Vapor Trail 125 - Marshall Pass to Starvation Creek, up Poncha Creek Rd, CDT/CT Silver Creek, down to Rainbow Trail

From Marshall Pass you will descend briefly on the Poncha Creek Road, then climb to a ridge above the Starvation Creek drainage. Then it's the classic descent down the Starvation Creek Trail.

Upper part of Starvation Creek Trail

Lower part of Starvation Creek

Then down the Poncha Creek Road briefly to the Silver Creek Road. Then you'll deal with the last road climb of the 2008 Vapor Trail 125 to meet the Rainbow Trail trailhead.

Oops. Oh my, this is so embarrassing. I almost made the 2008 VT125 route easier than any previous routes. But thank goodness, my route advisor caught me before we went forward with this travesty.

Not down the Poncha Creek road. Not.

Up the Poncha Creek Road. Westbound. Back to the Continental Divide once more. A grunting, rocky climb to the divide. Turn your back on the descent to town and a nice hot hamburger. Just forget about that. Go back to climbing up to the spine of the continent.

Where is Aid Station #4? At Marshall Pass. You'll go by there twice. Once at the start of this section, and more importantly, again after you've slogged your way back up the Poncha Creek Road to the pass.

Then head south to traverse the Continental Divide ridge on the combined Colorado Trail/Continental Divide Trail for several miles. Then descend the classic Silver Creek Trail.

That's Section 7. Check the profile. 3,000 feet of climbing, 4,400 feet of descending in 20 miles. All this fun starts at mile 85. Enjoy.

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