The Collegiate Peaks Loop connects the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and the Colorado Trail (CT) by joining the Collegiate East (CT) and Collegiate West (CDT and CT alternate). Historically, Collegiate East has been part of the CT, and Collegiate West part of the CDT. In 2012, the Colorado Trail Foundation began to co-manage the western portion of the loop along with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. CDT travelers are now able to choose which portion of trail to take, and section hikers who choose not to hike the whole trail have been gifted a beautiful multi-day adventure.
Dru Falco and Carolyn McShea, at the point where Collegiate East & West diverge. Photo by Dru Falco.
Logistics
Many loop hikers park either at the Twin Lakes Reservoir or at Monarch Crest, and take a leisurely two weeks or more to see the sights. Take your time and enjoy the experience! If you only have a few days to traverse a short section of the loop, you can choose between the East or the West and either leave a car at each end or arrange a shuttle with a friend. There is an abundance of smaller sections and day hikes to be explored along the route, including several of Colorado’s popular 14,000 foot mountains, or 14ers, such as Antero, Princeton, Yale, Shavano, Tabeguache, La Plata, and Huron.
The Collegiate East side is mainly below treeline and has slightly less elevation gain, while the West has expansive views and more challenging terrain. For loop hikers, I recommend starting with the East – it’ll be a good warmup for the steeper hills in the second half of your trip. There are several places to pick up a pre-arranged resupply from a friend, including Twin Lakes, Avalanche Trailhead, Mt. Princeton Hot Springs or the Mt. Princeton Trailhead, Monarch Pass, and the Cottonwood Pass Trailhead.
The best views are seen from the high mountain passes on Collegiate West. Photo by Francesca Governali.
Gear List
We each carried individual clothes and gear, and split up our group gear between the three of us. This gear list is intended for use in late summer, when temperatures dip below freezing at night and warm up during the day in the sun. Be prepared for rain, frost, and hail or snow, even during the summer months, as well as potential thunderstorms on the ridges.
Individual Gear
- 0- 15℉ sleeping bag
- Sleeping bag liner
- Sleeping pad – foam or inflatable
- Spoon or Spork
- Bowl – we used plastic peanut butter jars
- Wool hat & gloves
- Midweight fleece layer
- Light synthetic or down jacket
- Rain pants & jacket
- Wool or fleece long sleeve top, to sleep in
- Wool or fleece leggings, to sleep in
- Capacity for 2L water
- Water filtration or purification such as Sawyer Squeeze, Iodine, or Aquamira
- Toothpaste/ brush/ floss
- Bear cans, Ursack, or bag + rope
- Battery charging pack or solar charger + cords
- Headlamp + extra batteries
- Earplugs
- Pee rag (ladies!)
- Wag bags or plastic bag for used toilet paper
- Cash for incidentals and ice cream
- Hand sanitizer & mask
- Chapstick
- Sunblock, hat, sunglasses
- Socks, shoes, shorts or skirt, & synthetic (non-cotton) t-shirt to hike in. Underwear optional.
Group Gear
- Tent/s
- Trowel + toilet paper
- Stove + pot + fuel
- 2 lighters
- First aid kit
- Extra plastic baggies for trash and storage
- Paper map & itinerary in waterproof plastic baggies
- Guthook Guide or similar mapping phone app
Sharing a (physically distanced) meal at Boss Lake. Photo by Dru Falco.
Food
Our group enjoyed some delicious meals on the trail! We had resupplies every 2-4 days, so we were able to carry fresh fruits and vegetables, which are usually too heavy, bulky, and delicate for longer trips. To keep your energy levels high between breakfast and dinner, focus on eating high-calorie foods like nuts, cheese, and chocolate every two to three hours. Choose foods that cook quickly and that you’re excited about eating when you’re in the frontcountry. This was our general food plan:
- Breakfast: Overnight oats with peanut butter powder and dried fruit, instant coffee.
- Morning and afternoon snacks: Fresh or dried fruit, trail mix, chocolate bar, energy bars, crackers, pretzels.
- Lunch: Wrap with PB&J or some combination of hummus, tuna, carrots, cucumber, & cheese.
- Dinner: We took our inspiration from past personal trips and various online resources. The general formula was to mix a quick-cooking carbohydrate base with protein, dried or fresh vegetables, and spices. Favorites included burrito bowls, mac & cheese, gado gado (peanut sauce and noodles), couscous, and instant potatoes.
It’s important to keep your food away from bears and other critters at night. One member of our party used an Ursack (bear-proof bag), and two others hung their food in trees. We encountered no issues with animals on this trip.
Navigation
Waiting for a resupply at Cottonwood Pass. Photo by Francesca Governali.
We primarily used Guthook’s CT & CDT guides, which are available for purchase on iOS and Android devices. If you’re planning to hike only this loop and not other sections of the trail, you can purchase the Collegiate Peaks guide separately. The maps are downloadable and you can access them without cell service; the app shows your current location and how far other waypoints are from you, as well as crowd sourced comments about where to find water and good campsites, which were essential when we were making our plans for each day of the trip.
We also had a paper copy of our itinerary stored in a waterproof bag, which we referenced when looking for our pre-planned camping options at the end of the day. As a backup, we carried a small CT guidebook that contained maps for the whole loop.
Wildlife
Spot the two moose! Keep a safe distance from wild animals. Photo by Dru Falco.
Always store your food at night using either a bear can, Ursack, or bear hang to keep it away from bears and other critters. Don’t feed the wildlife!
On this hike, we saw two moose, several ptarmigan, and many marmots and pika.
Highlights along the route
Hiking the Collegiate Peaks Loop was an incredible experience. Our group took a few days to acclimate to mileage, altitude, and the rhythms of backpacking, and we each grew individually as we were able to hone our hard skills. By planning our daily mileage carefully according to our fitness levels and the terrain, we were able to enjoy a healthy mix of challenge and relaxation.
Francesca Governali looking down to the road crossing at Cottonwood Pass. Photo by Dru Falco.
Here are some of our favorite parts of the trail:
- Twin Lakes Reservoir
- Clear Creek Reservoir
- Chalk Creek Trailhead
- Monarch Ridge
- Ice cream at the Monarch Pass General Store
- Monarch Ski Resort
- Boss Lake
- Hancock & Tincup Pass
- Lake Ann Pass & Lake Ann
- Hope Pass
As a group, the most special memories were the times spent laughing over meals, marveling at breathtaking views, and sharing triumphs and tribulations together.
More resources on the Collegiate Peaks Loop
- The Colorado Trail Foundation’s guide
- Guthook Guides’ Continental Divide Trail app
- CDT map set – free digital download
No comments:
Post a Comment