Breckenridge to Winter Park Colorado Part 7

CDT Colorado Part 7: The Top of the Divide

6/27/2022-6/30/2022 CDT Miles 1216-1289

We say goodbye to the Colorado Trail as it splits off east towards Denver. The CDT route goes north along a tall mountain ridge and over Grays Peak, the highest point on the Continental Divide and the trail.

Grays-Torreys in the distance

The trail is vague in places but the idea is to stay on top of the ridge.

Whale Peak (13,078 feet)

The route follows a 4x4 Jeep Trail for briefly to another peak before departing across the barren high alpine tundra.

Those big puffy clouds turned dark in the afternoon, so instead of following the Divide I took a dirt road down from Webster Pass.

This would be the first of many detours due to weather

I was lightly rained on down in the valley as thunder rumbled in the distance. I was glad to not be on top of that ridge. For the first time, I used my umbrella to shelter from the rain instead of the sun.

After walking through the small town of Montezuma, I rejoined the official trail as it worked its way up Peru Creek.

First glimpse of Grays Peak

Greys and Torreys Peak with Mt Edwards (13856 feet) in front,

After several thousand feet of elevation gain, the trail reaches Argentine Pass, where the CDT route departs the trail and continues up to Mt Edwards

Grays Peak was only a mile away from Edwards but that mile would take almost an hour. Hiking was slow going over a narrow rocky ridge without a defined trail to follow, but eventually we made it.

It was truly incredible at the top, but the usual afternoon thunderstorms were starting to brew. Time to head down.

Grays Peak (14278 feet)

The trail reaches the Grays Peak trailhead and follows a gravel road to Interstate 70. Here the CDT joins a paved bike path for a short while. Light rain fell and thunder rumbled nearby.

It rained more that night and for the first time I got to see how my tent would handle wet weather. It held up and I was nice and dry the next day.

Storm clouds still lingered the next morning, and the trail ascended up Butler Gulch towards Stanley Mountain.

I saw a moose on the ascent

Clouds obscured the top of the ridge and I was pelted by wind and icy rain. I looked at the map for alternate routes

Clouds cleared for a minute for me to take this

I took a detour down from Jones Pass past the Henderson Mine to US Hwy 40.

The mountain peak in the middle caved in from all the mining

I’m not sure what Molybdenum is, but its somewhere underground here

Then I had to walk along the road up to Berthoud Pass, which at least had wide shoulders and guardrails.

I would have had to go over that mountain peak if I’d stayed on trail

Old highway bridge off the side of the road

Berthoud Pass info board

At Berthoud Pass I rejoined the CDT then hitchhiked into Winter Park for the night to rest and resupply.