Monday, June 29, 2026
I’m back! I completed Segments 1-5 of the Colorado Trail last week, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Five days, ~72 miles, over 12k feet of elevation gain, incredible scenery, and wonderful guides and fellow hikers. The heel blister continued to heal, I only got one other small blister on my big toe that was totally manageable, and no other aches or pains. This experience gave me a big boost in confidence that I’ll be totally fine on the UK Coast to Coast.
I’ll be publishing 1-2 daily journal posts each day this week — one for each day on the trail, plus a Day 0 for the evening we met our crew and fellow hikers. Posts are written in present tense and dated the day they actually occurred, based on the notes I took in my notebook each evening. Start with Day 0 below and work your way through!
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Colorado Trail Day 0 (June 2026): Meeting the Crew
After dropping Lee at the airport this morning, I had some time to kill before meeting my group, so naturally I went to the flagship REI store in Denver. I could have spent hours there, but I had to be disciplined and stick to my list. No room in my duffels for impulse buys… Read the full post →
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Colorado Trail Day 1 (June 2026), Segment 1: Waterton Canyon to South Platte Canyon
I didn’t get great sleep last night, tossing and turning until 3:30am when I finally adjusted the angle of my sleeping pad and managed to get a solid two hours. I woke at 5:50 to the sound of my fellow hikers already up and moving around… Read the full post →
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Colorado Trail Day 2 (June 2026), Segment 2: South Platte Canyon to Little Scraggy
I woke at 5:45 well-rested. After another 9pm bedtime and an hour of The Salt Path, I’d slept beautifully, waking a few times to roll over but drifting right back to sleep… Read the full post →
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Colorado Trail Day 3 (June 2026), Segment 3: Little Scraggy to Wellington Lake Road
Another good night’s sleep — I’m actually getting more rest out here than I do at home. Going to bed when it gets dark turns out to be a remarkably effective sleep strategy. On my way back from the bathroom this morning I stopped to watch the sunrise over the lake… Read the full post →
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Colorado Trail Day 4 (June 2026), Segment 4: Wellington Lake Road to Long Gulch
Another great night’s sleep, waking around 5:30am feeling well-rested. Everyone seemed to have their morning routine dialed in by now, and we were ready to go as soon as breakfast was done. We were all eager to get moving on a challenging and scenic day… Read the full post →
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Colorado Trail Day 5 (June 2026), Segment 5 (northbound): Kenosha Pass to Long Gulch
The overnight thunderstorm was something else. Lightning that lit up the entire tent, bone-rattling thunder, pouring rain, and wind. Most of us were awake for a good part of it. Earlier in the week someone had mentioned “widow-makers” — large dead branches that can fall on campers, sometimes with fatal consequences… Read the full post →
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Reflections on the Colorado Trail
I’d thought of this trip as a stepping stone on the way to the UK Coast to Coast – merely a way to test my physical and mental stamina and my gear for the longer trek. It accomplished those goals, but more importantly it was an amazing experience in its own right… Read the full post →
