LO Colorado | OAxLO 4th of July Intermediate Backpacking

IMPORTANT: This event is for participants over 18 years old only. Each participant should reserve a spot with their own name and email, in which they will receive a waiver to fill out.

REGISTRATION CLOSES ON TUESDAY, JUNE 24th! Spots are limited.

If you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as possible by cancelling your tickets or by replying to the Eventbrite email so that we can release spots to those on the waitlist.

Outdoor Asian and Latino Outdoors Colorado are excited to team up on our first intermediate backpacking trip! This is an approx 3.5-mile-in backpacking trip on Meadow Creek Trail near Frisco, CO in Eagles Nest Wilderness (about 1.5 hours outside of Denver). Gear is available to borrow if you don't have backpacking/hiking gear.

This hike, although steep and with substantial elevation gain, will reward us with amazing views of the mountains and pristine scenery surrounding the meadow where we will camp.

Trail Info: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/meadow-creek-trail

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/whiteriver/recreation/meadow-creek-th-33

Distance: 3.5 miles in and 3.5 miles out

Elevation Gain: 1,666ft

Max Elevation: 10,815ft (basecamp)

Skill Level: Intermediate

Use: Hikers only, dogs permitted on-leash but we may encounter off-leash dogs

Facilities: There are no toilets on this trail, this is an undeveloped trail. We will have guidance on digging cat holes with a trowel and packing out toilet paper/wipes if you don’t have experience. The town of Frisco will be the closest developed town to the trail. There are plenty of water sources on this trail, and we will be camping near a creek. There is no cell service on this trail. We will have 2 Garmin In-Reach Minis, which can be used in emergencies to communicate.

Terrain: Overall, the trail will be partly shaded. There are parts of steep incline on this trail, we will be gaining 1,666ft of elevation from the start of the trail. We will go at the pace of the slowest member of our group to make sure that our group stays together at an even pace. There is a stream crossing on this trail that we will help guide you through. The trail varies in wideness during the hike, but it is wide enough for hikers going the other direction to pass us on the trail.

What to Expect During this Backpacking Trip

Parking:

There is a small parking lot at the trailhead. Cars are also allowed to park overnight on the road leading to the trailhead. We will leave notes in our cars stating the start and returning times for our group.

Weather:

The weather during the day and overnight is about 20-30 degrees colder than the Denver metro area and is prone to unexpected passing storms, including thunderstorms. We will send more detailed information closer to the day of.

Itinerary:

Day 1

• We will arrive at trailhead at 8am to pack our packs together.
• Register our group at the trailhead.
• Have lunch on the trail about halfway.
• Get to basecamp at 3pm at the latest.
• We will set up camp and have dinner.
• We will have hangout/downtime after dinner cleanup.
• Sunset is at 8:30pm.

Day 2

• Breakfast and getting ready for day-hike.
• Morning hike to surrounding scenery - more details soon (pack lunch/snacks/smell-ables).

• Return to basecamp, take down tents, and pack out.
• We plan to be back at the trailhead at 5pm at the latest.

Bear Safety/Wildlife Precautions:

Bear canisters are not required for this area. All food, food utensils, and personal care items should be hung in bear bags as a best practice to keep our smell-ables out of the way when we are sleeping. Rodents can also chew through tents if smell-ables are left inside tents. We will provide more instruction on how to set up bear hangs and what supplies are needed. We suggest taking all smell-ables when the group leaves camp for the day hike.

Packing List

If you do not have something on the packing list, please note it in the registration and we will provide it for you to borrow. We will remain in communication on what you should bring.

• 40L-50L minimum backpack
• Packable daypack (optional, for day hike on the second day. May also use backpacking pack)
• Tent (1-2 person size)
• Sleeping Bag
• Sleeping Pad
• Headlamp
• Small trowel for cat holes (we will have for the group)
• Hiking poles (optional)
• Water filter
• Water bottles/water containers (we recommend a minimum of 2 liter capacity)
• Food bowl and utensils
• Ursack or supplies for hanging bear bag (waterproof sack bag, carabiner, 50ft of paracord or strong rope)
• Sleeping clothes/change of clothes
• Rain jacket
• Winter gloves/mittens
• Winter hat/beanie
• Extra pairs of socks
• Extra layers - long sleeve shirt/fleece/synthetic pullover with hood/puffy jacket
• Personal care items
• Sunscreen SPF 30+
• Chapstick or lip balm with sunscreen
• Backpacking stove and fuel (we will have some for our group, but you can bring your own)
• Personal food/snacks
• Change of clothes (optional)
• Camp shoes (optional, shoes for wearing around camp that are comfy)

How to Dress for Backpacking Comfort/Protection from the Elements

• Non-cotton shirt
• Non-cotton and non-jean pants or shorts
• Sturdy athletic shoes or hiking boots
• Wool or synthetic socks if possible (no cotton)
• Sun hat (baseball cap, hat with wide brim, visor, etc.) and/or sunglasses

For more detailed resources on gear recommendations, please refer to the Backpacking 101 Workshop - General Resources Doc.

FAQs

Is there a cost for this event?

This is a free opportunity to gather with community and there are no fees or permits to access this trail.

Language Accessibility Disclosure:

As a volunteer-led chapter of Latino Outdoors, we rely on the language skill sets of our volunteers and partners. Due to limited capacity and funding, we are not able to provide consistent multilingual, Spanish-language programming, or other Native languages. As an organization, we value transparency and Language Justice, and we want to make sure that our participants are aware of what to expect at each event.

The programming for this event will be:

• Programming Language: English

• Available Interpretation: None

• Volunteer Language Proficiency: Bianca Garcia - Fluent in English and Spanish, Kylie Yang- Fluent in English

Regardless of your language abilities, you are welcomed at this event and we will do our best to work with you. The intention of this disclosure is to create better transparency on what to expect during our program.

Also check out other Trips & Adventurous Activities in Frisco.