Ptarmigan Peak (13,739′) & Weston Peak (13,572′) | Colorado | 06/19/21

Ptarmigan Peak (13,739') & Weston Peak (13,572') San Isabel & Pike National Forests | Twin Lakes, CO 06/19/21 | 4.65 miles | 2,144' gain | YDS Class 2 I had a bad feeling when I still hadn't heard from Allie an hour into my drive. We were meeting up to climb a peak near Buena …

Continue reading Ptarmigan Peak (13,739′) & Weston Peak (13,572′) | Colorado | 06/19/21

Mount Parnassus (13,574′) | Colorado | 06/17/21

Mount Parnassus (13,574') | Arapaho National Forest Dillon, CO | 06/17/21 | 7.12 miles | 3,273' gain | YDS Class 2 The mountains don't tend to follow our pathetic human calendars, so while true summer wouldn't start for a few more days, mountain summer had already arrived in full force. Winter's snow had melted, creeks …

Continue reading Mount Parnassus (13,574′) | Colorado | 06/17/21

The Magnolia Mill & Montgomery Reservoir | Colorado | 06/06/21

We decided to take it easy on Sunday and explore some of the local sites near Allie's parents' house in Alma. First up was the Magnolia Mill and Montgomery Reservoir. This site is right off Highway 9 between Alma and Breckenridge, just below Hoosier Pass. I have driven past countless times without stopping, but it's …

Continue reading The Magnolia Mill & Montgomery Reservoir | Colorado | 06/06/21

Chicago Lakes | Colorado | 06/03/21

Chicago Lakes | Mount Evans Wilderness & Arapaho National Forest Idaho Springs, CO | 06/03/21 | 10.04 miles | 1,862' gain Mid-June typically marks my transition from low-elevation winter hikes to high-elevation summer hikes. There's usually still a bit of snow to contend with, but this spring was pretty dry and early June was already …

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Mount McConnel (8,020′) | Colorado | 05/27/21

Mount McConnel (8,020') | Cache la Poudre Wilderness & Roosevelt National Forest Livermore, CO | 05/27/21 | 4.98 miles | 1,577' gain | YDS Class 2+ Although it's not all that far from me, I hadn't explored very far up the Poudre Canyon (SH 14). It seems that it's always been my friend Tori suggesting …

Continue reading Mount McConnel (8,020′) | Colorado | 05/27/21

Stone Mountain (7,625′) | Colorado | 05/15/21

Stone Mountain (7,625') | Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park Loveland, CO | 05/15/21 | 8.23 miles | 2,144' gain Stone Mountain is one of my favorite local peaks. I'd climbed it a few times before but not since the winter of '18-'19. It's amazing how much has changed in the past few years! I set out from …

Continue reading Stone Mountain (7,625′) | Colorado | 05/15/21

Estes Cone (11,006′) | Colorado | 05/08/21

Estes Cone (11,006') | Rocky Mountain National Park Estes Park, CO | 05/08/21 | 6.71 miles | 2,003' gain In an effort to avoid a ton of fresh snow, Diana and I searched for a hike that was missed by a recent spring snowstorm. The Estes Park area seemed to be outside the storm's reach, …

Continue reading Estes Cone (11,006′) | Colorado | 05/08/21