Thursday, August 6th, 2020
The views were gorgeous! The moon was still in the sky when we got up and we walked beside it as the sun crested over rolling hills covered in wildflowers. The water was clear and refreshing. We saw more marmots and pikas than hikers. The few hikers we passed by were just waking up and getting their day started. This trail is scenic without question! It remained mostly untouched until we reached Kokomo pass. A quarry cut into the mountains nearby which disrupted the unspoiled scenery we had just enjoyed. Regardless, we were still having an incredible time!
We followed the trail down to the pines and passed weird structures, labeled as old coke ovens in the guide. We saw a nice waterfall and crossed a railroad before we took the mellow trail to Tennessee Pass trailhead. It was time for a food break!
A very determined gray jay swooped by our heads and circled us as we ate. He wanted handouts, badly! While we ate, we saw a group of four girls getting dropped off after returning from Leadville. This was one of the ways into town, but we planned on hiking another 27 miles to Mount Massive trailhead. We still had a lot of food left.
Side note: Do not do as we do! This was a poor decision. More on that later.
We only hiked another 3.5 miles back into the woods to mile 146.5. We pitched our tarps at a nice wide open site next to a water source. The girls we saw hitching back from town were camped nearby and we heard a few others roll in after dark. This was a nice, big site and there was plenty of room for everyone.
21.6 miles (34.8 km)
Jump Ahead to The Colorado Trail: Part 8
Jump Back to The Colorado Trail: Part 6
or
Start from the Beginning: The Colorado Trail: Part 1
Stubbs Rambles On 