White gas and Heet/denatured alcohol are found fairly easily in most re-supply areas. He has never done a hike like this before, and it has been about 15 years for me, however we are both in great shape and love to climb. But that is just my preference. Planning your PCT resupply strategy is one of the most difficult & daunting parts of getting ready for your thru-hike. While this handout will help you prepare for the basics on a journey of this trail, it is not the only item you need for information to complete The Colorado Trail. Dont know if this is the kind of info you want to include but in Creede, there are other shuttlers. Take trail #800 to hook on The Colorado Trail again. They regularly post on forums and Facebook advertising their services. It takes most hikers 4-6 weeks to hike the trail. I guess worse case I can just carry my canister stove witch should last for the 10 day trip as I'm only boiling 2-3 cups of water per day. Even in known good coverage areas, cell phone coverage can be spotty at times. Thx for the info. This site uses cookies. Thanks for putting it together. You will want to be hydrated as well. Once youve done a bit of research, youll have what you need to solve problems and change plans on the fly if necessary. Thanks for this great information. Thats only an issue on phones from what i have seen. Their customers are thru hikers and tourists in cars and they do have a lot for resuppply but if it were me i would send a box there. Obviously, do not depend upon a cell phone for safety. THIS HITCH IS AT MONARCH CREST (HWY 50) AND NOT HWY 114 THEN GO VIA 50 AS WITH THE COLLEGIATE EAST ROUTE. (see info below in Section Hiking Transportation for The Colorado Trail). Our mobile app stores product data offline, allowing you to plan meals and orders wherever you are. This time frame is just a rule of thumb that can change depending upon snowpack, hiking pace, rate of snowmelt, and early winter. This price does not include the cost of gear or transportation costs to and from the trail. Get two or three canisters and practice in real conditions holstering and unholstering it with your gear (poles included) and spraying in moderately windy conditions. Hi, The regulation requires that food be stored in hard canisters or hung 10 feet above ground 4 from the trunk of the tree. James and Rebecca hiked the CT in 2009 using bear canisters cached along the trail. Free shipping on any CONUS order over $65. Ive been known to frequent theBackcountry Brewerythere once or twice. Many thanks to Almanac, Bearpaw, Patrick Gumby Basso, Jamie Compos, Matt Cecere, Rick Rickles McPickles Armstrong, Randy Brown, Book Burner, Chewy, Cookerhiker, Dirty Bird, dirtmonger, Dogwood, Frank Dumville, Mike Felix, Karl Gottshalk, Ed Hyatt, Jest Bill , Les Glassner, Keith Wolf Kimball, Peter Lane, Little Bear, Lucky Man, Mr. Clippy, Paccer, Profile, Matt Roane, Henry Shires, Shutterbug, Skeemer, ,Skittles, Bill Webster and Yogi who all added some input to this doc. Then about 8 miles to town down a jeep road. Enterprise car rental is located in Durango itself. Maybe others can find it useful to have the whole CT displayed in a jpeg. Feeling keen! Very hard hitch and climb. One note of caution: while this may seem attractively efficient during the planning phase, dont be surprised if you find yourself craving a burger and bed when youre 200 miles deep. At ~$15-20 ea, considerably less expensive than bear canisters, too. Used some of your tips on the trail. A map book of this loop is also available. It is a labor of love and good to give back to something I love. You can reverse the route to get into Durango. My goal is to help you figure out which of the many options YOU actually want to stop at, depending on your hiking style. What this often means is that in addition to campfires, stoves without an on/off valve are often banned. As a side note, thanks so much for making this guide, it has been a ton of help! Hes very responsive and gives excellent feedback. Restaurants. How much will it cost to take a hike on The Colorado Trail? Hope Pass is also the literal high point of the Leadville 100 ultramarathon that takes place in mid-August. Mount Princeton Hot Springs and Monarch Crest Souvenir Shop WhiteBlaze Pages 2022 A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook. With over 1000 products Resupply Box offers enough healthy choices to sustain any hiker, biker, or runner for the duration of their trip, while catering to individual dietary restrictions. The last column is cut off from view. I plan to bring my trail dog and 10 year old which complicates logistics as the busses dont allow dogsonly option Ive found so far is a one way rental from Denver to Leadville and repeat to return. The sun exposure means you are more likely to get dehydrated. On-trail resort. Thank you! This is out of our control now, as an access point. Ship yourself other things you need: medication, contact lenses, etc. Is the monarch crest store right on the CW route or the standard route. Salida Salida Mt Sports 719-539-4400 Monarch Crest Store (limited quantity reported)- 1-719-539 4091, Lake City Sportsman Outdoor and Fly Shop 970-944-2526 High Country Market 970 944-0161, Silverton Outdoor World 970-387-5628 Silverton Hardware (970) 387-5774, Gunnison A few different choices among the, Durango Many choices as well (if not as many as Denver..go figure! Makes it easier to filter my mail. The End to End Colorado Trail guide assists in this kind of planning. If the trend continues into 2022 safe to say leaving a car there will not become an option going forward. This website is such an amazing resource! Colorado Trail End to End Guide first version June 2005, CategoriesQuick and Dirty Guides, Trip PlanningTagscollegiate loop, Colorado, Colorado Trail, colorado-tip, popular, resupply, thru hiking. Molas Lake Campground: Check this link under FAQ updates on resupply. If you are part of the better to have it and not need it crowd, by all means, take it if it makes you feel better. Thank you. Good enough to navigate on trail with alt bail out points. I also enjoyed working on a segment 8 volunteer trail crew this past summer. If you start late in the season, going Denver-bound extends the window of hiking by one week or so to early-mid October depending on that seasons weather conditions. Similar to the Bear Creek Maps. Have fun! If you still havent made up your mind, here other resources you can consult for yet more information related to resupplying on the Colorado Trail: For general advice on planning a CT thru-hike, here are answers to 35 important questions about the CT. For section hikers, or thru hikers wondering what to look forward to, here are the best segments of the Colorado Trail. This route is higher than the Colorado Trail (and sometimes more exposed) and can provide another high country alternate for those who wish to take it. TBD if the ban on leaving a car at Waterton Canyon is permanent or lasting into other seasons. (Food reported to be on the expensive side; DINNER ONLY MEAL AVAIL FOR NON-GUESTS RESERVATIONS NEEDED), New hostel BV Overlook with hiker accommodations and tent sites. It is also essentially a wide dirt road, and a is a very popular trail running/biking/fishing area so not the most remote feeling start. Creede seems slightly more popular. Paul, You mention that Amtrak stops in Frisco. Not everyone can manage it. The rule of thumb is pretty accurate, however. Essentially this is the opposite of the Favorite Trail Towns plan above. Thank you so much. The town day vortex is real; once you get in, its hard to get out again. Frisco: Another full-service town with outfitters, grocery stores, etc. thanks, D, UK. Walked from my front door to the ri, A very close friend came by for a visit. There are dozens of post offices, hotels, stores, and lodges that will receive your package and hold it for you. Once back online, inventory is verified prior to order placement. Receive an email notification of new posts direct to your inbox once a week. , In areas with trees, hanging is suggested. Silverthorne/Dillon: Full-service town. Please note that while this route is easy to follow with basic map reading skills, it is not marked. Hey, I clicked on the Biivi hostel link, the prices look to have gone up. ;D). his link from The Colorado Trail Foundation may be useful as well. Monarch Mountain Lodge is a great stopping place to rest your head, restock on supplies or just take advantage of our showers and laundry room. If you want to continue the high country route (and add a fair amount of mileage) continue into the Platte River Mountain range and follow the range to North Twin Cone Peak, follow the long and meandering dirt road down to Kenosha Pass and rejoin The Colorado Trail. Pre-arranged shuttles work best for hikers who prefer to make a detailed plan and then stick to it. (Note:Fall generally comes to The Colorado high country by late August), Now,with changing weather patterns, the above rules of thumb are getting skewed. Kim Vawter, BFT's former Community Manager, completed a PCT thru-hike in 2016. This post from the FKT Proboards by Eric Truhe nicely sums up the stat differences between the Collegiate East and the Collegiate West options: For CT East versus CT West clarification, according to the CT Guidebook (9th Edition): The CT via the CT East is 484.6 miles with 87,645 feet of climbing (Durango to Denver), The CT via the CT West is 489.7 miles with 89,665 feet of climbing (Durango to Denver), Specifically: The Colorado Trail guidebook lists the appropriate map to use for each section. Very soon into the trail if you need to bail or just want to get a cold Coke. I live at sea level!!! Sign up here for occasional emails full of inspiration and information about backpacking and hiking. Some resupply possibilities are available from both, though from different mile counts and with differing degrees of difficulty. Just FYI. Hitching:Hitching into town to resupply is usually needed. Postholer also has a neat little , and free. Getting back to Denver or into Durango you have a few different options. [] foods I want while not spending valuable time trying to figure out options at a grocery store. The views from up to and at Elk Head Pass are stunning. Related: 35 FAQs about the Colorado Trail. Im planning on going with the Trails Illustrated Maps and am planning to do Collegiate West instead of East for the thru-hike. Or maybe I am just dreaming anyways I will be starting in mid July. For tomorrow (last-minute-ish), its $44 ($49 without). he Latitude 40 Maps arent as detailed as other maps, but cover a wider area. This is not a complete description by any means but does give a brief overview of some of the more popular options. Thanks! 103 Sanibel Crest Pl, Montgomery, TX 77316. Heres how to get to the trailhead via public transport: , (see SECTION HIKING TRANSPORTATION for more info on RTD). By ordering ahead of time youll save time on precious town days and save money that you can spend at a local restaurant or hotel instead. For hikers with a high tolerance for advance planning and a low tolerance for town stops (not me! I love solitude, big views, and a good lightweight gear setup. Lockers and towels are also available for an extra $1 each. Get the food you want, especially if you have a restricted diet (many stores on the CT have limited options), No grocery shopping saves time in town (but post offices have limited hours; try to ship to hostels or stores when possible). Local shuttles. Another option that may work is the Ursack http://www.ursack.com/the-shop/. Beer Thirty Hike: Not an alternate per se, but an easy way to do a 14 mile/3500 gain slack pack between Breck and Copper using the Summit County Bus transit system. Im concidering a food cache at Cottonwood pass. This alternate is far prettier than the official CT East in the sage IMO. Get some ice cream when you are there. CT Day 23/CDT: Monarch My son was planning to meet me at the Monarch store at 11:00 am with my resupply. Industry: Motor vehicle parts and accessories, Aluminum foundries, Metal coating and allied services, Miscellaneous Metalwork, Fabricated Metal products, nec See All Industries, Motor vehicle supplies and new parts, Auto and home supply stores, Scrap and waste materials, Real property lessors, nec Testing laboratories, nec See Fewer Industries Hey Mags, great stuff love all the updated CW route info. Also, do you know anything about the quality of these maps: This is probably not a big deal for most folks, but you never know. Hi there, Im Alissa. 0 Enterprise has been reported to do pickups (such as a motel room). If your dog (and YOU!) Also known as the 2020 pandemic plan this Colorado Trail resupply plan keeps you away from towns and minimizes resupply-related transport as much as possible. Small general store with marginal resupply. they also have fresh food - ice cream, hot dogs, sandwichs, etc. Im actually planning a trip doing the Collegiate Peaks Loop this summer from June 12th-22nd but I was wondering what your thoughts on that timing is. It was expensive for the condition of the place. She said they take UPS mail drops for hikers. Here are the particulars in a nutshell: The Colorado Trail map from The Colorado Trail Foundation. On The Colorado Trail, there are two designated alternates that are the same mileage roughly. There is a small airport in Durango. It seemed like my days off were more stressful than my days on trail, and I wasnt able to fully rest and enjoy the towns I was visiting as my priority was on finding food to survive the next section at a decent price. The only downside, if you see it that way, is that most require hitchhiking or a pre-arranged shuttle. These one-way rentals book quickly. I am using this a training run for the PCT. Book online at this link with the code HikeCO for a discount.. Other lodging (cabins, lodges) just outside of town. see above. In the Fall of 2017, I hiked the Collegiate Loop. Im planning to hike from Molas Pass to Junction Creek. Im glad it helped! Quickly looking at the Colorado Trail map, the trail swings south towards Durango before getting to Telluride. These restrictions include portions of both the Collegiate East and West routes for the CT. For most hikers of The Colorado Trail, the primary place impacted will be the popular USFS Bootleg campground near Princeton Hot Springs. 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