When I first started the trail I wasn't sure what to expect out in the Colorado backcountry. Would I be hiking with lots of other thru hikers, mostly families and friends backpacking, just the occasional dayhiker or be out there all alone with the mountain lions? Well I'm happy to report its a good mix of all of the above. Below I've taken a bit of time to reflect on those I met on the trail.
Thru-hikers/Section-hikers
As I have mentioned before I am right at the front of the pack so unfortunately haven't gotten to meet a lot of the CT thru hikers this year. I have got to chat with a number of the Continental Divide Trail thru hikers who are hiking literally 6x my distance. While most of those conversations are fairly short since we are going different directions its always fun to hear about their trips and their favorite parts of the trail. I really like meeting all the different hikers and its surprising how much you can learn in those brief chats.
I also have met a number of folks section hiking. It sounds like a few folk have split the trail so they did half last year half this year. Others break it down in to a few sections of the trail and take it nice and easy. This year they officially opened up the Collegiate Loop which is a 160+ mile loop in the middle of the trail around some of Colorado's highest peaks. It has been great enjoying a break with a lot of these folks as they often have a great laid back mentality to the trail. They often know the area really well too and have lots of good recommendations for other trips in the area. So while I haven't been hiking with other thru-hikers the whole way I certainly get to experience a lot of folks with similar mentality.
Backpackers
While backpackers are very similar to thru-hikers there is a slight distinction due to the longer trip and general dirtiness of thru-hikers. I am always amazed how far some of the people have traveled to come backpacking out here. I've met a number of scout troops excite to get up to the real mountains and remember the feeling when I went on my first scout trip to the Rockies. You also get the backpackers who are just so blown away by everything out here and so happy. The backpackers aren't as restricted to the Colorado Trail either so again you get to hear about some of the other great nearby destinations. I love chatting with the other backpackers and hearing all their excitement getting out here.
Dayhikers
I ran into the most dayhikers outside if Denver and by any of the major roads. Its kinda funny because you can often tell you are getting closer to those roads when you see all of them. The other major area is when you are near some of the big peaks catching people heading up or down the 14ers. I'm quite impressed with some of the hikers I see too. From little kids I passed heading down from Mt Elbert Colorado's tallest peak, to people with their little dogs to couples with baby carriers filled with tiny little infants. These folks are usually excited to hear about your adventure and excited to make it up to their destination. That's what is so cool about being in the backcountry is you can be crossing a great distance or just doing a quick out and back but still have such a profound respect for the beautiful scenery.
Mountain Bikers
I must say I'm a pretty big fan of mountain bikers and have lots of respect for them. Biking up some of these steep rocky slopes is not easy and while some of the times they do hop off and walk them you would be amazed the stuff they can get up. There are also bikepackers on the Colorado Trail who can cover 30 to 40 miles in a day across the ridges. Mountain bikers come in all levels of proficiency and you can definitely tell which parts of the trail are best suited but the do the hard stuff to. I have the feeling that I'm already drinking the Kool-aid and may be looking to save up for a mountain bike when this trip is over. Just gotta hope I can stay on it.
Dirt-bikers/Jeepers
Then there comes the complete opposite of the mountain biker; the dirt biker. I'm sorry but I have little respect for them. Some sections of the CT allow for dirt bikes which just blaze through with no regard for anyone but themselves. They expect all hikers to get out of their way, erode the trail, terrify the wildlife and are so noisy. Needless to say I cannot stand them and hate when I hear them approaching from miles away. I know these lands are intended for the public's recreation but if I had my way motorized vehicles would be banned from all backcountry trails.
Closely related to the dirt bikers is a related group of people I like to call jeepers or people who drive these all terrain vehicle often smaller jeeps or 4x4s. I like the nickname I heard of "Texas Wheelchairs" as probably 90% of these jeepers are Texans up for the summer. Jeeping requires a whole lot of laziness a decent amount of $ and I guess an appreciation of good views. I just don't get it at all why this would be a fun way to get out and its soooo lazy it drives me crazy. Maybe I'm not being fair but I think you should earn your good views to appreciate them. However with all of the old mining and forest roads they certainly have plenty of access and get out in the back country all the same.
Trail Angels
Sure enough I saved the best for last. I was very happy to find some trail magic waiting for me by one of the first real roads I crossed. A number of spots had trail magic which typically consists of pop, chip and/or candy stashed in a waterproof animal proof container. Many times its from former thru-hikers who know where you could us a moral boost but sometimes its from people who never set foot on trail. Its nice because they often leave a notepad so you can write thank you notes to these unseen heroes.
I did get an even better treat about halfway between Salida and Lake City. I was in a really dry stretch that just looked like the wild west with wide open plains and plateaus on the horizon. Off in the distance I spotted something shiny hiding behind some trees. As I approached I saw a smiling guy named Apple all decked out in Colorado Trail gear. He had come all the way from Cincinnati to do this for the summer and set up a massive tent with snacks galore all for CT and CDT thru-hikers passing by. He was so kind and friendly and assured me I was the first N to S thru-hiker he'd seen this year. People like Apple truly restore your faith in humanity going so far out of his way to brighten a stranger's day.
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