Trail Therapy: Coolest Thru-Hike of the Year!

By the end of September 2013, Junaid Duwad and Luke DeMuth arrived home after what seemed like a daunting and exhausting trip.  It wasn't a lengthy business trip or a family vacation.  Their venture took them to the highest of highs: to the tops of the Colorado 14'ers.  A '14er' is a peak that rises over 14,000 feet. Weighing in at 58 peaks, Colorado has the most 14ers of any state.  Most people tackle one peak at a time.  A few courageous individuals will attempt to do them all; some in one calendar year.  But these two crazy guys plotted a course connecting all 58 in one epic thru-hike!

A thru-hike is the completion of a long-distance hiking trail in a single attempt, whether that's in one go or in one year.  The most common thru-hikes are the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, or the Continental Divide Trail, better known as the Triple Crown.  A few shorter trails, like the Arizona Trail and the John Muir Trail have risen as shorter 'thru-hikes'.  I wouldn't be surprised if this trek (with some tweaking) might become the next thru-hike epic!

Junaid and Luke's GPS summarized they had completed 1,350 miles by the time they arrived back at their car near Longs Peak.  The completed the journey over 72 days gaining almost 300,000 feet of elevation.  Over the course of their trip, the tackled three 4-peak days and two 3-peak days.  Anything more than climbing one 14,000 foot peak in a day would be amazing for me!

Sponsored by several outdoor gear manufactures like ULA Equipment, Junaid and Luke hulled 30 pounds of gear on their journey.  The complete trail took months of planning; the process took the dedication of connecting miles of trails through public lands, national parks, and occasionally a few service roads.  Their biggest struggle was timing their passage into the Rocky Mountain National Park because of the government shutdown, which, of course, they didn't know would happen.  Luckily, they arrived the day after the park reopened.

Their favorite part of the trail?  The San Juan Range which ran along the Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.  With only a few close calls with weather on the peaks, they successfully summited without incident.

The true definition of an epic experience, these men have created something that is unique and awe-inspiring. Maybe one day this trail will have an official title, trail markers, and aspiring thru-hikers that plan their summers tackling this incredible beast. But for now, we can just admire these young men and their daring to accomplish something never done before.  And maybe we will ask the question... What will they do next?