A great weekend of hiking!

Another 39 miles and sections 8 & 9 are complete, bringing my total miles of "hiking for Nature Education" to 156. Alex Martinez hiked all 39 miles with me this past Saturday and Sunday, and those miles were a treat to our senses, even if we moved through them at a pretty good clip. The scenery was gorgeous, the wildflowers were in great form, and the weather was very cooperative.

Section 8 included hiking over Searle and Kokomo Passes and ended at Tennessee Pass. The trail climbing was generally moderate in this section, and several miles were above treeline, so the scenery was spectacular. Section 9 spent much time in the trees, but once the trail broke out into the open, the distant views were just as spectacular. Much of Section 9 was in the Holy Cross Wilderness. The area around mile 8 of this section, with a few small lakes, open grassy meadows, and plenty of wildflowers, was exceptionally lovely...I could see myself backpacking into this area and spending a few days exploring, and just being, in such a beautiful place. The last couple of miles dropped steeply into the Turquoise Lake area and the terminus of the section. A gentle rain cooled us just as we began the steep descent.

Alex is an avid hiker, bicyclist, and runner, so there certainly was an element of "clicking off the miles" as we enjoyed the scenery. Alex is a Justice on the Colorado Supreme Court, and so I also enjoyed getting a bit more of a glimpse of the job of a Supreme Court Justice through some of our many conversations. It certainly was a great weekend of hiking! Alex took a bunch of terrific photos. Here is a link to Alex's photos.

Back on the trail!

In the morning, I plan on getting back onto the Colorado Trail, this time taking off from Copper Mountain for Sections 8 and 9. My friend Alex Martinez plans on hiking about 17 miles on day one with me, ending up in the old Camp Hale area. (Camp Hale was a WWII military base where the 10th Mountain Division learned mountain skills, such as winter survival and skiing. Many 10th Mtn. Division veterans returned to Colorado after the war and were instrumental in developing the ski industry.) If all goes according to plan, I will finish Section 8 and then Section 9 on the following day or two (how long it takes me depends on how strong I feel). This will put me past the 150 mile mark and into the Sawatch Range, heading south along the eastern side of the Collegiate Peaks. Pledges are above $36 / mile - so the next few days of hiking will bring over $1400 towards our Nature Education programs. Thank you for making this effort a success!

Hiking Around the Ski Areas!

The July 4th weekend had me hiking Section 7 of the CT. My wife Helene joined me for the first couple of miles. This was the first section I decided to do as a day hike...the 12.8 miles traversed the Ten Mile Range between Breckenridge and Copper Mountain ski areas. The wildflowers were terrific (the yellow arnica - the happy sunflowers - were a delight) and the surrounding mountains were gorgeous. The hike topped out above 12,400' - the highest point so far. It was a good climb and a good workout - although my overnight gear is not all that heavy, it was nice hauling only day-hike gear. This brings my mileage to 117 miles. The next section takes me into the Leadville area and soon I'll be trekking south along the east side of the Collegiate Peaks.