Slack-Packing Over the Tenmile Range
Day 8 – Copper Mountain Resort to Breckenridge, 15.8 miles
The trail chatter the past couple days was all about who was going to slack-pack the next segment. For those unfamiliar with the concept, “slack-packing” means hiking a section of a long-distance trail with a nearly empty pack, carrying only what you need for the day.
To do this you need to have somewhere to leave most of your gear, like a hostel, and shuttles to and from the trailheads. Shuttles for this slack-pack were easy. Summit County, where Breckenridge resides, has free bus service to many trailheads, including the trailheads needed to hike this segment as a day hike.
The other thing with a slack-pack is you have the option of going either direction, because you’ll end up back at your hostel for the night anyways. For this segment it was suggested to go northbound, busing to Copper Mountain Resort and hiking back over the ridge to Breckenridge.
I was up early to catch the first bus of the morning out of Breckenridge at 6:45 am. The hostel I was staying at was a couple stops out of town, and when I got on the bus I was welcomed by a chorus of hellos from other hikers I’d been getting to know.
We were all a bit dismayed when it started pouring on our drive around the mountains. Someone checked the weather map and said it shouldn’t last too long. There was a Starbucks at the resort so some of us waited out the last bit of the storm while enjoying an overpriced coffee.
I started out with a few other hikers, walking through the resort to the trailhead. From there we started our steep and steady climb up the west side of the Tenmile Range. This was definitely the steepest section of trail yet. The trail ascended over 2,700 feet over just 4.5 miles.
I settled into my pace and got ahead of some of the other hikers, taking short breaks to catch my breath, have a snack and to refill my water.
At about the third mile I reached tree line and ascended into the alpine meadows with wide open views. I could see the western face of much of the Tenmile Range. The weather had started to clear somewhat but it was very cold and windy on the ridge. I was happy to have my rain jacket to help keep me warm.
The trail traversed below Peak Six, finally crossing the ridge at 12,500 feet of elevation – the highest point yet on the Colorado Trail.
Crossing the ridge I was treated to sunnier skies and incredible views of the Breckenridge valley and the surrounding peaks.
The initial descent on the east face of the range traversed through more alpine meadows before dropping steeply into a rocky bowl. Wildflowers were blooming and pikas were meeping!
Finally I was back into tree line. The trail was still a bit wet from the morning’s storm and I was trying to watch my footing. Unfortunately I slipped on some mud, landing with one knee on a jagged rock. It hurt so much, with a ringing similar to hitting your funny bone. Initially I thought I’d gotten lucky and hadn’t broken the skin, but after walking a couple hundred yards I realized I was bleeding pretty good. I stopped to clean the wound, which thankfully was just a series of scrapes. My knee was definitely sore, but not painful and I was able to carry on at a good pace, being even more mindful of slippery spots.
Down and down I went. The air temperature warmed and the sun came out. The last few miles went up and over Gold Hill, a moderately popular mountain biking area near Breckenridge. Frustratingly the trail meandered down to the trailhead with a really shallow grade, good for bikers but extra slow and long for hikers!
I couldn’t stay frustrated long though because there was trail magic at the trailhead! A local thru-hiker had a cooler of beer and juice, and a box of snacks to choose from. It was a wonderful treat at the end of a fun and challenging day.
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Comments 4
Glad you got the Tenmile Range with a view!
I like ur honesty. I wanted to get to the Te Aroroa but ended up hiking from Brisbane to Melbourne on the Aussie Great Divide. I wouldn’t recommend it because the rain forest grows over old dirt roads & trails in a minute that were on the map in 2006-2007 so I ended up road walking, not knowing where the new stuff was. I had all the guides for the Bicentennial Trail which starts way up north (for wagons & bikes perhaps); but after almost dri-ing , or dieing from thirst I bussed to all the national parks & Hostel towns on the way south before starting in Brisbane: like all the tourists do in the fall to beat the monsoon rains. Of course the AAWT was most spectacular….so to do it all over again, I would hit all the short trails in each province like the “German Tourist” from Berlin did. Hope I see you on the trail, but with all my injuries & lack of time I doubt it. Gingerbreadman…
AT89, Miss.River90, PCT93, Alps97, Pyrenees 99, Pennines 01, Austrail-ia 06-07. Glad there’s Gals like U!
Can’t believe I forgot RMT ’04….. skipped the Bitter roots on the bypass…..then also the CT which I thought could pickup later…so no CDT forme!
Beautiful pictures!