Short version: success, 9 Scouts, 8 adults, made the successful and happy trek from Kenosha Pass to Breck -- on what was the first significant backpacking trip for many of them.
Longer version: (more a quick technical report than anything about the grander nature of our trip) we arrived at Kenosha around 8:30 AM after leaving Broomfield a little after 7. We met our older crew there as they had started the trail two days before to get in an additional 18 or so miles, and do the section on the trail that is before (or after) this one. We restocked these guys up with items they had packaged up for us and we brought up.
TZ and her Dad went with KK and I and we got his car from the Lost Gulch region, and brought it back. TZ and her parents would help us immensely by doing a shuttle of the vehicles around from Kenosha to Breck. The rest of the crew had about an hour start on us, and KK and I started down the path to catch them. We caught up to them at Deadman Creek, or about 2 hours into our walk. I think this part of the hike – that is from Kenosha to Jefferson Creek is probably the best of this segment. Huge wonderful views to the west of the mountains, great vistas of South Park.
Shortly after six miles we set up camp near Jefferson Creek, not far from the CO Trail, and the West Jefferson Trail. There was some question as to whether we could camp here as we could be in the Jefferson Lake Recreation Area. There was no signs saying we couldn’t, and there was plenty of evidence that camping had occurred in this area before, so it was up in the air. One of the adults in our party talked to a ranger and we got a green light of sorts.
It rained a touch in the afternoon, but not bad. I got a light jog up the trail with JS (kid is getting strong) and then we settled in for the night. (6 backpacking miles, 4 running miles on the day)
I was using the Appy Trails Mark III tent. Good lightweight tent (1 lb, 2 ounces) but they don’t breathe great and so with the overnight rain, and being in the grass, there was a fair amount of condensation on the inside. They are probably better on pine beds or dirt. For me alone, in a Mark III – not an issue. For 2 smaller boys in a Mark III – not an issue. For the two adults who shared one, they were a bit wet. I also found myself coveting JH MSR Reactor stove as he had water cranked at a boil in 3 minutes while I fuddled with my 20 plus year old Whisperlite.
The next day we started on the trail. We were not exactly sure where we would end up. It depended on availability of water, campsites, the strength of the boys, the weather, etc. We ended up pressing up to Georgia Pass, getting there just before noon. Clouds were present but nothing of significance. Nonetheless, we high tailed it down just before 1PM.
Once over the pass, we were thinking it would be about another five miles to water – and we were right. All the way down to the Middle Fork of Swan Creek … down, down, down. The boys who had already put in a pretty big climb began to realize that down was not always easy, and after a total of eight miles, some of the spirits were starting to break. Thankfully all the snow that Bob and I encountered three weeks ago was COMPLETELY gone. That was rather amazing.
While some of the kids were a bit broken when we got to camp for the night, they bounced back quick with the packs off their backs, some food, some water and some RnR. (10.5 miles backpacking on the day, another 2.4 of running back and forth on Georgia for me as I shuttled back and forth between the front and back of our crew that had really stretched out)
We decided to keep day 3 light. There were a couple of reasons for this. First it gave the boys an easy day after a tough one. Second, it put us near where I thought we’d be anyway in pretrip planning – and we had planned a surprise “drop in” from one of the boys parents. He brought a variety of treats. This was the good news.
The bad news was that in the bulk of the otherwise down day, I got out and ran to check out the conditions of the next day’s hike. We were concerned about availability of water and campsites in this next area, and I had not recon’ed them previously. I headed down Tiger Road, got a cell signal to dial our treat drop in, get a call to TZ out to let her know all was okay, and then headed up the Horseshoe Dredge. I ran up to the Red Trail intersection, and confirmed that between our current camp and along the CO Trail, there was no water for the 9.2 mile stretch.
I got back to camp and we discussed various options, landing on one that would take our older Scouts on the longer trail up and over the ridge, and our younger Scouts along the lower road. This would get them about 3 miles less than the older guys but skip the vertical that seemed to crush them two days before.
I was fine with this. One of my primary goals with this trip was to “set the hook” with backpacking. The kids had seen the challenge of it, and I did not feel the need to break them over and over again – lest they may choose “this sucks, I will never do that again.” Some might have that feeling anyway I guess. On the day, 2.4 backpacking, 12.9 of running.
We did the split group plan on day 4, and rendezvous’d with the crew as expected near the confluence of the Horsehoe Dredge and CO Trail. After some scouting around, we found a suitable site and set up for the night.
I jogged the trail out to Breck to get a recon on what was up for us the next day, and to tie off with TZ on our pick up spot. 7.4 miles hiking, 5 and halfish of running.
I decided that a sleep under the stars was in order for me. The clouds later decided that it was going to rain off and on most of the night. I had wrapped my bag and pad in a ground cloth (painter’s drop cloth) which kept most the rain off me. But again,the condensation was rich and by morning, I was laying in about a half inch of water anyway. Nonetheless, my 20 plus year old EMS bag did fine … wet on the outside but I was dry inside. So a night under the clouds, in a puddle, with a bug net on over the face … ah well.
Our last day out, everyone was a touch wet with the rains from the night before so we were slow to break camp, as we dried stuff out. Colorado though … put it out and it dries. Can’t do that back east. It was a nice short walk out (3.6 miles) to the Gold Hill Trailhead. Our older crew had got 50 miles, our younger crew 30.
TZ was there with the cars. We took the Scouts up to the Silverthorne Rec Center for some showers and a quick swim and then gorged ourselves at Beau Jo’s Pizza for home.
Tons more to say about the whole wonderful nature of the trip, how the kids performed, how it was good to get out with Dad of like mind, how wonderful the terrain was, but I am pretty beat tonight. More on that to come, and maybe some pix that people took with actual camera’s versus the junk I took with the iphone. Lots of stuff to say but at some level, I was happy to not be the guy that brought Scouts into the wilderness to end up a headline in the news. ;)
