Recently a group of friends and I headed into Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness on a 3 day backpacking trip. The LCW is a 2 hour drive from Denver and I had no idea what to expect of it. I’ll say this… it blew me away.
If you could mix one part serene aspen grove, one part granite monolith, and one part southwest Utah you’d likely create something close to Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness. Terrain this unique just begs to be explored. Better yet, there are plenty of loop options through the LCW making it a perfect two or three day backpacking destination. The fact that it is often backpackable long before the rest of Colorado’s snowy front range is just icing on the cake. You should check out the LCW. Seriously.
Before I delve into the details of the LCW and the gear I used on this trip, I’d greatly appreciate if you watched my video from the trip. I put a ton of effort into this edit. Treat it like a tv episode… grab some popcorn, snuggle up on the couch, and enjoy the scenery. Happy Trails.
Gear
Here’s a list of the gear I used on this trip. Click the titles to drop down the items in that category. I’ll include the individual item names, weights, and links through which you can buy them (and support this blog!) My base weight for this trip was around 9 lbs.
Backpack: Granite Gear Crown 2 38L (w/ brain removed) – 970 g (34 oz) – https://amzn.to/2L6Mp5O
- I absolutely loved this pack on this trip. You wouldn’t think 38L would be enough space, but this pack had plenty of room to spare. It’s frame sheet made for an extremely comfortable and stable load. Top marks!
Quilt: UGQ Outdoor Bandit 10° F Top Quilt – 644 g (22.7 oz) – https://ugqoutdoor.com/top-quilts/bandit/
- This quilt performed flawlessly and was a pleasure to use. I’m really growing to like it.
Shelter: DIY Ground Tarp – 269 g (9.5 oz) – Learn to make one here: https://youtu.be/N3Ssdps_Fhc
Sleeping Pad: Exped Synmat MW – 424 g (15 oz) – https://amzn.to/2J0qQrc
- Though I swear by my Thermarest Neoair Xlite, this pad is growing on me fast. The MW model is regular height but has a little extra width. This is perfect for side sleeping. I’m curious how long this pad will survive.
Pot: Evernew Ultra-light Titanium 550ml – 73 g (2.6 oz) – https://amzn.to/2smOdki
Stove: BRS 3000 Titanium Ultralight Stove (In sack) – 28 g (1 oz) – https://amzn.to/2JlwEuF
Lighter: Bic Mini Lighter – 11g (0.4 oz) – https://amzn.to/2JlZ9Z8
Tiny Shitty Sponge: I cut off a small section of a scrubby sponge – Almost weightless? – https://amzn.to/2J1qUXF
Pot Cozy / Windscreen: DIY Pot Cozy & Windscreen – 31 g (1.1 oz) – Cozy: https://youtu.be/xxHDFFSdnfk Windscreen: https://youtu.be/__siTdzevB4
Spoon: Optimus Long Handled Titanium Spoon – 20 g (0.7 oz) – https://amzn.to/2JhBI37
Food Bag: Granite Gear Air Zipp Sack – 28 g (1 oz) – https://amzn.to/2IXtuOi
Long John Tops: Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Zip Neck – 195 g (6.9 oz) – https://bit.ly/2sieYqb
Long John Bottoms: Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Bottoms – 143 g (5 oz) – https://bit.ly/2Ha8rCi
Backup/ Sleeping Socks: Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Socks – 70 g (2.5 oz) – https://amzn.to/2Ji9Rjv
Insulation: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hoody – 233 g (8.3 0z) – https://amzn.to/2Jli2va
Rain Shell: Outdoor Research Helium II Rain Jacket – 181 g (6.4 oz) – https://amzn.to/2IZl1Kp
Rain Skirt: DIY Rain Skirt – 57 g (2 oz) – Make one here: https://youtu.be/jDPuku4Xyh8
Gloves: Mountain Hardwear Power Stretch Stimulus Gloves – 57 g (2 oz) – https://amzn.to/2JgxqZU
Hat: Black Rock Gear Down Beanie – 22 g (0.7 oz) – https://www.blackrockgear.com/hats
Toilet Kit: Deuce of Spades / TP / Hand Sanitizer – 53 g (1.9 oz) – https://amzn.to/2xwAUmn
Headlamp: Petzl Reactik Rechargeable Headlamp – 112 g (4 oz) – https://amzn.to/2JjKP3r
Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Med Kit, Sewing Kit – 68 g (2.4 oz) – Make a sub 1 oz med kit here: https://youtu.be/j29jrIGhV18
Stakes: 6 Vargo Titanium Shepherds Hooks (In Ziplock) – 55 g ( 1.9 oz) – https://amzn.to/2JkbRHS
Pillow: Klymit Pillow X Ultra Light – 49 g (1.7 oz) – https://amzn.to/2LLjs0u
Filter: Sawyer Squeeze Filter – 70 g (2.4 oz) – https://amzn.to/2JkcVvm
Bottles: 2 One Liter Smart Water Bottles – 36 g (1.3 oz) (Each) – https://amzn.to/2LQbXoW
Ground Sheet: Polycryo Sheet – 58 g (2 oz) – https://amzn.to/2J0qtwJ
3993 g (8.78 lbs)
T-shirt: Patagonia Long Sleeve Sun Stretch T-shirt – 182 g (6.4 oz) – https://bit.ly/2ssDvYR
Shorts: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Shorts – 184 g (6.5 oz) – https://amzn.to/2LLlCgC
Briefs: Saxx Quest 2.0 Boxer Briefs – 76 g (2.7 oz) – https://amzn.to/2LaTn9Z
Socks: Darn Tough 1/4 Cushion Hiking Socks – 65 g (2.3 oz) – https://amzn.to/2H8aeru
Trekking Poles: Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Quick Lock – 454 g (16 oz) – https://amzn.to/2Jj2vfI
Quick Trip Details
- We started at Goose Creek trailhead
- Our ~24 mile loop started by heading west to Hankins pass then cutting north on the Lake Park trail to the McCurdy Park trail. From there we passed through Refrigerator Gulch to meet up with the Goose Creek trail and return to the parking lot.
- Recommended Map: Outdoor Trail Maps Lost Creek Topo Map: https://amzn.to/2JmoL8b