Colorado Trail - Itinerary

day 1

After meeting up at the Denver Airport, we'll drive to our rafting base along the Arkansas River, where we'll spend the evening getting to know each other and prepare for an exciting paddle down the Brown's Canyon section of the Arkansas River.

day 2-3

Anxious to jump into action, we load our rafts and set afloat down the Arkansas River. For two days you will navigate Class III and IV whitewater. A challenging rafting trip provides a perfect start to our adventure together; new friends will learn to work together as professional guides help us navigate fearsome drops like the infamous “Seidel's Suckhole”. You'll paddle whitewater by day and camp along the riverbank by night. At the closing of our rafting trip we will load up the van and head out to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve!

day 4-5

As night turns to day at the Great Sand Dunes, we will rise with the stars and hike across the dunes to the top of “High Dune” to catch a breathtaking sunrise in this sandy desert. If energy levels are high, we will push on another 1.5 miles to the summit of “Star Dune”, the highest dune in North America! We will then spend the afternoon cooling off at “Zapata Falls”, where we will look back upon the entire dune field and the spectacular San Luis Valley.

day 6

Next we drive to Telluride to explore the secret creeks, rivers and streams of the Rocky Mountains. With professional fly-fishing guides we will learn the fine art of fishing and patience. Using the best gear the industry has to offer, we will have hands-on instruction on the short casting techniques in order to catch Rainbow, Brook and Brown Trout. At the end of the day we will be prepared to fly-fish for our next 5 days of backpacking in the San Juans!

day 7-11

The first day of backpacking is all about preparing for our expedition and learning necessary skills for any wilderness traveler. Throughout this backpacking section, you will be introduced to basic backcountry camping and travel practices while enjoying the beautiful views and fresh, cool air offered by above tree-line backpacking in Colorado. Practice your map and compass skills as the Leader of the Day, try your hand at making backcountry pizza with your cook group, and get up early with your friends to make a summit attempt on one of the inspiring peaks of the San Juan Mountains. We’ll come away from our backpacking section with rock-solid wilderness skills and even deeper friendships.

day 12-14

We'll spend the next few days near Gunnison National Forest learning the fundamentals of rock climbing, including top-rope belaying, rappelling, and moving efficiently on vertical terrain. Gunnison National Forest offers a wide variety of climbing routes appropriate for all abilities, and your instructors and professional guides will help you select routes with the right degree of challenge. Imagine the thrill of searching the rock in front of you for the handhold or foot placement when there's nothing but wind at your back or air under your heels!

day 15

As we drive north with the southern San Juans in our rearview mirror, we realize we cannot resist the urge to plunge once more into the crystal clear whitewater rapids of the Arkansas River. On our second rafting trip we bring the circle to a close as we paddle another invigorating section of the Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge. This day will go all too quickly as we have fun on the water and reflect on nearly three weeks of shared experiences.

day 16-17

Our final days together, we will have the opportunity to trade laughs from our adventures, have our final moonup and figure out how to keep in touch with all of each other after trip’s end. We can also wash our clothes, clean group-gear, and shower before heading home tomorrow. We will celebrate our final night together at a banquet dinner.