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, …
Grizzly Peak D (13,427') | CO Rank: 302/637 "Cupid" (13,117') | CO Rank: 555/637 Front Range | White River National Forest | Dillon, CO 03/06/21 | 6.12 miles | 2,951' gain | Class 2 Some mountains climb easy and some make us work for it. Some of the easiest mountains can be the most mentally …
Continue reading Grizzly Peak D (13,427′) & “Cupid” (13,117′) | Colorado | 03/06/21
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 …
