The Hiker

For those of you who don’t already know me my name is Matt Ramlow and I am a 25 year old 6'8" Midwesterner who is moving out to Colorado with my girlfriend to start grad school in the fall. I've caught the thru-hiker bug after my PCT hike in 2012 and wanted to do another hike before starting my research. This trip will not only be a chance for me to spend another month out in the mountains but also help introduce me to my new state where I hope to spend a number of years.

My dad, Chris, Adam and I at Yosemite in 2000

I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio where I got my first tastes of the West and backpacking through an awesome road trip camping in a RV with my parents and two brothers, Chris and Adam. I got my first sample of what to expect on a thru-hike with the blazing temperatures down in the Grand Canyon and the spectacular panoramas of Yosemite Valley. I continued to develop a taste for backpacking through Boy Scout backpacking trips out to Isle Royale and Philmont in New Mexico. Before heading out east for college I made a short detour to Utah working as a wilderness ranger for the Wasatch Cache National Forest during the summer of 2007. I got a bit more in touch with my inner mountain man and realized my passion for backpacking and being out on the trail.

Me working as a Wilderness Ranger in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest

The idea of completing a thru-hike didn’t first hit me until I did a week long solo hike on the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts and Connecticut the summer of 2008. On my way south I ran into several different thru-hikers and was amazed by each of their stories. Some were fulfilling a lifelong dream in their retirement, some were at a critical cross-road in their life, and some were even attempting their second AT thru-hike and jumping off the trail late the previous summer. While I love nothing more than hiking with my friends I also found the process of being out alone in the woods to be very awakening being alone with your thoughts and really getting to know yourself. After my trip I realized a thru-hike is an experience I want and need in my life.

Me on the PCT overlooking Mt. Rainier in WA

My trip on the PCT in 2012 was truly a dream come true. I had nearly perfect weather the whole way (virtually no snow and probably less than a week of rain the whole 4.5 months), me some amazing people and got to experience everything I had ho
ped for. I loved getting to see how the land transitioned from the deserts into the mountains, stopping into all of the cozy little trail towns along the way and entering some of the most beautiful places I have ever experienced (hint hint while the national parks are great there are so many other remarkable places out west). The other thing that I hadn't quite realized was the community that I became a part of with some of the kindest people I ever met in my life both the trail angels supporting me out of their own homes and my fellow thru-hikers motivating me along the trail. Completing the PCT had given me so much satisfaction, more than I ever could have dreamed, and I was so happy that my biggest fear didn't come true; that a thru-hike would make me tired of hiking.

Why the CT?

While the Colorado Trail might not be one of the big three (Appalachian Trial, Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail) it certainly has plenty to offer for a thru-hike. I plan to one day tackle the full triple crown but at this point in my life the Colorado Trail seemed like the best fit, especially given the fact that I am now making this state my home. The CT is a 486 mile trip from Denver to Durango spending most of the journey high in the mountains above 10,000 ft. I've talked with a number of people who have hiked the Colorado Trail and it sounds like an amazing trip. Plus since it only requires one month to hike (as opposed to 4-6 months on the longer thru-hikes) its much more accommodating for me starting my grad school research later this summer. I plan to take my time exploring all of the different scenery around Colorado and find some of my favorite places to come back and visit with friends later. This will be a whole new experience for me and I cannot wait to get started!