Across the 34 itineraries that we offer, the Trip Planning team is responsible for understanding everything that happens on the ground in a given location. For example, Katherine and Meg will spend countless hours working with our language program instructors to craft a curriculum and itinerary that is best for our students on our Language and Hiking trips in Spain and France. Jack, will work with handfuls of different transportation providers in Norway to ensure all Norway Expedition and Norway Explorer students get to the right destination in a timely manner. For me, and the rest of the Trip Planning Team, a part of our job is ensuring that all the trails and routes we send students out on are fun and safe for an Overland group during annual scouting missions. This past October, my colleague Will and I set out in search of new trails for our Rocky Mountain Adventure, Explorer, and Expedition trips to achieve our goals of creating a fun and safe outdoor experience – we were in search of creating the best hiking and backpacking trip in Colorado.
The trip began earlier this fall, scouring topographical maps, reviewing internal material, and ultimately, deciding where Will and I were going to scout. Following in-depth conversations with Forest Service staff members, connecting with local contacts, and concocting an itinerary for the week, we were off!
Our journey began outside of Frisco, Colorado, aptly named after the St Louis – San Francisco Railway, nicknamed the “Frisco” back in 1880, and as we each finished our last sips of coffee for the morning, we set out to hike North Tenmile Trail and Lenawee Trail. In our time out on the trail that day, we did our best to embody the mind, spirit, and energy of a 4th, 5th, or 6th grader. As these trails would most likely serve as a harder day hike for our Rocky Mountain Adventure groups, we wanted to see where groups would take the appropriate snack breaks, viewpoint stops, sunscreen pauses, and refill their water bottles. We both walked away feeling excited about the potential that these trails had for our groups, and also enjoyed the quietness and calm nature these trails evoked for us. As Will and I departed Frisco that afternoon, we reveled in the fact that we got to spend another day out on the trail tomorrow and explore an unknown region to us both, and for Overland.
In 1719, explorer Antonio Valverde set his gaze upon the Sangre de Cristo mountain range at sunrise, and as he stood awestruck at the red-tinted and snow-capped peaks shining in the morning alpenglow, he uttered under his breath, “Sangre de Cristo,” forever giving these gorgeous mountains their namesake. And as Will and I approached from the North and similarly saw these mountains for the first time, it is safe to say we had a similar reaction. The Sangre’s seem to rise from nearly nothing, as eons ago, tectonic plates smashed together to form the 250-mile long range. Will and I had our sights set on a backpacking route that traveled underneath Veneable Peak (13,333ft) and Comanche Peak (13,277ft) to give our groups picturesque views for the three days, two nights they would spend in the backcountry, and also set their sights high for climbing one of Colorado’s hidden gem mountains.
The hike begins at Comanche Lake trailhead, where we loaded up everything we needed for the three-day backpacking excursion, including our food, camping gear, and clothes for the adventure. This packing process would be similar to what our Rocky Mountain Explorer and Expedition groups would undertake before they headed out on the trail. The hike itself had us traversing mountain aspen meadows, strolling alongside babbling streams and roaring rivers, and eventually ending at Comanche Lake for our first night’s stay near an alpine lake. The following day, we climbed Comanche Peak to get a 360-degree view of Southwestern Colorado which is unparalleled in its grandeur and beauty. After a hike back down to our campsite, our final evening coincided with crystal clear skies, bright stars, and a feeling of gratefulness that we will get to hopefully share this area with a host of Overland students in the summer of 2025.
How To Choose A Summer Adventure For Your Child
Get first-hand insights into what you should look for when choosing the next summer travel adventure for your child.
