Bayou Gulch Perimeter Loop | Bayou Gulch Open Space Parker, CO | 03/20/21 | 3.9 miles | 229' gain Kyle and I planned a nice, easy loop around Bayou Gulch Open Space. This open space is mostly prairie, sandwiched between the encroaching city and enduring agriculture. We parked at the main trailhead and walked along …
Elk Meadow Loop | Elk Meadow Park Evergreen, CO | 03/17/21 | 5.10 miles | 666' gain Diana and I had planned a weekday summit of Bergen Peak (9,701') near Evergreen. Both of us had climbed Bergen before (though in summer) and while we knew the mountains had gotten quite a bit of snow recently, …
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
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
