Mount Colden hike via avalanche pass is a somewhat difficult and strenuous hike but it is also very rewarding. The views are amazing and a lot of people love the workout that they get when they do this hike. The downside is that if you are not very physically fit, you are going to not make it as the hike requires a lot of stamina due to elevation gain and the rough terrain. However, if you are physically fit then there is a good likelihood that you will love this hike.
Mount Colden Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: 13 Miles
Elevation Gained: 3,100 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: None
Trail Breakdown
Van Hoevenberg Trail
Avalanche Pass Trail
Mount Colden Trail
Mount Colden
L Morgan Porter Trail
Lake Arnold
Van Hoevenberg Trail Going Back
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Hike
I closed my jacket shut as the cold air reluctantly passed from the earth. The morning winds sent shivers down my spine as I ate my breakfast consisting of hot ramen soup with eggs in the parking lot. I had to eat fast as the morning light was starting to show itself. This was one of those hikes that had to be started early in the morning as the total distance itself could take hours to complete.
Van Hoevenberg Trail
Van Hoevenberg Trail
Van Hoevenberg Trail
Intersection
Van Hoevenberg Trail
Van Hoevenberg Trail
Marcy Dam Construction
Bridge
Marcy Dam Construction
Trail Head
Intersection
Trail
Avalanche Pass Trail
Avalanche Pass Trail
Bridge
Intersection
Avalanche Pass Trail Ascending
I took off my backpack and sat on a boulder. “Just a quick rest would be good to the body before ascending up the mountain”, I thought to myself. I took out a bottle of water, drank a few then watched the way my body breathes. I wanted a rest but I wanted the body to be hot and still ready to hike.
Avalanche Pass Trail Going Up
The ascent was short but steep as I felt my body breathing heavily as I kept hiking upwards. My pace slowed down considerably and I felt heaviness in each step that I made. It was the first footpath that was ascending and my body was already working very hard to conquer it. I just hoped that I will have enough stamina to conquer the tougher and more grueling ascent later.
Avalanche Pass Trail
Avalanche Pass Trail
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake Trail
I never thought a flat footpath or a footpath with barely any elevation gain would be so tough and so energy consuming. It was like an obstacle course or a maze that had these walls that I needed to cross over only to find myself going back down afterwards. There were ladders sometimes that helped hikers get up but even so, all I remembered was that it was hell.
Avalanche Lake Trail
It was a footpath that was easy to follow as I didn’t have a choice. There were dead logs and pointy branches on the sides, and the only way to get through it was to follow it. But there were too many obstacles on the way that I couldn’t help it, I wanted an easier way as I felt like I was doing one those 30 minute high impact cardio sessions in youtube.
Avalanche Lake Trail
Avalanche Lake Trail
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake Barrier
Avalanche Pass Trail
Avalanche Pass Trail Intersection
Avalanche Pass Trail
Lake On The Right
Intersection
Mount Colden Trail
It was one of the toughest footpaths that I had ever encountered. It was a beast from start to finish as it was wild, untamed, steep and it took a lot of my energy. It was a footpath with high elevation gain, around 2,000 feet or more, in such a short amount of time.
Mount Colden Trail Puzzles
The higher I ascended, the more I found myself asking this question from time to time, “how do I get up there?” It was like a puzzle that had to be solved. I hugged the left side as it gave my body stable footing while using my hands to grab onto anything to keep my balance. Luckily, my boots had enough traction that I could use parts of the smooth rock as a platform to propel myself upwards.
Mount Colden Trail
I huffed and puffed heavily as my lungs were working overtime. The ascending footpath was unkind as it kept going upwards. There were only slopes that remained as there were no more flat terrain at this point in time. Just a beast of a footpath that kept on ascending upwards.
Ladders
Sometimes I found these ladders along the trail. They helped me get up and make progress. Even though most of the time, the trail looked wild, there were parts that looked maintained and sculpted by human beings.
Mount Colden Trail
It was a footpath filled with dead logs, trees, and sharp pointy branches everywhere. There were these thread like things that were obviously made of plants or wood that were everywhere. It was as if I was in a medieval fantasy world and found myself in a giant spider’s lair. The spider rampaged and broke the trees while also creating webs everywhere.
I kept going, watching where I stepped, making sure I don’t slip and fall, and that I make progress on this trail without injuring myself.
More Ladders
These ladders were very nice as they allowed me to get up and make progress rather easily. I stepped on the ladder happily and used my hands to grab onto the steps as well due to the steepness of the trail.
Mount Colden Trail
Water trickled down on the slanted footpath, making it very slippery and harder to traversed. I stepped on the slanted footpath and found my boots slipping. My hiking boots were worth $125+ but it was still not enough for this monster of a trail. I dropped down on all fours, moving steadily forward, making sure that I didn’t slip and fall.
Mount Colden Trail Going Up
I kept going up.
Mount Colden Trail
The unforgiving trail was very unforgiving. I stopped for a few minutes as I felt out of breath. I took out my water bottle and drank a sip as laid down my backpack on the ground. I never expected this trail to be so time consuming and it drained my energy from start to finish as well. My mind wanted to move, willed movement, desired action, but my body refused. I was frozen in place, unable to move an inch, all I could do was sit still to let my legs and body recuperate as various hikers passed me by.
But there was no sense in complaining so I let my body do what it needed to do until it was ready to move on again. I strapped my backpack to my back and continued my ascent to the top of the mountain.
Mount Colden Trail
I sat on the trail but I did not sat there because I needed to look at a viewpoint. I sat because the trail was very slippery and I almost fell down. I needed some time to regain my composure and make sure I had enough energy to keep going. It was a footpath that was steep and certain parts were very wet and slippery. It was a footpath that I didn’t want to underestimate.
Mount Colden Trail
A group of young men came from the top and were headed downward. In my surprised, they just walked down as if the trail was not slippery at all. They all looked fresh and new, some were wearing a light back while some did not have a backpack at all. The group made me look like a newbie as they went down the trail rather gracefully.
One person did slip and fall at the end but he got back up as if nothing happened. There was a mischievous grin on my face, the kind of smile that said, “I was right”, or that I was not unskilled compared to them. It was petty but my ego liked it and it felt good.
Mount Colden Crevice
A nice crevice or rock formation at the end of the forest.
Mount Colden Trail
The forest trail was gone and I was left with shrubs and bushes as far as my eye could see. These were the plants that could live under severe weather conditions and as such, I tried my best not to step on any of them. The footpath became rather friendly at this point in time as I just had to walk upwards without having to solve puzzles and without having to worry about my safety.
Mount Colden Trail
The mountain footpath was smooth but not slippery at all and found myself having an easier time making progress on my hike. I smiled a little as I was somewhat happy that the tough parts of the hike were over and I was almost at top of the mountain.
Mount Colden Trail Lookout
Mount Colden Trail Views
Mount Colden Trail Scenery
Mount Colden Trail Going Up
I had this idea to take a picture of myself while going up the mountain but I ended up slipping and falling.
Mount Colden Trail Viewpoint
Almost At The Top
I saw a familiar rock on top of the trail. It was a rock I saw in the Internet which meant that I was near the top. My smile broadened from ear to ear as I was just a few more steps before I was at the top of the mountain. I happily kept moving forward but hiked slower as I used my time to appreciate my surroundings or nature that I loved so much.
Mount Colden Lookout
Mount Colden Views
Mount Colden Viewpoint
Mount Colden Scenery
Mount Colden
Mount Colden Marker Gone
Mount Colden Lookout
Mount Colden Standing On The Rock
L Morgan Porter Trail
L Morgan Porter Trail Lookout
L Morgan Porter Trail Views
L Morgan Porter Trail Scenery
L Morgan Porter Trail Landscape
L Morgan Porter Trail Views
L Morgan Porter Trail Lookout
L Morgan Porter Trail
Intersection
Intersection
Lake Arnold Trail
Lake Arnold Trail
Lake Arnold Trail
Lake Arnold Trail
Intersection
Lake Arnold Trail
Lake Arnold Trail
Lake Arnold Trail
Intersection
Intersection
Bridge Before
Going Back
Intersection Before
Marcy Dam
Intersection Signs
Van Hoevenberg Trail Going Back
End Of The Hike
