Colorado Trail - July/August 2006

The Colorado Trail (CT) extends 482 miles between Denver and Durango. It passes thorugh many of Colorado's most impressive and most infrequently traveled wild lands, notably those along the Continental Divide and in the San Juan mountains. Its remoteness, rugged terrain, high elevations, and extreme weather conditions make the CT one of the most challenging -- and, not coincidentally, most rewarding -- long-distance trails in the country.

In 2004 I hiked the Colorado Trail for the first time, in preparation for my Sea-to-Sea hike. In 2006 I hiked it again with Krissy Moehl, a stud ultra-runner from Seattle who had never been backpacking before. This was a "for fun" trip, with no goal other than enjoying Colorado's beautiful backcountry. We finished in 14.5 days, which is an average of about 34 miles per day (like I said, Krissy is a stud), and still had time to do the town stops, take mid-day naps, and go swimming (when it wasn't raining on us, which seemed like always).