Colorado Trail - July 12, 2025

Segments 14 and 15 and the end of Segment 13. This day took me from Mt Princeton Hot Springs to Marshall Pass and was my earliest (5:15 AM) start of the trip.

Of all the days on the trail, I was most apprehensive about this day as it would be the first full day alone of riding, the steepest day of riding and the most daily elevation gain of my entire journey. I called three friends the day before to get support for the challenge that laid ahead. My best friend from college called and left several motivational voice messages including a recording of “Once upon a time in the West” by Dire Straits. I played this song several times during the ride that day. Jeff, one of my constant adventure companions over the last two decades and partner in running Rim-to-rim-Rim at the Grand Canyon earlier in the year, reminded me to ask myself “What will I wish I would have done” a day, week or month into the future. I knew the answer to that question. Jeff also imparted a trail name, Vermont, on me. Another adventure companion of mine, Guy, texted throughout the day to keep me motivated. Guy is from Vermont and on past adventures would somehow inevitably find other trail users that were also from Vermont.

My wonderful wife, Megan, surprised me and met us at camp that night we hadn’t seen each other in a week and wouldn’t see each other for another week

At the end of the day at Marshall Pass, there was a large bull moose that spent the entire evening eating in the meadow near our camp spot.

In the morning, there was a mother deer and her very newborn fawn in the meadow. It was a joy to see the fawn jump through the tall grass instead of walk as it tried to keep up.

40 miles and 8300 feet of gain.