Collegiate Loop Tips and Tricks | Colorado Trail

Here are my best tips and tricks for your thru-hike of the Colorado Trail's Collegiate Loop!

[kirkherman]

Awesome video! Excellent tips. There's also a mini Collegiate Loop option for those with an even shorter time frame. If you drive on 365 past the Silver Creek Trailhead to the North Cottonwood Trailhead (Also the trailhead for Harvard and Columbia) you can take the North Cottonwood Trail and follow that up to Kroenke Lake Trail, which dumps into Brown's Pass. Take Browns Pass Trail north, Brown's trail hits Texas Creek Trail. Head west on Texas Creek Trail. Texas Creek will eventually turn into Collegiate West, then the Texas Creek trailhead and then you can head up over Lake Ann Pass on to Twin Lakes and back Silver Creek and North Cottonwood Trailheads.

Sounds complicated, but once you look at some maps it's pretty clear.

Full disclosure! I have not done this but had planned to last year. Spent quite a bit of time planning it, but ended up having a lot of fun on and around some of the 14ers in that area.

[mileswiththemels]

How does this video not have more views??? Such good info and tips!

[ateevechannel]

Beautiful place to hike& thanks for the tips & information

[sshouser]

Great video and information! Loving the channel! Keep up the good work!!

[B_RoseBeats]

great video with great information. will be hiking the loop this summer!

[MADHippiesLife]

Watching! We chose the traditional east route on our CT thru hike and are ready to return to do the CW. Fact: the east, as you stated, is really tough. Big, long climbs with little payoff compared to the west. We're glad we did it, but would definitely recommend west if you will only do this once. Thankfully, living in Colorado, we have access. Great tips on resupplying often to keep pack weight down and starting at Avalanche for logistics and getting acclimated. Thanks for another great video!

[UnlikelyHiker]

Great info here! My loop hike looks like it may turn into just Collegiate West, but I’m just happy to be headed back to CO!

[graceescapes]

These are really helpful tips. I like that you gave information about resupply areas, emphasized the timing at the base of the mountains and the difference between east / west start. Thanks for sharing this informative video. Hope we could do this backpacking trip soon.

[LinkusMaximus]

Thanks for the tips! I'll be out there in early August after I do Four Pass Loop, so this video is very informative and helpful in trying to plan my excursion onto the Loop! Thanks!

[romanandfizah]

Its beautiful view my friend! surrounding by pines tree . Thank you:)

[vpal]

Excellent video with great tips. Subscribed. One thing I would say is that there is no way we're completing the loop in eight days. LOL. However, trails are different out west than they are here in the northeast and so we might be pleasantly surprised. We're planning on a fourteen day trek. Thanks for posting this!

[dkscott]

Thanks for this helpful video Snackbox! Planning to meet some friends to enjoy the West section later this Summer. Do you have tips / suggestions regarding food storage? Thanks again!

[melaniegarden]

Given this a second watch! Thinking about Collegiate East in July (having already done the West side) and hiking up some of those east side 14rs!

[erowe]

Avalanche definitely seems like the smarter way to go - thanks my bearded brotha

[atrailoforangeslices]

Thanks for all the excellent information! I'm planning on a thru hike of the CT this summer. If things go well, I'm toying with the idea of doing the entire Collegiate Loop instead of picking east or west. I thought I'd hike the west side, go up around the east, and then I'll have to repeat the west to continue on to finish in Durango. Am I absolutely insane? I just don't want to miss anything. I don't have time constraints and I doubt I'll ever thru hike the CT again (although, who knows, LoL?). Would appreciate your insights. Thanks.🍊

[GlenTripp-cd]

Thanks for your videos. I have 2 weeks to backpack starting July 1, 2023 and was hoping to do the Collegiate Loop. But your recent live stream made me concerned about snow. What do you think of a July 1 start from Twin Lakes going clockwise this year? Should I just do the first 150 miles of the Colorado Trail instead?

[BackpackingandBlisters]

Thanks for putting this video out! Super helpful tips! How long did this take you out of curiosity?

[chrisc.]

Snack Box! Thanks for this video. I did the CT in 21 and took the Collegiate West route. I'm going to do the Collegiate Loop in July so I can say I did the entire trail. I'm going to take your advice and probably start at Silver Creek. I have plenty of time to do the trail and I also want to do at least one 14er but ideally two of them since I didn't do any in 21. What 14ers would you hit if you could only do 2 or 3? Which ones do you think make the most sense to do?

[chrishennemeyer]

Great video. Do you know if the Monarch Gift Shop sells food -- i.e. ramen, tuna, etc.?

[chris]

Have just decided to do the loop as my first long hike. Is there any spas within hiking distance that would allow me to use them for parking.