About us
Welcome!
If you live in or near Colorado Springs and have a passion for multi-day wilderness backpacking trips, you have found your home. Beginners and long-time backpackers welcome!
For the safety of our group members, EVERYone must:
- Participate in a Qualifying Hike before signing up for a multiday backpacking trip. Qualifying hikes are held once a month in April, May, June, October, and November During other months they happen on a rolling basis as needed but are not guaranteed to happen due to leaders taking trips a lot during the summer. So if you think you want to take a trip with us please sign up for a scheduled qualifying hike.
- Sign the waiver to participate in upcoming backpacking trips: [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Tt__wFqqqIdomhpTqziDNRVkAaf-q9wVRj4stHEaT_s/edit ](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Tt__wFqqqIdomhpTqziDNRVkAaf-q9wVRj4stHEaT_s/edit )
Want to meet some of us first? Join us at one of our upcoming Meet + Mingles!
Upcoming events
10
CSB Trail Work Backpack
Location not specified yetReady to make a difference while hitting the trails? Join us for a day of giving back to the stunning landscapes we love to explore! No experience necessary.
- Hands-on trail maintenance and improvement tasks.
- Fun and camaraderie with fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
- Make a lasting impact on our local hiking havens.
- Learn about what goes into maintaining the trails we love.
- The trail work will be done a section of the Colorado Trail and Lost Creek Wilderness.
12 spots. You will be added to the wait list and moved to attending when the following are completed:
- Completion of a qualifying hike (see upcoming events)
- Fill out the waiver (including +1's) to participate: https://forms.gle/Y4sthwTqZzyLge5Q8
What to Wear:
- Long pants and long sleeve shirts are required. Plan to get dirty.
- Boots/high ankle trail runners required.
What to Bring:
- Sturdy work gloves, garden gloves or full fingered MTB gloves.
- Safety glasses/sunglasses (shaded or clear) depending on weather.
- A bandana or liner for wearing under provided hard hats.
- Sun protection (sunscreen, buff or bandana for under hard hat)
- Backpacking gear and food.
Provided:
- Hard hats
- Trail tools/saws
Things to Know:
- Plan to backpack up to 8.5 miles RT from trailhead to campsite.
- Dogs are welcome but must be qualified and approved by organizers and are recommended to be on leash for safety.
- All participants will need to help carry 1-2 hand tools in.
Friday night
- Carpool from the Springs to the campsite on the Caltopo Map near Bailey.
- Review the JHA/CTF/USFS waivers and have a tool/safety talk.
- No facilities at car camping location, so plan accordingly.
- While we are car camping Friday night, Saturday is backpacking so plan your gear as needed.
- Hammock friendly camping location for car camping and backpacking.
Saturday
- Pack up
- Safety briefing and warmup at 8:00 AM
- Backpack up to 4.3 miles, 1200 ft of gain to camping location
- Will cut down trees on the way as needed
- Setup camp
- Work on remaining 4 miles of trail, clearing trees
Sunday
- Continue work on remaining 4 miles of trail, clearing trees
- Pack up
- Hike back to cars
8 attendees
Barely Backpacking 2.0: Newlin Creek
Location not specified yetPLEASE READ EVERYTHING BEFORE RESPONDING!
Group size 8 people. Well-behaved, leashed trail dogs are welcome as long as they have completed a qualifying hike.
Required actions before trip:
1 - *Fill out waiver: https://forms.gle/71SPiqc4iyqDmD8Y7
2 - *Complete a qualifying hike. Check the calendar regularly for upcoming opportunities.
3- Attend a pre-planning Google meeting one week before trip start date (will send invite via Google closer to).
*including any 1+.Trip difficulty: Beginner
The Plan:
- Carpool (~1 hr) to trailhead; AWD/4WD with higher clearance may be needed for the final mile
- Early season trip (weather dependent), low elevation with multiple creek crossings
- Camp near remnants of an old logging site (steam boiler, flywheel, chimney)
- Optional day hike to the high point (possible views)
- Could this be a day hike? Yeah, that’s how most people do it. But if you’re looking for an excuse to test out new or dust off the backpacking gear, this is it.
Stats:
- Hike in: 2.6 mi, +1,427 ft / -27 ft
- Day hike: 1.3 mi, +733 ft / -733 ft
- Hike out: 2.6 mi, +27 ft / -1,427 ft
Potential stop on the way home for lunch in Florence/Penrose area.
Weather (average estimate – will update closer to trip):
- High: ~58–62°F
- Low: ~28–32°F (yeah, it can freeze)
- Typical spring conditions: Chance of rain or even brief snow/graupel—could be t-shirt hiking weather or puffy-at-camp, possibly both in the same day
- Also likely there will be fire ban given the dry winter
Equipment/Resources/Etc:
- Bear canister, Ursack, or rope/cord for those who have experience hanging food.
- What to Bring Backpacking
- 10 Essentials
- Reach out if you have packing questions.
- Caltopo route: https://caltopo.com/m/PTUP3JG
- AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/newlin-creek-trail
3 attendees
Past events
147
Group links
Members
767
