Colorado Trail: Section 2

 The Colorado Trail runs from Waterton Canyon, just west of Denver, to Durango CO.  Along the way, it passes through eight mountain ranges, six National Forests, and six wilderness areas. Its 486 miles are considered, mile for mile, one of the prettiest trails in the US. The idea was birthed in 1974, fully connected in 1987 and to this day is maintained by the United States Forestry Service and the non-profit Colorado Trail Foundation. 

Do I have wildly ambitious plans to hike it in its entirety?  Um... heck no! But now that I have set sights on summiting Kilimanjaro, I am learning that my close-in playground of the Foothills and the Rocky Mountains makes me uber fortunate. For it is on these dusty, undulating trails at elevation, that I can build strength, stamina and put my gear to the ultimate test before taking it to Africa.  So, yeah, PARTS of the Colorado Trail will be underfoot from time to time. (The easy parts!)

More about the Kili plans later but right now is actually a good time to introduce my hiking partner, the woman behind the idea and inspiration/motivation. I met Sue in Antarctica in 2022. Like me she is passionate about travel, brakes for a good photo opp and is not afraid to get uncomfortable, push boundaries and take both the paths most traveled and least traveled, with an equally open mind. 

Sue took us hiking 3 weeks ago and we managed to turn a 5-7 mile hike into something longer than 8.5 miles. I saw my first rattlesnakes and came to the conclusion it was time for new boots that day. 

I chose the next long-ish hike for us. Section 2 of the Colorado Trail looked challenging, beautiful, easy to get to and just a bit more of a stretch at 11 miles. 

Step 1: Meet on Deckers Rd near the Little Straggy Trailhead and leave one car at this end. 

Step 2: Drive together, 35 mins to the beginning at South Platte River Trailhead.

Step 3: Hike 11.7 miles mostly uphill (2000+ feet of elevation gain), around Rayleigh Peak, through the woods and fire-scorched valleys - slowly - while shooting several hundred pictures, sucking down a couple of liters of water and stopping to picnic!

You know you're getting tired when you accidentally take a pano shot just as your friend accidentally stumbles back onto the trail!  Life is art!

I don't have any pics of the magical and joyful minute we staggered off the trail and into Sue's waiting car. My feet were tender and my hips were groaning (which *may* have had a little something to do with the 4lb quartz rock that hibernating in my pack and destined to grace Sue's garden). 

Both of us tired but pleased with the effort and the way the day had gone... but ready to go home.

 ...Home... yeah, that was a 35 min drive back to my car and then a 80 minute drive after that. The first 5 miles along the South Platte River were on a barely maintained, often 1-lane, gravelly dirt road. I speak for myself when I say it was all I could do to be a safe, attentive driver. I was looking forward to a hot shower and dinner made by Mark.