 01-20-2015, 21:45

My favorite place in Colorado (which puts it very high in the running for favorite place world-wide) is Crested Butte. I've always wanted to do a multi-day hike in and around the Coal Creek area. Beautiful waters, camp deep in Dark Canyon, get above treeline a little bit, climb Marcellina Moutain. Lots to do.

Shhh... Keep it on the DL.

**ufdigga** · 01-20-2015, 21:46

And as far as world-class goes, the 3-4 day circuit around the Maroon Bells is listed in 25 Best Hikes of The World. I've never done it, so I can't speak to how accessible it would be in a hammock. There are four different mountain passes above treeline.

**Nodust** · 01-20-2015, 21:57

Originally Posted by ufdigga

My favorite place in Colorado (which puts it very high in the running for favorite place world-wide) is Crested Butte. I've always wanted to do a multi-day hike in and around the Coal Creek area. Beautiful waters, camp deep in Dark Canyon, get above treeline a little bit, climb Marcellina Moutain. Lots to do.

Shhh... Keep it on the DL.

One option I had was Chicago Basin near Durango. Camp and maybe hike some 14ers. We could either drive from Denver or fly direct to Durango if we could do without a rental car.

Coal Creek, I'll research that.

Thanks.

**OutandBack** · 01-20-2015, 22:20

I will toss out Seg 6 of the Colorado Trail over the Continental Divide.
Park your vehicle in Breckenridge and get a local hike shop to shuttle you to the Kenosha Pass TH on hwy 285.

Here's a 2011 summer group hang trip report of that hike.
We spent the weekend car camping at the TH so everyone was used to the altitude and then 4 days hiking the trail during the week.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...light=Colorado

additional picts
https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...7637806844283/

**Nodust** · 01-20-2015, 22:25

Originally Posted by OutandBack

I will toss out Seg 6 of the Colorado Trail over the Continental Divide.
Park your vehicle in Breckenridge and get a local hike shop to shuttle you to the Kenosha Pass TH on hwy 285.

Here's a 2011 summer group hang trip report of that hike.
We spent the weekend car camping at the TH so everyone was used to the altitude and then 4 days hiking the trail during the week.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...light=Colorado

additional picts
https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...7637806844283/

Thanks O&B. Isn't there a shuttle from Denver to Breckenridge also? We could ditch the rental car idea.

Checking this out.

**OutandBack** · 01-20-2015, 22:51

Originally Posted by Nodust

Thanks O&B. Isn't there a shuttle from Denver to Breckenridge also? We could ditch the rental car idea.

Checking this out.

I don't know. If there was a bus station in Breck that went to the airport that would be best. Then you just need a ride from the airport to the TH.
Personnally I would not like to be without a vehicle even if I parked it for 4 days. I'm kind of old school and not up on public transportation.
There might even be a bus that goes over Kenosha Pass and the TH is right on hwy 285 if you could get the bus driver to let you off their.

**LanceHawk** · 01-20-2015, 23:33

There are shuttles from the airport to various ski resort/towns like Breckenridge. One is Colorado Mountain Express. I think it runs $60-$70 one way depending on where you are going. Probably too far and expensive for Crested Butte and Durango,though.

**OutandBack** · 01-21-2015, 00:29

Originally Posted by LanceHawk

There are shuttles from the airport to various ski resort/towns like Breckenridge. One is Colorado Mountain Express. I think it runs $60-$70 one way depending on where you are going. Probably too far and expensive for Crested Butte and Durango,though.

If they run in the summer that would work perfect. Shuttle from airport to Breck. Contact a local mtn bike shot in Breck to shuttle you to the 285 seg 6 TH.
Hike back to Breck and take the bus back to the airport. Easy Peasy.
I suggest contacting a mtn bike shot because biking has overtaken this state. There are 10 bike shops to a hiking outfit.

hth

**Oms** · 01-21-2015, 07:13

Just tossing out a cool place to go. My son, nephew, B-I-L and I did a trail called the Baker/Bowen loop. It is just outside Rocky Mountain NP on the west side. If you google it you will see that it is only around 20 miles. The neat part was we only had to do short miles with the packs which gave us plenty of time to do awesome day hikes to the peaks. Every afternoon was spent on top of knife ridges or some other tops with awesome views. There is open camping with no restrictions, plenty of places to hang, beautiful wild flowers and lakes, saw lots of moose and vistas with no end in site. It was one of my more memorable trips.