National Heritage Areas

Hiking the Colorado Trail is the hardest thing I have ever done. The combination of physical and mental challenges is a unique cocktail of adventure beyond my normal trail races and camping experiences. And it’s not just the extreme uphills and bone-crushing downhills that tax your body and mind. The many hours spent wandering through the forests and valleys with little in view except more of the same brings to mind many questions: Why am I doing this? Will things ever get easier? What happens if I just quit?

I feel like the first settlers of the Colorado territory probably felt the same way when they faced numerous challenges of their own. After the first Colorado “Gold Rush” in 1858, many people started streaming into the state hoping to find their fortune. Soon, others discovered that Colorado’s Rocky Mountains were truly a mineral belt of untapped resources. The Colorado Trail, and several of the towns along the way such as Leadville and Silverton, tell this story of how the mining industry shaped the state’s culture and history,

As I reached the Chalk Creek Canyon, just past the Mount Princeton Hot Springs, this history came alive. (See featured picture of Mount Princeton from the opposite side of the canyon.) In the 1880s, St. Elmo became a boom town as the silver and gold mining took off. The railroad brought industry to the area, and soon other minerals were discovered as well. Mount Antero, another 14er looming in front us of at the trailhead, has produced an abundance of aquamarine, topaz, quartz, and crystals over the years. Having walked by many houses on the way to the trailhead at Chalk Creek near Mount Antero, I could picture how this area would have been bustling with mining and railroad activity in the not too distant past.

Of course, water is an integral component to the mining process. So even before the prior appropriation doctrine had been officially established in Colorado’s state constitution of 1876, miners were diverting water for beneficial use in their operations shortly after the 1858 gold rush. Miner’s codes had a significant impact on Colorado’s water law, which would become the standard for many western states as those “first in time” had a “first in right” ability to divert and use their allocation. The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area commemorates the importance of the Colorado doctrine as it relates to water law in the west. (For a fuller account of Colorado’s mining history and water law, David Schorr’s book “The Colorado Doctrine” was recommended to me.)

While the obstacles facing those miners and water managers are much different than the mental and physical challenges we face on a daily basis while hiking the Colorado Trail, I would like to think at some point those early settlers must have been thinking the same thing as me—that this is the hardest thing I have ever done.

Day 13 on the trail: We said bye to Twin Lakes after a restful couple days, but we were faced with an immediate conundrum—how do we get back on the trail? We could walk the extra miles around the lake (see picture below), but the easiest way would be to hitch a ride to the east side of the dam and jump on there. Hiking “purists” may scoff at skipping even a couple miles of trail, but one of my favorite things about thru-hiking is the motto “hike your own hike”. This motto really means that your adventure is what you want it to be. Fortunately, we got lucky with some “trail magic” and got a ride with another hiker. It made for a more enjoyable, less stressful start to our third section of the trail.

Day 14: After camping alone in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, which was our first solo camping experience for quite some time, I awoke to a mystery—where did one of my socks go? I often hang my socks from a tree or my pack at night to air dry, but this time I was missing one. My pack was even ensconced in my rain cover as usual, but there were a couple odd things going on. One of my rain cover tightening straps was broken, my pack’s side strap was nearly severed, and there were several holes in one of my socks that did make it through the night. There could only be one explanation—squirrel attack! A lot of people ask about wildlife on the trail, but up until this point it had been fairly uneventful, meaning that we hadn’t seen any moose, bears, or mountain lions (thankfully, although we finally did run into some moose—see pic below). However, now I became just as worried about squirrels as anything else. Next time Aska, our dog, goes after a squirrel, I may not be as quick to recall her.

Day 14 on the trail also saw some of our biggest hiking challenges so far, with 1400 ft up, then 1200 ft down, then 1400 ft up, before finishing our 18 mile day with another 1200 ft up in the last 1.5 miles to another lonely camping site above 10,000ft. It was then, in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness with no one else around except Kelsey, Aska, and I, that I thought—this has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done. (But the views are pretty—see our picture below of the Collegiate Peaks.)

Day 15: With the potential for an easier day ahead after a blistering 2400 ft decline in 2.5 miles out of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness from Mount Yale, things were looking up. Of course, with easier trails and popular trailheads come more people and sometimes more problems. Between the kids, dogs, and horses on the trail at this point, new challenges presented themselves around every corner—including a broken trekking pole. Just when you think you have the trail figured out, it can throw you a curve ball.

Day 16: We woke early this day with the prospect of brunch at the Mount Princeton Hot Springs resort in mind. Even the several miles of road walking to the resort was worth it so that we could enjoy real coffee, French toast, and bacon. With extra food in our bellies, we pushed past the amazingly beautiful chalk cliffs (see the picture below) to find ourselves all alone again on the trail. That night at camp though, we finally ran into several other colorful thru-hikers with seasoned trail personas such as “Starbuck”, “Mowgli”, and “Crunchy”. Despite our trouble finding a good water source, and some threatening clouds in the distance, the extra camaraderie really helped motivate us for our push to Salida the next day.

Day 17: After a 20 mile day previously, 8 miles to Highway 50 and hopefully a ride to Salida wouldn’t be too taxing. We passed several other 14ers in the distance, including Mount Shivano, and crossed one of the Arkansas rivers’ many forks. I was excited to be back in a “real” river basin yet again. Thankfully, a trail angel named Chuck just happened to be waiting at the trailhead, and immediately offered a ride back to Salida where we would be staying at the hiker-friendly Simple Lodge for a couple extra days to rest up before getting back on the trail. (See pic below of Salida’s riverfront park.)

Between the breweries, restaurants, and riverfront access, Salida has been a great diversion from the trail. Of course, while the Arkansas River makes me miss the Poudre back home (and look forward to the Fort Collins’ whitewater park project and Heritage Trail), the Colorado Trail begins to beckon us once again. Despite some tendinitis, doggie chaffing, mental challenges, and water shortages ahead, we look forward to completing the remaining 200+ miles of our Colorado Heritage Journey. Our stops ahead include the La Garita Wilderness, San Luis Peak, and Lake City—check back in another week hopefully for my fourth update from the Colorado Trail.

About the author: Jordan Williams is the Assistant Program Manager for the Poudre Heritage Alliance, and he will be hiking the 500 mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango from August to early September alongside his wife Kelsey and their dog, Aska. During their trip, the threesome will be making stops in South Park and Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Areas and blogging about their experiences. Additionally, they will be posting about their adventures on Instagram @thehikingheeler and @poudreheritage. Don’t miss your chance to learn more about Colorado’s Heritage Journey!

Some people enter the wilderness looking for solitude. Some desire an escape from modern civilization and technology. Why do I enjoy hiking along the Colorado Trail, which goes through several wilderness areas and multiple national forests? I wish the answer was simple, but during this last 75 mile section of the trail from Breckenridge to Twin Lakes, I definitely felt an appreciation for our state’s natural and cultural heritage.

As we ascended over mountain passes, crossed railroad tracks, passed by old coker operations, and slept near alpine lakes, I could not help but contemplate humanities place in the wilderness. In 1964, the United States government created a legal definition for wilderness, which gave certain protections to 9.1 million acres of land at that time. Currently, 109.5 million acres of land are included within that wilderness designation.

Back in January 2018, congressman from Colorado introduced the Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness, and Camp Hale Legacy Act. It would impact nearly 100,000 acres of the White River National Forest by creating three new wilderness areas and enlarging three others. It would also define Camp Hale as a National Historic Landscape, thereby commemorating the the heritage of the 10th Mountain Division, which trained at Camp Hale and helped the United States secure victory during World War II. (See below for my experiences walking along the Colorado Trail through Camp Hale.)

Wilderness areas are directly connected to our National Forests as well, which provide 20% of Americans with a reliable supply of clean, cold drinking water. The Cache la Poudre River’s headwaters originate in Rocky Mountain National Park, but flow through many miles of the Roosevelt National Forest along with the Cache la Poudre Wilderness area. Untangling this intersection of wilderness, forest, and human history is one of the many stories that Colorado’s National Heritage Areas can tell. Read on for my experiences as we traversed our second section of the Colorado trail.

Day 8: Our first day back on the trail after a delightful day off in Frisco saw us tackling 3000+ of elevation gain and decline. Ouch. With heavy packs, we ascended over the Tenmile Range and experienced a strange dichotomy of natural and human landscapes. Around one corner, marmots taunted us with their yipping (see pic below). Then over the crest of the next hill, we glimpsed the top of the Breckenridge ski resort. Camping along Tenmile creek with several other hikers that night was well-deserved to say the least.

Day 9: In the morning, we were back in civilization as the trail traversed Copper Mountain Ski resort (see the chairlifts below). A donut, croissant, and coffee from the impressive Camp Hale Outfitters was a welcome addition to our morning routine. After a few more miles, we found solitude again as we climbed over Searle and Kokomo passes above 12,000 ft. We crossed paths with a several other backpackers who were becoming familiar faces—the human camaraderie while climbing mountains and camping has definitely been a welcome complement to the loneliness of the trail.

Day 10: Is there such thing as an easy day on the Colorado Trail? After 10 days of hiking and analyzing our routes, my answer is no. Between aches and pains, unexpected climbs, and unforgiving descents, the trail always seems to present a challenge. Thankfully, there are usually “distractions” that keep you interested. This day presented an intriguing connection between modern establishments, and our natural heritage. We walked through the remains of Camp Hale (see pictures of the bunkers below) while construction workers seemed to be surveying for an underground gas line in the area. By the end of the day though, we found ourselves in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area, with an amazing camp site adjacent to Porcupine Lake at 11,400 feet. Again, we shared this wilderness experience with several friendly faces who were also experiencing the same physical and natural challenges as us.

Day 11: We woke early to an amazing sunrise (see featured picture), then geared up for our longest day on the trail so far—21 miles that would take us from the Holy Cross Wilderness area through the Mount Massive Wilderness (Colorado’s second highest mountain), to the base of Mount Elbert (Colorado’s tallest mountain). The challenge was both mental and physical yet again, as there were long stretches with nothing in sight but forest and trail. However, the water pump and garbage facilities at the trailhead were a very welcome slice of civilization.

Day 12: Because of our long day prior, we “only” had a 7+ mile walk into our next town stop in Twin Lakes. As the lakes came into sight, anticipation was building for a real day off and amenities such as a shower and a bed. Of course, Twin Lakes is a National Historic District with limited cell phone and internet service. However, the quaint appeal (and proximity to Leadville) certainly make it a worthwhile destination.

Stay tuned for our next stop in Salida, as we traverse the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and explore more of Colorado’s natural and cultural heritage along the way.

Sources:

https://www.nationalforests.org/our-forests/your-national-forests-magazine/where-the-water-begins
https://polis.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398559

About the author: Jordan Williams is the Assistant Program Manager for the Poudre Heritage Alliance, and he will be hiking the 500 mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango from August to early September alongside his wife Kelsey and their dog, Aska. During their trip, the threesome will be making stops in South Park and Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Areas and blogging about their experiences. Additionally, they will be posting about their adventures on Instagram @thehikingheeler and @poudreheritage. Don’t miss your chance to learn more about Colorado’s Heritage Journey!

Backpacking along the Colorado Trail definitely makes you appreciate the value of water. Not having access to tap water, a shower, or an ice cold beer for several days really puts the idea of “wilderness” into perspective. Most of our days along the trail, we try to make camp near a water source, and at the end of the first day our goal was the South Platte River (see picture above). This location had particular meaning for me, since throughout segment 1 of the trail, we had been paralleling the South Platte canyon. Having lived in Fort Collins for over 5 years now, the Poudre Canyon has become a home away-from-home, and the confluence of these two great rivers approximately 5 miles east of Greeley marks the edge of the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area. Safe to say, after 13 blistering hot miles on day one, the South Platte’s cold waters were exactly what we needed.

Way back on July 5, 1820, Major Stephen Long reached present day Denver where he also got to look upon the South Platte River. However, his first impressions were not as enthusiastic as my feelings during our Colorado Trail thru-hike in 2018. Long had been commissioned to ascend the Platte River and explore the headwaters of the Arkansas and Red Rivers. His expedition followed the Platte River to its South Fork in the mountains, where they discovered and named Long’s Peak. While his group was not successful in finding the headwaters of the Arkansas and Red Rivers, the Long Expedition was the first scientific survey of the region and dramatically increased the country’s geographical knowledge of the West. Of course, with the spring runoff long gone from the rivers of Colorado, Long thought the the region resembled a “Great American Desert” rather than a Fertile Crescent.

Settlers did eventually pour into Colorado’s Front Range, and they formed towns along the area’s waterways. The Union Colony settlement in 1869 (now present day Greeley) at the confluence of the South Platte and the Cache la Poudre River, and their continued perseverance in utilizing the water resources available in the area, is a prime example of how Long’s initial assessment was a little short-sighted. The Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area is meant to chronicle how the people of Northern Colorado interacted with the natural landscape and the river to have a nationally-significant impact on water law and water management systems. Which just goes to show that in terms of Stephen Long’s findings, first impressions aren’t always the most accurate.

Unfortunately for our “expedition” along the Colorado Trail, not every day would end with a South Platte River-esque water source. The first few days were incredibly dry, but still very eventful. On Day 1, nature was out in full-splendor as we traversed Bear Creek while running into butterflies, berries, and bobcat poop. We even had some fly-bys from a couple hummingbirds and hawks.

After replenishing our water supplies at the South Platte on the morning of Day 2, we prepared to traverse the Buffalo Creek burn area (see pic below). Despite fantastic footing along the trail and some respite at the local firehouse, Kelsey began suffering some serious blister problems. We hoped to end the 16 mile day at Tramway Creek, but unluckily for us there was no way we were going to pump water from that trickle of a stream. So we headed 4 more miles down the trail to Buffalo Creek, where we spent the night alongside another thru-hiker, a nurse from New Mexico who was attempting to complete the trail in just 30 days. Big props!

Day 3 brought cloudier weather—thank heavens! Unfortunately, we had a 2,000+ ft climb up to 10,600 feet in the Lost Creek Wilderness to look forward to. Despite a lack of views from the top, we were rewarded with a couple of Gatorades from two “trail angels” at our campsite that evening. (See picture below for the valley we camped in.) Our troubles continued though when we discovered that our dog Aska was experiencing chaffage from her pack, and our water filter clogged. Back up iodine pills to the rescue! We were really starting to miss that great tasting, Fort Collins tap water at this point…

On Day 4, I woke up with a headache and some queasiness. Maybe a little bit of altitude sickness? We powered through the first 6 miles of the day though to exit the Lost Creek Wilderness, but we had some company from baby birds and cows along the way (see pic below). That night, we camped for the first time totally by ourselves (except for a few cows that decided to sleep at Johnson’s Gulch as well), where we enjoyed the thunder and lightning show from the comfort of our tent.

Day 5 brought us back to civilization as we headed toward to Kenosha pass to meet up with our friends to help us resupply, which included a new water filter. Yay! We also connected with the amazing media crew from Mount Bailey productions to film a segment and do a podcast for South Park National Heritage Area. Look for it on Facebook by the end of the month! Aska was especially interested in the interpretative signage chronicling the railroading and farming heritage of the area. (See pic below.) That night brought the end of our dry spell, as the rain and wind ravaged our campsite. How are we going to do this whole thing again?

Day 6 found us climbing up and over Georgia Pass, while we dodged mountain bikers on this popular segment of the trail. (See 13,000+ Mt. Guyot in the pic below.) We also ran into several other thru-hikers from all over North America, including Toronto, Boston, and Philadelphia. The rocky road on the way down from the pass made several foot baths in the ice cold streams a necessity that evening. Again, the importance of water, this time for feet care.

Finally, on Day 7 we “sprinted” the last 13 miles to Breckenridge while fighting random rain storms, unfortunate uphills, and annoying foot pains. We were greeted with ice coffees by Kelsey’s parents, and proceeded to enjoy showering and drinking from the tap again. As I write this post listening to Tenmile Creek rushing past, I am beginning to get ancy for the trail however. I can only hope to get lucky with future water sources while avoiding those thunderstorms on the high peaks of the continental divide. Either way, I still have a lot to learn about this state’s water heritage.

Look for my next post in a week from Twin Lakes!

Sources for this article:

• http://www.americanjourneys.org/aj-144c/summary/

About the author: Jordan Williams is the Assistant Program Manager for the Poudre Heritage Alliance, and he will be hiking the 500 mile long Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango from August to early September alongside his wife Kelsey and their dog, Aska. During their trip, the threesome will be making stops in South Park and Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Areas and blogging about their experiences. Additionally, they will be posting about their adventures on Instagram @thehikingheeler and @poudreheritage. Don’t miss your chance to learn more about Colorado’s Heritage Journey!