PARK COUNTY, Colo. — Imagine hiking the Colorado Trail for several long days, braving what Mother Nature throws your way, waking up sore on the forest floor, and then coming upon an unexpected shining oasis of grilled hot dogs, new gear, experts' advice and much, much more.
Thru-hikers will tell you that Colorado's longest trail is enchanting and extraordinary in a myriad of ways, but there is an extra bright little corner of the long-distance hiking world: trail magic.
In early July at Kenosha Pass, which is about 70 miles in from the east trailhead, Stephen Nance and Aidan Mike — sales industry reps who are both quite familiar with long stretches on the trails — put up multiple canopy tents, chairs and tables, set up a grill, and laid out some snacks, water and toiletries. A portable camping shower was ready for use. A few boxes held gear they were ready to give out, free of charge. They placed cardboard signs a bit up the trail, hinting at the goodies that were up ahead.
No matter what burdens, questions or issues people walked in carrying, Stephen and Aidan were prepped — and eager — to relieve some of that pressure.
And Denver7 was there to witness all of that goodwill, compassion and selflessness.
For several hours that day, we listened to the organizers of this trail magic and the backpackers who stopped in to recharge. Hear from them in our report below.
The Colorado Trail is split into 33 segments that connect Durango and southwest Denver, winding nearly 500 miles and gaining 90,000 feet of elevation across the Rocky Mountains and through a plethora of ecosystems. On average, the trek takes three to six weeks to complete.
"Along the way, you are going up and over high mountain passes. You're covering high deserts. You're crossing streams and rivers," Aidan said. "You're seeing everything that the heart of the Rockies really has to offer."
But it's not for the faint of heart. Colorado weather does not care if you are cold, wet, lonely, discouraged or tired.
When spending that much time in the elements with a heavy pack, feeling down in the dumps is inherently part of the experience at some point. That's particularly true at Kenosha Pass, which is the tail end of arguably the hottest part of the trail. It's a point that can make or break the hiker — and bring up questions if they are still capable of finishing the rest of the trek, Stephen said.
That's where the trail magic comes in.
"Coming across something like this can inspire hope, and that's kind of what we hope to do... We're here for that reason — to inspire and to motivate," Stephen said. "And I just really hope that they know they're not alone on the trail, even though sometimes it feels really lonely out there. Keep pushing on, and there's a lot of us thinking of them."
So, what exactly is trail magic? It's whatever you need it to be, right when you need it.
And for the hikers who came across Kenosha Pass on that July afternoon, they struck gold.
Blue was the first to stumble across the trail magic station.
"It was super fortuitous for me," he said.
Blue is his trail name. Most thru-hikers earn one along their travels. Off the trail, he goes by Todd Stedman.
He was returning to the Colorado Trail after completing a 90-mile section a few decades back, when he was 48. He felt pulled to come back because he was feeling "sand in the hourglass and limitations on my body," he said. Along with hiking in Patagonia this winter and Africa next year, the Colorado Trail was high on his priority list.
This time around, Blue's backpack was bugging him. It had not been sitting comfortably since he started the trail in Waterton Canyon.
Stephen and Aidan jumped on the chance to help, orbiting him, loosening straps, adjusting the pack and then tightening the straps again. Blue stood still, a grin on his face, as he watched them. Aidan said putting on a backpack with the straps already tightened is like putting on a shoe with the laces tied.
"You need to open it up, you find the right position on your body and then you tighten it," Aidan explained.
A couple minutes later, Blue, with a newly fitted pack, looked up smiling.
"Where were ya at Waterton?" he asked, laughing. "... These things seem like small things but they are going to make a huge difference in the balance of my hike. I can feel it already. And for people to come out here and give this away... I got to the honeypot."
"I’m glad we were here to help ya," Stephen said.
Watch this extended video from the trail magic day where Stephen and Aidan explain how to properly adjust a backpacking pack, as they help Blue figure out what works best for him.
A beaming couple then wandered into the tent, greeted Blue, Stephen and Aidan, and looked over the array of resources splayed out. They slung off their backpacks and introduced themselves as Stella and Manny Henley, both from Florida, and said they were celebrating their honeymoon on the trail after their recent marriage.
"We actually were planning to come thru-hike the Colorado Trail before we were even engaged," Manny said. "We had a four-month engagement and we were like, 'Oh, let's just do it.'"
"The Colorado Trail has been great and these guys here — the greatest so far," he said, looking around the setup.
"The section that we just did a couple days ago was the saddle in between the mountains," Stella added. "We climbed up to 10,000 feet and then it was just like completely open for a couple miles. It was so awesome. And the whole time, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re in Colorado. This is crazy.’ It was great."
While plodding along earlier that day, Stella said she had been thinking about how uncomfortable her shirt was, and how she missed deodorant and having a comfortable place to sit. Stephen and Aidan quickly dug into a few boxes and pulled out a new sunshirt in a better size, a deodorant stick and a sit pad. Stella's eyes lit up.
"The fact that they have everything that I was already talking about is insane — I can’t even describe it," she said. "It’s more than magic. It’s like the trail provides."
If you have not spent the last few days, weeks or months hiking in the wilderness, the items lined up at Kenosha Pass that day may not seem too remarkable to you: deodorant, a new toothbrush, chairs, blister kits, a couple hot dogs, a phone charger.
But when hikers are removed from these everyday items for a long stretch of time, reuniting with them at a trail magic spot is just that — magic.
Of course, part of the appeal of a long trek across the state is that it provides respite from some of those comforts of ordinary life.
"Life is busy. You're constantly distracted by everything, and this is a fantastic opportunity to disconnect," Aidan explained before hikers started trickling in. "As cliche as that sounds, it's really true. You wake up and your job for that day is to hike, feed yourself and sleep. And there's something that's really cathartic about doing that and escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday normal — quote, unquote — life... We don't need to know everything that happens every single second of every single day, and then when you come back and you catch up with friends and family, it's almost that much more sweet and rewarding too."
That slower speed of life is what Ted Johnson was seeking. The last few days on the trail, he found that he had been hiking like he drives — quickly, sticking to the schedule, not stopping for anything, not wasting any time. Point A to Point B.
At the trail magic tent, he paused to eat some snacks, pick up new gear and talk with the other hikers. In a step out of his comfort zone, he allowed himself the break.
"I need things like this so I can stop and kind of reset myself," Ted explained.
He has lived in many places throughout his life, but always returned to the outdoors, whether it was the desert outside of El Paso, the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia or the Everglades in Florida.
"There's always a special place you can go, but nothing like this," Ted said, gazing around Kenosha Pass. "... I'm excited about some of the places I'm going because I'll get to meet more hikers and so forth. And they all have their own stories."
Some, like Spenser Gilchrist, had not yet traveled to the middle of the country before. On her summer break, she wanted to experience the Colorado Trail, armed with knowledge gained from her time on the Pacific Crest Trail. Around the same time that she walked in, Phil Klass, hauling a backpack he has used on thru-hikers for decades, wandered into the shade of the tent.
"I saw the sign (for the trail magic) and I was so excited, especially when you don't expect it," Spenser said. "And it's a nice way to not only relax, but just to talk with people, connect with different hikers as well."
Phil, who had previously completed the Colorado Trail in segments, is now retired and wanted to try it all in one go, he explained.
"You're hiking alone. I'm hiking alone. And you know, it's fine being alone, but it's kind of nice to run into a bunch of friendly folks," Phil said. "I always appreciate people's motivation to do nice things for others. And if, and when, I finish this hike, I'll make a plan to do something for hikers in the future."
Spenser nodded enthusiastically.
"I definitely agree," she said, smiling. "Whenever I experience trail magic, I'm like, 'I want to do that. That would be so much fun.'"
The Colorado Trail is open to anybody — newbies and seasoned hikers, young and old, of all abilities, paces and reasons for spending the time out there.
No matter who you are, you will leave that long stretch of dirt with a lesson learned, Stephen said.
"This is going to sound really cliche, but the uphill always ends, and there's always a downhill on the other side," Stephen said. "And I think that's a big life lesson. When you're in the pain cave, not only are you there, but everyone's there at some point in life, and believe it or not, it will end. And there will be a downhill on the other side. And you're going to cruise sometimes in life, and sometimes you're going to go hard uphill, and you're going to sweat more than you want to and carry more water than you need to. But it always gets better at some point."
"That's a pretty good one," Aidan said, grinning.
"I think it's really important to just learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable," he added. "Everything is so controlled that it's really nice to change things up every once in a while. It's really nice to just be reminded that, 'Hey, this, what we have, is so much sweeter.' And to not take things for granted and to recognize that this world is full of comforts and conveniences, and we should really be appreciative of those every single day."
As each of the thru-hikers packed up that afternoon at Kenosha Pass, heaving their packs back on, shifting their shoulders and squaring their hats, they looked west toward the rest of their journey.
About 400 miles of trail stretched ahead, meandering southwest toward Durango.
Plenty of ups and downs were to come. But these thru-hikers know that. That's the whole point.
A few reviewed a map of the trail one more time, determining where they could set up camp that evening or how many miles away their next destination was.
"Thanks for coming out and seeing this," Ted told Denver7, as he packed up his bag and nodded his thanks to Stephen and Aidan.
The trail will inspire them, as it has inspired countless other hikers before, Stephen said.
"And you find different things out here when you're out on your own and all you have to do is get up and walk every day and see beauty," he said. "I think a lot can happen in those miles."
Including wondrous, joyful, encouraging setups like the one at Kenosha Pass that sunny day.
Because while the Colorado Trail can always feel magical, a little extra human kindness goes a long way too.
Video produced and edited by Jeff Anastasio.
