Twig Adventures

September 3rd, 2019 Cottonwood Pass mm 1894.1 to Abandoned Cabin mm 1923.8 Distance in miles: 29.7 0620-1840 We did a big day yesterday, meeting our mileage goal. I sleep very well as a result, even though we’re camped at 12,000′ with little cover and next to a road. The weather couldn’t be better and I’m shocked at how comfortable it is at this elevation. I’ve been so much warmer than I was on the Colorado Trail, even though it’s a month and half later in the season. This is the best time of the year to be hiking in Colorado. We start up the trail and are immediately hiking along the divide as the sun rises. For those wishing to[…]

September 2nd, 2019 Hope Pass Lake mm 1865.3 to Cottonwood Pass mm 1894.1 Distance in Miles: 28.8 0620-1840 I wake up so happy to be starting this stretch. I hiked it as a section a week after completing the Colorado Trail. There’s another route that goes around the eastern flanks of the Collegiate Range, but I didn’t care for that much. This route is so much more beautiful…one of the best trails I’ve ever hiked. Today the trail goes up over Hope Pass, past the valley below Mt. Huron, then up over Lake Ann Pass. It then winds along the western flanks of the 3 Apostles and into the Texas Creek valley, climbing up to Cottonwood Pass. The following day[…]

August 31st, 2019 Tennessee Pass trailhead and Hwy 24 mm 1818.7 to Willow Creek mm 2841.8 Distance in miles: 23.1 1200-1950 I drag my feet getting out of town. There are the usual distractions like food and people in the hostel to talk to. One lady is hiking the CT but says she never wants to do another thru-hike again. She just isn’t into it. I kind of wish I had her problem. I have the opposite dilemma of not ever wanting my thru-hiking to end. We have to walk outside of town to a junction to get a ride but once we’re there, a guy with a bunch of kayaks and a bike pulls over for us right away.[…]

August 30th, 2019 Jacque Creek mm 1798.6 to Tennessee Pass Trailhead and Hwy 24 mm 1818.7, then hitch to Leadville. Distance in miles: 20.1 0620-1400 We have another easy day to town again. In fact, I haven’t done my usual 30 mile day in almost a week and I’ll admit, it’s been kind of great. We head up the creek valley early and are surprised to meet a CT hiker, Palisade, up and at em early, too. We hike with him to the top of Searle Pass and then across to Kokomo Pass. These were my highest passes yet on the CT and today they feel like child’s play. We hit Kokomo by 9 am, whereas it took me until[…]

August 29th, 2019 HWY 9 mm 1780.8 to Jacque Creek mm 1798.6 Distance in miles: 17.8 1100-1900 We’d like to take a longer rest but it’s expensive around here, so we decide to head back to the trail. Had we planned better, we could have slack-packed the section from the highway to Copper Mountain. But it involves too many logistics, so we just lug our heavy packs up and over the Ten-Mile range. I bought way too much food at Walmart the night before and am angry with myself for my poor planning as I set out. I’ve not done this section yet because there was a fire closure 2 years ago. The trail is nice and graded but there[…]

August 28th, 2019 North Fork Swan River mm 1768 to HWY 9 mm 1780.8 Distance in miles: 6 0610-0810 Town day! After the longest of stretches, I need a shower but more importantly, FOOD. We have an option of taking a minor road walk cut-off and we gladly go with it. I have already walked this stretch of trail into Breckenridge.  I also walked all of the “red-line” (official CDT route) along the ridges from Grays Peak and feel like I’ve earned a little savings of about 6 miles. Many others are taking the Silverthorn alternate, which cuts off about 35 miles and misses out on summiting Grays Peak, as well as all the spectacular ridge walking that comes after[…]

August 27th, 2019 Warden Gulch stream mm 1746 to North Fork Swan River mm 1768 Distance in miles: 22 0610-1740 I stood at the intersection of the Colorado Trail and CDT at Georgia Pass 2 years ago, wondering what it would be like to hike the CDT. The pass was the highest point we had yet seen on the CT and still, the CDT route continued to go up even higher. How intimidating it seemed to hike the divide, so high and exposed on the ridges and peaks for miles. At the time, I was terrified of the routine afternoon thunderstorms. Over the past week, I finally saw what was behind the curtain and it’s been more incredible than I[…]

August 25th, 2019 Bill Moore Lake mm 1699.5 to Quayle Creek next to I-70 mm 1730 Distance in miles: 30.5 0610-1840 The wind howls all night but I don’t feel it in my tent. It flaps maybe once during a gust. It makes me happy every time my tent doesn’t get blasted but at the same time, I’m reminded that the wind is going to be present all day long while I’m hiking. At least I sleep well, probably the best I ever have above 11,000′. It’s hard on a body to rest above this elevation. Your metabolism is working overtime just to stay warm and get enough oxygen. It’s surprisingly dry and not too cold in the morning. We[…]