The Colorado Trail In Crisis

The Colorado Trail in Crisis addresses the sweeping transformation of western forests and wilderness ecosystems affected by climate change. This book is equal parts trail journal and synthesis of natural and human history. Karl Ford uses research on climate impacts to forests, wildlife, hydrology, and more to stress the urgent need for an action plan to reduce greenhouse gases and save forests and watersheds. Using his hike along the popular five-hundred-mile Colorado Trail to present his personal observations about more than a hundred miles of dead and dying forest, Karl Ford presents a brief environmental history of these areas of the state, weaving in scientific studies about forest mortality caused by insect infestations, wildfire, drought, and loss of snowpack, and describes the poor current prospects for reforestation as the climate continues to warm. His own Lakota ancestry, as well as historical references to local Tabeguache Ute Chief Ouray and displaced Ute populations, meaningfully frames important conversations about caretaking and connection to place. Ford also proposes potential solutions to drought and forest mortality problems, as well as varying approaches and limitations to mitigation efforts. The Colorado Trail in Crisis appeals to hikers and nature lovers seeking to learn about the natural history, beauty, and serenity of the Colorado Trail, as well as students, conservationists, and scientists researching climate change effects on Colorado mountain ecosystems.

What happens when you don't want the same things that everyone around you seems to want? How lonely is a life lived off the traditional path? In August 2021, after years of grieving a divorce, living in a tiny van, and grappling with pandemic isolation, former hiker Nicole Antoinette set out to walk all 491 miles of the Colorado Trail. It had been more than two years since her last long-distance hike at that point, and she had no idea if she could still do it. Was it unrealistic to think that she could spend months of each year out in the wilderness? At 36-years-old shouldn't she be focusing on other goals? A career, for instance, or buying a house and putting down roots? What We Owe to Ourselves is a thoughtful and fun adventure memoir, exploring what happens when you decide to turn away from all the "shoulds" and take the risk of defining success for yourself instead.

Reading the West Longlist for Memoir/Biography One grouchy husband. Three reluctant kids. Five hundred miles of wilderness. And one woman, determined to escape the humdrum existence of modern parenting and a toxic work environment and to confront the history of environmental damage wreaked by westward expansion and the Anthropocene. In Uphill Both Ways Andrea Lani walks us through the Southern Rockies, describing how the region has changed since the discovery of gold in 1859. At the same time, she delves into the history of her family, who immigrated to Leadville to work in the mines, and her own story of hiking the trail in her early twenties before returning two decades later, a depressed middle-aged mom in East Coast exile seeking happiness in a childhood landscape. On the 489-mile trek from Denver to Durango on the Colorado Trail, Lani's family traveled through stunning scenery and encountered wildflowers, wildlife, and too many other hikers. They ate cold oatmeal in a chilly, wet tent and experienced scorching heat, torrential thunderstorms, and the first nip of winter. Her kids grew in unimaginable ways, and they became known as "the family of five," an oddity along a trail populated primarily by solo men. As they inched along the trail, Lani began to exercise disused smile muscles, despite the challenges of hiking in a middle-aged body, maintaining her children's safety and happiness, and contending with marital discord. She learned that being a slow hiker does not make one a bad hiker and began to uncover the secret to happiness.

Completely revised guide to the Colorado Trail, the premier scenic long trail in North America Updated maps of every segment showing access points, key trail intersections, and more Current details on new trail reroutes, trail town amenities, and wilderness bicycle detours The Colorado Trail is considered by many to be the most beautiful "long trail" in the world. Spanning 486 miles from the Denver suburbs to Durango, Colorado--plus 80 miles of the Collegiate West addition--the trail passes through six national forests and six wilderness areas, traverses five major river systems, and crosses eight mountain ranges. The tenth edition of The Colorado Trail has all the information a day hiker, thru-hiker, mountain biker, or equestrian needs to plan and complete a trip on the Colorado Trail. Written descriptions for all 28 segments of the trail, plus 5 segments of the Collegiate West, have been updated throughout the guide. The guidebook includes updated amenities in each trail town for resupply, shopping, and lodging, as well as current details on wilderness detours for bikepacking routes. Each chapter provides essential logistical information for the Colorado Trail day hiker or thru-hiker: trailhead directions; road access points; detailed trail descriptions including distance and elevation gain; color maps and elevation profiles; and information on water sources, campsite locations, and resupply towns.

John Fielder llama-packed the 470 miles of the spectacular Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. Here's your ticket to seeing the trail wind through the Colorado Rockies from home!

• The official Colorado Trail guide for thru-hikers, day hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians • Detailed information for the entire Colorado Trail, including five new chapters for the 80-mile Collegiate West trail addition • Updated color maps with trail and milepoint overlays The Colorado Trail is considered by many to be the most beautiful “long trail” in the world. Spanning 486 miles from the Denver suburbs to Durango, the trail passes through six national forests and six wilderness areas, traverses five major river systems, and crosses eight mountain ranges. The ninth edition of The Colorado Trail has all the information a day hiker, thru-hiker, mountain biker, or equestrian needs to plan and complete a trip on the trail. New to this edition are five chapters on the 80-mile Collegiate West trail addition. Maps and written descriptions for all twenty-eight segments of the Colorado Trail have also been updated throughout the guide. Each chapter provides essential logistical information for Colorado Trail hikers: trailhead directions; road access points; detailed trail descriptions including distance and elevation gain; color maps and elevation profiles; and information on water sources, campsite locations, and resupply towns. Additional town maps and mountain bike detour maps (around Wilderness Areas) have been included throughout the book. An extensive introduction includes information on planning, supplying, safety, equipment, navigation, mountain biking, horseback riding, regulations, and backcountry ethics—plus chapters on the heritage of The Colorado Trail, natural history, and geology. At the back of the book you will find useful contact information and an index.

Ideal for the backpacker, bicyclist, or dayhiker, this essential book fits handily in pocket or pack. Weighing only ounces, it's backpacker friendly yet stuffed with an amazing amount of information, answering all-too-familiar questions any CT hiker might ask: Where's the next reliable water? Where am I camping tonight? How many miles have I gone? Where can I resupply? You'll find it all here in The Colorado Trail: The Trailside Databook.