Out and Beyond Presents the Colorado Trail!
Backpacking in the Gorgeous Rocky Mountains
Mountain Climbing: Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert
Whitewater Rafting through the Royal Gorge
Leadville, Colorado
August 9 - 24, 2008: 16 Days
| Date(s) | Activities | Location(s) |
| Aug 9-10 | Travel (bus/trailer); Preparation | Mt.Pleasant, UT to Leadville, CO |
| Aug 11 | Whitewater Rafting: Royal Gorge (Class 4) | Arkansas River (Canon City, CO) |
| Aug 12-23 | Backpacking: Colorado Trail, 90 miles.
Includes Summiting two 14’ners: Mt. Elbert, Colorado’s highest mountain, and Mt. Massive!!! | Leadville, CO to Salida, CO |
| Aug 24 | Travel: Bus | Salida, CO to Mt. Pleasant, UT |
Note: itinerary subject to change due to the unforeseeable climatic/logistical complications and/or participant readiness.
WHY GO???
What are YOU going to do with your golden time this summer 2008? Lie around tied up in your possessions like Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants? Become a slave to TV’s dictatorial glow? Watch your life decrease and your backside increase? Why not contact Out and Beyond, the Outdoor Program at Wasatch Academy, and get aboard The Colorado Trail backpacking experience, meet new friends, join old buddies, and learn some hiking and camping skills while traveling west in a bus of happy, care-free trekkers?!!! Read on for the rest of the story!
The Arkansas River: Class 4 Whitewater in a Spectacular Gorge!
Before beginning our splendor - filled days backpacking on the Colorado Trail, we will pause for some rapid transit fun on the amazing Arkansas river as it hurdles through world-famous Royal Gorge! As the river squeezes between the walls of the narrow gorge, the constriction creates several class III-IV chutes over drops and around boulders. To add to the excitement, an entrepreneur has built a narrow gauge railroad that hauls tourists through part of the gorge and up above, over a thousand feet, is an expansion bridge which people cross and wave. But we will have little time to wave because rapids like Sunshine Falls, Sledgehammer, Wall Slammer, and Boateater will be challenging our paddle strokes at every turn!
For more details about this great section of river, click on this site: Royal Gorge Rafting on the Arkansas River
The Colorado Trail: Backpacking Through Eden!
After our GREAT day on the Arkansas river, we’ll pack up our light-weight food, summer clothing, and gear and start our 90 mile trek on the spectacular Colorado Trail. Starting near Leadville, CO and hiking to Salida, CO, we’ll pause a couple of days on the trail to climb Mt. Massive … and Mt. Elbert, Colorado’s highest. But these will be enjoyable ascents as the trails are easy to follow and require no special climbing gear. Participants not feeling up to the climbs, however, can remain in camp to relax, write in journals, read and make photos of the abounding beauty at every vantage point!
But what exactly IS the Colorado Trail where we will be spending the next 12 days strolling along?
The Colorado Trail (CT) is a 479 mile long trail running from the mouth of Waterton Canyon southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado, United States. The CT traverses Colorado's mountains. Its highest point is 13,334 feet above sea level, and most of the trail is above 10,000 feet. Despite its high elevation, the trail often dips below the alpine timberline to provide a measure of safety in the exposed, storm-prone regions above tree line.
The Colorado Trail is an established, marked, and (mostly) non-motorized trail open to hikers, horse riders, and bicyclists (a.k.a. mountain bikers, which are prohibited on the sections which pass through designated wilderness areas). From the eastern terminus, southwest of Denver, the trail winds its way for over 479 miles through the state's most mountainous regions, to its final conclusion, a few miles north of Durango. Along the way, it passes through eight major mountain ranges, seven national forests, and six wilderness areas.
Trail elevations range from a low of about 5,500 feet at the Denver end of the trail to a high of 13,334 feet on Coney Summit in the San Juan Mountains. The trail rises and falls dramatically. The trail passes through what is considered to be some of the state's most beautiful country, snow peaks releasing tumbling creeks, towering evergreen trees, firey sunrises and golden sunsets, . Wildlife abounds and wildflowers, in season, are abundant. While much of the trail passes through forests, a good portion of it reaches above timberline, where trees no longer grow and 50 mile views are breathtaking. You truly feel like you are on top of the continent!
The trail passes through historic mining towns, along ancient Indian trails, and through a modern, world-class ski resort. Other sections appear much as they would have 500 years ago!
As we average 7.5 miles per day on our 90 mile, 12 day hike, we will enjoy sharing the trail, harmoniously, with a w-i-d-e range of animals and plants. The highly visible Mule deer, Douglas squirrels, noisy Stellar jays and gopher-like “chirping” Picas and common ravens are animals that many people encounter and enjoy photographing.
Each day we’ll rise to a golden sun smiling and reflecting its warmth off the white domes of nearby Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, glistening in the distance. With each step of the day, a new vista of wind, water, and rock will greet our astonished and grateful eyes: rainbows arching over waterfalls, trout leaping at gnats as we ford a stream, swimming in deep, emerald pools below waterfalls, coming into camp after a great day of exercise and intoxicating beauty; then night will wrap her arms around us as we eat a hearty stew and sip on hot chocolate and recline on pads to watch shooting stars sew up the sky with web-like flashes. Sleep will come as a blanket full of warm, renewing vigor to revitalize us and get us up in the morning to dance on the trail again!
Colorado Trail Backpacking: At a glance
LOCATIONS: Mt Pleasant, UT to Leadville, CO
ACTIVITIES: Backpacking/ Camping /Whitewater Rafting/Mountain Ascents/Photography/Journal Writing
DATES: August 9-24, 2008: 16 days; depart 8 am, Wasatch Academy, Mt. Pleasant, UT.; return circa 6:00 pm on the 24th; BUT wait for phone call the final day for EXACT return time.
AGE/SKILL LEVEL/SAFETY: Coed/13 +; ages divided into age groups once on activities; Beginner-Intermediate: a challenging introduction to wilderness skills! Some sections of the trail will be steep and tiring, but daily distances will not be excessive, 7.8 mile average. 1 trip leader/5 participants . Trip leaders have Wilderness First Responder certification and advanced first-aid training. The group will carry a satellite phone and will, therefore, NEVER be out of touch should emergency help be needed.
COST: $1195. / participant; $195. deposit due by May 20, ’08 Balance due June 25, ’08 Check space availability after due dates if you get this info LATE. Call 435/462-1420 to ask questions and/or sign up, or better, e-mail steve.hall@wacad.org Mail non-refundable deposit to: Paul Applegarth, Wasatch Academy, 120s 100w Mt Pleasant, UT 84647 Financial aid is available dependent on numbers of participants.
CANCELLATIONS: cancellations less than 21 days prior to departure cannot get refunds on the balance; however, credits for future trips will be awarded. We must adopt this policy to cover budgeting concerns for the trip—gear, fuel, permits, staffing, etc.
Fare includes: gear, food on the trail, transportation, permits and guidance. Food in transit participants will need to bring enough money for 12 meals, going and returning. $100 should cover that, more if you want to purchase souvenirs. We will be enlisting a local outfitter on the Arkansas river for the rafting.
Here are links to pictures of where we will be going:
The Colorado Trail
Mt Massive
Mt Elbert
Royal Gorge Rafting
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