After our trek to the Top of Texas, we had very little time left to explore what else Guadalupe National Park has to offer. We decided to visit two accessible historic sites on the way to our hotel, neither of which require much walking, perfect for our tired feet. Our first stop was "The Pinery" …
Continue reading Historic Sites of Guadalupe National Park | Texas | 04/02/21
Guadalupe Peak (8,751') | Guadalupe Mountains National Park Salt Flat, TX | 04/02/21 | 9.82 miles | 3,044' gain Although 2021 started out slow (with no traveling and very few exciting hikes), April started with a bang and I haven't slowed down since. On a whirlwind three-day trip, Allie and I road-tripped around Texas and …
Continue reading Guadalupe Peak (8,751′) | Texas’ State High Point | 04/02/21
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
