Kiwisoutback from Massachusetts on September 13, 2010: I would love to hike the Colorado Trail someday. I'm sharing our gear list here just for the sake of sharing, not because I think our choices will suit all other hikers. trip report by site editor Rick McCharles, day 1|day 2|day 3|day 4|info page, Durango Silverton Molas Pass Lime Creek. Might be in the area this year, there is bound to be some good geocaches out there! All rights reserved. We were in Molas Lake Campgrounds on July 5th. Skyblue Overland may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. So I'd recommend familiarizing yourself and making note of alternate routes before the hike, just in case you might need to leave the trail sooner than later. . @KathyMcGraw2: Same here, im really enjoying reading about these trips. . We stopped for a break and the view at Gudy's Rest four miles before Durango. Page 295 - LandWatch has 7,485 land listings for sale in Colorado. It was clean enough for us dirty hikers, and the shower (eventually) was hot. For certain a favorite segment on the Colorado Trail! Daily runs between Durango and Silverton operate May 2nd through October 31st, 2009, with prices ranging from $79 to $179 for adults for the 3.5-hour trip. We had completed the entire Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad operates 45.2 miles (72.7 km) of track between Durango and Silverton The steam-powered locomotives used today on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad were built during the 1920s. All along this stretch, the views of the surrounding jagged mountains are incredible, the singletrack is narrow and sinuous, and theres nary a sign of civilization. Which direction should we hike? Compare that with the estimated Forest Service cost of $25,000 per mile! This section of the Colorado Trail is popular for high elevation mountain biking routes. Clear skies. It is so beautiful. Mostly, I just thought it would be fun that way. 6/3 Update: The Forest Service says the section we'll be doing is now pretty much snow-free above treeline. Enjoy it as a BIG day ride or a more relaxed bikepack over a few days. Clothing: (each person, some of it on the person). These Action-Filled Trips Are Equal Parts Adventure and, Escape to Rocky Mountain National Park for a, Join evoTrip x CAPITA snowboards On A Ski. It is tedious work. Plenty of shade from forest, light rain, and rocky views. See: A Colorado Trail Section HikeSilverton to Durango. The trail is open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders, and includes parts of six national forests, six wilderness areas, and eight mountain ranges. They also have rooms with full kitchens. The first section of the Silverton to Durango stretch runs from Molas Pass to Engineer Mountain. Not to mention the fact that spending six months on a trail, or even a month or so on the CT, isn't for everyone. With a tube necessary and the gang still on day one, they used an old repair trick in hopes of enhanced durability: a foil chocolate wrapper between the tube and damaged sidewall. Day one also saw a hefty sidewall slice in one of James tires. Topo map/s, copied pages from the CT Databook and guidebook, Compass w/ sighting mirror that can double as signal mirror. A spectacular adventure. Colorado Trail Segment 26 passed Blackhawk Mountain and many stunning vistas on its way to Celebration Lake and Bolam Pass Road. Turned out, this has been an unusually cold and wet spring in Colorado. This tent and rain fly weighs 5lbs, 4oz and has a zippered door on either side, so we don't have to crawl over each other's head to get out. The trailhead (elevation: 6983 ft) is on Junction Creek Road, around 2.5-3.0 miles from downtown Durango (there is also another parking lot that grants access . Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews. The Colorado Trail (COT) is widely regarded as one of the very best long-distance mountain bike trails in the world. Confluence At Three Springs is located at 150 Confluence Ave, Durango, CO. Confluence At Three Springs offers 1-2 bed, 1-2 bath units. Trail plowed up by heavy equipment and extremely muddy. Drops, roots, boulders--as the singletrack transitions down into drier climate zones, the technical challenges just keep coming, all the way until the final relatively-smooth stretch before the trail's terminus. We'll bring an Atwater Carey Personal First Aid Kit. Click photo to see hundreds more on Flickr. Silverton Lakes South RV Resort The trailhead is slightly beyond the Little Molas Lake campground. We're planning to leave our house on Friday, June 12th after Steve gets off work and drive all the way to Molas Lake Campground, which is just off Highway 550 about seven miles before the town of Silverton. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life by venturing into the quiet and peaceful ski area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Elsie Hagley from New Zealand on August 31, 2012: Nice lens, if I was 30 years younger I would go for this. It stretches from Denver to Durango across the Southern Rockies and can be hiked in 25-35 days. Also, there are camping options not listed in the book; you just have to keep your eyes out. Silverton via Stony Pass - 26.4%; Durango - 3.9%; Lake City via Spring . That was easy enough! This costs money, of course. In the morning, we'll drive to Silverton, where we'll leave the car at the Visitor Center as planned, take the 2pm train to Elk Park and hike BACK to the campground. If you want to travel lighter, which isnt a bad idea, this would be handy. For 200 miles (or 320 km), the "C.T." is one and the same with the Continental Divide Trail. This is an easy answer, since we're just one state over in Arizona: We'll drive. We'd probably be better off waiting a week or two, but my other plans prevent us from doing that. Saw amazing wildlife: a herd of elk, 3 deer, pica, grouse and several marmots. Through hikers intending to stop at Molas Lake should be aware that they will hike 2.5 miles from there to the "start" of CT-25. A local gent drove me up to the correct highway and to the best place to hitch. You might want to contact ColoradoTrail.org to ask about camping spots in that section. Dedicating a month of your life to the Trail has its price. Rain, snow and more rain. Rented bikes and cruised around town and did laundry. (Or a $7 shower.). Im a New England hiker, and after acclimatizing to the altitude, found the Colorado Trail much gentler than NH trails- more dirt, fewer rocks and very few roots. Total of 9 days on the trail. Lots of good restaurants. But passengers have ample views to keep them occupied. You dont need a permit for the trail, but you do have to grab a free permit when crossing the wilderness areas. (Note: The Colorado Trail is 486 Miles. only hiked through two or three snow patches that were easily managed with trekking poles. Steve Hume of the Hardtail Party YouTube channel organized the trip and invited two friends to join him for the adventure, Cody and James. #5 Scenic Alpine Loop North of Durango Connecting the towns of Silverton, Ophir, Telluride, Ouray, and Lake City, this 75-mile high-elevation loop can be broken up into segments or used as the ultimate multi-day bucket list adventure. 184Dolores, CO 81323970-882-7296, See the Colorado Trail Segment Chart: Resources by Segment, Portion of Segment 24: Elk Park to Molas Pass, There is a 1,840-foot elevation gain between Elk Park and Molas Pass. 619 Main Avenue. This will allow us to "slack-pack" those first steep miles of the trip. They just ask that we go inside and let them know our plans. Problem. My favorite maps of the CT are published by Trails Illustrated. The COT forms one-third of the Triple Crown of Bikepacking, along with the Arizona Trail and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. The trail contains some obstacles such as outcroppings and rock which could cause injury. Ped Detour july 7 9 detour map July 5 6 8 detour map Cimarron I 25 closures July 2016 The Colorado Trail is mostly dispersed camping. Various Maps of the Colorado Trail. Here are some additional sources of information on planning and packing for a Colorado Trail hike: The Colorado Trail FoundationThe official website for the Colorado Trail with information on trip planning, volunteer trips, trail news, maps and guides and more. Durango, Colorado was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1880. On our winter trips late November through early May, the train travels 26 miles each way to the wye at Cascade Station. This guide gives you trail information at a glance. Unbelievable scenery and good weather added to a great experience. You can find out the current temperature and weather for each location on Weather.com: Of course, those are just the conditions in town. Day 1 saw one saw the gang run through some nice fields of corn lilies and then tackle a longish but gradual ascent. Thanks for doing all this planning for us. The debriefing style is a nice touch. So that will make our trip 79.7 miles. Steve Hume from the Hardtail Party YouTube channel joined two friends on a bikepacking trip on the Colorado Trail, riding 75 miles from Silverton to Durango. On a single-speed, no less. BEAUTIFUL (of course). We've visited this small city of about 16,000 residents several times. Explore the best rated trails in Durango, CO. The top of Kennebec Pass rises above tree line, providing incredible views of the San Juan mountains in all direction. But once on top, its time to rip down! , Plenty of hikers use the train to get up into the San Juans.One way scheduled trains take 3 hours , Elk Park is the last siding, wye, and flagstop before Silverton. We spent a long and beautiful day hiking along a ridge line passing countless wildflowers. The train has been running for over 120 years, yet the Durango railroad depot looks the same as when it was constructed in 1882. He spent many happy hours painting next to the campfire or in the tent as it rained and snowed. For 200 miles (or 320 km), the "C.T." "The 10 miles of downhill from the top of Blackhawk Mountain is some of the best there is, writes John Robinette on DurangoBikeTours.com. Sep 11. We will be hiking segments 25 through 28, which total 73.9 miles. Very well done and lots of detail. Thanks for the info! Arrived Durango, Colorado (pop. From online reviews I've read, I expect the rooms will be basic but clean. It aint easy, but its worth it! 18,000) by Roadrunner, the only long distance bus in and out of town. Tried to walk today from Bolam Pass direction. Created in the 1970s and 1980s, the trail consists of a variety of landscapes but is mostly rugged and mountainous alpine terrain. We'll also have those extra 5.8 miles in segment 24, from Elk Park to Molas Pass. Then a major climb takes you to Blackhawk Pass, the high point of the trail. Was especially fond of the view of Lizard Head Peak. 379 reviews. They completed section 26 and moved onto section 27 and endless climbing, including the joy of pushing their 50-lb bikes uphill. Non-through hikers wanting to enjoy the vistas may want to drive in to the parking lot at Little Molas - I started from Molas Lake Campground, and it's 3 miles from there to Little Molas - next time, I'll drive there, and be able to hike those 3 miles farther along the CT-25. Chimney remains at the side of road #124 in excellent condition. On our last trip, we rode the cog railway to the summit of Pikes Peak and had lunch at the restaurant at the top. On Saturday, our train doesn't leave till 2pm, so we'll have a leisurely morning and time in Silverton for lunch before we hit the trail. I'll be putting together a lens about it shortly, but if you're planning to ride in a gondola (open air) car, be sure to bring layers and maybe a blanket too. But he needed to resupply in Silverton, staying at the hostel there one night. " Yummy and quick " 15/01/2023. We have one week for this trip, with a weekend at either end. It is also very well setup for section hiking and is divided into 28 segments. Thanks for all of the useful info as well as the stunning photos! "It is EPIC!. The center closes at 4pm, so if you're going to park there, either get there before then or call to let them know. Or stay on the Colorado Trail, and the next junction hits the Rico-Silverton Trail, which will take you down into South Mineral Creek and Silverton. Great Lens.. The vista looked great from Molas. There's no good resupply options from Silverton to Durango. This segment is renowned for high alpine tundra and fields filled with wildflowers in the early summer. Nearing camp, we spotted our first and only black bear on the Colorado Trail. Crossed a fairly long slickrock talus slope. About 13 mi from Little Molas, a waterfall is passed, in another half miles a constructed bridge crosses another one, with a site for 2-4 tents at the bridge, and 1-2 tents at a flat spot at the base of the falls, bit of a scramble to get to but worth it. You can vary the length of sections, from days to weeks or more, or even as short as day-hikes, to accommodate the time off you have. Water falls. Join evoTrip x Outdoor Leadership xCAPiTAon a 7-dayadventure inKrippenstein, Austria, which offers some of the best free-riding in the world. Some of the steeper ascents required walking the bikes, but they got to 12,400, marking the high point of day one. Location and contact. Where is the trailhead at the end of our hike? The campgrounds look incredible, as do the small towns. At the time of year we'll be hiking, the hostel runs $22 to $28 per person per night, including tax. The mountains slowly get taller and the aspens get nearer as the road gets windier. For the day, the group logged 28 miles and more than 3500 of climbing in 11 hours, including an arduousand soul destroying stretch at Kennebec Pass right before they ended the day at dusk. who played the baby michael richard kyle iii, , which offers some of it on the Colorado Trail ( COT ) is widely regarded one! 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