Collegiate Loop Thruhike: Day 1. Colorado Trail & Continental Divide Trail

Day 1. Interlocken Trailhead to mile 5.3 on The Collegiate West, half way up to Hope Pass in Willis Gulch.
Brandon completed a thruhike of the Collegiate Loop route in mid September 2021. Backpacking the Collegiate Loop circumambulates Colorado’s Sawatch Range, covering 160 miles largely between 10,000 and 12,000 feet of elevation. The Loop is a combination of the Colorado Trail east route, and the Continental Divide Trail from Twin Lakes to Monarch Crest.
This series of videos chronicles Brandon’s journey: hiking, camping, fly fishing, and prospecting new creeks for Colorado Gold Guide. Brandon is a very experienced backpacker, with more than 10,000 miles of thruhiking under his belt. In addition, he’s trained as a mountain guide and EMT.
Choosing equipment for a shoulder season thruhike is challenging. Every extra pound slows you down. Even with the gold prospecting equipment, Tenkara fly fishing gear, and a big battery and video tripod, my base weight is still only 16 lb. Not Bad