Welcome to Episode 1 of my Colorado Trail Thru Hike of 2020!

While this is the first, it certainly will not be the last. I filmed every day of my hike of 37 days during July and August 2020. I have way more footage than I expected and a lot of content with which to work. I’ve decided to create a daily travel and hiking vlog of my thru hike. I’ll include notes about the video and other interesting or pertinent facts about where I am hiking.

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“The Colorado Trail, a backcountry path traversing some of the most scenic areas of the Rockies and Continental Divide, is a unique experience for both body and soul.” -Gudy Gaskill-

0:00 Day 1- Thru Hike Kickoff

In standard fashion, I depart my house and humorously muse in the car on the way toward Waterton Canyon, the Eastern most terminus of the 485 mile Colorado Trail. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling the best that morning. I had a rough day prior, a hard Day Zero, riddled with anxiety, doubts lasting late into the evening and a sleepless night. Nonetheless, a supportive housemate and his family band successful assist me in the beginning of my thru.

2:23 Segment 1- Waterton Canyon

The first 6.7 miles of the CT follows an old rail bed originally built for the Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad in 1877. This is a popular attraction for bikers, walkers, runners and anglers. I began this trek on July 3rd, shortly after the Canyon had expanded their access Following COVID restrictions. As can be seen, the trailhead was full of activity and people desperate to get out prior to the Independence Day holiday.

Thanks be to Family B & F for and friend A for the loving and supportive send off into the Canyon along the Colorado Trail on my hike to Durango! Thanks be to Big Squirrel, who shall make many cameos in future films, and who shall endure the toils of earth stabbing.

4:39 Second Beginning - Solo @ Last

Waterton Canyon is home to a band of Rocky Mountain bighorn, the State mammal of Colorado. This band is aptly named the Waterton band. This band is remarkable as their existence at a low elevation in close proximity to a dense Metro area is unusual. Following the construction the 243 foot Strontia Springs Dam, the population of sheep diminished significantly. This band is struggling to thrive giving the stressors placed on the band from human activity and development.

I make an early camp following my first day. As mentioned above, I wasn’t in the best physical condition to hit the trail hard that morning, and that was prior to the sun baking most of my energy out while initiating my hike under the guidance of my entourage. I found a nice room with a view and began building relationships with hikers I would later see again up trail. Vlog style daily recap.

11:42 Day 2- Independence Day

As nearly all things can be organized, so too with trails. I mention trail 1776 in relationship to Independence Day. The USFS uses numbers to mark trails in addition to their more popular names. Thus, the Colorado Trail has been designated #1776. Running throughout its entirety, from Denver to Durango, the CT can also be refers to this number, as its administrative marker.

Either way, the views start to come in as I approach and anticipate my climb and traverse through the Buffalo Creek Fire.

14:08 Segment 2 - South Platte TH

Brief stop at the South Platte River for lunch at to announce my intentions during the hike. That is, I intend to walk clear dang all the way to Durango.

Following my departure from the river, Segment 2 is characterized bu the impact of the 1996 Buffalo Creek Fire. Given the geological composition of Pikes Peak Granite, the soil is very dry, loose, coarse and porous. Already it is a difficult environment for vegetation to take hold and thrive. The impacts of the 12,000 acre fire is still obvious today, with desert adapted ground cover, flowering under the expansive views over the Top of the World ridge.

16:07 Segment 3 - Little Scraggy TH (Approx.)

Honestly, I didn’t capture the fire station near the end of Segment 2 or the actual trail head for the beginning of this Segment. After passing thru the Buffalo Creek Fire area, it is almost necessary to make a small diversion off the trail to the back side of a the house of the local volunteer firefighting department. At this point one crosses county road 126, near the area in which this time stamp is placed.

It was not until having a discussion with another hiker, nearer the end of the hike, that the idea of indicating Segment beginnings became a feature I wanted to add. For this reason, some of my Segment locations may be off the mark.

Deadfall pyramids by dusk and Vlog style recap of my day

**May Contain Explicit Language**

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