"Best" 100 mile section of Colorado Trail...

[munisano]

In preparation for a future thru ride of the Colorado Trail in 2011 I'm looking at riding a contiguous portion of the Colorado Trail next summer (2010).  I'll most likely be out of the Lake City, CO area so I had a couple thoughts on my options so feel free to comment and/or suggest other ideas...

1. Highway 50 (or Monarch pass) to Slumgullion Pass (following the appropriate mandatory detours).
2. Spring Creek Pass to

Any other thoughts?  I'd like to stay semi-close to Lake City for support reasons, so I'm even interested to hear about some other non-Colorado Trail route options that would have at least a few vehicle access points and are in the 100 mile length range.

thanks!

[DaveH]

Silverton to Durango isn't quite 100 miles but worth consideration.  I can't see what you wrote for #2 - was that Spring Creek pass to Durango? (what would be Durango came up as a broken image link).  That would be a super trip, a toughy that will toss a bit of everything at you.

[Pivvay]

I'd say the last 100 miles or as close as you want to get. Great scenery, high elevation, you could practice town stop in Silverton and the final drop into Durango is really fun.

[munisano]

Sorry,

Yes I was thinking something like the last 100 miles of the Colorado Trail.  Would that be more like Carson Pass to Durango? I like the idea of at least a 100 mile ride, and not a whole lot more...  Still, I love that Monarch Crest Trail so thought about a hybrid route that would incorporate that as well i.e. Monarch Pass to Slumgullion Pass...

[Pivvay]

If you like Monarch, the Vapor Trail 125 course would be cool. I wouldn't get too hung on mileage, just figure out what works best from a logistics perspective and your best time guess. Some parts of the CT are sloooooow so it will feel harder than your average 10 mile section.

[sherpaxc]

Ain't that the truth.

[munisano]

Thanks for the advice.  The caveat I forgot to mention is that I'll be traveling by mountain unicycle.  Seriously, now clowning around!   So since it is very difficult to carry a whole lot and be able to ride I'm looking for good routes where I could possibly be met by crew support at least once a day.  I imagine my rate of travel would be on the order of 30-35 miles a day (based on prior experience).  I have no bike-packing experience but have been an ultramarathoner for a long time, including many 100 mile + runs.  I also have a lot of mountaineering experience in the San Juans of Colorado.  I'm looking into doing something completely new for me, but I think I've got a pretty good background to work from.  Anyhow I'll keep you all posted on my progress, perhaps I'll see some of you out on the trail?  Thanks for all the advice.

[DaveH]

I just looked at the CTR GPX going backwards from DGO - Coney summit to DGO is *only* 100 miles.  That must be the longest 100 miles on the planet!

Not sure how you'd get there.

Uni?  Wow.  Good luck on that

[Pivvay]

Maybe the Uni is lighter to push/carry?

Coney to DGO. Longest. Hundy. Ever. Hahaha

[munisano]

I can get to Carson Summit via 4x4 drive (I've been there, done that a few times) for the drop off.

A hike-a-uni is far easier hike-a-bike, so I do have that going for me.  I have a geared hub so on the detour to Silverton off Stoney Pass will be a blast!

I know it won't be easy, but I've ridden 50 miles of single-track before on my weapon of choice and several times in the 20-30mile range off-road.  I'm planning on riding what I can, hike-a-uni what I can't and just take my time and have fun with it.

To keep my honest I'll definitely make an announcement on this forum when I make my attempt so perhaps I'll see some of you folks out there along the way.  Most likely it's going to be an August attempt in 2010.  You can read about some of my experience on my blog at:
http://munisano.blogspot.com

Thanks!

[Pivvay]

Cool beans. Sounds like a fun challenge!