Burning through Colorado: Going miles for pancakes and dodging the smoke

I’m relaxing on a zero day in Grand Lake, Colorado! It’s been almost 300 miles since I’ve had a proper trail update, so buckle up!

Stormy weather from Salida

Having lost a bit of time in Salida, I decided to get to work, activating the thrusters and closing the gap between me and the people I had been walking with. I knew that reaching it would be a bit difficult, as I would be thrown almost immediately onto the Collegiate West route, home to some spectacular views and steep climbs. However, I am a stubborn person and I am determined to do it.

Despite my ambitions, I discovered that the mountains didn’t care in the slightest. In the 80 or so miles between Monarch Pass and Twin Lakes, I was hit by rain, sleet, snow, hail, wind, thunder and lightning. On one occasion, I was so cold and wet that I thought it prudent to stop, camp in the scorching gale, put on my dry, spare clothing, and wait out the worst of a storm at 12,000 feet. Even in summer, hypothermia can be a big concern in the mountains, and I wasn’t about to become a statistic. When the sun finally came up at 3:30, I headed out to a frenzy of marmots judging me from the rocks, sold my gear to dry, and continued moving north.

Marmots: the CDT viewers!

Classic Hiker Yard Sale – For when everything you own is wet!

My strategy for this stretch of trail was to basically hike from sunup to sundown while avoiding storms on the passes. One day, I attempted a “triple pass” hike, which was to cover Cottonwood, Lake Anne, and Hope passes—a total of 36 miles with about 10,000 feet of elevation gain. But of course I found myself waiting for a storm to clear Lake Anne Pass and then I was also prevented from going up Hope Pass. Maybe Mother Nature was looking out for me, as it would have been a decidedly masochistic endeavor.

A storm is approaching Lake Anne Pass!

The next day, Twin Lakes offered a great rest. I waited for Punky’s food truck to open, where I was treated to a delicious bacon cheeseburger. Twin Lakes itself was very low, the wind whipping the exposed shoreline into a bowl of dust. From there, I wanted to take a side trail off the CDT to climb Mount Elbert, the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains at 14,440 feet. I went out with Mountain Goat, who I met at Twin Lakes, at 2:00 in the afternoon. People usually start these 14ers early in the day, so we were met with more than a few raised eyebrows and questioning tones as we departed the trailhead late in the day.

“You’ll never make it,” said an openly rude and mocking guy walking with his family. I double-checked the map, confirming the mileage and elevation to the summit and back to treeline, and double-confirmed that we would, in fact, make it. We were on top of Elbert in two hours and then down to the base in another hour and a half; Take that, doubtful friend! We didn’t walk here from Mexico for nothing!! Unfortunately, the strong winds in Elbert blew away my favorite Wisconsin Badger hat, rising into the stratosphere like a helium balloon. RIP Badger hat, we will miss you…

There is no one taller than Elbert!

Willow’s Fire and Silverthorne’s Alternative

Continuing to walk, my plan was to spend a night in Leadville, but I discovered that the lodge was booked for a private event. With a deep sigh, I resolved to walk to Silverthorne the next night, after having wasted half a day hitchhiking to Leadville (the rest of the accommodations were excessively expensive…). After all, it would only be 28 miles to Copper Mountain, where I could catch a bus into town.

As I approached Kokomo Pass, I looked up to check the weather and make sure I wouldn’t be assaulted above the tree line. I thought, «Wow, those are some strange looking clouds,» until I realized they weren’t clouds, but smoke. I didn’t have cell reception, so I used my Garmin to text my mom and ask if there were any wildfires in the area (a message that would send her into a panic). It turned out that a new wildfire had just started at the base of Mount Massive, very close to where I was standing, and directly downwind. As I looked at the valley I had to walk through to fill it with smoke, I decided to get out of there and was able to hitchhike to Silverthorne. I’ve never had to flee the trail because of a fire, so it was a pretty exciting afternoon!

This is where I was supposed to have walked. No, thanks!

After evading immolation, I found myself at a hotel in Silverthorne called The Block, a really stylish place with a big communal space, great for relaxing. I rolled a zero here while waiting to see what the fire would do. The powers that be later named the fire «The Willow Fire» and it continued to keep things pretty smoky. I chose to walk directly from Silverthorne via an alternative that would cut about 30 miles off the official red line, as it would help me catch up with some people. Officially, however, I’ve skipped the miles from Kokomo Pass to Copper Mountain. Now I can hear the cries of «It’s not a real hike!» how I have broken my continuous path. Yes, I’ll miss those 17 miles, but I’d rather that than walking through a screen of smoke.

A smoky Silverthorne sunset!

The Silverthorne alternative itself was quite wild and untamed. At times the trail was virtually non-existent and there was a mix of takedowns for most of the second half. A very convincing side trail took me down the mountain to a molybdenum mine, from where a short walk up the road and a quick hitchhike took me to Winter Park.

Meet friends and walk to pancakes

In Winter Park, I finally met the people. Journey had a friend he’d met on the PCT (Data) who lived in Winter Park, and he treated us to some of the best trail magic I’ve ever had on the trail: a place to stay, a shower, a homemade pasta dinner, and a ride back to the trail in his pristine converted van. Joker, Pac Man, Ravioli and Wilt also joined us. It felt really great to be back in a group. I really recharge my batteries by spending time with other people, and I immediately started having a good time with them!

A Safeway sandwich the size of a toddler!

Data’s awesome truck and Ravioli in the background to add drama!

Because Colorado is a powder keg this year, there would be no fireworks this 4th of July. Instead, Wilt told us about a pancake breakfast the Rotary Club of Grand Lake was hosting. This immediately became a primary motivation for putting in the miles and was pre-inflated to almost mythical status in our minds. The countdown to pancakes had begun.

On the way to Grand Lake, I was a little surprised to learn that James Peak would be our last 13er on the CDT. In all of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, we would never go above 13,000 feet again. I was sure to enjoy the views while we still had them. Thanks to the smoke we also had some exceptional sunsets.

A deep red sunset seen as we descend towards Grand Lake!

On July 3, there were a lot of people out hiking and camping around the lakes at lower elevations. We passed Lake Junco and Lake Monarch, both packed with families enjoying the weekend. Our group got a great campsite on Lake Granby, where the water level was low enough that there was a pretty decent beach, albeit with freezing water. The best news, however, was that it was seven miles to the pancakes.

Through Beach Dinner for Hikers! Also, shout out to Journey who is the only one who remembers to take these group photos!

A quick, flat hike the next day brought us to syrupy bliss at Grand Lake Park, where we would spend the rest of the day enjoying the Fourth. The city was full of people, which was a social shock for being on the road. I earned some Dippin’ Dots from Pac Man by narrowly defeating him in mini golf, and later that night we were serenaded by the musical style of DJ Slob Gnarly (who would make a wonderful name for the trail) while relaxing on the balcony of Shadowcliff Lodge. There was supposed to have been a laser light show instead of fireworks, but it never happened.

The main event: The Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast!

Winding Moose Miniature Golf with Ravioli and Pac Man!

Rocky Mountain National Park and a zero

On day 5, I hiked 25 miles through Rocky Mountain National Park, leaving most of my gear at the lodge for a quick, light hike. The trail forms a close circle and returns near Grand Lake, making this possible. The trail was super wide and well maintained which made for an easy day. Today I take a zero, specifically to rest my feet and eat my weight in city food. It feels like a well-deserved break and I plan not to take another one until I’m in Rawlins, WY. We have about a week left in Colorado and I’m looking forward to crossing another state border!

Kicking in RMNP!

There’s been a lot to cover, so I’ll be sure to get more frequent updates in the near future! Overall things have been going really well, I’m glad to have regained some miles and been back on the track with good friends, and I’m looking forward to what’s next! Thanks for reading, friends!

Great Lake overlooking Shadowcliff!