Celebrating the Spiritual Halfway Point of the CDT
By: Jaime Jennings, CDTC Office Manager and Bookkeeper
Hikers gather outside Zero Day coffee for a queer hiker meetup.
It was my first time attending CDT SOBO TRAIL DAZE, and what a day it was!
Rolling into Leadville, Colorado, on a crisp and cloudy September morning, I was greeted by a huge group of what could only be thru-hikers loitering outside the hiker mecca: the Melanzana store. By the end of the day, nearly everyone was out and about sporting their brand-new, bright, and clean “Mellys”—the perfect pack addition for the incoming fall weather.
Cyanotype workshop participants arrange foraged plants and personal objects to create their one of a kind bandanas.
Our first stop was Zero Day Coffee, another informal gathering place for hikers. They were everywhere, absolutely taking over this high-elevation mountain town.
CDT SOBO TRAIL DAZE is an annual, community-organized event that brings together southbound thru-hikers of both the CDT and CT at their “spiritual halfway point.” Put on by past hikers and local community members, the event has a DIY spirit and a wonderfully laid-back atmosphere.
The first organized gathering was a meet-up for queer-identified thru-hikers. About 20–30 folks braved the rain to meet, exchange info, and chat in front of Zero Day. A group photo closed out the gathering.
Next came the highly anticipated cyanotype bandana printing workshop, led by leslie boyd, our first CDT Artist in Residence—who was also on their own SOBO thru-hike. leslie had prepared the bandanas back in late spring so they would be ready and waiting for their September arrival in Leadville. Cyanotype printing is a chemical process that uses sunlight to create negative exposures on fabric. With the dreary weather, cloud cover, and intermittent rain, we were all concerned. But fear not, friends—the sun broke through, and it turns out just a bit of UV is enough to make an impression.
The second stage of the cyanotype process: letting the sun work it’s magic!
At 10,000 feet, Leadville was the perfect place for it. Hikers and community members gathered plant matter and personal objects to create their prints. The workshop lasted several hours, with over 40 people dropping by the tiny backyard of Zero Day to make prints, hang out, and chat. Gotta love how hardy thru-hikers don’t let weather get in the way of a fun time.
Folks gather in the Zero Day backyard to exchange stories and make cyanotype-printed bandanas.
The final event of the day kicked off in the late afternoon at the beautifully restored Tabor Opera House on Leadville’s historic main street. One room was set up for seating and speakers, while the other hosted vendors selling niche gear and nutrition. More than 70 thru-hikers attended, along with many community members. A diverse lineup of speakers covered everything from winter thru-hiking to business advice from a gear startup, and the evening closed with a CDT night sky lecture by Zack Stockbridge. In between talks, there were giveaways galore, generously provided by supporting brands. Everything at SOBO Trail Daze was free—even the raffle tickets, which were won by answering trivia questions.
The best part was meeting thru-hikers and hearing about their journeys so far—so different from our spring Trail Days, when everyone is just starting out. I was blown away by how many hikers showed up, some even hitching rides from as far as Granby or Salida to be there.
The DIY, community-driven feel of this event can’t be beat for laid-back vibes. Fare thee well, SOBOers!