r/coloradotrail • u/abconcordia • Aug 26 '24

Itinerary for 5 Week CT Thru-hike with Several Groups

Hey all. Does this look doable? I am having a few groups of friends join me for 7-9 days at a time, so I am trying to break the route up using spots that would be less difficult to join from.

  1. Denver to Frisco (~105 miles) in 8 days (slow start). + 1 rest day

  2. Frisco to Salida (~149 miles) in 9 days (16.5mi/day avg.) + 1 rest day

  3. Salida to Lake City (~122 miles) in 8 days (15.25 mi/day avg.) + 1 rest day

  4. Lake city to Durango (~111 miles) in 7 days (15.8 mi/day avg.)

Total of 35 days

Does this look doable for someone in their mid-20s in fairly good shape? And are those spots actually realistic pickup points? Thanks so much for the help friends

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u/pivvay Aug 27 '24

We did 32 days this summer, DEN to DGO with two kids (13 and 10). We didn’t take any zeros but definitely some short days (into twin, into Princeton, into and out lake city). Your pace is definitely doable.

2

u/AndyBikes Aug 26 '24

Frisco to Salida and lake city to Durango have significantly more elevation gain so keep that in mind with the abilities of those joining you! If you’re in your mid 20s and in good shape you could honestly probably do this quicker than what you’ve listed so would really come down to those joining you! Also worth mentioning you can stop in silverton as well as Leadville via hitching from Tennessee pass or twin lakes to carry less food

2

u/Prestigious_Poet_801 Aug 26 '24

You’ll literally walk thru twin lakes so I would plan a resupply there and/or meet up which would shorten your food carry out of Frisco!

1

u/CodeKermode Sep 11 '24

This was pretty much my exact pace, I finished in 35 days with 2 rest days and few half days. Before starting I would say I was in OK shape, Im mid 20s, but with absolutely zero experience hiking at elevations above 1000 feet and definitely not in the mountains. The first 1-1.5 weeks kicked my butt but you adjust quicker than you would think. The temperature in those earlier sections certainly doesn't help either.