Hidden Mesa Trail | Hidden Mesa Open Space Franktown, CO | 06/06/20 | 6.48 miles | 505' gain On a rainy June morning, my friend Tori and I set out for a quick hike. The Castle Rock area had the best weather forecast and we hoped we could get in a dry hike. Douglas County …
On the first day of Rocky Mountain National Park's (RMNP) new reservation system, I decided to leave work early and check it out for myself. Hundreds of tickets were still available so I had no trouble purchasing one. (Only $2 for me since I have an annual pass.) The National Park had opened a few …
Continue reading RMNP: June Mini-Hikes | Colorado | 06/04/20
Hall Ranch: Antelope to Button Rock | Hall Ranch Open Space Lyons, CO | 05/28/20 | 11.56 miles | 1,536' gain Hall Ranch Open Space is one of the many fabulous parks managed by Boulder County. I'd visited a handful of times, but always did the exact same loop. In my quest for a big-mile …
Continue reading Hall Ranch: Antelope to Button Rock | Colorado | 05/28/20
Black Mesa (4,973') | Oklahoma's State High Point Kenton, OK | 05/24/20 | 8.79 miles | 726' gain We woke up around sunrise and started out for the summit of Black Mesa, Oklahoma's high point and the second state high point of our Memorial Day trip. While Black Mesa isn't a terribly difficult hike, it's …
Continue reading Black Mesa (4,973′) | Oklahoma’s State High Point | 05/24/20
Mount Sunflower (4,039') | Kansas' State High Point Weskan, KS | 05/23/20 | 0.55 miles | 16' gain On Memorial Day weekend, Kyle and I took a short trip to visit a couple of nearby state high points. Our first stop was Mount Sunflower, the high point of Kansas. This is just across the Colorado …
Continue reading Mount Sunflower (4,039′) | Kansas’ State High Point | 05/23/20
Moose Meadow Trail to Brown Homestead | Hermit Park Open Space Estes Park, CO | 05/21/20| 4.84 miles | 629' gain Hermit Park Open Space is criss-crossed by various forested trails, most popular of which is the Kruger Rock Trail. But I'm not one to visit a park just for the most well known trail, …
Continue reading Moose Meadow Trail to Brown Homestead | Colorado | 05/21/20
Shanahan/Big Bluestem Loop | Boulder OSMP Boulder, CO | 05/12/20| 4.97 miles | 876' gain I met up with my friend Tori for a quick hike before work. Boulder is always convenient and there are infinite trails to choose from. This loop was perfect for a morning workout! We met at the Shanahan Ridge Trailhead, …
Continue reading Shanahan/Big Bluestem Loop | Colorado | 05/12/20
Foothills Nature Trail | Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park Loveland, CO | 07/10/20| 2.34 miles | 458' gain Kyle and I set out for a quick and easy morning hike near home. I'd done this hike before but I didn't blog about it. It seemed worthy of a repeat (and a blog post). The Round Mountain Nature …
Continue reading Foothills Nature Trail | Colorado | 05/10/20
Goose Creek Trail | Lost Creek Wilderness & Pike National Forest Florissant, CO | 05/09/20| 10.08 miles | 1,732' gain Allie and I attempted this hike a few weeks prior but were turned around by a ranger due to a forest fire in the area. Thankfully it was quickly taken care of and the trail …
Fowler Trail | Eldorado Canyon State Park Boulder, CO | 05/07/20| 4.36 miles | 329' gain My friend Tori and I met up for a quick and easy hike in Boulder before work. The Fowler Trail extends east from Eldorado Canyon State Park into Boulder Open Space & Mountain Park (OSMP) property. I didn't realize …
