West side of twin lakes? Willis gulch?

[saltysack]

As boring as it was walking around the east side of lake is it a viable option to walk around west side of lake to go sobo CW....Hope pass..it looks to shave a few miles after resupply at TL versus the official east.


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[colorado_rob]

I could be wrong for some hikers, but the folks I saw/talked to doing the loop did hike around the west side, as I did. The Willis Gulch t/h works, though it is over a mile from town. Coming northbound on the west side, I cut through on what I think was the Leadville 100 routes, through established paths in the meadow just south of town. I did have to do a feet-wet creek crossing, but I walked pretty much right into town. Should be an easy hitch from/to Willis t/h though.

Edit: see attached pic... lower left, see waypoint 009 where willis gulch trail connects with main CT/CDT, I went straight there towards 008, then kept going to cross 1 to maybe about cross 4 or 5, then saw path directly to town.

Folks I had seen on the trail right while approaching 009 did the willis trail to the trailhead and got an immediate hitch to town, we got there simultaneously.

I would definitely not do the walk around the east side of the lake to catch the CT west! Huge relatively boring and open/hot miles for no reason.,

[saltysack]

I could be wrong for some hikers, but the folks I saw/talked to doing the loop did hike around the west side, as I did. The Willis Gulch t/h works, though it is over a mile from town. Coming northbound on the west side, I cut through on what I think was the Leadville 100 routes, through established paths in the meadow just south of town. I did have to do a feet-wet creek crossing, but I walked pretty much right into town. Should be an easy hitch from/to Willis t/h though.

I was thinking if I can pull of the 22 day thru could shave a few miles that way if needed to headed out of a re supply at TL...sobo


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[colorado_rob]

I was thinking if I can pull of the 22 day thru could shave a few miles that way if needed to headed out of a re supply at TL...sobo


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Yep, quite a few miles saved going around the west side, the creek crossing is no big deal, lots of shallow places, couple of deeper ones too, so pick and choose.

[saltysack]

Yep, quite a few miles saved going around the west side, the creek crossing is no big deal, lots of shallow places, couple of deeper ones too, so pick and choose.

Is it a marked trail or bush wacking?


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[colorado_rob]

Is it a marked trail or bush wacking?


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Nothing marked, just a bunch of faint dirt roads and trails wandering around, all open sagebrush, flat, marshy in places. here's a google earth view. I can provide you with those waypoint coordinates. I was going North into town, followed very closely to the "cross" waypoints until near the road.

[Dogwood]

I could be wrong for some hikers, but the folks I saw/talked to doing the loop did hike around the west side, as I did. The Willis Gulch t/h works, though it is over a mile from town. Coming northbound on the west side, I cut through on what I think was the Leadville 100 routes, through established paths in the meadow just south of town. I did have to do a feet-wet creek crossing, but I walked pretty much right into town. Should be an easy hitch from/to Willis t/h though.

Edit: see attached pic... lower left, see waypoint 009 where willis gulch trail connects with main CT/CDT, I went straight there towards 008, then kept going to cross 1 to maybe about cross 4 or 5, then saw path directly to town.

Folks I had seen on the trail right while approaching 009 did the willis trail to the trailhead and got an immediate hitch to town, we got there simultaneously.

I would definitely not do the walk around the east side of the lake to catch the CT west! Huge relatively boring and open/hot miles for no reason.,

What time of yr was this CR? I've never gone this route. I heard it can be wet/marshy/muddy after a rain.

[colorado_rob]

Does route cross this?


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Thx but I don't carry a gps just guthooks on phone...how many mikes shorter is that route?


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What time of yr was this CR? I've never gone this route. I heard it can be wet/marshy/muddy after a rain.

It was early August, I think 2 weeks before the Leadville 100, which is around August 15-16-ish. Yes, it can be marshy, but there are established tracks, and again, you have to cross a stream foot-wet anyway.

[saltysack]

I could be wrong for some hikers, but the folks I saw/talked to doing the loop did hike around the west side, as I did. The Willis Gulch t/h works, though it is over a mile from town. Coming northbound on the west side, I cut through on what I think was the Leadville 100 routes, through established paths in the meadow just south of town. I did have to do a feet-wet creek crossing, but I walked pretty much right into town. Should be an easy hitch from/to Willis t/h though.

Edit: see attached pic... lower left, see waypoint 009 where willis gulch trail connects with main CT/CDT, I went straight there towards 008, then kept going to cross 1 to maybe about cross 4 or 5, then saw path directly to town.

Folks I had seen on the trail right while approaching 009 did the willis trail to the trailhead and got an immediate hitch to town, we got there simultaneously.

I would definitely not do the walk around the east side of the lake to catch the CT west! Huge relatively boring and open/hot miles for no reason.,

CR
From waypoint 59 heading sobo isn't there a trail that heads south directly into TL? If so have you traveled it? Condition?


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[colorado_rob]

CR
From waypoint 59 heading sobo isn't there a trail that heads south directly into TL? If so have you traveled it? Condition?


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I have "hiked" it, I'll respond in detail tomorrow, just got home from long day of climbing.

[colorado_rob]

CR
From waypoint 59 heading sobo isn't there a trail that heads south directly into TL? If so have you traveled it? Condition?

So, OK, yes the trail from that "K059XT" waypoint down into Twin Lakes is basically a part of the Leadville 100 trail race, and as such, I've "hiked" it twice, but alas, both times after dark and in the rain (I've paced a buddy twice in this race). Good trail, on USGS TOPO maps it's still labeled as the CDT. It's about 1.7 miles and drops 1100 vertical feet, not too steep. It turns into a road about half way, IIRC.

See attached pic, the thick blue line is the route. The town is where the blue, yellow and purple lines come together. It would definitely save a couple miles over the red line (CT, leading to C-east) followed by the yellow line road walk into town, though you could probably fairly easily hitch that road walk.

[saltysack]

So, OK, yes the trail from that "K059XT" waypoint down into Twin Lakes is basically a part of the Leadville 100 trail race, and as such, I've "hiked" it twice, but alas, both times after dark and in the rain (I've paced a buddy twice in this race). Good trail, on USGS TOPO maps it's still labeled as the CDT. It's about 1.7 miles and drops 1100 vertical feet, not too steep. It turns into a road about half way, IIRC.

See attached pic, the thick blue line is the route. The town is where the blue, yellow and purple lines come together. It would definitely save a couple miles over the red line (CT, leading to C-east) followed by the yellow line road walk into town, though you could probably fairly easily hitch that road walk.

Thx..I'm trying to avoid hitches as much as possible as it's an unknown.....as others said would be easy hitch from near Leadville airport to 82/24 intersections...took me several hours ended up walking part way....rather take a more direct hike into TL than hitch back to it.....thx for heads up


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[saltysack]

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[garlic08]

The only benefit I saw to taking the official route, other than taking the official route per se, was seeing the old resort. Otherwise it's a good time to contemplate your navel for a while. I met plenty of runners and at least one thru-hiker who went west.

[saltysack]

I passed the resort about 10 at night....so guess doesn't really count....is it worth the extra 5+ miles???


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[garlic08]

I passed the resort about 10 at night....so guess doesn't really count....is it worth the extra 5+ miles???

It wasn't a question for me, since I was not going to take any shortcuts on my hike. I was white blazing the CT, if you will. But I did enjoy it, and several buildings were open to the public. The previous time I'd walked through the site, on my fist CT hike in 1990, it was apparently derelict, so it was good to see some restoration.

[colorado_rob]

I just did a quick Caltopo refinement... It is indeed 11.3 miles from town via the east side, 1.3 from WG trailhead to the same junction (009). 10 miles different. 3 of those extra miles are cool, along the south side of the two lakes. The other 7 are open, hot and boring.

[saltysack]

I just did a quick Caltopo refinement... It is indeed 11.3 miles from town via the east side, 1.3 from WG trailhead to the same junction (009). 10 miles different. 3 of those extra miles are cool, along the south side of the two lakes. The other 7 are open, hot and boring.

Great thx....my thoughts also..not sure why anyone would want to go east side if doing CW.....thx again


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[lonehiker]

Thanks for info reference the "shortcut". I have been eyeballing the map and had planned on hiking something similar to your shortcut to get to my Twin Lakes re-supply. Not sure if I had mentioned it in any other thread, but I plan on hiking the loop appx. 19-29 July. Plans are to start at Fooses Cr. TH and doing the sole re-supply at Twin Lakes. My direction of travel is the only detail yet to be determined. Would like to do west side first but will see how snow melt goes. As I type it is snowing pretty heavily where I live. So, will have to see how much more snow the CO mountains get this spring and what the melt is like.

[saltysack]

Not a short cut just the more scenic approach trail to the CW......so happens to be 10 miles shorter.....


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