The burn area, as seen from near the end of segment one.
At the end of segment one, just after a long and steep descent, there is a forest service toilet. Like a beacon of hope and comfort, it beckoned me ever onwards. Oh, how I looked forward to that potty!
It was all the hummus' fault. I've never hiked a long trail before, you see, and knew little about what types of foods were appropriate for walking all day. Oh, I knew that foods should be high in calories-per-ounce, and I had a vague notion that a steady diet of twinkies would just not do. But beyond that? Nothing. So I packed dehydrated hummus, and also a packet of flax seed tortillas which, in flavor, were vaguely reminiscent of sawdust. In the supermarket, these items seemed lightweight and wholesome, and no doubt they are, in moderation. When consumed in volume, however, they tend to cause certain predictable side effects.
I'd brought along an entire roll of toilet paper, mind, but by the second day this was already vanishing fast. Worse, while I knew that I needed to dig catholes, I wasn't very good at actually hitting them. Or at choosing places appropriately concealed from the trail. There are few anguishes sharper than crouching in the bushes while a troop of about one billion boyscouts march by, keenly aware that if you stand you'll be spotted, and strongly suspecting that you may have pooped on your shoe.
But though the Waterton Canyon toilets were clean and fully stocked with paper, the little potty at the start of segment two was anything but. Trash -- including the packaging of high-end backpackers' dehydrated meals -- piled high in every corner, graffiti covered the walls, the smell was unspeakable. I was forced to flee back out into the rain. It's a shame that bypassers and campers would misuse a public facility so.
The rest of the hike was much more pleasant. The burn area is bleak, but it has its own lean beauty, and life is slowly returning, in pockets or in swaths. I met a little gopher snake sunning himself and helped him off the trail, and the hummingbirds were out in force. The guidebooks recommend an early start so as to avoid the heat of the afternoon, and this is a very good idea indeed on clear days.
Towards the end, there are several points where you must cross or follow dirt or paved roads. When you get to such intersections, pause a moment and look around – everything is well-marked but the signs or blazes may be across the road and/or not immediately obvious.
The burned zone -- bleak terrain after the mossy forests and fish-filled Platte river.
There are still wildflowers aplenty, some of which you're not likely to see for much of the rest of the trail. In especially dry, heat-blasted sites, young cactus are taking over.
An old quartz mine. Half-buried equipment still juts from the collapsed mound of the quarry.
Markers like this one frequently point the way. They're about four inches across and can be hard to spot, especially if half-sunk into the tree bark. Look for them a little above head-height.
Suggested updates to guidebook:
0.0
There's another forest service toilet here, before you cross the river, but enter with extreme caution. And don't get your hopes up. I didn't think even hockey players could trash a place this badly.
0.1
At the fork where you should head right, up the switchbacks leading to the burn area, the marker was missing. Just look for the spot where the trail heads south, uphill, past a ‘no camping here' sign.
1.0
Pair of old quartz mines off to the left. The remains of old equipment are interesting.
2.7
Patchy sections of unburned juniper, and eventually pine, forest start. Keep an eye open to the right – there's a cluster of young aspens somewhere around here which marks a muddy area about 200 feet off the trail. I suspect that, after recent rain, this might become a small spring. There are plenty of great flat camping spots with firewood, but other than this slim possibility, there's no water.
6.5
Enter larger burn area. There are strange bleached skeleton trees in places, and also interesting wildflowers and cacti.
9.0
There are some standing trees and patches as you approach the road – if you're crossing the burn in the afternoon, you'll be happy to see the shade. You may be able to spot some of the buildings of Buffalo Creek out to your right in the distance.
10.3
Pass through a weird, broken-down gate, then start a short, potentially confusing series of road crossings. When you get to road/trail intersections, take a moment and look around – correct trails are clearly marked, but sometimes only at a distance. You won't get lost if you stay alert.
11.5
The little fee area here has toilets, but we looked around and could not find a place to pay. The start of the next segment is just to the left, if you stand facing the Colorado trail info board.
The elevation profile is correct for this segment -- but as always, the portions which are drawn as flat are actually rolling hills, sometimes with steep bits.
----> Onward, to Segment 3!
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