Mount Wilcox (13,408') | CO Rank: 315/637 Front Range | Arapaho National Forest | Georgetown, CO 06/07/20 | 7.47 miles | 2,564' gain | Class 1 & 2 While 2020 has "blessed" us with many a dumpster fire, an early start to summer was something to be truly happy about, especially after the very short …
Continue reading Mount Wilcox (13,408′) | Colorado | 06/07/20
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
Colorado Mines Peak (12,493') | Arapaho National Forest Empire, CO | 05/30/20 | 4.38 miles | 1,181' gain I've attempted Colorado Mines Peak more times than I'd care to admit. Somehow I always end up going when there's feet of snow and for some reason, I never bring my snowshoes. (Not my proudest of moments.) …
Continue reading Colorado Mines Peak (12,493′) | Colorado | 05/30/20
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
Mount Sheridan (13,748') | CO Rank: 126/637 Mosquito Range | Pike National Forest | Fairplay, CO 05/17/20 | 7.10 miles | 2,515' gain | Class 2 Boy am I behind on blogging! Life has been so busy lately and I haven't had a chance to keep up with sharing my stories. We started fostering with …
Continue reading Mount Sheridan (13,748′) | Colorado | 05/17/20
Flagstaff Mountain (6,983') via Chapman Drive | Boulder OSMP Boulder, CO | 05/16/20 | 7.69 miles | 1,441' gain Back in Boulder with Tori again! (There are SO many trails in Boulder!) A few days before this hike, Tori had texted me and asked if I'd made it to the true summit of Flagstaff Mountain …
Continue reading Flagstaff Mountain (6,983′) via Chapman Drive | Colorado | 05/16/20
