Update: the guy at REI in Denver told me to skip the Collegiate Loop side trip and he was dead right

Joel Hayes · 2026-10-10T15:20:03.176625+00:00

A guy at the Denver REI on 6th told me in June to skip the side trip over Hope Pass on the Collegiate Loop and just stay on the main trail. I ignored him and did it anyway, and it added 9 hours because of two washed out creek crossings and a snow field that turned me around twice. Wound up night hiking into Twin Lakes with my headlamp dying. Anyone else get talked out of a detour they were sure about?

🎙️Chatter Central

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Update: the guy at REI in Denver told me to skip the Collegiate Loop side trip and he was dead right | Backpacking Routes - Chatter Central