Wednesday, 30 August 2017 09:29

On the Trail – Colorado Trail

On the Trail
The Colorado Trail

We have a new Gemini Adventures crew member and he definitely has an adventurous spirit. Ryan’s an avid skiier, runner, and biker and has been on adventures all over the world. He recently returned from completing the Colorado Trail and has a shared a little bit of his experience. Say hello when you see him on the course (or at the festival!) this September at Mountain RATS and look for a profile in a coming newsletter.

CT Travel 2017- Denver to Durango
Two weeks ago, I rode my bike the length of the the Colorado Trail from Denver across 550+ miles to Durango. This has always been a dream of mine. I grew up on sections of this truly spectacular network of linked trail across Colorado, and after years of talking about doing the whole thing, I finally put a plan in place and set out.

The Trip:
The Colorado Trail in its entirety (with mandatory Wilderness detours)
The Goal:
12 days with one day in Salida to regroup with society + give some T.L.C. to our backpacking bikes (aka bikepacking)
The Deal:
Take the time to stop, enjoy, and love what we were doing. Adventure by bike with a focus on seeing the Colorado beauty with no restrictions.
The Team:
Fez & Trail Bear

In the end this turned out to be an amazing ride across pretty much every zone CO has to offer. We received all the elements you’d expect for spending 8-12hrs on the bike every day. We returned nature’s gestures in kind with a great deal of smiles and the occasional frown. We stuck to our plan but allowed for a great deal of flexibility to remain in good spirits and not forget why we were out there. The rigid adventurer becomes a sour adventurer very quickly.

I learned that no matter where I was, I was always right there, on the trail moving one mile closer to Durango. The rhythm and routine became ingrained in our every move, thought, and action. We slowly transformed into creatures designed to ride, eat, sleep, repeat. Our primordial sides arose, and we were the elusive nomads in spandex.

The bike has always been a big part of my world, and I wanted to devise a multi-day adventure to honor that and test myself in the process. It was magical, and I would do it again…just not anytime soon!

What’s Next:
Great Divide Route
Teeth to the Wind,
Fez