Quantcast

Do you like to get HIGH, man? (Colorado Trail - Copper to Kokomo Pass)

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
10,483
7,526
Exit, CO
Yeah, man... I like to get HIGH... so here's a trip report chock full-on with high country riding STOKE. After all... the Dude abides. These are from America's Birthday 2013: and the ride was the Colorado Trail from Copper to Kokomo Pass as an out-n-back. Distance was 25-1/2 miles round trip with ~5K of climbing and descending, a stout ride for sure. I'll let the pictures speak for theyselves...


About halfway up Guller Creek:


Riding on a bit of amazing singletrack:


Just popped above treeline, and things are starting to get real:


We only had a few snow fields to cross, this one is just shy of Searle Pass by a few hundred yards:


Teh LBG and I (and a marmot) on top of Searle Pass at 12,027'. I'm in the flannel:


Setting off for Kokomo Pass. My buddy Aaron and I were the only two of an 8-person group to mission over to Kokomo Pass and back:


Mission accomplished at 12,027'. Now to get back...
 

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
10,483
7,526
Exit, CO
That looks like a cool trail :thumb:
It was a cool trail, for sure. One of the most accessible and bike-able sections of the Colorado Trail, and one I hadn't ridden yet. Well, there's a lot of sections of the CT I haven't ridden, but this one is so close and so easy I'm a bit ashamed I hadn't ticked it off yet. A relatively manageable 5K worth of climbing :-)eek:) with the same descending. A lot of people keep going past Kokomo Pass (last pic, where we turned around) and descend towards Camp Hale, but we opted for an out-n-back to cut out either shuttle logistics or a HEINOUS dirt road climb. Cue SS coming in here and saying we did it wrong in 3... 2... 1...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/337810732
 
Last edited:

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
10,483
7,526
Exit, CO
At least through August, don't let those clowns fool ya. Sometimes the high country can stay "clear" into October, although that's probably rare. It can also snow at those elevations in the middle of July, so YMMV.
 

Full Trucker

Frikkin newb!!!
Feb 26, 2003
10,483
7,526
Exit, CO
:eek: Guess I better get a move on then if I expect to try and see any high country this year.
Nah I wouldn't sweat it too much. It's monsoon season, so a little dusting up high is to be expected. The rains are starting to subside a bit and it should get to being a bit more dry for a while.