Training Hikes

Ben and I have been thoroughly enjoying our pre-trail time here in Colorado.  So far, we've been able to squeeze in a couple long day hikes with loaded packs to train for the start of the trail which is coming up this Friday.

Our first training hike began at the Hessie Trail Head near Nederlands and was at a decent elevation range from 9,000 to 10,500 feet.  We had hoped to do about 12 miles, but due to snow, we were slowed significantly and eventually lost the trail and had to turn around.  The trails were not blazed and simply relied on hikers to follow the obvious dirt path below, but when snow covers that dirt path, it is very difficult to follow.  It was an excellent challenge for us, though, and good eye-opener to what we may potentially experience on the CT once we hit higher elevations (around day 5 or 6 on the trail).  We didn't do much postholing, so that was good, but our trek ended up being about 8 miles round trip and was enough to wear us out.  The danger level of the snow factor, though, was relatively low, minus one particular section that presented a bit of a challenge.  One small section that was covered in snow with a fairly steep grade had no exposed trail a very little traffic or traction, and had we lost our footing we would have slid down the snow slope and into a very cold and unhappy raging waterway below.  We were careful, though, and made it successfully both ways.

Yesterday, we stayed at a lower elevation (around 6,000) and enjoyed the beautiful Mesa Trail here in Boulder from one end to the other and back.  Round trip, we went somewhere between 12 to 13 miles with moderate ups and downs.  The trail was extremely well-maintained and of high use by locals, both runners and hikers alike.  Again, we loaded our packs down, this time with about 37 pounds, and so our legs were feeling it by the end.  This is the first time, however, that Ben and I have really significantly trained on trails with weight before taking on a long trek, so we feel really good about the exposure and are hoping these hikes will reduce the soreness and fatigue that is inevitably felt the first couple days on a long backpacking excursion.

Anyway, we hope for at least one more training hike, maybe two, before we head out early Friday morning.