CT Segments 6-8, 38.6 miles

 

Day 9

After a fantastic zero day in Breckenridge we rejoined the trail to continue south.  As expected our legs felt sluggish climbing up an away from the valley floor. The pull of town was still strong as we hiked through an area of extreme beetle kill.  The trees on both sides of the trail had been clear cut. I suspect to keep the trail clear, but also to protect against any potential downfall.  It didn’t take long for us to get back into the rhythm of the trail. Climbing out of Breckenridge the amazing views helped get us back in the hiking mindset for what would be our last 3 days on the trail.

In several areas you could see the ski lifts of Breckenridge as we climbed up and over the Tenmile Range.  We skirted between two 12,000 ft peaks, before dropping down into the next valley.  That evening we found a decent spot to set up camp, along Tenmile creek, and settled in for a rainy evening.

 

Day 10

From our campsite along the Tenmile we headed up the hill traversing the slopes of Cooper Mtn. Resort.  Bisecting the resort made for some entertaining people watching. It felt good to climb up and away from the golf course, crowds, and roller coaster that made up the resorts summer attractions.

The views above Cooper Mtn Resort were amazing.  We climbed up and over 12,000 ft passes, spending several miles hiking above the treeline.  After ten days on the trail we had finally made our way high up into the mountains of Colorado.  The air was a bit colder, the storms felt just a bit closer, and the views were the most spectacular we’d seen on the trail. With just one day left we enjoyed our day, taking our time and trying to soak it all in.

 

Day 11

Our destination for this section of the CT was Tennessee Pass. Our final day on the trail we were torn, between the comforts that awaited us back in town, and the deep satisfaction that you experience living life on the trail.  The last few miles passed quickly, and before we knew it we were all relaxing at the Tennessee Pass trailhead. Our timing had worked out perfectly, shortly after we arrived our shuttle pulled into the parking lot.  We packed into the shuttle and were whisked off at 65 mph, which at the time felt like an incredibly fast pace…

11 days on the trail was just enough to dust off the cobwebs and get into the trail routine. Unfortunately that is all the time we had for this section.  We are looking forward to coming back and continuing our journey along the Colorado Trail. See you next time!