Shades of Gray, Splashes of Color: A Thru-hike of The Colorado Trail

by Bill Cooke

The Colorado Trail wends its way through the Rocky Mountains of the Centennial State, traversing a landscape as changing and diverse as the swirling afternoon clouds presaging the daily summer thunderstorms. Shades of Gray, Splashes of Color narrates Bill Cooke’s 2011 hike of this 486-mile trail, the length of which was a personal high for him in 35 years of backpacking.

A common expression among long distance backpackers is “no pain equals no gain.” In this book, you’ll read of the “pain” manifested in the struggle of acclimating to high elevations, of hiking long and steep ascents, of coping with a wide range of climatic conditions from freezing cold mornings to hot baking afternoons to near daily thunderstorms to long stretches of limited water. And you’ll read of the “gains,” the triumphs as Bill and his hiking companion Keith “Northern Harrier” Bance savor the many rewards of this enchanting trail: alpine meadows whose wildflowers covered every range of the spectrum, bewitching groves of aspen trees resplendent with the morning glow of the sun, the glistening of snowy peaks, stately conifers including the massive Douglas firs, high mountain passes, dry foothills, sparkling mountain streams, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets where both the skies and the rocks shine like beacons from the low sun alpenglow, and much more.

Along the way, you’ll read of the delight bestowed by such simple pleasures as a refreshing swig of Rocky Mountain water or a wildlife spotting. You’ll hear of fascinating near-daily cloud formations with their myriad shades of gray and ever changing patterns. You’ll meet “Trail Angels” who emerge at the right place and time, unplanned and unexpected, to assist hikers on the basic needs such as rides to towns for re-supplying or offers of water and snacks. And you’ll visit communities along the trail corridor, meeting the people in them, and enjoying the amenities that we all take for granted such a hot shower, bed with linens, and meals of “real” food, all of which are appreciated especially by hot, dusty hikers.

While experienced hikers will enjoy this book, Bill explains much of the terminology and peculiar habits of long-distance backpackers such that even those whose experience is confined to short strolls in the park will sense the challenges and the rewards of a trek in the Rocky Mountains.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 29, 2014

About the author

SINCE HIS FIRST BACKPACKING trip in 1977, Bill Cooke (“Cookerhiker” to his hiking colleagues) has hiked thousands of miles on trails long and short, east, west and central. He finished hiking the 2,184 mile Appalachian Trail in 2005, an effort that encompassed nearly three decades. At 482 miles, the Colorado Trail thru-hike represents his longest continuous trek. Prior to his retirement in 2003, Bill’s career with the federal government spanned 32 years,most of which were spent with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency where as a CPA, he worked in a number of different positions in the accounting and financial management field. He continues to explore trails afar and near his Lexington, Kentucky residence, including Kentucky’s 300-mile Sheltowee
Trace where he hikes and performs trail maintenance.

Reviews

[ccoelophysis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping this book would have some nice photos since "splashes of color" was part of the title. There are no color photos in the entire book and the one on the front cover is almost completely covered by text. So don't read it for that but to understand what hiking the Colorado Trail is like. One of my favorite parts was about the "PUDs" (Pointless Up and Downs) because they are present even on the small section of trail I hiked myself. I can also relate to the constant threat of late afternoon rainstorms which are ever-present in Colorado summers. I'm not sure about the mosquitos; we've never had a problem with them except when we got stuck at a reservoir after dark so perhaps they set up camp just too close to the water every time. It was interesting to read about the social aspects of the hike. I wouldn't expect to encounter the same people over and over again in the wilderness but that is exactly what happened. There were just a few encounters with wildlife but no photos. The author can't manage to get a photo of snakes or elk because they're "too fast" but can't provide an explanation for why there are no photos of what were probably very stationary moose. Also, I feel that there is zero excuse to hike nearly 500 miles in one brand of shoes yet not be able to spell said brand (and the readers/editor did not catch this either?). Still a pretty good book for what seems like an average, non-writer guy just wanting to share his experience with others. Don't expect too much from it, just go along for the ride.

[Lkelly6 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is contemplating hiking all or part of the Colorado Trail. Bill Cooke includes many details about each segment.

Mr. Cooke seems to write the way he thinks -- sometimes focused on challenges or beautiful scenes encountered along the trail, sometimes focused on gentle descriptions of people he meets.

Cooke and his hiking partner set a comfortable pace and work hard, yet manage to enjoy the hard work of backpacking. His descriptions clearly paint a picture in the mind of the reader as well as motivating the reader to get out and hike in nature, wherever you are!

I really, really enjoyed reading this gentle book!

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first account of the Colorado Trail I came across and since this trail is on my list of future destinations, I was very excited to read the book. I enjoyed the parts where the author went on to describe the different sections of the trail and the photos scattered through the book were a welcome touch. I have to admit; however, that I was not too keen on the journal-like style of this book as it brought too much repetitiveness to the storytelling. An eye of an editor could help to streamline the story as well as reduce the amount of unfinished sentences, perhaps remnants of previous drafts, which I found in the text with no context to the paragraph in which they were placed.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it helped me get a better idea of what to expect on the trail next year.