CDT Part 7: Creede to Leadville, The Colorado Deli Blaze

Miles This Section: 187.5

Total Miles Hiked: 980.5

To say I’ve struggled to write about Colorado would be a huge understatement. Fatigue, time constraints, and lack of a clear storyline – the last thing I wanted to do while on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in Colorado was think MORE about walking in Colorado.  

The CDT, so different from many other trails, forces you to play around with the preconceived notions of what a thru-hike should be. ‘Trail’ is often an abstract term out here. On single track, dirt roads, asphalt, a dent in the grass, or no trail at all we walk to connect locations as best as possible.

In Colorado especially, everyone scatters to hike their own hike playing in the mountains as their heart desires. Linked with multiple maps and routes that aren’t always accurate to the terrain, the pull to be purist to the CDT reduces with every mile hiked. 

It’s said you could walk the CDT many times and always see something new. 

For me, Colorado was the style of hiking that leads your parents to say I’m really glad you made that safe choice and makes you question if you could have accomplished more, leaving blurry sore spots in beautiful mountain views that I wish had cleaner edges. 

Sometimes it’s not the hike you were wishing for but the hiking is done and there’s no going back.

I’m going to jump a bit ahead here, but upon tagging the Colorado border into Wyoming we’re all a bit worse for wear physically but stronger mentally. And with Wyoming, I’ve strolled to the northern half of the CDT! But first… back to Colorado.

A Timeline of Events 

Creede to Leadville had the ‘deli blaze’ of Colorado (where frequent towns allow for short food carrys) while we followed the Colorado Trail and chose between the West or East Collegiate Trails. There were mining ghost towns, valleys, endless wilderness areas, mountain passes, swarms of mosquitoes, snow, wind, ridges, wonderful to questionable town accommodations, and fun visits from friends.

This gets pretty long in the name of playing catchup, so I totally understand if you skip around. It’s been a peaceful exercise to arrange the many moving parts into a slightly coherent storyline for a section of trail that absolutely flew by in the moment. 

Cochetopa Valley: Everyone Wants to Feed Me

In CDT Part 6: Chama to Creede, I left off as Bus Driver and I reached San Luis Pass where the Creede Cutoff junctions with the main CDT/Colorado Trail.  We’re back on the CDT red line! (For context, the Colorado Trail (CT) route has been following the CDT since the San Juan Mountains in the Weminuche Wilderness, South of Silverton.)

The presence of the Colorado Trail means that the footpath is slightly better blazed, maintained from blowdowns, and clearly worn in. A pure joy for all involved.

We spend a couple days in the La Garita Wilderness heading into the Cochetopa Valley. Colorado Trail hikers often talk of open range land and long water carries in Cochetopa. However, we hit the season right as we see no cows and have great water. Highlights include the CDT 1000 mile marker, pronghorn antelope, and Pepsi gifted from a past AT thru-hiker named Twin.

The pull-off at CO 114 has surprise trail magic out of an SUV from an experienced thru-hiker named Ron. He’s out for the summer to feed hikers. 

Sitting on coolers we share chips and salsa, cheese sticks, cold drinks, and great conversation with Ron and our friend Judd. The temperature drops and rain jackets are pulled out as a cold front rolls in above us. As always, we don’t want to hike in the rain.

Jokes of wouldn’t it be funny to go into town? It’s dangerous to be at 12,000 feet in cruddy weather! turn to three hiker thumbs raised along the road for an attempt at hitching.

I’m somewhat stressed about making miles to meet friends in Buena Vista. But once the jokes start rolling, it’s impossible to ignore the pull of walls, a shower, and hot food. Saguache or Gunnison, east or west, either town is fine for us.

Saguache: A Very Normal Town

A truck pulling a fifth wheel pulls up to ask where we’re headed and the lucky decision (for better prices) to go to Saguache (Sah-watch) is made for us. Mike, the driver, is headed in that direction to a weekend rafting party in Salida. He does not hesitate to mention our lovely body odor. 

The town itself is quaint and not touristy. A motel, two restaurants, a small grocery store, and a natural foods store – everyone operating to their own schedule. I love it. The perfect stay out of the rain as we watch Princess Diary movies and the rodeo on TV. 

Gunnison and San Isabel National Forests

The weather is back to blue skies as we pull back into the parking lot at CO 114 the next morning. Miles on our minds, only to arrive at lunchtime trail magic at the Lujan Pass Trailhead from parents of a prior CDT/PCT thru-hiker. Two miles hiked before 2pm are the best days.

Sargents Mesa, stunning ridgeline views from Marshall Pass, and the damp Colorado Trail leanto style shelter are on the map from this stretch. But my favorite memory is our campsite with a sunset view only 1.3 miles from Monarch Pass. 

At Monarch Pass, Bus Driver and Judd take a hitch to Salida. I’m choosing to attempt a town in-and-out (a rare occurrence) as I MUST make up miles, opting to pop into the closer-to-trail Butterfly House Hostel for a shower and laundry before leaving mid-day.

It’s always a good sign when a hitch pulls over to state It’s dangerous for a single woman to be hitching by herself, but you can trust we won’t kill you. Hop in! 

Thank you? I think to myself, sharing with the son and father duo that I can always say no to a hitch, while calculating in my head the other options for female hikers to get places off-trail. There aren’t many. I’m happy to say they drop me off at my destination several miles down the road murder free. The hitch back to Monarch Pass is from a guy my age who chooses to not mention homicide along the way. 

West Collegiates of The Sawatch Range: Ghost Towns and Time Alone

This stretch is spent solo. I follow my own schedule, hiking till just before dark and hugging the Collegiate West.

From Monarch Pass I follow the CDT along the bald peaks of Monarch Mountain Ski Resort where the wind is so strong I lose my footing and almost my hat before dropping into the valley of the Middle Fork South Arkansas River.

Logistics time again: from five miles south of Monarch Pass to north of Twin Lakes this section of the CDT/CT is also referred to as the Collegiate West Trail, supposedly the higher and more scenic option of the Collegiate West or Collegiate East routes.

The snow fields remain manageable in the southern end of the West Collegiates other than one cornice that makes me break down, when at first I struggle to spot my route up and over. This is my personal San Juans I tell myself. (They aren’t the same at all.)

The Almost Aquablaze of Mirror Lake 

Sun-stained wooden cabins, rusty machinery, and informational placards of ghost town ruins are what I remember best in Central Colorado. 

Hikers follow the rotten wooden ties of the Alpine Tunnel Railway from Hancock Ghost Town towards Tincup Pass. I spend time imagining steam engine trains – only 120 years ago – barreling down this narrow cut in the rock. The noise of mining has since been replaced with a steady stream of water flowing along the rocky rail bed and the trilly chirp of birds. Historical photos along the path portray pine trees that look the same while everything else has changed. 

 At Tincup Pass Trailhead I head left on the The Mirror Lake Alternate, choosing the lower alternate used by off road vehicles to avoid the high snowy traverses of the main CDT. As a ‘low’ route it stays relatively high in elevation through Tin Cup Pass. The tread hugs west of the divide and still has spectacular views while feeling a bit safer. 

However, where the ORV road is flooded along Mirror Lake, a hiker has the option to swim or complete a mile long bushwack along the lake – following a weak game trail through willow bushes. Not one for swimming with a pack, I hesitate to ask a boater to share his canoe for an evening paddle to the campground before I resign to cursing my way through the brush – the almost aquablaze. This alternate route still remains one of my favorites along the CDT.

Buena Vista to Leadville: Days Off with Friends as I Wait for Friends 

The story keeps rolling. At Timberline Trailhead on CO 306 (Cottonwood Pass area) I reach the destination I’ve been pushing for. My friends Gnarly and Photo Op, both AT SOBO ‘22, pick me up along the hairpin roadway for a day of hugs, smiles, and food.

We walk the main street of Buena Vista and Gnarly dreams of mountain town living away from Denver. They listen to me babble on about the trials of this trail I’ve chosen to spend my summer hiking; most of which they hopefully ignore as part of their prep to thru the Colorado Trail in August. Gosh, I miss these guys. 

I have no plans for the night. But storms are in the forecast and I really don’t want to do the next sketchy section from Cottonwood to Twin Lakes by myself. So I reach out to fellow thru-hikers Bug and Rova who are in Leadville for a few days. A room is scored at Bug’s apartment for a zero while Bus Driver and Double Dip catch up. The latter two have multiple days of rain while I hop up to loiter in Leadville coffee shops – who has the better deal?!  

Collegiate Peaks Wilderness: Where the Passes Go Wild

At the Timberline Trailhead (CO 306) I meet back up with Bus Driver and Double Dip. We, the smaller group back together after miles apart, have to say goodbye to Rova who’s been diagnosed with a fractured bone in his foot. The ever dreaded foot fracture. There are injuries or pains you can push through – a foot fracture you can only push for so long. It’s a trail ending injury for him, our Aussie rapper. Goodbyes are hard out here. 

We camp soon after, prepping to approach Lake Ann Pass the next morning when the snow is soft. 

The Lake Ann snow cornice remains strong on June 22. Unfortunately it hasn’t disappeared overnight for us. At the top we’re able to visualize the descent, taking time to really plan it out as we brace ourselves.

Kicking in steps down to a safe glissade works well as first three to tip-toe down. Or if you’re me – steps work well until the snow gives out underfoot – giving me the chance to test newly acquired skills with an ice axe. My attempts to self-arrest don’t go as well as it did on Montezuma Pass in the South San Juans. Here, the ice axe pick bounces off rocks hidden beneath the dwindling snow.

There’s also the small chance I don’t know what I’m doing, this thru-hike being more of a figure it out on the fly type situation. Mom and Dad – before you freak out – it’s scary slide down the pass but relatively low consequence, leading to some shaky nerves on snow going forward but no real damage except to that of my confidence. 

We exit the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area passing hordes of day hikers. The Three Apostle Peaks are to our south. The ghost town of Winfield Mining Camp giving another peek into the past before the 2,421 foot climb up Hope Pass. Two endless passes in one day for around 6,000 feet of total vertical ascent. That’s kinda the story of the rest of Colorado.

Twin Lakes

This is a good place to add that, during this whole stretch of trail we are also monitoring the Twin Lakes Fire burning just south of the Interlaken Historic District. It’s a developing situation along the lake’s south shore, sparked by a campfire, and all we can do is walk until we can’t anymore. For a long time the CDTC’s official guidance for a detour is unclear. Other than where the trail is closed – due to it being on fire. 

They’ve managed this fire quickly due to it being a high-use residential area. By the time we reach the closure point the wildfire is over 85 percent contained. Where hikers were previously detoured along busy Route 24, Willis Gulch Cutoff Trail has been reopened to route us around the west end of the lake directly into the settlement of Twin Lakes. Oh what a shame! (Willis Gulch is the best route if your intention is obtaining cold soda and ice cream as fast as possible at the Twin Lakes General Store.)

 

By the time we reach Twin Lakes only a small plume of smoke remains in the darkened treeline. A great reminder to always, always, always completely douse a campfire.

Land of the CDT 14,000 Footers

As an outsider, it really is quite difficult to differentiate the mountain ranges and wilderness areas layered with National Forests. What’s important to know is this is where it started to get consistently high in elevation, with options to summit well known 14ers like Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive before arriving at Tennessee Pass for the hitch into Leadville.

We don’t summit optional peaks of Elbert and Massive, partially for time but mostly for pain management. We’re all hurting, tired, and although the views are probably stunning, the nerve pain in my right foot has decided this is the perfect time to flare up again. It’s not the right time and we have more 14ers coming up! we say. 

Leadville 

It’s here that I arrive at the small mining town of Leadville for the second, and hopefully last time, of this thru-hike. It’s another zero day to prepare ourselves for the last stretch of high elevation Colorado ridgelines. 

We shop for Melanzana Grid Fleece hoodies and avoid passing rainstorms in coffee shops, as one does in Leadville. We sleep in a house under construction and then the first floor hallway of an apartment next to a welding shop – both being friend of a friend of a friend type connections. 

The Mental Halfway Point (And Back to the Philosophical Stuff)

 Leadville, dubbed by locals as the mental halfway point of the CDT (it’s not even close) is a good place to end this one. 

Lots of time in Leadville, before as well as after, was spent discussing with other hikers the challenges of the CDT compared to other trails. Sure, there are folks who thrive in the Colorado wilderness. But even the toughest of us still had hard days. 

Stepping away from the monoculture mindset that thru-hiking is connecting two points on a set continuous footpath – we forget that distance hiking is also the balance of staying alive, forward progress, budget, and seasonal timing. 

The choice to hike in a group or alone. Of negotiating minor pains or injuries. Promising yourself just 200 more steps, just one more switchback, just one more mile, just one more state. Put on repeat. 

More than any bodily skill gained here, the CDT has taught me to not be so focused on the rules or miles.

Physically, it’s important to approach each snow field or switchback as an independent challenge. A mountain range always looks impossible from a distance. Mentally, it’s necessary to zoom out past the chaos of each day to appreciate the greater purpose of being out here… whatever that purpose may be. 

Critical Gear

• A rain jacket for unpredictable daytime storms. 
• Bug spray. These aren’t the mosquitos of New Mexico.
• The ability to appreciate the small joys while muscles and lungs struggle at elevation.
• Time. To fully enjoy trail magic and frequent towns close to the trail.
• A sleeping bag liner for reduced drafts – preferably a free UL liner found in a hiker box.
• Trekking poles or an ice axe to use as a rudder glissading down lingering snow.