The loop is part of the Colorado Trail, around the Collegiate Peaks in the Rockies. The best starting point for any description is the website of the Colorado Trail Foundation. It is approximately 160 miles with over 37,000 ft. in elevation change, and is divided into the East side (Collegiate East or CE), and the West side (Collegiate West or CW), which shares the trail with the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) which stretches from the Mexican border to the Canadian border.
Samuel and I completed the Collegiate Loop in July 2021. We had been looking for the next progressive “challenge”, and this was perfect. Read the links below for our story.
Reflections on the Collegiate Loop
My 16-year-old son Samuel and I completed this loop over 11 nights/12…
Collegiate Loop Day 1 – Monarch Crest to Fooses Creek
This is the first of the daily journals from the Collegiate Loop…
Collegiate Loop Day 2 – Fooses Creek to Browns Creek
Day 2 felt good. We’d approached the first day carefully, wanting to…
Collegiate Loop Day 3 – Browns Creek to Cottonwood Creek
Day 3 ended up being a key decision day for the Yale…
Collegiate Loop Day 4 – Cottonwood Creek to Yale Saddle
We had agreed that the plan was Yale for day 5, so…
Collegiate Loop Day 5 – Yale Side Trip
While not part of the loop, this side trip was a highlight.…
Collegiate Loop Day 5 – Yale Saddle to Harvard Lakes
After the side trip up Yale, the rest of the day was…
Collegiate Loop Day 6 – Harvard Lakes to Cache Creek
We knew we had to hike over 24 miles in the next…
Collegiate Loop Day 7 – Cache Creek to Interlaken Trailhead
It had been a rainy evening. While we were dry inside the…
Collegiate Loop Day 8 -Willis Gulch to Apostle Trail Junction
It had been great spending some time with Paul (and enjoying the…
Collegiate Loop Day 9 – Apostle Trail Junction to Cottonwood Pass
Today was about Lake Ann pass and getting ourselves staged for the…
Collegiate Loop Day 10 – Cottonwood Pass to North Fork Chalk Creek
The night wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It stayed…
Collegiate Loop Day 11 – North Fork Chalk Creek to Hunt Lake
With CW03 behind us, the biggest challenge had been accomplished. This day…
Collegiate Loop Day 12 – Hunt Lake to Monarch Crest
Our last day of the loop. The weather was kind, but an…
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The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 