Outlaw Backpacking: Cuchara Canyon

“Unwilling to wait for mankind to improve, the outlaw lives as if that day were here.” — Tom Robbins

South of the familiar routes and beyond the managed wilderness lies Cuchara Canyon. This is a quiet landscape of creek bottoms, cottonwoods, and long bends where the map loosens its grip and the days stretch out.

This will be a 3-day / 2-night outlaw-style backpacking trip, built around movement, presence, and flexibility rather than milestones. We’ll walk into the canyon, make a good camp, and let the place tell us what comes next.

The Anti-Plan
Day 1: Refusing to Sleepwalk
We drive south from Colorado Springs (~2 hours). Start at Wilson Crossing and hike south up the canyon, camping somewhere mid-way where the creek runs and the walls close in.
Day 2: Rearranging the Nightmare
We explore deeper into the canyon and return to camp—or pack up and keep moving, wandering as we go, raising the exhilaration content of the universe. No trophies, no finish lines.
Day 3: Sailing Against the Flow
Hike back to Wilson Crossing—or continue through to Sheep Crossing if the outlaw maps that lead to outlaw treasures take us there. Drive home, possibly stopping for lunch in Walsenburg to re-enter less hangry.

Notes from the Edge

• Mileage: Total mileage will land somewhere around 10–15 miles, with plenty optional. We care about the line we choose, not the distance.
• Conditions: Expect off-season reality, where badgers toilet: cool nights, mud, patchy snow, open skies. The outlaw boat sails against the flow.
• Water: Available in the creek.
• Crew Size: Group size capped at 10. “All outlaws are photogenic” but only when crews stay small.

This is about living beyond the spirit of the everyday rules—slowing down, choosing our own line, and refusing to be a victim of the mundane.

You will be put on the waitlist before being approved. Those meeting the first two below-required actions will be moved off the waitlist in the order in which they RSVP'd.

Required actions before trip:
1 - Fill out waiver: https://forms.gle/71SPiqc4iyqDmD8Y7
2 - Complete a qualifying hike, including any +1. Check the calendar regularly for upcoming opportunities - we post qualifying hikes once a month in April, May, June, get it while it's hot.
3- Attend a pre-planning Google Hangout meeting one or two weeks before the trip.

“Outlaws are can openers in the supermarket of life.”

Let's go.