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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>This is a route dreamed up 7 years ago when I became inspired
to hike the CDT. Both this and the Creede-Silverton Loop were designed
for 2 reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>a)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>There are
sections of the official and un-official CDT that thru-hikers skip.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>b)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I needed some
CDT practice sections before I do the big one.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>No CDT thru-hiker that I know of ever does the official loop
through RMNP. By the same token, the same goes for Jim Wolf’s Never
Summers route. One can combine both for a tune-up for the CDT and minimize
guilt when passing through <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Grand</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> for real. I
used the newer TI 200 map (bought right before the hike) with Jim Wolf’s
Guide to the CDT vol 4: Northern CO (1<sup>st</sup> ed?)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Day 1: Tuesday, September 11<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Took a while to leave <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Denver</st1:City></st1:place>,
eat breakfast, get the RMNP site reservations at Kawuneeche Visitor Center
(KVC). By the time it was all said and done, it was 11 AM when I walked
out of the Tonahutu / North Inlet TH. The valley crossing was slow
going. I decided to take the stock trail twice, not recommended.
Stick to the road between KVC and the CO river bridge. Keep the map handy
as you navigate up road 491.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Somewhere in this area, a female moose was parked on the
road. She didn’t want to budge as I approach so I wondered if there
was a calf somewhere but where, I cannot see. Okay, go around on the
upslope. Which is when I realized why the cow is not moving. There was
a bull moose directly ahead of me uphill. Time to retreat and let the
lovers pass. Bull made wonderful grunting sounds as he crossed the road.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>About halfway up the roads, you will reach a set of road
jctns where 491 meets the well-graded Kawucheene Road 120 as well as the
rougher steeper North Supply 4x4 road. (The older map shows it in better
detail while the newer map seems to delete some of it for simplicity.)
Take it for approx 2 miles versus the 3.5 miles (so says the sign) on the
smoother road. Tough first day with 8 days of supplies. The weather
held up fantastic without the usual afternoon congregations. Was happy
and pooped to make it to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bowen</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> at 5:20.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Day 2: Wednesday, September 12<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Instead of the highline route (which I had dayhiked 3 weeks
earlier), I went the Bowen Gulch short-cut to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Bowen</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Pass.</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
>From <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Bowen</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, I am convinced this saves about an
hour and a lot of energy. That energy was reserved for Farview which, for
the second time this summer, kicked my butt. The summit view is
definitely a highlight and was able to scout out part of the route to Red Dog
Pass. This time down to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Parika</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, I was not being
chased by hail and thunder. 2<sup>nd</sup> day in a row with nary a cloud
to comment on. Hard to say where the trail to <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Baker</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Pass</st1:PlaceType> and from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Jack</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Creek</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
meet; I did not notice it. The only real trouble I had this day was
finding my way from by the “perennial creek … just below a flat
meadow at 8.8” until I found the cairn at the lower edge of the meadow,
hidden by a small spruce. At that point, the half-mile scree/talus
walkway did me in and I stopped for the night at the pond wedged between <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Mount</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Cumulus</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
and Howard Mtn. A sublime campsite!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Day 3: Thursday, September 13<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>By this time, the hiker should be comfortable navigating
across open meadows with no tread and sparse <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">cairns</st1:place></st1:City>. The route drops further below
the divide in order to get around nasty talus tongues where the tread magically
reappears to get through whatever cannot be avoided. At the base of the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Red</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Dog</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Pass</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> slope, one looks up
from the last cairn and can trace out the tread running diagonally across to
the left. I was one-third up from the cairn to the end of the path when I
looked over to my left and saw … a bear with his body pointed down-slope
stopped to look at me. About 200 yards away, maybe more. I felt no
threat, only curiosity. After a minute lookover, I decided he and I were
going in different directions and resumed upward progress. He bolted down
the slope after that.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The astute hiker should also notice how different the route
is from the TI map. (A good advanced read of Wolf’s route reveals
this.) But you would think by the latest edition they would get it
right. Right? O well… As an encore to the bear, on the
other side of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Red</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Dog</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Pass</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
were 3 bull moose congregating at the pond at 12.2. Another place the map
could use correction is the Silver Creek TH, which is where one starts to meet
up with the jeep road and the supposed continuation of 1141, the Never Summer
trail. After reaching the TH and signage, continue down the drive-able jeep
road and over the shallow ford and then the small creek which is the end of
Jim’s section 1 to Silver Creek. The signs are long gone but the
campsite is still evident. From the campsite, head up the slope, parallel
to the small creek and voila, there is tread. In Jim Wolf we trust.
Another meadow with disappearing tread after the switchback climb; just
continue straight and contouring toward Seven Utes Pass. Startled some grouse
just before the pass (just as Jim predicts!).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The crux of the day’s route hinged on the saddle at
2.6 of Section 2 (which is a double dip). The discernible tread goes over
the knob (11187), not to the right of the knob as the bible says it should
go. The knob does have a jeep path going down its northern spur (which shows
up on the old map but not the new one). The route I wanted, however, was
back at the saddle. Back I go and start walking off the side of the
ridge. There is a short, sketchy section of steep eroded-but-hardened
gravel slope which is hard to dig in with your boots. No discernible
tread so put forth your boots and chant: In Jim Wolf we trust. After
getting across the sketchy section, I looked 20 yards downslope and … lo
and behold a faint path appeared! Eventually this runs into the jeep road
which hairpin-turns into another, now badly overgrown, jeep road headed to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Agnes</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>.
A relief to get back to real tread! I met a mtn biker on the Michigan
Ditch road, which has obviously been improved. He tipped me off to the
mother and calf moose near the trail leading down to Crags FS Campground. This
is right near the water impoundment structure next to the MI Ditch road and a
good place to get water. The blue-diamond markers up from this point
represent mile 6.1 in Jim’s text. Oddly enough, this trail shows up
on the new map but not the old. Guess they got that right. Great
climb to the great set of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Michigan</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lakes</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> and my campsite of
the night. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Two unfortunate things also happened on this day: 1) I
notice significant peeling of the boot tread to the leather body and 2) I lost
my map. It blew away after I had left it unattended with small rocks to
hold it down. (Strong wind gusts at MI Lakes!) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>First time I have lost a map. Normally, losing your
map would be a disaster. But this route was etched into my mind after 7
years of contemplation. No way was I going to quit now. (to be
continued…)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Karl</span></font></st1:PersonName><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Luce<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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