colorado trail thru-hike 2022

days on trail:	22
rest days:	0
average miles/day:	22.4
average hours/day hiked:	12
shortest day trail miles:	16.1
longest day trail miles:	29.3
night hikes:	0
resupplies:	4
trail magic instances:	4
times my camera fell more than 3 feet:	4

the hike in pictures

thoughts on the hike

500 miles is just about the right length for a thru-hike. not too long. not too short.

having completed the colorado trail, i would most certainly hike it again. the trail was varied and challenging, but not too tough overall. it can, though, be momentarily brutal at times. for me, that simply adds to the adventure.

the colorado trail is wide open at the top of the world. you feel free. confined and limited only by yourself for the most part.

all my gear worked exactly as planned. my decision to take only one trekking pole was the right one. i never needed or even wanted trekking poles for hiking. other than 2 creek crossings and one sketchy ridge crossing, its singular use was to support my tent. the only things i would change are the shoes and shorts. my shoes were simply too stiff. they gave me some small blisters that really never amounted to anything. just some minor discomfort that eventually faded away. i had forgotten that my previous pair of topo athletics had done the same thing. the shorts became annoyingly a little too long. i jostled with the idea of changing to some 5″ inseam shorts before i left, but felt i had already spent enough. so, i stuck with the 7″ inseam.

i resupplied in frisco and twin lakes, then sent resupply boxes to monarch crest and molas lake. i was happy with that strategy and would probably do the same again if i were hiking similar mile days.

as far as my actual food, i would absolutely change what i ate. i consumed about 3,000 to 3,500 calories a day. most of that was processed carbs and sugars. i found that lara bars, kind bars, complete cookies, and things of that nature just did not provide the sustained energy that i needed to not crash during the long, steep climbs. i clearly made my food work, but it was not pleasant on numerous occasions. the day i hiked into monarch crest, i felt absolutely awful. my legs were shaking. my energy level was basically zero. i ate a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich; a huge frito pie (loaded with meat. there were no non-meat options.); and an ice cream sandwich. i rested for about 3 hours and the hike out was freaking awesome. the best i had felt in a number of days. i also packed out a hot dog for dinner that night. what i would change about my food, i’m not entirely sure. but, i feel that i need more protein variety and more fats. i’m sure i can find vegetarian options that would work, but it’s pretty clear that animal protein and fat is like rocket fuel. maybe those carnivorous humans have hit on something.

i wish i had taken more pictures. i didn’t because a quick snap never really captures the scene and is wasted time. additionally, a picture is two dimensional; there is no depth to it. it takes time and mental energy to acquire a photo that relays the energy and emotion of a mountain view. hard to devote 10 minutes to every potential picture when you have miles to make. plus, well, the storms. my fuji x-t3 and the lens are weather sealed, but not weather proof. when i felt that the rain was going to fall hard enough to potentially cause problems for my camera, into the backpack it went. so many times i wished i could have had it out to try to capture the view during some of the storms. i just couldn’t justify the risk. i also took quite a bit of video. times where i could have been photographing, i was videoing. i haven’t processed let alone even looked at any of it. video is so much more time intensive to process. for me anyway.

i wrote down ending mileages and start and end times in the databook. i had thought about taking a journal with me, but i knew i wouldn’t feel like spending 30 minutes at night writing. i was correct. after 12 to 14 hours of hiking, an hour setting up camp and fixing dinner, then eating dinner and looking at the water stops, mileage, and potential camp sites for the next day, it was usually around 9 or 9:30 and i was whooped. all i wanted to do was clean my cook pot, crawl into my sleeping bag, and crash. and that’s pretty much what i did. once i laid down, i was usually asleep in minutes. thinking on it now, maybe i could have just made brief notes about the days. as it stands now, the entire hike is like a fading memory. the days of it bleed together into a single, jumbled event.

 

trail magic

first instance

i picked up my resupply box at monarch crest. i needed 6 dinners to make it to molas lake, my next resupply. i had packed only 4. thinking back, i’m pretty sure i figured that i could easily pick up 2 dinners at monarch crest. well, my figuring was pretty wrong. monarch crest was definitely a meat eater’s paradise. more importantly, there were really no options for hiker dinners. no tuna packets. no knorr sides. no mountain house meals. no ramen packets. a package of summer sausage and cheese was pretty much it. i procured one of those for one dinner. i then got a single hot dog for that night. why didn’t i get 2 hot dogs? excellent question. i had already spent $40 on food there. another $3.50 seemed excessive. so i was going to make do with 1.

i hiked along and popped out at the marshall pass trailhead. there was an suv with doors open and hood up parked next to the large sign and area map in front of which a man was standing. i walked through the parking lot looking for a blaze or some indication of where the trail was. he said hello and asked if i was thru-hiking as i meandered around  i responded yes and then asked if he was having vehicle trouble. he said no, he was just allowing it to cool off. we had a conversation about my thru-hike and the colorado trail in general. as our talk was coming to an end, he says, “hey, do you happen to need any food or anything?”

i’m pretty sure my eyes bugged out of my head. i chuckle and  say “well, as a matter of fact . . . ” i then proceed to tell him how i shorted myself 2 dinners.

“i’ve got all kinds of stuff. take whatever you need.” he gave me two greenbelly meals2go and a tailwinds powder drink mix.

i offered to pay him, as those things are expensive, and he said no.

“i’ve always wanted to do some trail magic for someone,” he said.

with a stupidly large smile on my face, “well, you certainly did it for me,” i replied. “i can’t thank you enough. these have made my day.”

second instance

sometimes stuff just gets left along the trail. a blood orange white claw was a welcome addition to the dinner one night.

third instance

at the spring creek pass trailhead, i stopped for a lunch break. just a peanut butter complete cookie, a couple of spoons of peanut butter, and a squirt of honey. i started the short hike up FSR-547. as i hiked up, i saw something shimmering at the top. soon, i saw that it was a sign. it said “jolly rancher trail magic.” as i walked past, i saw an ez-up, several chairs, a camp fire, and a guy sitting in something like a pool recliner. he beckoned me over and introduced himself as “jolly rancher”. he had all sorts of kitchen stuff spread out on 3 tables under his ez-up. he says he’s got a baked potato in the camp fire that is just about ready if i want some. sour cream, cheese, and some shredded meat were offered as toppings. i said i just had some lunch down below. he offered to scramble some eggs and said he had water and some tea. i declined the eggs and said the tea sounded nice. he asked if i would like anything else and told me to look inside his cooler. he had some ranch dip in there. so i had some ranch dip with tortilla chips and we sat around the camp fire. he told me he had been camped there for 2+ weeks giving hikers food and stuff and letting them charge up their electronics. he said he was going to have some pasta and seasoned meat for dinner around 5. sounded good, but i had miles to cover. after 30 minutes, i thanked him for the chips, dip, and tea. they really were appreciated. any extra calories on trail are always welcome. i also sincerely enjoyed talking with him. it was pleasant hiker conservation. so, i hiked on up the trail. 10 miles later i made camp 2 hours early as a storm approached. i wondered if it would have been better to camp with him and have a real dinner.

fourth instance

i was hiking along and passed a guy just finishing up getting water from a small stream.

“how’s it going?”

“good,” i respond. “and with you?”

“great. hey, would like a beer?”

i’m dumbfounded. “seriously? can i just get it and keep on hiking?” i’m not one to let anything get in the way of miles . . . except storms. i break for storms. usually.

“yeah.”

“i would absolutely love one!!!” i say probably a little too excitedly.

“they’re up there with those other 3 guys. a few of us hiked up for the weekend and i brought too many.”

i hike up and get a beer. the guy getting the water arrives a few minutes later. we all talk about hiking, how small they think my pack is, and other hiking conversation for about 30 minutes. i had a few storm stories to tell that we all laugh about. i thank them profusely for the beer and continue hiking. i can’t remember the brand, but it was a double ipa. and it tasted really good with my beans, rice, olive oil, and fritos that was dinner.