Winter Park camping;
https://www.uncovercolorado.com/nati...vasquez-ridge/
or winter parks rendition
https://www.playwinterpark.com/camping-winter-park
Jones Rd;
https://www.theoutbound.com/colorado...-at-jones-pass
Winter Park camping;
https://www.uncovercolorado.com/nati...vasquez-ridge/
or winter parks rendition
https://www.playwinterpark.com/camping-winter-park
Jones Rd;
https://www.theoutbound.com/colorado...-at-jones-pass
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Well I've done quite a few backpacking / hammock camping trips over the years. I've also done a few deep winter backpacking / hammock camping trips. With that said, I'd be more than happy to help anyone out, answer questions (even the dumb ones @rwfeldmann), and help lead / organize a trip.
Couple of things to keep in mind. If most of us have never done a winter / snowshoe trip, it's an entirely different animal. For instance, I can average around 14mi days in 3-season, but only about 4mi days in winter. Point is, It's best to plan a short (distance) trip, with mild elevation, just in case something happens, or we're just exhausted after hiking 2 miles. Plus your speed of travel is drastically reduced. The first winter hang I did, we only hiked in (in snowshoes) about 2 miles, which took almost 3hrs.
Also, all water needs to be insulated, or it will freeze. On water, you won't be able to filter it, like normal, since it's frozen. So melting snow is your best bet, which requires a good stove (I like the whisperlite), and lots of fuel.
I would also not leave home without some kind of shovel, in the group. Sure we're hanging the hammocks in the trees. But if you plan on cooking, sitting, or having a fire; we've got to get down to the ground- which could be 1-10' deep, digging that out, by hand, is a great way to blow through all your energy!
Other than that, it's an insulation/layering/warmth game. Know your layers of clothing, and how to use/shed them. Plan for the conditions where your going (not where you are), but be prepared for the weather to shift, because it will.
On a recent trip it was forecast for clear sky's, 50's-20's. Ended up being windy, in the teens, and sleeting. Just gotta be ready, and adapt on the fly.
This past weekend, I did a "Snow-lo" (Snow-solo, Thanks @shug), up on CT leg 4 outside of Bailey, CO. Trekked in about 3mi, setup camp, called it a day.
@gilligansworld I like the areas you've found, lets see if we can find a moderate loop, or out-n-back. We should also absolutely assume that the roads will be snow/iced over. So, if we can find a trailhead near a main, paved road, that would be better then one less traveled, and miles into the backcountry. Once we pick out a place, I'll be happy to build a map/route on caltopo, and share it here, so we are all on the same page; this will also produce a gpx file for uploading to GPS units.
Additionally for anyone interested in winter gear load-outs, I'd be happy to share a link to my lighterpack list I use for winter trips- should give ya a pretty good starting point, if you've never done it before.
I know we've got some holidays coming up, but lets keep chatting, and get this thing all planned out. Sounds like a blast!
Sounds like a plan. Provided I can get the time off I would love to do this.
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Colorado Trail segment 2 is a great out and back with some really nice views. Crampons would really help getting up out of the canyon if there is snow and ice. Here's some pics.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/outand...57642300665143
So, I guess we should nail down what area everyone is interested in going to? Somewhere on the CT would be a good option, or out near Winter park. Could also find some great hikes in the Eagles Nest/Holy Cross Wilderness. Really just depends how far people are willing to drive, and where we're all coming from.
Wish we had an interactive, drive-time map that everyone could contribute to, and see where we intersect, to get a general ballpark.
Please reply to this post, letting us all know approximately where you're at, and how far (location or time) you're willing to drive.
I'm in SE Denver, and willing to drive 4hrs.
Not sure if I stated this already but I'm about an hour north of you in Fort Collins. 4 hours would probably be my limit as well - I would put three hours as my sweet spot though.
Winter Park has been on my radar for 3 reasons; 1) at 2 hours away from me It leaves plenty of time to hike around and explore once I get there
2) Vasquez Creek is touted as one of the best dispersed camping spots in all of Colorado
3) I love the area and grew up skiing that mountain. IMHO I agree with all of the publicity about them - best mountain resort PERIOD - Telluride had been really cool too but it's been totally Gucci-fied again IMHO - No more camping in town and going to the bluegrass festival. They charge for everything. $$$ruined it but I'll get off my soapbox......
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Wow this looked different reading things a second time. So let me restate some things as they didn't seem to come across as I read this a second time (sorry )
I don't really care where just don't want to worry about getting stuck - I have a Toyota Corolla - used to some pretty treacherous driving as I made the trip between Laramie and Fort Collins frequently in the early 90's (all it takes is a couple inches of snow and wind and you have a really bad ground blizzard)
I am going to have a chance to explore the Winter Park area at a later date so again - For the Record - I don't care where.
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I'm in Colorado Springs, willing to drive hopefully no longer than 2.5-3 hours, but for the right trip I'll do more. I'm pretty much open to any location, though really tough treks might kick my butt, as I'm not used to much more than recreational walking (and my pack is likely gonna be heavy since I'll be a little over-prepared, just in case).
My only concern at the moment is my overall clothing setup:
- Thermal undies, top and bottom, 32 Degrees HEAT from Costco
- Merino wool base layer, top
- Fleece-lined, water-resistant snow pants
- Gerry Nimbus Tech jacket w/hood, "Polyfill insulated, water-resistant, mid-weight"
- A light puffer jacket (80% down, 20% feather) to layer under the Gerry, if needed
- Merino wool socks, as well as a for-real pair of Mongolian wool socks for sleeping
- A wool-blend beanie, and a sock-matching Mongolian wool beanie, fits tighter than the other so they can layer
- A for-real Russian wool sweater, a gift from my wife's family (yep, itchy)
- A for-real Russian ushanka hat, gift from the wife's family
- Snow boots, pretty nice when combined with the wool socks
- Several pairs of gloves that can layer, if needed, including a supposedly thermal glove liner
Not sure if I'd need a shell jacket or shell pants. . . we're not planning on hunting yeti or climbing any peaks. Gaiters might be a good idea.
Not sure about @Strex but I plan on bringing a pulk or sorts - probably my kids sled - dragging my crap behind me so weight probably won't be much of an issue for me. Snow shoeing aint fast but it's fun
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Be The light in Someone's Darkness - Change the World one Act of Compassion, One Act of Kindness at a Time - We are All Living on Borrowed Time
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