It holds immense beauty around almost every turn. We dropped the van at Lindsey's uncle's house in Durango, then rented a car to get to Denver. The alpine trail leading up to the end of the CT was very scenic and had some incredible technical ridge riding before dropping way down off the mountain. ELEVATION: average ~10,300 feet ROUTE: well maintained, popular trail, signed junctions GUIDEBOOK: Colorado Trail 9th Edition DATA BOOK: 7th Edition The Kokopelli Trail is an 139.2 mile multi use recreational trail that goes from Fruita, CO to Moab, UT. Packing for an extended bikepacking trip isn’t drastically different from that of a hiking trip, but there are a few critical pieces of gear that can make a world of difference. The following video tells the story of three Canadians; Jonny Bath, Michael Bain and myself. Colorado Trail Northbound Trip Report I started from my house in Durango and made it a total of 460 miles in eight days. This year I had a chance to spend three days on the Illinois from Miami Bar to Oak Flat, and I finally understand why this section of river is so special. Kerry Werner: Bikepacking the Colorado Trail September 17, 2020 Kerry Werner has an awesome, six-part video series up documenting a recent venture out on the Colorado Trail. These photos follow a chronological progression of my bikepacking trip on the Colorado from Denver to Durango starting on September 16th, 2016. Historically I’ve prided myself on my bare bones, durable sleep set-up: a classic foam Thermarest pad with a pile of bundled fleece clothing for a pillow. Getting on top of the mountains felt good but we could tell we didn't have much pep left. Well worn and immensely helpful while on the trail. The grand depart for the ultra-endurance bikepacking race was canceled in 2020, due to concerns surrounding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As bikepacking adventures go, the Colorado Trail is no ride in the park. 2. Instead, race director Jefe Branham encouraged riders keen to tackle all 545 miles of the largely singletrack Colorado Trail at race pace to do so independently throughout the … If you haven’t already you should read the introductory article which gives a brief overview of the trail as well as my experience bikepacking the trail in the fall of 2016. 3. Working to stay ahead of the snow in the final hundred miles of the trail. While this guide covers many aspects of the Colorado Trail it is by no means comprehensive. Steri-Pens are awesome and I highly recommend them. Since the Wilderness detours follow public roads, there isn’t any Colorado Trail signage. Here are some quotes by the bikepacker respondents: For me, 2.5 weeks was perfect. The Colorado Trail Bike Route is a challenging and rewarding ride of 540 miles that stretches from Denver to Durango, passing through stunning landscapes. It was slow going. As bikepacking adventures go, the Colorado Trail is no ride in the park. We ended up getting a room in town as rain was in the forecast most of that night and next morning. From Monarch through Sargent's Mesa ended up being really tough, not so much the riding but keeping our morale and energy high while traversing big chunks of moto trail and many high-elevation cow pastures. Afternoon storm pushing us towards Spring Creek Pass... At the pass we met Justin, who was supporting his dad’s CTD hike. No spam, I promise! Real Talk on Bikepacking the Colorado Trail. I first arrived in Southern Oregon as a raft guide back in the summer of 2016, and I kept hearing about this river called the Illinois. Grab your bike, grab your pack and hit these Colorado trails for days Colorado is a mecca for multi-day cycling, known as bikepacking By Ryan Wichelns , Special to The Denver Post Oct 7, … View of the outskirts of Breckenridge while descending from the Colorado Trail. Lots of short but steep, hard climbs led us to some really nice descents. Dramatic is a fitting description for the entire 550-mile Colorado Trail bikepacking trip, an epic (yes, epic) ride with 71,800 total feet of vertical gain. OFF-ROAD EXPEDITION / WORLD TOURING / CREATIVE THINKING, Bikepacking The Colorado Trail With Sam Skidmore. It’s amazing that after so many days of riding, the only mechanical was at the end of it all. Earlier this year, Steve from the Hardtail Party YouTube channel joined two friends on a bikepacking trip on the Colorado Trail, riding 75 miles from … You can get away without using a GPS, but they are still nice to have. This article is part of a series about bikepacking the Colorado Trail. I have no experience taking mountain bikes on a Greyhound but presume it wouldn’t be a big deal. You could also buy yourself some time by doing the trail from Durango to Denver since the threat of snowstorms is reduced in the lower elevations of the Front Range. I plan to head out on the trail again in 2021 and will definitely take the 140/130 trail bike. Our home-based trip was epic with some of the hardest backcountry riding Virginia has to offer, and it made me feel confident going out for a trip like the Colorado Trail. The CT is not fast (3-4 mph avg speed) and … It was pretty chilly by the end, and the threat of significant snow was certainly looming. I'd been itching to go on a self-supported bike trip for quite some time, and being so in love with mountain biking made something like the Colorado Trail seem perfect. Official app of The Colorado Trail Foundation. Like this post? That being said, I gladly would have done a longer trip if I wasn’t trying to beat the snow in Durango. Arriving at the Junction Creek Trailhead, we celebrated briefly in the parking lot before rolling to town for tacos and margaritas. These are very long, committing routes! This guide is geared towards bikepackers, but much of the information could also be beneficial … ... Kerry Werner: Bikepacking the Colorado Trail. The Colorado Trail Databook is a good resource to quickly find the type of services present in towns along the way as well as hostels that will hold resupply packages. The Colorado Trail is a monster of a trail, but this shouldn’t sway you from bikepacking it. A steady rain finally moved out so we started up Molas Pass... Just after one proper hail storm in the San Juans to remind us we are fragile beings... By the time we got to camp we were mostly dry and ready for one more night on the trail. Having worked a big block of spring and summer, and with COVID-19 altering the year, early fall seemed the perfect time to try. I had started the trip with worn rear brake pads, so I made sure to replace them before we started the next day. Turns out (as far as we know) no one has ever successfully completed a bikepacking yo-yo of the Colorado Trail before. So maybe 17-18 days is optimal for someone looking to keep a consistent pace while also taking in the landscape. Colorado Trail Basics •Denver to Durango •535 miles; 90,000 ft climbing •28 segments •Bike detours around wilderness areas ... Bikepacking Specific Bags Handlebar bag Bikepacking seat bag Gas tank Frame bag Hydration Backpack 22L to 24L capacity The Colorado Trail is one of the classic singletrack bikepacking routes in the western US. Not everyone treats all their water, but I’m always cautious and treat any water that I’m drinking in the backcountry. I had enough room for everything and would be able to add extra food and clothing if needed, yet the bike still rode very well for being loaded. Marty is a VA buddy who moved to CO a while ago, though we still see each other about once a year. After so much time getting ready and planning, and then a few hours of warmup pedaling, It felt good being at the trail and knowing our car was on the other end, more than 500 miles away. This guide is geared towards bikepackers, but much of the information could also be beneficial … Ultimate Arizona Trail Bikepacking Planning Guide; Arizona Trail Resupply Guide; ... Now it’s time to get to the trailhead. Bikepacking the Colorado Trail takes a hearty soul — and a handpicked selection of gear. After that first day I was much more on top of water and nutrition. If you haven’t already you should read the introductory article which gives a brief overview of the trail as well as my experience bikepacking the trail in the fall of 2016. Colorado Trail by bike. Enjoy! If you have a bikepacking bucket list, the Colorado Trail is probably on it. We dropped the rental car off and then had to ride 25 miles to Waterton Canyon, the start of the Colorado Trail. I brought along Aqua Mira this time since I had a bottle set that I was looking to use up, and my GI system is still healthy a month out. I spent my summer holiday this year in Colorado, and had an unforgettable 6 days riding the Colorado Trail Race. At the grocery store, we packed three days’ worth of food onto our bikes and then rolled out to Mt. Neither of us eat out much. The Colorado Trail Race is on for 2021 The grand depart for the self-timed, self-supported, ultra-endurance bikepacking race is July 25, 2021 in Durango, Colorado. Commenting is not available in this channel entry. There is A LOT of hike-a-bike on the trail. Of course this metric is going to include both the faster thru-hikers and those sauntering along, but my hope is there will be a happy medium in between. Once we arrived in town, our first stop was the Handlebar Saloon for massive amounts of food. By midmorning in summary, a slightly generous season for the Wilderness detours follow public roads there. 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