Segment 2 of the CT begins at the South Platte River Trailhead, crossing over the South Platte River on the Gudy Gaskill Bridge. Watch the hike in 4K, 360° VR Video.
Colorado Trail – Segment 2 – South Platte River TH to Little Scraggy TH
11.5 Miles, Elevation Gain: 2,482 feet, Elevation Loss: 753 feet
I took my breakfast break on the trailhead side of the river, before crossing the bridge, because this area is in the shade in the morning. Water is a premium on Segment 2, stop at the river and drink as much water as you want before filling up for the long, exposed hike to the Fire Station 10 miles away.
Most of our videos are filmed in a full 360° arc, this means you should be able to use your device to move the video around and up and down. If you are having issues or if you are watching with VR goggles, click over and watch our SwissCheeseTrails playlist directly on YouTube.
I catch up to a fellow hiker and we discuss the trail and the abandoned quartz mine operation. You will begin to see the swatch of remains from the Buffalo Creek Fire, May 1996.
Although the fire was a tragic event, I find it fascinating how regrowth occurs. I spent a lot of time hiking Prairies in the Chicago area with my son, Ryan @ Hike360vr on Youtube and Hike360vr.com, and have learned how healthy ecosystems need occasional fires. Although this fire was a man-made accident, the fire itself was most likely overly intense from years of man-made fire suppression. On a hot day, be aware of dehydration on this part of the hike.
Use your 360° controls to look around at the flowers, plants, and long vistas. This area was part of a huge Ponderosa Pine forest, so the pine cones on the ground are a good sign of regrowth.
You can see that I’m pretty done when took this film. I think it took me 2 weeks to fully recover from the heat and exposure of this day.
I am so happy to reach the fire station and drink from the random water spigot. There is a bit of cell connection and I took advantage of the water, the shade, a chair, and the connectivity. Although the CT Guidebook says the station is unmanned, I saw a few people and even stayed long enough for my hiking buddy to catch up.
