Segment 8 of the Colorado Trail
Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:09 am
“Sport”, Maverick and I were recently invited to join a group on a three day hike of part of the Colorado Trail.
The Colorado Trail is a 486-mile long trail running from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango, Colorado.
The Colorado Trail was built and is currently maintained by the non-profit Colorado Trail Foundation and the United States Forest Service.
The Colorado Trail is divided into 28 segments. We were invited to explore the 24 mile long segment 8 from Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass.
This segment begins at the ski / golf resort of Copper Mountain.
We followed the trail up Guller Creek. We noted several beaver ponds.
Once again, I owe a debt of gratitude to my ace photographer and trail companion “Sport”.
We reached the tree line after several miles of climbing. At the top of the canyon we found Janet’s Cabin. “Located at timberline in the Guller Creek Drainage next to the Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Janet's Cabin is a fine hut that attracts both novice and expert skiers. The hut was completed in 1990 by Summit Huts Association (the hut owner). The lovingly crafted 3,000 square foot cabin is built with 10" Montana pine logs. Four bedrooms sleep a maximum of 20 guests. Janet's Cabin has a wood-burning sauna.”
The rain had begun to fall so we sought refuge on the porch of the cabin and ate lunch.
After lunch we continued our climb to the top of Searle Pass. We found a welcoming committee at the top of the pass.
We continued our hike along Elk Ridge. This area is over 12,000 feet in elevation. Note the difference between the Rockies and the Sierra at this elevation. The Rockies have plenty of soil and lush vegetation.
Another difference is the Cairns. Those people in the Rockies treat stacking rocks as a competitive sport. I saw many cairns almost 6 feet tall.
One aspect of our Sierra is the almost solid wilderness. One does not experience wilderness on segment 8. This is a shot of Sport on top of Kokomo pass. Note the active molybdenite mine behind her left shoulder. We could also see highways and a reservoir from the top of this pass.
It began to rain shortly after we reached the top of Kokomo pass. Fortunately we were well prepared. We headed down to Avalanche Creek and set up camp for the night. The rain gave us no respite. We ended up cooking in the vestibule of our T3 quarter dome. This tent really kept us dry.
To be continued...
The Colorado Trail is a 486-mile long trail running from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango, Colorado.
The Colorado Trail was built and is currently maintained by the non-profit Colorado Trail Foundation and the United States Forest Service.
The Colorado Trail is divided into 28 segments. We were invited to explore the 24 mile long segment 8 from Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass.
This segment begins at the ski / golf resort of Copper Mountain.
We followed the trail up Guller Creek. We noted several beaver ponds.
Once again, I owe a debt of gratitude to my ace photographer and trail companion “Sport”.
We reached the tree line after several miles of climbing. At the top of the canyon we found Janet’s Cabin. “Located at timberline in the Guller Creek Drainage next to the Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Janet's Cabin is a fine hut that attracts both novice and expert skiers. The hut was completed in 1990 by Summit Huts Association (the hut owner). The lovingly crafted 3,000 square foot cabin is built with 10" Montana pine logs. Four bedrooms sleep a maximum of 20 guests. Janet's Cabin has a wood-burning sauna.”
The rain had begun to fall so we sought refuge on the porch of the cabin and ate lunch.
After lunch we continued our climb to the top of Searle Pass. We found a welcoming committee at the top of the pass.
We continued our hike along Elk Ridge. This area is over 12,000 feet in elevation. Note the difference between the Rockies and the Sierra at this elevation. The Rockies have plenty of soil and lush vegetation.
Another difference is the Cairns. Those people in the Rockies treat stacking rocks as a competitive sport. I saw many cairns almost 6 feet tall.
One aspect of our Sierra is the almost solid wilderness. One does not experience wilderness on segment 8. This is a shot of Sport on top of Kokomo pass. Note the active molybdenite mine behind her left shoulder. We could also see highways and a reservoir from the top of this pass.
It began to rain shortly after we reached the top of Kokomo pass. Fortunately we were well prepared. We headed down to Avalanche Creek and set up camp for the night. The rain gave us no respite. We ended up cooking in the vestibule of our T3 quarter dome. This tent really kept us dry.
To be continued...