The Trailhead

06/30/2026

Wildfire Update 6/29/26 2:00pm

The USFS has closed the CT from Tennessee Pass to Twin lakes until further notice. The trail is open south of Twin Lakes. The CW and CE are both unaffected south of Twin Lakes at this time. The Twin Lakes General store is also open and has up to date info for hikers. At the moment smoke is moving east and north east of the fire. Air quality remains good south of the fire.

Due to the evacuation area and fire operations there is NO DETOUR at this time. Hikers and bikers are encouraged to find a shuttle from Tennessee Pass to Twin Lakes in order to continue on their hike.

If you are on the trail and have not signed up for text alerts, please go to our website and sign up for alerts. You can sign up on your phone and/or your inreach number. We use the alert texts to give hikers important safety information during an emergency.

We are updating the “Alerts and Closures" page on our website with the most up to date information about all trail alerts and closures.

06/19/2026

Need last minute gift ideas for Father's Day? As a dude who procreated, here are some of my top picks at the Trailhead:

- Wag bags. For the car. Because old age sneaks up on you and nothing in life is guaranteed.
- Topo Athletic Ultraventure shoes. Because they're comfortable and comfort has rocketed to the top of my hierarchy of needs.
- Darn Tough socks. Mine keep disappearing and it's either my kids or the government that's taking them.
- Skratch Labs Hydration Drink Mix. Because I think I'm still an athlete.
- Nocs binoculars. Because I'm 42 and birds are awesome all of a sudden.
- A Spyderco knife. Because knives are practical and extremely cool.
- A straw hat from Hemlock. For partyin'.
- An hour or two of sitting alone in the garage and listening to Alice in Chains while I think about lawnmowers. We don't sell this, but it's a gift that I would cherish.

Happy Father's Day from all of us at the Trailhead.

06/19/2026

Huge thanks to BVSC and all the trail work volunteers for taming the spikey rock on Wednesday. Spikey rock haunts my dreams. It is a manifestation of pure evil. Spikey rock is like waterboarding for your bottom bracket. Volunteer with BVSC on Wednesdays and help wrassle these demons into submission.

06/10/2026

Bikepacking tents are like regular tents that have been smooshed into a much smaller package using SCIENCE. Roughly the size of a respectable meatloaf, they can be strapped to your handlebars, bike rack, shopping cart, corgi, or even a large spatula. If you're finding your current tent to be unwieldy, cumbersome, full of buckshot holes, partially melted, smelling like grandma's house and burnt hair, or less waterproof than a saltine cracker, consider one of our high quality bikepacking tents today.

05/21/2026

We had an ad budget for our 15% OFF MEMORIAL DAY SALE, but we used all that money to buy a big bag of gummy worms and told Alec to just get weird with some mannequin hands instead.

The results are closer to high art than any of us expected.

It is, I daresay, a masterpiece. A commentary on the human condition. A meditation on the fragility of life and the stark indifference of time. A sugar-fueled freight train of paradigm destruction, tinged with equal parts neonatal innocence and subversive anarchy.

It's also... good enough. Like, it gets the point across I think.

15% OFF AT THE TRAILHEAD THIS THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY!

05/19/2026

OOPS, we newsletter'd again:

CKS is excited to announce CKS Paddlefest 2026, May 21st-25th. Paddlefest is the Memorial Weekend kick-off to summer fun in Chaffee County, Colorado. CKS Paddlefest is the interactive, hands-on experience of the year providing endless opportunities to shop and demo 2026 paddle gear, choose from a ho...

05/15/2026

IT'S PADDLEFEST TIME AGAIN, PEOPLE:

CKS Paddlefest (May 21st-25th) is Buena Vista’s Memorial Day weekend kick-off to summer. This interactive event offers 2026 gear demos, expert advice, on-water workshops and competitions, hot deals, a paddling gear swap, live music, parties, and an outdoor celebration of Buena Vista, Colorado!

To register or get more information on fun Paddlefest events go to www.ckspaddlefest.com.