Colorado Trail 2024 – Path of solitude – Day 1 – Waterton Canyon to South Platte River trailhead

10.07.2024

Distance hiked: 26,8 km/16,7 mi
Elevation: 762 m/2500 ft up
Highest point: 2291 m/7516 ft
(data from my GPS watch, may be different from the official measurements)

Content

So. That was the day when my long planned adventure finally started.

I had arrived in Denver from Germany 10 days earlier. I spent some wonderful time with family, got adjusted to the higher altitude (from just above sea level to the Mile High City), and finished some final hike preparations.

From Wheat Ridge, my sister, nephew, and niece set off with me at 6:45 a.m. toward the starting point at Waterton Canyon. Around 8 a.m., I was ready to go. My dear family walked with me for about a mile, then it was time for them to turn back—and I was on my own.

Disbelief, excitement, hope, joy, and a hint of anxiety were some of the feelings I experienced. How was it possible that after all the mental and physical preparation, gear selection, the flight to Denver, and the goodbyes to friends and family—I was actually here, taking my first steps on this journey of hundreds of miles? Time is a strange thing. But I also felt genuinely proud that I had trusted my vision, intuition, and feelings about this whole project. Well, how would the next days and weeks unfold…?

The first views on the Colorado Trail before entering Waterton Canyon

There was quite a heat wave around Denver at the time, with temperatures above 38 °C (100 °F). Luckily, by starting not too late, there were still some shaded parts along the road through Waterton Canyon. So the first few miles were quite easy. It was Wednesday—some hikers and bikers were around, but it wasn’t too crowded.

South Platte River in Waterton Canyon

The first miles along the South Platte River were quite nice. I could just hike without paying too much attention to the trail or road, so my thoughts and feelings could flow freely, and my body could adjust to the hike.

I met three women who were also planning to hike the CT, but I didn’t see them again later. Another one—Wayne—I met once more near Copper Mountain Resort. I didn’t see any bighorn sheep, although I frequently scanned the hills around me (ending up with a stiff neck after a while…).

This easy stretch ended at Strontia Dam, where a powerful water fountain was on display—then the first serious ascent began. With the higher temperatures, my shirt was soaking wet very soon.

Strontia Dam

At Bear Creek, I took my first longer break—cooled my feet in the water, ate a few wild raspberries, and filled up my bottles. There were lots of peculiar caterpillars there—they turned out to be Douglas-fir tussock moths. Many fell into the creek but managed to rescue themselves a bit downstream by climbing onto another rock. Funny to watch!

The trail somewhere on the way to the high point of the day

Then continuing the ascent on a sometimes rocky trail, I had another short break at Little Bear Creek, which was still running. More uphill, a few hikers and bikers passing, and heat in the woods with several sunny spots—then I reached a great overlook above the South Platte River. My first thought was to set up my tent here, but when I looked northwest and saw big clouds forming, I didn’t want to risk getting caught in a thunderstorm in such an exposed spot.

The ridge above South Platte River close to the end of Segment 1

So I decided to complete Segment 1 and hike back down to the South Platte River. I was pretty tired and hadn’t planned to complete the whole segment, but the descent was easy, with lots of switchbacks—so considering the second (and most likely very hot) day ahead, it was a good decision after all.

I set up my tent a bit above the river and was surprised to see that other hikers had pitched their tents right next to it. I thought this was private land and that camping there should be avoided. Well, I was happy with my spot—slightly separate and by myself, but not completely alone on my first night.

Just above South Platte River

Of course, I didn’t have a routine yet for unpacking or setting up my tent. I couldn’t even find my socks for the night—everything was a bit slow and unorganized—but I was happy that the first day had gone so well and that I had actually finished the whole segment.

Tips, experiences, lessons learned

I think starting at Waterton Canyon in the middle of the week is a great idea. In the canyon, there were several day hikers and bikers, but after Strontia Dam it got pretty quiet. Although I didn’t start very early, the morning hours were pleasant with some shade along the canyon. Starting later in the day would have been much hotter.

I had assumed I could easily refill my water bottles before starting the first ascent near Strontia Dam. However, I couldn’t find any safe access to the river there. So if you want to replenish your water in the canyon, keep an eye out for better access points earlier on.

In general, I didn’t drink enough on this first day. My urethra hurt a bit, and I had some trouble peeing at night (I have some prostate issues, so that’s a personal warning sign when I haven’t drunk enough). I made sure to take better care of that from then on.