Well, we did it. Thirty miles in three days on the Colorado trail. Beau already did a great writeup of last year’s Fjallraven Classic USA. Definitely give it a read if you are interested.
Some notes from my experience:
- I packed light opting for the (not super comfy) bivy sack instead of a tent. Because we didn’t have to carry much water (thank you again, Grayl) I wish I had just brought my tent.
- I won’t start with as much water next time. The Grayl is a beautiful device. I never needed to carry more than a liter at a time.
- The Therm-a-rest Z Seat was a wonderful last minute purchase. I strapped it to the outside of my bag and used it every time we stopped. It also doubled as a place to stand when I was at camp and changing.
- The altitude is no joke. 80+ people came rolling in suuuuper late on day two where we did the 3000+ feet altitude gain. Some were extremely sick or shaky. Please keep altitude in mind before heading on a trip like this.
- We were advised by some pros to hike 50 minutes and then take a 10 minute break. On the break, drop the pack, have a seat, and just chill. This was a great was to set a pace and stay strong. We also got to just enjoy some nice views and hang with some people from all over the world. Definitely adding to my hiking arsenal.
We started out as a group of three. Here’s our crew as we finished the trek:
It was so great to hike with all of you. See you next year!
Here’s a video I made out of the Live Photos that helps capture the experience a bit more than the pictures alone do:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkpk6FDF14b/
1 comment