Recommending the Colorado Trail

Elizabeth here from the clothing department. One of the best trips I have been on is backpacking the Colorado Trail. This backpacking trail goes from near Denver to Durango, Colorado. I walked the entire length of 486 miles solo in one go and took about five weeks to do it. There are also some outstanding parts of the trail that could be done as a shorter trip. Much of the trail is above 10,000 feet and being a flatlander from Minnesota I couldn’t get over the beauty of the high country!

I managed to keep my kit pretty light for this trip with a base pack weight under 15 pounds and that made the walking very enjoyable. I would go into town once a week to grocery shop and stay at a backpackers hostel to get a well deserved shower. Finding camping along the trail was pretty easy, there is no designated camping but many good spots that get used fairly often. The trail is remarkably clean, well maintained and easy to follow.

One of my favorite items of gear would have to be my Altra mesh top trail running shoes. Since I had a light pack I didn’t need super supportive footwear. I found very breathable footwear was better for me than waterproof, even though I did get a lot of rain on my trip. I also really loved my lightweight trekking poles which took the pressure off my feet and legs. My ULA pack and Rain Kilt also worked really well for me on this and other backpacking trips.

If you have questions about backpacking in general or this trip specifically, I would love to be of assistance. Please find me in the store.

Happy Trails!
Elizabeth

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