A fresh snowfall had closed down Kyle's jobsite and he unexpectedly had a Thursday off work. Unfortunately, those of us who work from home don't get snow days, but I was able to finish up my work in the morning and we headed up to Rocky Mountain National Park for the afternoon. Neither of us …
Continue reading RMNP: February Mini-Hikes | Colorado | 02/18/21
Greyrock Mountain Loop | Roosevelt National Forest Laporte, CO | 02/06/21 | 8.20 miles | 2,429' gain I've climbed Greyrock Mountain a couple times now, but somehow always from the same old out-and-back trail. It seemed I always needed to take the shortest route and so I skipped the longer Greyrock Meadows Trail. But when …
Continue reading Greyrock Mountain Loop | Colorado | 02/06/21
Dauntless Mine | Pike National Forest Fairplay, CO | 01/31/21 | 6.90 miles | 1,398' gain W: Winter parking, S: Summer parking Okay, okay. The Dauntless Mine isn't really a destination, it's more a pile of rubble. And it certainly wasn't our chosen destination, that was 14er Mount Sherman. Sherman is a good 14er to …
Castlewood Canyon State Park Franktown, CO | 01/23/21 | 8.86 miles | 885' gain On the plains just south of Franktown, CO, hidden among the low hills and prairie grasses, a forested canyon awaits exploration. Invisible until you're right up on it, Castlewood Canyon is an unexpected sight, out of place in an area that …
Continue reading Castlewood Canyon State Park | Colorado | 01/23/21
Mount Falcon Park - Eastern Loop | Jefferson County Open Space Morrison, CO | 01/16/21 | 7.88 miles | 1,796' gain This was a very last minute hike. I texted Allie at 9am asking if she wanted to go hiking - well, now. She was on board so we quickly picked a hike, packed our …
Continue reading Mount Falcon Park – Eastern Loop | Colorado | 01/16/21
The Manitou Incline | Pike National Forest Manitou Springs, CO | 01/09/21 | 4.46 miles | 2,087' gain After being on our bucket lists for years, Allie and I finally got around to climbing The Manitou Incline (aka The Incline). The Incline is a steep - and I do mean steep - hike that follows …
Butler Gulch | Arapaho National Forest Empire, CO | 01/07/21 | 4.57 miles | 1,449' gain One Thursday in early January, Diana and I snowshoed a popular trail through Butler Gulch. I'm not often convinced to go snowshoeing but I was desperate to get above treeline, plus I had new, fancy snowshoes that needed to …
Timber/Kimmons Loop | Lory State Park Fort Collins, CO | 01/02/21 | 7.56 miles | 1,293' gain For my first hike of 2021, I chose a nice loop close to home in Lory State Park. The Timber and Kimmons Trails seemed to always be closed due to muddy conditions and I'd been waiting for a …
Prairie Ridge Natural Area | Loveland Natural Areas Loveland, CO | 12/25/20 | 7.03 miles | 309' Prairie Ridge is the newest of the City of Loveland's Natural Areas. It just opened in May 2020 and connects to the neighboring Coyote Ridge Natural Area. (Like Coyote Ridge, dogs aren't allowed at Prairie Ridge so our …
Continue reading Prairie Ridge Natural Area | Colorado | 12/25/20
Mount Morrison (7,881') | Matthews/Winters Park Morrison, CO | 12/19/20 | 4.02 miles | 2,022' gain Mount Morrison's south ridge is a popular exercise spot for locals. With an ascent of 2,000' in just 2 miles, it's a quick but steep route often repeated multiple times in a row. The trail starts near Gate 4 …
Continue reading Mount Morrison (7,881′) | Colorado | 12/19/20
