Colorado or Appelachian???

“hey! I've done a chunk of the Appelachian Trail already and now i'm looking at what else the world has to offer... What is the COLORADO TRAIL like? Can it be compared to the AT? i looked at some maps etc, and it seems like it might be fairly similar if not just a little harder... can anybody who's seen both help me out here? thanx - "Glide"”

“They aren't that similar. The AT is a walk in the park - well blazed, maintained, with shelters, easy access to frequent water, etc. Many parts of it are 'the long green tunnel' - a nice walk in the woods, rural and pastoral but not 'wild'. On the CT there isn't the kind of social community that you can find on the AT, though there are many who do thruhike the CT. Without shelters, though, everyone does their own thing and goes their own pace. The Colorado Trail is high country, frequently above treeline - with decent but not complete blazing, very few shelters, frequent thunderstorms on exposed ridges, and altitude issues. The country is gorgeous and the views and wildlife superb. Worth doing, but more difficult, more dangerous and you need to be able to read a map and use a compass before you go. If I were you, I would go to Colorado, but then I'm very partial to the Rockies. The AT is very nice hiking but it doesn't compare.”

“Thanks for the word on the Rockies. I would like to get out there someday.”