Gear I Used On My Long Walk In The Colorado Rockies

Last year I spent 29 days walking around 400 miles (644km) through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado on the Continental Divide and Colorado Trails. Most of the time I was above 10,000 feet (3048 metres). I camped on 25 nights, of which 18 were above 11,000 feet (3353 metres), the highest 12,460 feet (37987 metres). I was usually at or above timberline so many camps were exposed. For the first two weeks the weather was dry and mostly warm and sunny though there was sometimes a cool wind. Nights were chilly though, with overnight lows mostly between 0 and 5°C.  The second half of the walk was stormier and cooler with thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail. Nights were a little colder too, with sub-zero temperatures on three.

As on any long walk my gear needed to be durable and light while being able to cope with hot days, stormy weather, and chilly nights. My selection was a mix of tried and trusted items and new ones I felt would prove reliable. Here’s how they performed.

BIG THREE

Pack

Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60L /£165/1200g/ www.sierradesigns.com  /****1/2

 

I’d used this pack on several one- and two-night trips and reckoned it would be fine for the Rockies. At 1.2kg it’s lightweight rather than ultralight and designed to handle 20kg loads. It has a rigid curved internal frame that creates an air gap between your back and the pack. In hot weather this really did reduce perspiration. There are six small external pockets and a flat lid that zips open, with no drawcords or internal sleeves. Organising gear so I had access to often needed items was easy. Straps can reduce the volume from the maximum 60 litres to 40 litres. I never needed to do this; I just didn’t compress items so much when it wasn’t full. With 6 days food inside the pack carried well. Nine days food , which meant a total weight of around 25kg, was pushing it a bit as the hipbelt tended to slip. With that much food I had to strap my shelter on the outside – one disadvantage of the zipped lid is that it can’t be raised. Overall though the pack performed well and proved durable with little sign of wear at the end of the walk.

Shelter

Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar/US$230/482g/ www.mountainlaureldesigns.com /*****

Oookworks Trailstar Nest/380g/no longer available/**** 16 pegs 143g

The Trailstar has been a favourite shelter for many years and the veteran of three previous long-distance walks plus several TGO Challenges. Easy to pitch with trekking poles and with a vast amount of room it always feels like home. After hundreds of nights use it’s as wind and waterproof as ever, withstanding some torrential rain and gusty thunderstorms. 

I took the Nest rather than just a groundsheet because there were likely to be mosquitoes for the first week or so. It too was a veteran of several long works and is still in good condition. After ten days there were no more mosquitoes and I sometimes used it just as a groundsheet, mostly I still pitched it though but left the doors open. 

Sleeping Bags & Mats

PHD M.Degree° 100 K Sleeping Bag/£371/245g/ www.phdesigns.co.uk /*****

PHD Filler Bag/£317/240g/ www.phdesigns.co.uk /*****

 

Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Uberlite Regular/£185/245g/ www.thermarest.com /***

 Therm-A-Rest Ultralite ¾ /482g/ no longer available *****

 

OMM DuoMat/£22/135g/ www.theomm.com /****

Expecting a wide variation in overnight temperatures I decided to use PHD’s Sleep System, as I had on my two previous long-distance walks, except that this time I took an even lighter outer bag, the M.Degree° 100, rated to 10°C.  Combined with the Filler K inner bag, rated to 15°C, I though this would keep me warm to -5°C and on colder nights I’d wear the PHD down smock, trousers and socks I was carrying as well. In fact, overnight temperatures only varied from -1.2°C to 9°C. I alternated between the Filler bag and the clothing, mostly based on what I was wearing in the evening. If I had the down clothing on I kept it on. The M.Degree bag is a simple mummy bag. I found it comfortable and the very low weight and packed size were welcome. 

My sleep mat when I set out was the ultralight NeoAir Uberlite. I found this airbed very comfortable as long as I didn’t inflate it hard, as then I tended to roll off. However, after thirteen days it deflated in the middle of the night due to a split in the top surface of one of the tubes. Given that only my sleeping bag was on the mat I can’t work out how this happened. Maybe there was already a weakness or the start of a tear (it has gone back to Cascade Designs for examination). Trying to sleep on the flat mat (just two thin bits of nylon), the thin foam DuoMat and clothes wasn’t successful.

Luckily that was the one-night Andrew Terrill joined me, bringing up my supplies for the next week, and I was able to borrow his old Therm-A-Rest UltraLite self-inflating mat. This was a model I’d used on long walks back in the 1980s and dated from a time before cored foam and curved mats. It was nearly twice the weight and bulk of the Uberlite but just as comfortable. It was only three-quarters  length, but I’d also brought an OMM DuoMat for use as a sit mat and its thin closed cell foam was fine under my feet and lower legs. 

TREKKING POLES

Pacerpoles Dual Lock/£107/570g/ www.pacerpole.com   *****

 

Constant companions on long walks for many years I regard Pacerpoles as indispensable. I used them every day when walking and every night for holding up the Trailstar. Tough, reliable, comfortable.

KITCHEN

Stove

MSR Pocket Rocket 2/£35/75g/ www.msrgear.com   *****

  

For many years I’ve used the Trail Designs Ti-Tri alcohol/wood stove on long walks. I didn’t take it this time because if there were forest fires stoves without on/off switches could be banned, as they were the previous year. Instead I took the tiny Pocket Rocket 2 canister stove. It worked really well and proved really fuel efficient, a 250g canister lasting eight or nine days. As it happened there were no forest fires.

Utensils

My pots did remain the same, the Evernew 0.9 litre and MSR 0.7 litre titanium ones I’ve used on every long walk for well over twenty years. Together they weigh 220 grams.

CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR

Shoes

 

Altra Olympus 3.5 shoes/£130/680g/ www.altrafootwear.co.uk    *****

Altra’s wide forefoot design fits me well and I’ve used its Lone Peak shoes on quite a few walks. For Colorado I thought I’d try a different model, the Olympus 3.5. These have extra thick cushioning plus a Vibram sole. I found them extremely comfortable. The cushioning feels bouncy on hard smooth surfaces like pavements. I didn’t notice this on trails. The grip was good, and the sole had a little tread left at the end of the walk. The uppers are in fine condition. The latter are mesh and the shoes were cool in the heat.

Socks

Point 6 Hiking Essential Light Mini Crew/£15.95/70g/ www.point6merinosocks.co.uk   *****

These light ankle socks were a revelation and some of the best socks I’ve ever worn on a long walk. I wore them every day and only washed them twice and they were comfortable throughout. There are a few thin areas on the outsides, but they’ll still do for more walks. They’re made from 58% merino wool, 37% nylon and 5% spandex. 

Shirt

Paramo Katmai/£65/210g/ www.paramo-clothing.com    *****

I wore my  first Katmai shirt on so many long walks it fell apart. I love this design! The fabric is soft and comfortable, shifts sweat, and dries fast. The pockets are roomy. The cuffs are wide so the sleeves can easily be rolled up. An ideal hiking shirt. I wore it every day. 

Trousers/Shorts

Mammut Runbold Pants/£90/310g/ www.mammut.com   ****

Slazenger Woven Shorts/£7/165g/ www.slazenger.com     ****

I wore shorts most days when walking. These Slazenger ones I picked up in Fort William on the TGO Challenge the previous May when I found the weather too hot for long trousers. I didn’t expect them to last but as they were okay afterwards I took them to Colorado. They’re still fine. They’re made from soft polyester and have a mesh inner, elasticated waist with drawstring, and two hand pockets. They were very comfortable.

The Runbold Pants were mostly worn in camp for warmth. On stormy days I wore them under my waterproof trousers. They performed well.

Hat

Tilley Hiker’s Hat/£85/105g/ www.tilley.com   *****

I’ve worn a cotton Tilley Hat on every long walk for thirty years. I wouldn’t be without one. They are comfortable and tough. This latest one is made from organic cotton and has an evaporative insert in the crown. Soak it in water in hot weather and it takes even longer to dry, helping to keep you cool.

Windshirt

Patagonia Houdini/£90/105g/ www.eu.patagonia.com       ****

 

Windier weather than I expected meant that I wore this windshell quite often. Most days I found it all I needed over the Katmai shirt. The fabric is comfortable and quite breathable, and it is very light. A larger pocket would have been good, along with cuffs that aren’t elasticised so the sleeves could easily be rolled up, but overall it served its function.

Waterproofs

Alpkit  Gravitas jacket/£160/165g   www.alpkit.com    *****

 

Montane Minimus Pants/£100/153g www.montane.co.uk    ****

I took ultralight waterproofs as I knew I probably wouldn’t need them often, if at all. The big storms of the second half of the walk meant I used them more often than I’d hoped. When called on they did perform well, even though some of the storms were severe, and I never got more than slightly damp in them (from condensation). The wired hood of the Gravitas was especially good in driving hail. Both garments were comfortable. I could just get the Minimus Pants on over my shoes – slightly longer zips would be useful.

Insulation

Berghaus Vapourlight Hypertherm Hoody / 224g/ no longer available  *****

 

I’ve taken this synthetic insulated wind-resistant ultralight jacket on my last three long-distance walks and it’s become a firm favourite. It provided just the right warmth and weather resistance on cool days and at rest stops. It’s a real shame Berghaus don’t make it any more.

PHD Wafer Ultima K Down Pullover/£337/ 200g/ www.phdesigns.co.uk /*****

PHD Wafer Down Trousers K Series/£285/151g/ www.phdesigns.co.uk /*****

This down clothing did double duty as warmwear in camp and sleepwear on cold nights. Both garments are astoundingly warm for the weight and very comfortable. I ended up sleeping in them more often than intended as I was often reluctant to take them off before going to sleep.

Navigation and Electronics

For paper navigation I had National Geographic Trails Illustrated topographic maps to the Colorado Trail and the Weminuche Wilderness (324g – though I didn’t carry all of them at once), and The Colorado Trail Databook (210g).  I took my Silva Ranger compass (34g) of course. I don’t remember ever using it.

Just as important for navigation was my Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone. On this I had mapsets and guides from the Continental Divide Trail Coalition and Guthook Guides. 

To charge my phone I had a GoalZero Nomad7Plus solar panel (380g) and GoalZero Venture30 powerpack (255g). The solar panel was clipped to the pack during the day and put out in the sun in camp. On hot clear days it charged the powerpack around 80%, enough to almost twice charge the phone. On cloudy days or ones when I was in the forest for hours it only charged the powerpack a few percent. Overall, it was just adequate. 

For sending OK messages home and in case of emergency I had an original SPOT GPS Messenger (132g). I sent a simple OK and my location home every evening so my partner knew I was fine and could see where I was.

Accessories 

As always, the list of accessories is long, but everything was needed. It included 2 2-litre Platypus water containers (79g), a GoLite 700ml water bottle (87g), Sawyer Mini Water Filter (47g), Smartwool Beanie (56g), Lifeventure Drybags (100g), Petzl Actik and e+Lite headlamps (119g), Leatherman Micro multi-tool (50g), notebook and Space pens in Alosak bag (175g), reading glasses and cases x 2 (195g), Lifesystems Light & Dry Pro First Aid Kit (172g), repair kit (50g), Kestrel 4500 Weather Station (102g), wash kit/medication/toilet paper (174g), Samsung Fury dark glasses and case (125g), Kindle Paperwhite e-reader (263g).

 All the photos were taken on the walk. You can read more about it and see more pictures here. 

This article first appeared in The Great Outdoors.

Thunderstorms & Sunshine: Return to the Colorado Rockies

Hunt Lake & Mount Aetna. Day 11.

Last year I went on a 400 mile walk in the Colorado Rockies. Here is a piece I wrote about the walk for The Great Outdoors. 

Returning to a place you’ve dreamed about for years has risks. Maybe it won’t be as wonderful as you imagined. Returning for a long walk could be even more disappointing if your expectations aren’t fulfilled day after day. I knew this might be the case when I finally went back to Colorado to walk 400 miles along the Rocky Mountains, thirty-four years after traversing the state during my Canada to Mexico Continental Divide Trail hike. On that walk winter had come early and deep snow and blizzards had forced me down to a lower route for the southern half of the trail in Colorado. I’d been in forest most of the time and hadn’t had more than glimpses of the mountains. Now I was going back to walk the high route I’d missed and experience what many say is the finest landscape on the whole CDT. 

Igloo Ed & Andrew Terrill above Beaver Ponds in the Guller Creek valley. Day 1.

The Colorado Rockies are high, the highest in the whole Rocky Mountain chain, and I would be above 10,000 feet most of the way. Eager to be up in the mountains as soon as possible I chose the ski resort of Copper Mountain as my start point. This was a mistake. Copper Mountain lies at 9,800 feet and the trail climbs to over 12,000 feet in the first 10 miles. I soon felt the altitude and could only walk at half my usual pace. I didn’t mind. I was in the company of two friends, Andrew Terrill and Igloo Ed, and happy to climb slowly and camp early. The landscape was lush and lovely with beaver ponds along the creek, luxurious flower meadows, and magnificent conifer forests. I relished every step. It would be many days though before I was somewhat acclimatised to the altitude and I was slower on ascents than I am at home for the whole walk. 

The first pass. Too high, too fast! Day 2.

The second day we climbed above the trees and the world opened up with alpine tundra stretching to rugged mountains in every direction. This was to be the pattern for the walk – climb through forests to high mountain passes, traverse the high country then descend back into the trees. Sometimes the trail would barely brush the forest before returning to the high country but there was always much climbing every day. 

Andrew Terrill looking to Mount Aetna. Day 11.

After two days I was alone, as I would be for the rest of the walk other than one day when Andrew kindly came up to a high camp to resupply me – and cook a delicious meal of fresh food. This meant I could do a twelve-day section without having to leave the mountains to buy food. Keeping my pack weight down was welcome. Even more was staying in the wilds for such a long time. I loved this immersion in the mountains so much that when I eventually had to descend to resupply I decided to carry nine days food so I didn’t have to do so again even though this meant a heavy load.

Although I hiked alone I did meet a few people most days. The Colorado Rockies are fairly accessible and the Colorado Trail is quite popular.

Thunderstorm over Rio Grande Pyramid. Day 27.

 

One initial concern I had was the threat of thunderstorms. These occur regularly every afternoon in the Colorado Rockies during the summer, fading away as autumn approaches. I hoped my mid-August start would mean the worst of them had passed and so it seemed for the first half of the walk. After a few rumbles on the second day the sky was clear for two weeks and I became used to deep blue skies and sunshine. 2019 wasn’t a typical year however and in September I had eight days with thunderstorms. They were unpredictable too, occurring at any time from dawn until dusk, so the standard advice to be over high passes by noon was worthless. I quickly learnt to watch the sky, assessing whether the dark clouds I could see were coming my way and trying to estimate how quickly they’d reach me if so. A few times I stayed in the forest until a storm had passed and a few times I was caught out in the open far from any shelter. All I could do then was walk fast and hope the storm didn’t come too close. 

The most frightening thunderstorm clearing away. Day 27.

Only once did I have a really frightening close call. Rain had turned to stinging hail and I was in mist when a bolt of lightning flashed right in front of me and there was a deafening clap of thunder. Retreating rapidly, I dropped down the narrow rocky ridge I was climbing to a wider area then left the trail for a shallow bowl. Shaken, I waited until the storm I could see raging not far away had moved on. 

Bull moose. Day 22.

 

The unusual summer did have rewards, as did the thunderstorms. There had been very late heavy snowfall – parts of the trail were still snowbound a few weeks before I set out – and this meant the alpine flower meadows, usually in decline by mid-August, were still beautiful and remained so throughout my walk. I have never seen such wonderful displays. Due to a thunderstorm I also had an excellent view of two magnificent moose. I was about to cross a big meadow when a flash of lightning warned me this might not be wise. Instead I dropped deeper into the forest and found shelter from heavy rain in a dense clump of small firs. Peering out of these I saw a bull moose grazing not far away, soon joined by a second one. I watched them for half an hour from my natural hide. 

Porcupine. Day 24.

The wildlife was one of the joys of the walk. The diversity and abundance were a stark contrast to the Scottish Highlands and showed just how impoverished the latter sadly are. In the forests I saw squirrels, chipmunks, jays and many smaller birds I couldn’t identify every day. In the meadows there were marmots and pikas (a small mammal related to rabbits) while in the sky I often saw hawks and eagles. One familiar bird was the ptarmigan, a different species to ours but looking much the same.

Of the bigger mammals I only had glimpses of elk and just one good view of mule deer, though I saw plenty of droppings. Beaver ponds were common in many valleys but again I only once had a glimpse of an actual animal. Black bears I didn’t see at all, despite there often being droppings, some of them fresh, on the trail. I did see a porcupine, staying out of reach of its quills while it shuffled off, and a flock of rocky mountain sheep on a steep mountainside.

Lovely rainbow, sad forest. Day 23.

The only melancholy note came during the last section of the walk. Bark beetles have killed vast areas of spruce trees and it was saddening  to look down on valleys full of dead trees. This is a natural phenomenon though the current outbreak is the worst on record.

 

Creede. Day 20.

Whilst many names were familiar, I didn’t recognise any of the landscapes I walked through, even in places where my CDT hike had been close by. One place I did recognise. The old mining town of Creede, my last resupply point, which didn’t appear to have changed much. I’d enjoyed staying here on the CDT and I enjoyed staying here again. I even stayed in the same motel and bought fuel and supplies in the same outdoor shop.

In the Weminuche Wilderness. Day 26.

From Creede I entered the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains. This was an area I had really been looking forward to experiencing. It didn’t disappoint. Not far into the region I finally left the Colorado Trail, which had coincided with the CDT since Copper Mountain. The Colorado Trail is clear on the ground and well waymarked. The CDT sees far fewer hikers and signs are rare. Once I left the Colorado Trail the path became rougher and, in many places, unclear. I had to fight through dense brush and take compass bearings in meadows, the first real navigation of the trip. It seemed appropriate. The Weminuche Wilderness isn’t tame. 

 

High level walking in the Collegiate West section. Day 9.

The Weminuche Wilderness was a highlight of the walk, as I expected it to be. The other highlight was the Collegiate West alternative of the Colorado Trail. This stays above timberline for many miles and has tremendous views of the mountains. The trail winds along the Continental Divide itself in places and is often only just below it. The weather was perfect here too. 

Camp at the junction of the Collegiate West and Collegiate East branches of the Colorado Trail. Day 13.

 

As always, my camps were as important as the walking and I had many splendid ones above the trees and many peaceful ones down in the forest. Relaxing in wild places is one of the great pleasures of long-distance walking. 

The finish! Day 30.

 

After 29 days and 400 miles the walk ended at Wolf Creek Pass where Igloo Ed was waiting to greet me. It was my birthday. The last month had been the most wonderful present. I hadn’t been disappointed. Rather the opposite. The walk had been even more glorious than I’d hoped.

The Route & The Challenges

The Continental Divide Trail from Copper Mountain to Wolf Creek Pass is 400 miles long. For much of the way it coincides with the Colorado Trail, including the Collegiate West option. This is a high route mostly above 10,000 feet and reaching over 13,000 feet so the altitude has to be taken into account. Don’t expect to walk as fast as in the British hills! The summer climate is benign with long hours of sunshine, but thunderstorms do occur regularly, so you need to watch for these. In a few areas water is scarce so knowing where the next source is and carrying enough to get there is important. Navigation isn’t difficult on the Colorado Trail section as this is well-marked and the path is clear. Once the CDT diverges from the CT the trail is less clear in places and there are fewer waymarks. Care is needed not to get lost – especially as the maps are sometimes unreliable (I found the online ones correct, the print one showing the trail incorrectly).

Printed maps 

National Geographic Trails Illustrated Colorado Trail North, Colorado Trail South, Colorado Trail Collegiate Loop, Weminuche Wilderness

Online maps and guide

https://continentaldividetrail.org/product/cdt-planning-guide/

https://atlasguides.com/continental-divide-trail/

https://atlasguides.com/colorado-trail/

 

Big Walks in Colorado

My walk was only along half the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in Colorado. In total it stretches 800 miles from the border with Wyoming in the north to the border with New Mexico in the south. This is a great walk the whole length of the Colorado Rockies. The 486-mile Colorado Trail coincides with the CDT for much of the way. For one section south of Twin Lakes there are two alternatives for the Colorado Trail, Collegiate East and Collegiate West, which can be combined to make a 163-mile route, the Collegiate Loop. The CDT follows the higher Collegiate West. There are many other trails in the Colorado Rockies that can be linked to make a long route. The State has over 3.5 million acres that are protected in 41 protected wilderness areas and 4 national parks. Peak baggers could set out to climb the 58 Fourteeners (peaks over 14,000’), which can be linked in long walks. A few do require technical climbing skills. Then there are 580+ peaks over 13,000’.

https://continentaldividetrail.org/explore-by-state/colorado/

https://coloradotrail.org/

The Colorado Trail, Official Guidebook of The Colorado Trail Foundation (Colorado Mountain Club)

The Colorado Trail Databook (Colorado Mountain Club)