Segment 1 of the Colorado Trail is easily accessible, located only 30 minutes from downtown Denver. This is at about mile 17.1 of the 32.9 mile trail. Water may be available in small quantities, but should not be considered reliable. There is some cover along the way, but the heat radiated by the ground and rocks, combined with the lack of moisture, can make a typical summer day almost unbearable. Bike: While the trail is relatively smooth in the eastern half, it becomes rockier in the middle and stays that way for the remainder of the segment. Trail Surface: Smooth single-track with rocks and grass. Bike: While only the last three miles of this segment are within the La Garita Wilderness, the four miles of trail leading to the boundary from where the roads end are closed to bikes. We do not run, so we will walk it and so it begins. There are rough days and we go through a lot to get to where we want to go. Colorado Trail Segment 1 -Waterton Canyon Trailhead to South Platte River Trailhead. Unfortunately, even though the trail is smooth, it is so steep as to be almost unrideable in both directions. Colorado Trail: Segments 1-6 | Colorado | 07/24/17-08/02/17. Bike: Despite the huge elevation changes, this segment is almost entirely rideable, with only a few steep or rocky sections where it will be necessary to walk uphill, and in a few instances downhill as well. Except for the road at the beginning and the steep grade near the high point, the first ten miles are actually better in many ways, especially when ridden downhill. Here are my notes: It took exactly 8 hours from sign to sign (18 miles). It helps you plan your CT excursions, can guide you on the trail, and is particularly well-suited to have either in an automobile or at home. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Climbs and descents are barely noticeable throughout the first half, which follows a long valley where the elevation rarely strays more than a few hundred feet from that of the starting point. We saw a hummingbird on a purple flower [at our campsite]. These same features make the segment one of the most amazing and isolated experiences anywhere on the trail when under cloudless blue skies. Bike: An abundance of rocks, along with sections of trail that are so steep as to present a challenge for both hikers and bikers, will inevitiably require some walking. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until September. The second half of the segment is almost entirely single-track, with only a few steep sections, most of which can comfortably be ridden downhill. There is a large parking lot on Platte River Rd. Views of Mt Guyot and a curious ground squirrel we named “Brian” kept spirits up for a short while until we plunged back into the trees. Hiking & backpacking aren’t all sunshine and rainbows! It may sometimes be hard to accept, but the “failures” make better reading than the “successes”: without the self-knowledge, disappointments, small, fierce accomplishments, it’s just another walk in the woods. As day-hikers, our packs were lighter then thru hikers. I’ve added some comments to provide clarification as well as many of the pictures I took along the way. Here is a brief recap of these first two segments. The high point is three thousand feet above the highway at the beginning of the segment, on a ridge at the head of the valley. Hike: The first few miles of this segment skirt the very edge of a golf course and crosses most of Copper Mountain's ski runs, on a series of dedicated trails, shared connecting trails, and service roads. Today we started at Waterton Canyon. Note: Dogs are not permitted in Waterton Canyon. The Colorado Trail Foundation is a nonprofit organization that oversees the care and improvement of the Trail. Hike: This section is unique in that it begins by following the forested shore of a reservoir for several miles, suddenly climbs and descends three thousand feet, and ends with several more miles of flat terrain. The roads fairly typical, and not particularly steep, and the few difficult sections of trail are no worse than some whole segments. Quite an adventure. Trail Surface: Dirt roads; rocky single-track with sand. However this particular route was ridden (mountain bikes) from west to east starting on the South Platte River near Conifer, CO and ending at the Waterton Canyon Trailhead southwest of Denver, CO. Saw very few people today and just two deer. Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. The trail starts at the end of CT - Segment 1 along the Platte River. Trail Surface: Dirt roads; smooth single-track with rocks, Trail Surface: Rocky roads; smooth single-track with rocks and mud. There are several small streams near the middle of the segment, but beyond that the only reliable water source will be halfway through the next segment. COTREX is a project by the Colorado DNR and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. A good warm-up, the first 6 miles climb gradually along a dirt road, then turn onto rolling and climbing singletrack trail. I’m glad you were able to get it figured out and get back on trail! There are two signs a few hundred feet apart on the north side, where the trail intersects an old road, that first generically prohibits vehicles and then prohibits motor vehicles, but nothing similar at the other end. The canyon offers a 6.5-mile route to a view of Strontia Springs dam. Hike: This segment leaves behind the seemingly endless miles of roads surrounded by grassy hills and small clumps of trees at its halfway point, and concludes with a gradual descent through a secluded valley next to a boggy stream. She accepted the hour on/hour off booty regiment that we imposed on her and even let us put doggie paw lotion on her feet … Starting Point: Waterton Canyon Trailhead, Denver, CO. Btw, the left side of my left foot below the little toe down to the ball of my foot, all on the very side, hurts no matter what I do, such as hike, play racketball, backpack, so if you come up with a fix let me know, lol. Stats: 16.8 miles; 2,830-foot … Except for a few steep sections, the roads are relatively smooth and easy to ride, but because it is necessary to return by the same route to go around the wilderness, and the scenery is similar to the previous segment, a desire to complete the entire trail is really the only reason to ride it. I hardly hiked last winter due to bone spurs and a pronation problem. Alternate start to the CT. Er führt entlang eines Flusses, durch schönen Wald Segment 10 – Mount Massive, 14,421 – TI map #127. Segment #1: Waterton Canyon to South Platte River. We expected to see a moose but saw cows instead. Day 1 – Waterton Canyon to the South Platte River – Segment 1. updated: March 20, 2017. There is no water and little shade. SECTION ONE. Yesterday I rode the Greyhound from Durango to Denver and arrived in downtown Denver at about 6pm. Hike: A combination of roads and trails gradually climb away from Marshall Pass along the Continental Divide to a high point of over eleven thousand feet near Windy Peak. Bike: Except for a few miles of smooth single-track on either end, and the occasional rockless section, this segment is nothing but rocky trails and roads, which is no fun at all on a bike. Change ). We wished we had known so we could have invited him out with us. It was relaxing hanging out and watching the hummingbirds. And a goal of ours is to finish the Colorado Trail one day, one section at a time. Finally we found a campsite at 14.0 miles in, almost to the end of Segment 4! The whole section can be comfortably ridden in both directions in one day, but because the trail conditions deteriorate significantly during the descent towards Marshall Pass, the return trip can be surprisingly long and difficult. The Colorado Trail is a 486-mile-long greatest hits collection of the Centennial State’s most picturesque scenery, from wildflower-strewn meadows to sky-high rocky ridges, that runs from Denver to Durango. While there is a chance of encountering a few small streams a short distance into the next segment, there are no reliable sources of water for almost twenty miles. Trail Surface: Paved and dirt roads; smooth single-track with rocks. Segment one of the Colorado Trail starting at the Waterton Canyon just South is Denver, and ending at the South Platte River trailhead. Get ready for some thigh-busting ascents and high altitude exposure as the trail climbs … There are several intersections in the second half of the segment, at least one of which requires a turn in the least travelled direction, but all of them are well marked. Starting Time: Sunday, July 14th, 7:00 AM. We got to the long 6 mile meadow right around storm time & it started raining & hailing on us. While their bluish tint provides an unusual contrast when intermingled with aspen, especially in the fall, once they burn or fall over the character of the segment will change significantly. Trail Surface: Rocky roads; rocky single-track with roots. Segment 7 begins at Goldhill Trailhead, just off Highway 9 and located halfway between Breckenridge and Frisco. Segment 1. We were right by a trailhead & watched some people spend 30 minutes trying to back up their truck LOL! Weather. Trail Surface: Dirt roads; smooth single-track with rocks and sand, Hike: The first half of this segment follows a wide, flat road at the bottom of Platte Canyon. Trail Surface: Rocky roads; rocky single-track. The cots were very uncomfortable. Colorado Trail: Segment 14 is a 27.7 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Salida, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers. It left me demoralized and sad. We were the first ones to check in but shortly after, 3 more came! Pressing on just makes them worse – and maybe permanently. We tried & failed to get a fire going. Even though the trail generally follows the top of an almost continuous, undulating ridgeline for most of the remainder of the segment, thick forest often completely obstructs the view. Thru-hikers hike the entire trail from one end to the other in usually a little over one month. Denver to Breckenridge. Hike: The first three miles of this segment climbs along a road through thinning forests and wide meadows. Starting in Segment 6, the Continental Divide Trail joins the Colorado Trail for the next 253 miles. The morning was perfect weather, cooler & overcast. Even though the last eight miles are mostly uphill, and the trail follows an old railroad grade near the end, the second half of the segment is a better overall ride than the first. Beware that a large portion of Colorado Trail Segment 4 (miles 1.9-8.2) is in the Lost Creek Wilderness which prohibits bikes and motorized vehicles from using the trail. This portion of the Colorado Trail is considered segment #1 of the 28 segment Colorado Trail. On Day 8 we reached treeline for the first time along the trail. It was in his backpack the whole time. Day 3 | 07/26/17 | ~ 12.0 miles | Segment 2: MM 3.0 to Segment 3: MM 3.4, Buffalo Creek Fire Campsite to Stormy/Soggy Campsite. 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