In just a few days, I’ll be packing my bags and heading to Denver, Colorado for the summer. The plan is to be on the road for about 6 weeks, hiking the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango, and spend another 3 weeks or so traveling around the state. Oh, and all of this has to be done on a serious budget.
Two years ago, I had my first long-distance hiking experience and chose the Pacific Crest Trail. Quite an introduction to hiking, I can assure you! Back then, I felt painfully insecure about my wild adventure. One of the critical points in the preparation phase was logistics. Now I can imagine this can be equally discouraging if you simply live out of state and don’t have anyone you know living near the trail.
Now that I’m about to return for the second time, I feel much more comfortable with my plans. Here are some things I’ve learned as an international hiker in the US.
Path angels are real
I spent hours and hours scrolling through Facebook groups before my PCT start date, desperate for any advice on how to survive (and actually enjoy) months in the backcountry without any sign of civilization for miles and miles. I was surprised by the number of kind people offering their help like angels of the trail. I was also quite skeptical. Normal people helping dirty, smelly hikers out of the goodness of their hearts? Yes of course.
I am from the Netherlands, a small but large country in Western Europe. There are many reasons to love this place, but hospitality may not come first. The people are nice but first you have to get to know them. I don’t think there are many people here who take strangers into their homes, provide them with food and drink, and offer to take them to the middle of nowhere. I found it hard to believe. I am a hiker, traveler and solo adventurer. To me, this sounds like danger. And then the logistics for that first trip became stressful and perhaps a little more expensive than they could have been.
I have learned my lesson. Six months in the United States, many of which along the way, I received so much help from complete strangers that it blew my mind. Most of all, I’m grateful, but I can also see why they choose to help. Being connected to the hiking community is magical. There is so much positivity, good vibes and great conversation to be had. I can totally imagine people want to be a part of this, even if they aren’t avid hikers!
Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to ask for help before you leave. I’m staying with a friend of a friend (actually a friend from the PCT!) for my first night in Denver, and a very kind angel agreed to drive me to the trailhead the next day. Not only that, he’s offered to make stops at REI and the grocery store so everything is organized before he leaves. I can skip the expensive night in a hostel and I don’t have to spend hours on public transportation and walking around the city to do all my tasks.
I can also leave a bag with things I’ll take for the road trip with my friend’s friend. When I did the PCT, I decided to do a road trip as well after my injury ended the trail early for me. I had nothing with me besides the things on my back. Of course, you don’t need much stuff if you sleep in the back of a car and drive anyway. But it’s definitely much better to have some extra things.
Don’t fall into alarmism
Facebook groups can be a gold mine of information, but they can also cause anxiety. For the PCT, I thought I HAD to send myself refill boxes with the right amount of calories and optimized for macros. I also felt like I had to plan my daily mileage for at least the first few hundred miles of the trail, just in case. I thought I had to spend at least a couple of days in the United States before going trail riding. This time, all that has gone out the window.
I will resupply in towns along the way. Yes, some places may be more expensive but at least I save myself the headache of putting together those boxes, I don’t have the shipping costs, I’m less likely to walk around with too much food, and (perhaps most importantly) I’ll be able to eat whatever I’m craving at the moment, not what I packed weeks before. As far as I can tell, this is a perfectly good strategy for a trail like the CT, as long as you don’t have very specific dietary requirements.
I intentionally didn’t consume much Colorado Trail content before this trip. Yes, I’ve seen a photo or video here and there, but for the most part I’ll be seeing it all directly with my own eyes for the first time. That has really added to the excitement for me and I can’t wait to get started and experience it all. Now, I’m not saying this is the best way to embark on a new path. Especially as a beginner or beginner, I can see a lot of benefits from watching some YouTube videos and reading blogs before starting. I also love watching people hike trails or go on adventures I might go on one day to get inspired. But if I know that I will soon be there in real life, I want to preserve some of that mystery and magic.
This time, I will be on the road the day after my arrival. Now listen to me. I am well aware that this is Colorado and the elevation is no joke. For this specific trail, I admit it would have been beneficial to have a little more time to acclimatize beforehand. My plan is to do a couple of low mileage days at first so I can do it more comfortably while on the road. I was also prescribed medication because I know I am sensitive to high altitude. I know all about hydration, electrolytes, carbs, going high/sleeping low, etc. What I mean is that I’m not “wasting” precious time sightseeing or other things while all I can think about is the trail anyway. Plus, staying in a big city for a couple of days will probably blow my budget before I even start. Let’s not talk about jet lag!
Practical tasks
Some equipment is cheaper to buy directly in the US than abroad. I like to order from REI and select “Pickup in Store” at checkout. You can also see if there is a tracking angel willing to accept a package for you, and if not, you may be able to receive things at a post office (although this is not possible for everyone). In my REI shopping cart: a sun hoodie, a Sawyer water filter, a gas canister, electrolytes, and some of my favorite breakfast bars.
Last time I went to the Verizon store to get a phone plan. This time, I’ll try to get a monthly eSIM plan when I get there. And honestly, it doesn’t bother me too much. I’ll make sure I can text with my Garmin, I’ll download all my offline maps, and I’m sure I can survive on Wi-Fi if I need to.
In the end, I’m sure all of these things will work themselves out. The only thing I really care about is safety and making sure the people at home know what to do in an emergency. I have a Garmin inReach Mini 2 so my sister knows my location at all times. When I depend on other people, I also share names, photographs, addresses, license plates, or any identifying information I have with my sister. I believe most people are inherently good and have only the best intentions, but I’m not blind to the fact that I’m a lone hiker in a foreign country.
Those are just some of the things I do. I have discussed a whole plan with my sister and she also has it written down step by step. That’s the only part of planning I won’t skimp on!
It’s hard to believe I’m just a few days away from living in the mountains again. I’m just a ball of excitement and I can’t wait to share my experiences along the way here with you.dd
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