Bikepacking the Colorado Trail, Summer 2013, segments 23, 22, 23

In 2013, four friends decided to bikepack the Colorado Trail; Mark, Chris, Barry and Morgan. I'm not sure whose idea it initially was, but I think we were inspired by Lynda Wallenfels' (friend's) trip report from 2012. I'd met Lynda, bought a training plan from her in 2008 for TransRockies, followed her blog. We came up with a plan where two of us, Mark and Morgan would ride up from Silverton to Stony Pass, and start riding east toward the other two friends, Chris and Barry, who would be riding from Spring Creek Pass. Once we met, we'd all point our bikes west and ride to Durango together. I don't remember how we intended to get from Durango back to our cars, but Chris' wife Kristen could help, and Mark and I had left a car in Silverton, to which we could return via the historic train.

Things didn't quite work out as planned. That's how adventures work, right? Chris got altitude sickness, and couldn't join us. I had atrial fibrillation, starting around 2009, which affected me during this trip, and the monsoon season in Colorado in August 2013 was significant, leading to some of the worst floods the state had ever seen, later in September. We also didn't know what we were doing; the afternoon storms definitely need to be avoided, and we rode right into them. We ended up bailing from the CT in Silverado, drying out at Chris' in-laws in Grand Junction, and riding the sunny trails there. But we had unfinished business, and Mark and I planned our return to ride the Silverton - Durango CT segments in the future...