Into the Collegiate Range

Colorado Trail Day 15 – Willis Gulch Trail to Lake Ann, 15.3 miles

I’m so glad I camped away from the main trail and away from the craziness of the Leadville 100 race. I spoke with other hikers later in the day who’d camped along the CT and had runners going past them until well after midnight.

Now we got to have a proper taste of what the ultra runners had faced the day before. Hope Pass is probably the hardest climb on the Collegiate West route, gaining over 3000 feet in under four miles and topping out at over 12,500 feet of elevation. Plus our packs were heavier with five or so days worth of the food.

We trudged our way uphill through the forest and then into the meadows below the pass where I spotted llamas! One of the aid stations for the Leadville 100 had been set up in the meadow below the pass. Volunteers were still there, packing everything up and they were using a couple dozen llamas to carry their gear. Definitely not a normal sight for a Colorado alpine meadow!

We reached the pass after a few hours of effort and took a long break. The views over both sides of the pass were incredible. Looking north I had a full view of Twin Lakes and Mt Elbert. Looking south we could see deeper into the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.

Sadly we were about to lose almost all of our hard-won elevation. The south side of Hope Pass was a steady and steep 2500-foot descent. At least there were lots of switchbacks to help us out and we had a great view south for some of it.

We didn’t quite bottom out on the valley floor. Instead the trail traversed the lower slopes. It was getting hot and a bit humid and I was ready to soak my feet in some cool water. We stopped at North Fork Clear Creek to do just that, but had barely taken off our shoes when a thunderstorm rolled right overhead, dumping buckets of rain on us. We decided to stay put, sheltering as best we could under the trees for the 30 minutes or so that it took to pass by.

We had about five more miles left to go as we’d decided to stop a mile or so before the next high pass. One pass a day is usually enough for me! The question was whether we’d camp at Lake Ann itself or stop a bit further back while we were still in the trees.

As has been happening most days, the weather helped us make our decision. A rain shower started just as we reached a really nice looking campsite still below tree line. We pitched our tents and sheltered until the rain passed.

Then it was time for dinner and The Sungod’s favourite thing – a campfire! There was a nice fire ring and a collection of dry wood. I don’t usually make the effort to have a fire but it was the perfect thing to take the edge off the cold, damp evening.

It had been a pretty challenging day but I had great company and was really excited about the trail ahead.