As I gear up to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail this upcoming May, I’ll post a lot about my planning process. As I prepare for my next adventure, I’m also taking time to reflect on my past thru-hikes and look over my old trail journals and photos. This week, I’m sharing a recap of my 2016 Colorado Trail thru-hike.
I absolutely loved hiking the Colorado Trail (CT). I moved to Colorado two years prior and didn’t yet own a car. Thru-hiking was a great way to explore my new home state on foot. There were some cool towns in very remote parts of the mountains that I would never have visited otherwise. I also loved hiking up above the treeline and the easier grade relative to the Appalachian Trail (AT), which I hiked in 2014.
In this post, I’ll share info about my gear and resupply strategy, as well as reflections and key takeaways from my thru-hike, 8 years later. Before diving in, here’s a little background info about the Colorado Trail and thru-hiking…
What is the Colorado Trail?
The Colorado Trail is a ~485-mile footpath in Colorado, between Denver and Durango. The Colorado Trail is divided into 33 segments – each with its own unique character and scenery. It crosses through multiple National Forests and Wilderness Areas, showcasing some of the most beautiful destinations in the Colorado Rockies. The Colorado Trail is a popular place to backpack and hike.
What is thru-hiking?
Each year, many hikers set out to walk the Colorado Trail from end to end. Thru-hiking means walking an entire long trail such as the Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian Trail in its entirety in one big backpacking trip. Thru-hikers carry camping gear, food, and water on their backs. We stop in towns along the trail to resupply food, do laundry, and shower. We filter water from creeks and ponds for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
My Thru-Hike: The Quick Details
- Trail Length: ~485 miles
- Direction: southbound (Denver → Durango)
- Start date: June 26
- End date: July 28
- Total # of days: 33
- Wildlife seen: elk, moose, marmot, pika, and beaver.
- Favorite Segment: CW03
- Least Favorite Segment: 2
- Proudest moment: standing on top of San Luis Peak.
- Lowest moment: trying to figure out where to stay in Breckenridge on the Fourth of July weekend with a broken phone in the rain.
- Number of times I was rained on: 5
- Pairs of shoes: just 1
- Number of blisters: just 1!
- Number of candy bars eaten: too many to count!
Gear
Since I hiked the Appalachian Trail before the Colorado Trail, I felt confident in my gear. I made a few key changes and upgrades before starting the CT, such as getting a new, more comfortable pack. To learn more, read my post about all the things I did differently between the AT and CT.
Here’s what I carried on the Colorado Trail:
Big 4:
- Pack: ULA Circuit
- Shelter: Big Agnes Fly Creek “fast fly” (rain fly, footprint, poles, and stakes only)
- Sleeping Bag: The North Face Blue Kazoo 15-degree bag
- Sleeping Pad: short Therm-a-Rest Z lite sol
Other Stuff:
- Cooking: 1-liter titanium pot, MSR Pocket Rocket Stove, spoon, sponge, soap, food stuff sac, and 50 feet of paracord for bear hangs.
- Water: two 1-liter disposable plastic bottles, 2-liter Platypus bag, Sawyer Squeeze filter, and cleaning syringe
- Electronics: smartphone, charging cord, solar charger (didn’t work), headlamp, extra AAA batteries, and earbuds
- Navigation: the Colorado Trail Databook (FarOut wasn’t widely used yet!)
- Clothes (worn): long-sleeve button-up shirt, SmartWool shorts, DarnTough socks, sports bra, trucker hat, sunglasses, buff, and The North Face Hyper-Track running shoes
- Clothes (in my pack): fleece pajama pants, base layer top, synthetic puffy jacket, fleece hat, lightweight gardening gloves, underwear, and 2 pairs of extra socks
- Rain Gear: rain jacket, ULA rain skirt, and a trash bag pack liner
- Hygiene: toothbrush, toothpaste, other toiletries, baby wipes, and a bandanna
- Misc.: homemade first-aid kit, Ziploc bags, stuff sack for my sleeping bag, trekking poles, a pen, and a book
Training
In short, I did not train for the Colorado Trail. But I’d like to think I was in okay shape from my school-year routine of indoor rock climbing a couple of days each week after class and the occasional weekend hike.
However, I spent the month before my thru-hike lounging on the beach in New Jersey, where my exercise routine was, at most, a daily stroll on the beach. Not training wasn’t the smartest move, but worked out fine for me at the age of 21 (today, I would train before embarking on a trip like this!).
What I Ate
On the Colorado Trail, I ate pretty standard thru-hiker fare at the time. My food bag was usually filled with:
- Breakfast: Honeybuns, PopTarts, oatmeal with peanut butter and dried fruit, or granola bars
- Lunch: Tortillas with cheese & summer sausage, salami, tuna fish, or peanut butter
- Dinner: Ramen, instant potatoes, and Knorr sides, often with cheese and summer sausage mixed in for added protein
- Snacks: Snickers bars, crackers, and granola bars
- Desserts: various cookies and candy
My Colorado Trail Resupply Strategy
In this part, I will share info about all the towns where I resupplied. Please note that I thru-hiked back in 2016. So anyone reading this and planning a thru-hike should probably call and check that the businesses I mentioned are still open and operating before making plans.
For the Colorado Trail, I decided to do no mail drops. This worked out well for me. Many of the resupply towns had good supermarkets like Safeway or Walmart. Twin Lakes, Lake City, and Silverton had smaller, more expensive stores.
Even so, my choice not to ship packages saved me money. I was often gifted food by hikers who shipped themselves boxes and then got sick of the the food they selected beforehand. Furthermore, I found plenty of discarded food in hiker boxes at hostels. That’s how I got my trail name – “Boxtroll”! (For anyone unfamiliar, a “hiker box” is a container or area at a trail-friendly business where hikers can leave unwanted items for other hikers to take.)
Without further ado, I’ll go over each town where I resupplied during my 2016 Colorado Trail thru-hike.
Littleton/Denver Suburbs (Northern Terminus)
Mile 0
The Colorado Trail begins at Waterton Canyon, located southwest of Denver. I started the Colorado Trail with about 5 days of food, which I figured would be enough to get me to Jefferson/Fairplay at mile 72.
Distance off trail: 13
Getting there: I live in northern Colorado, so getting to the Northern Terminus was easy for me. A friend dropped me off at the Waterton Canyon Trailhead.
Out-of-state thru-hikers fly into the Denver Airport, then use some combination of airport shuttles and public transportation (e.g., light rail) to get to Littleton. Littleton is about 45 miles from the airport (about an hour driving) and about 13 miles from the Waterton Canyon Trailhead. From Littleton, hikers can use ride-share apps (e.g., Uber/Lift) or private shuttles from a trail angel (external link) to reach the trailhead.
Where I stayed: NA
Where I ate: Chipotle in Littleton
Where I shopped: Safeway
Distance to my next resupply: 72 miles to Jefferson/Fairplay or 104 miles to Breckenridge
Breckenridge/Silverthorn
Mile 104
I hiked faster than I expected, so I decided to skip Jefferson/Fairplay and push to Breckenridge for my first resupply stop. Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorn, and Dillon are four (expensive) ski towns with restaurants, lodging, and other amenities. These four towns are close together and it’s easy to get around them using the free bus system.
Distance off trail: 4 miles
Getting there: Summit Stage free bus (external link), which stopped at the Gold Hill Trail Head near where the CT crosses Hwy-9.
Where I stayed: the Bivvi Hostel in Breckenridge (night 1) and a motel in Silverthorne (night 2)
Where I ate: Rita’s Agave y Tacos
Where I shopped: Walmart in Frisco (took the free bus there)
Distance to my next resupply (Leadville): 39 miles
Copper Mountain Ski Resort
Mile 119
This wasn’t a resupply stop for me, since I had just resupplied in Breckenridge the previous day. But I feel that Copper Mountain Ski Resort is still worth mentioning. The resort store is visible from the trail. I popped in for a quick hot meal and to buy a few more candy bars. However, I could have caught the free bus back to Breckenridge if I had needed more amenities.
Distance off trail: <1 mile
Getting there: walk (visible from the trail)
Where I stayed: NA
Where I ate: food counter in the outfitter/shop in the resort Center Village
Where I shopped: outfitter/shop in the resort Center Village
Leadville
Mile 143
I did a quick in-and-out resupply in Leadville without staying overnight. In hindsight, I wish I’d skipped Leadville. It would have been easier to just carry food for 4-5 days and hike the ~70-mile stretch between Breckenridge and Twin Lakes without stopping.
Leadville was a difficult hitch both in and out and a pretty spread out town to get around without a car. However, they have more amenities than Twin Lakes, including a post office, hostel, outfitter, and supermarket.
Distance off trail: 8-11 miles
Getting there: difficult hitch from Tennessee Pass (US 24)
Where I stayed: NA
Where I ate: Casa Sanchez 2 and City on a Hill Coffee & Espresso
Where I shopped: Safeway and Leadville Outdoors & Mountain Market
Distance to my next resupply (Twin Lakes): 33 miles
Twin Lakes
Mile 176
Twin Lakes wasn’t much of a town. But there was a general store with standard thru-hiker foods (bars, tuna, Knorr sides). A lot of hikers I met chose to mail a box here before tackling the Collegiate East or West. I cobbled together a mini-resupply from the general store since I had plans to meet friends with a car at a road crossing the following day, who drove me to a larger grocery store further from the trail and back.
Distance off trail: 1.5 miles
Getting there: I walked the (steeply downhill) 1.5-mile side trail to Twin Lakes. In hindsight, I think one could probably walk there on Hwy-82 instead (slightly longer, but less steep).
Where I stayed: Lakeview Campground (next to the CT, ~1 mile past the side trail to Twin Lakes General Store).
Where I ate: The Twin Lakes Inn and Saloon
Where I shopped: general store
Distance to my next resupply (Salida): ~80 miles (note: the Collegiate West route is several miles longer than the Collegiate East route)
Salida
Mile 253
I chose to hike the Collegiate West route, so I hitched into Salida on US Hwy-50 from Monarch Pass. Today, there’s a shuttle into Salida from the Monarch Crest Store at Monarch Pass. It either didn’t exist yet or I didn’t know about it when I thru-hiked.
The hitch from Monarch Pass was easy since there was a large parking area, store, and trailhead at the pass where lots of cars stopped. Salida was a fantastic trail town with a fun, walkable downtown, supermarket, and cozy hostel. I took a zero.
Distance off trail: 13 miles (22 miles from the Collegiate West)
Getting there: hitch from Hwy-50
Where I stayed: Simple Lodge and Hostel
Where I ate: pho restaurant
Where I shopped: Safeway
Distance to my next resupply (Lake City): 105 miles
Lake City
Mile 358
Salida to Lake City was a long haul, but many of the miles were flat and easy. I could have broken up this long stretch by resupplying in Gunnison, Saguache, or Creede. I skipped all of these towns since I felt they were either too far off the trail or difficult hitches.
To save money in Lake City, I opted to tent camp at the hostel instead of bunking and double-neroed instead of zeroing. I borrowed a bike to get to the grocery store, almost a mile from the hostel. The store was well stocked but expensive. Luckily, I only needed to buy a few days of food to get to the next town.
Distance off trail: 17 miles
Getting there: hitch from Spring Creek Pass (Hwy-149)
Where I stayed: Raven’s Rest Hostel (closed or renamed?)
Where I shopped: country store
Distance to my next resupply (Silverton): 53 miles
Silverton
Mile 411
This was my last resupply stop before Durango. I opted to hitch to Silverton, but there was also a campground within walking distance of the trail where other thru-hikers mailed their resupply packages instead of hitching to town.
Though it’s a small town, I thoroughly enjoyed Silverton and was glad I zeroed. It was an easy hitch and the downtown was extremely walkable. There was a hostel (closed now) and restaurants. The small store had acceptable hiker resupply options but was expensive.
Distance off trail: 6 miles
Getting there: hitch from Molas Pass (Hwy 550 N)
Where I stayed: Blair Street Hostel (closed or renamed?)
Where I ate: Avalanche Brewing Company
Where I shopped: Silverton Grocery Store
Distance to my next resupply (Durango): 74 miles
Durango (Southern Terminus)
Mile 485
Durango is the southern terminus of the Colorado Trail. The trail actually ends a bit outside of Durango at a trailhead, so I hitched to get to town. Luckily it was an easy hitch for me. Durango is larger than most of the other trail towns. There were plenty of restaurants, motels (with hot tubs!), campgrounds, and stores/supermarkets. I believe there was also a hostel, though I didn’t stay there.
Leaving the southern terminus was easy for me because I live in Colorado and I got picked up in a car. Other hikers used a Greyhound bus or similar to get to their next destination or an airport. The Albuquerque airport is the closest major airport to Durango, over 200 miles away. There is also a very tiny airport in Durango.
Distance off trail: 4 miles
Getting there: hitch from County Rd-204 near the trailhead
Where I stayed: a motel for two nights, then the campground for two more nights.
Where I shopped: City Market
Trip Reflections: a few highs and lows
I won’t go overly into detail about the entire trip. But I’ll share some of the high and low points of the Colorado Trail for me.
- High: making it to the start of the trail at Waterton Canyon and beginning my journey 🤩.
- Low: crossing the Hayman Fire burn scar in Segment 2. It was HOT with no shade, my foot got a blister, and I nearly ran out of water 🥵.
- High: hiking over Kenosha Pass in the rain with a weekend backpacker who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail at age 19 in the year I was born (I also thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail when I was 19).
- Low: breaking my phone during my first week on the trail and losing all my photos up through that point 😭.
- High: feeling strong hiking the first 100 miles before stopping for my first resupply in Breckenridge.
- Low: getting to Breckenridge and realizing it’s the 4th of July weekend, so all the lodging is booked up 😞.
- High: getting taken in by a group of extremely kind section hikers in Breckenridge who just finished their trip and had an extra bed in the room they reserved ❤️🩹.
- Low: getting eaten alive by mosquitoes in the Holy Cross Wilderness.
- High: getting trail magic from my friend in Leadville.
- High: the entire Collegiate West! 😍
- Low: monotonous miles on the flat, cow pasture part of the trail in segments 18 and 19 (learn more in my post ranking all 33 Colorado Trail Segments from worst to best!).
- High: hiking to the top of 14,014-foot San Luis Peak 😊.
- Low: Snow Mesa. I got caught in a thunderstorm on Snow Mesa, which was scary because it is above treeline. I also really had to go to the bathroom and there were no trees to hide behind anywhere! 😳
- High: hanging out in Lake City; borrowing bikes from the hostel with friends and having a campfire.
- Low: encountering a male hiker who was relentlessly harassing female thru-hikers, including a few of my friends😠.
- High: overcoming my fears and rising to the challenge of a 22-mile dry stretch with no reliable water sources 💪.
- High: feeling strong and confident as I finished the trail, with energy to spare.
- Low: saying goodbye to friends made on the trail 😢.
- High: returning to Twin Lakes after finishing to hike the Collegiate East, as one last hurrah and to experience every part of this incredible trail! ❤️
Key Lessons Learned
Things I learned on the Colorado Trail that I’d like to remember and bring with me on my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike:
- Listen to what my body needs: tiring myself out and pushing through small issues will ultimately backfire.
- Limiting mail drops is a good way to save money. Hiker boxes often have things I need for free that others decided they didn’t want.
- It’s OK to stop for dinner and keep hiking afterward. Also, lunch can be the hot meal instead of dinner.
- Be curious and humble: I still have much to learn about backpacking and thru-hiking. I will likely figure out better ways to do things and learn much from the people around me.
- Mindset is key: chase joy, and the miles will follow.
The Colorado Trail was incredible and the month of my life I spent thru-hiking it will always be a cherished memory. Since then, I’ve returned and re-hiked many segments of this trail, including the Collegiate Loop. I’m thankful to live near such an incredible trail.
Join the Conversation: have you hiked on the Colorado Trail? If so, what’s your favorite part? Are you planning a thru-hike of the CT? If so, what questions do you have? What are you most concerned about or most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments section below!
Adventures with Val 
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