Big Gee in Action
Below are my journal entries from my Great Colorado Loop backpacking trip June - August of 2011. In January I hiked from the official Waterton Canyon trailhead to Lenny's rest and back because that access would be closed later. Then in June I restarted at the alternate Indian Creek trailhead.
| Date | Day | Starting Location | Destination | Miles | Cumulative Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Jan 2011 | -1 | Waterton Canyon Trailhead | Waterton Canyon Trailhead | 15.8 | 7.9 | Hike from the official trailhead to Lenny's Rest and back. |
| 10 Jun | 0 | Aurora, CO | Aurora, CO | 0 | 7.9 | So much to do! |
| 11 Jun | 0 | Aurora, CO | Aurora, CO | 0 | 7.9 | Still so much to do! |
| 12 Jun | 1 | Indian Creek TH | Bear Creek | 6.8 | 6.8 | Gone Hiking! |
| 13 Jun | 2 | Bear Creek | Burn Area | 12.1 | 18.9 | |
| 14 Jun | 3 | Burn Area | Buffalo Creek | 15.5 | 34.4 | Through the Burn to an awesome camp |
| 15 Jun | 4 | Buffalo Creek | Above Craig Creek | 8.7 | 43.1 | 1st food cache |
| 16 Jun | 5 | Above Craig Creek | Another streamside camp | 15.0 | 58.1 | Georgia Pass looms |
| 17 Jun | 6 | Another streamside camp | Kenosha Pass | 12.2 | 70.3 | 2nd food cache, 1st hitching |
| 18 Jun | 7 | Kenosha Pass | Jefferson Creek | 6.0 | 76.3 | Alana visits |
| 19 Jun | 8 | Jefferson Creek | 11,200ft camp | 9.4 | 85.7 | Lingering Snowpack |
| 20 Jun | 9 | 11,200ft camp | Road Crossing at North Fork | 4.3 | 90.0 | trudge out in rain |
| 21 Jun | 10 | Breckenridge | Breckenridge | 0.0 | 0.0 | Zero Day |
| 22 Jun | 11 | Breckenridge | Breckenridge | 0.0 | 0.0 | Zero Day |
| 23 Jun | 12 | Road Crossing at North Fork | CT Section 7, milepoint .5 | 13.7 | 103.7 | The adventure continues |
| 24 Jun | 13 | CT Section 7, milepoint .5 | Miner's Creek Tributary | 5.5 | 109.2 | |
| 25 Jun | 14 | Miner's Creek Tributary | Copper Mtn | 7.4 | 116.6 | Incline Bar & Grill |
| 26 Jun | 15 | Copper Mtn | Unnamed Tarn, 11,960 ft | 10.1 | 126.7 | Searle Pass |
| 27 Jun | 16 | Unnamed Tarn, 11,960 ft | Tennessee Pass | 13.7 | 140.4 | Speedstick |
| 28 Jun | 17 | Leadville | Leadville | 0.0 | 140.4 | Zero day, planning day |
| 29 Jun | 18 | Tennessee Pass | Turquoise Lake | 13.6 | 154.0 | Lucky hitch! |
| 30 Jun | 19 | Turquoise Lake | Rock Creek | 6.4 | 160.4 | Hiding from the storm |
| 1 Jul | 20 | Rock Creek | South of Twin Lakes | 18.7 | 179.1 | Easy hiking! |
| 2 Jul | 21 | South of Twin Lakes | Chaffee Co Rd 390 | 9.4 | 188.5 | More easy hiking with Peaches, Pebbles, and unnamed |
| 3 Jul | 22 | Chaffee Co Rd 390 | Pine Creek | 6.5 | 195.0 | Short day from Leadville |
| 4 Jul | 23 | Pine Creek | Silver Creek (11,000 ft Mt Yale) | 14 | 209.0 | Colorado Mountain Expeditions |
| 5 Jul | 24 | Silver Creek (11,000 ft Mt Yale) | Dry Creek (Mt. Princeton) | 13.9 | 222.9 | CME again |
| 6 Jul | 25 | Dry Creek (Mt. Princeton) | Rasberry Gulch Rd | 10.8 | 233.7 | Mt Princeton Hot Springs |
| 7 Jul | 26 | Rasberry Gulch Rd | Cree Creek | 15.6 | 249.3 | CME makes fish tacos! |
| 8 Jul | 27 | Cree Creek | US 50 | .9 | 250.2 | Salida resupply |
| 9 Jul | 28 | Salida | Salida | 0 | 250.2 | Beer Fest! |
| 10 Jul | 29 | US 50 | Green Creek Shelter | 10.3 | 260.5 | A night in a shelter! |
| 11 Jul | 30 | Green Creek Shelter | Tank Seven Creek | 15.6 | 276.1 | |
| 12 Jul | 31 | Tank Seven Creek | Razor Creek | 14.4 | 290.5 | Cochetopa Hills |
| 13 Jul | 32 | Razor Creek | Gate on Cochetopa Pass Rd | 16.2 | 306.7 | Apple's Trail Magic Tent |
| 14 Jul | 33 | Gate on Cochetopa Pass Rd | La Garita Wilderness Boundary | 18.1 | 324.8 | |
| 15 Jul | 34 | La Garita Wilderness Boundary | Bondholders Meadow | 13.7 | 338.5 | |
| 16 Jul | 35 | Bondholders Meadow | Willow Creek on Snow Mesa | 11.0 | 349.5 | Hiding from thunderstorms |
| 17 Jul | 36 | Willow Creek on Snow Mesa | Colorado Trail Memorial Yurt | 13.8 | 363.3 | Yurt! |
| 18 Jul | 37 | Colorado Trail Memorial Yurt | Unnamed lake next to Cataract Lake, 12,000 ft | 14.2 | 377.5 | More rain |
| 19 Jul | 38 | Unnamed lake next to Cataract Lake, 12,000 ft | SE slope of Canby Mtn | 9.1 | 386.6 | More rain |
| 20 Jul | 39 | SE slope of Canby Mtn | Bridge over Animas River | 16.3 | 402.9 | Elk Creek |
| 21 Jul | 40 | Bridge over Animas River | US 550 / Molas Pass | 5.0 | 407.9 | Whoo! Silverton |
| 22 Jul | 41 | Silverton | Silverton | 0.0 | 407.9 | Silverton resupply |
| 23 Jul | 42 | US 550 / Molas Pass | CT Segment 25, mile 8 | 8.0 | 415.9 | Heading to Durango |
| 24 Jul | 43 | CT Segment 25, mile 8 | CT Segment 26, mile 10 | 22.9 | 438.8 | Biggest Day Yet |
| 25 Jul | 44 | CT Segment 26, mile 10 | Scenic Overlook | 13.2 | 452.0 | Worst rain yet |
| 26 Jul | 45 | Scenic Overlook | CT Segment 28, mile 8 | 16.3 | 468.3 | |
| 27 Jul | 46 | CT Segment 28, mile 8 | Junction Creek Trailhead and end of the CT | 13.5 | 481.8 | End of the Colorado Trail and thruhiker dinner! |
| 28 Jul | 47 | Durango | Durango | 0.0 | 481.8 | Resupply |
| 29 Jul | 48 | Durango | Durango | 0.0 | 481.8 | Planning |
| 30 Jul | 49 | Kennebec Trailhead | Taylor Lake | 1.4 | 483.2 | Not a great start back to Denver |
| 31 Jul | 50 | Taylor Lake | Priest Gulch Trail | 20.6 | 503.8 | Down, down, down to the Dolores River |
| 1 Aug | 51 | Priest Gulch Trail | Anchor Mtn - Calico Mtn Saddle | 8.8 | 512.6 | Awesome views! |
| 2 Aug | 52 | Anchor Mtn - Calico Mtn Saddle | Slate Creek | 13.3 | 525.9 | Below treeline again |
| 3 Aug | 53 | Slate Creek | Sunshine Mesa Rd | 13.0 | 538.9 | |
| 4 Aug | 54 | Sunshine Mesa Rd | Telluride | 12.0 | 550.9 | Couchsurfing Telluride! |
| 5 Aug | 55 | Telluride | Telluride | 0.0 | 550.9 | Resupply and planning |
| 6 Aug | 56 | Telluride | Eider Creek | 4.5 | 555.4 | Just a few hours hiking |
| 7 Aug | 57 | Eider Creek | Somewhere on Alder Cr Trail | 13.0 | 568.4 | Is our hero trailess? |
| 8 Aug | 58 | Somewhere on Alder Cr Trail | Wilson Creek | 14.25 | 582.65 | PITA Trail |
| 9 Aug | 59 | Wilson Creek | Ouray | 16.3 | 598.95 | Good miles into town. Will I stay an extra day? |
| 10 Aug | 60 | Ouray | Ouray | 0.0 | 598.95 | You bet I'll stay! |
| 11 Aug | 61 | Ouray | Bear Creek National Recreation Trail | 3.0 | 601.5 | I suck at getting out of towns. |
| 12 Aug | 62 | Bear Creek National Recreation Trail | Matterhorn Cutoff Trail | 14.5 | 616.0 | |
| 13 Aug | 63 | Matterhorn Cutoff Trail | Somewhere on the Big Blue Trail | 14.25 | 630.25 | Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre |
| 14 Aug | 64 | Somewhere on the Big Blue Trail | Little Blue Creek Stealth Camp | 23.5 | 653.75 | Long roadwalk begins |
| 15 Aug | 65 | Little Blue Creek Stealth Camp | Ferro's Trading Post | 12.75 | 666.50 | Roadwalk continues... |
| 16 Aug | 66 | Ferro's Trading Post | Rock Spring | 10.3 | 676.8 | Roadwalk ends! |
| 17 Aug | 67 | Rock Spring | East Soap Creek Tributary | 12.0 | 688.8 | Bonfisk Mountain |
| 18 Aug | 68 | East Soap Creek Tributary | Horse Ranch Park | 16.25 | 705.05 | Beckwith Pass |
| 19 Aug | 69 | Horse Ranch Park | North Anthracite Creek | 9.0 | 714.05 | F*CK! |
| 20 Aug | 70 | North Anthracite Creek | Marble | 8.0 | 722.05 | Chilidog, chili, PBR, and Rolling Rock. Now this is life on the trail. |
| 21 Aug | 71 | Marble | North Fork Lost Trail Creek Trail @ the North Fork | 4.0 | 726.05 | |
| 22 Aug | 72 | North Fork Lost Trail Creek Trail @ the North Fork | Snowmass Falls Ranch | 13.0 | 739.05 | |
| 23 Aug | 73 | Snowmass Falls Ranch | Snowmass | 7.7 | 746.75 | That's all for this year. Bus to Aspen and Bus to Glenwood Springs |
| Epilogue | Aurora, CO | Aurora, CO | 746.75 | Thoughts on the GCL |