Trail and Park Reviews

Mayhem Gulch Trail, part of the Clear Creek Canyon Park System

2011-10-17T10:24:00.003-06:00

Mayhem Gulch, Clear Creek Canyon

About a year ago, I was driving up highway 6 in Clear Creek Canyon and noticed that the Open Space workers were building a parking lot for a new trailhead about 9 miles up the Canyon from Golden. It wasn't completed and so I was not able to hike it back then, but I always remembered it was there and knew that Jefferson County Open Space was adding more trails in the Canyon, so I decided to head back this September to see if it was completed. And it was! Complete with a large parking lot across the road from the river, restrooms and trail maps that show this trail system meets up with the Centennial Cone Park trails in Golden Gate Canyon and there are numerous miles of trails for bikers and hikers here!

Getting there: From Golden at the intersection of Highways 6, 93 and 58, take U.S. Highway 6 west about 10 miles to the paved trailhead on the northside of the road. You can't miss it!
Specs: The trailhead has pit toilets, trail maps, and connects to well over 15 miles of trails. This trail is not listed on the Jefferson County Open Space website yet, but it is open and ready for hiking.

The Hike: Admittedly, I hiked this trail back in late August of this year, but just didn't have time to blog about it until now. Growing this baby seems to take a lot of time and energy :) However, it was a beautiful day when I hiked Mayhem Gulch and there are numerous more miles of trails that I need to explore there. The main trail heads up the mountain for 1.5 miles and then reaches a trail split; you can continue to Centennial Cone Park, or take the Juniper Trail to create a 4.6 mile loop back to the start. Check out the photo below to see how this loop is created.

Click on photo to make bigger. Notice the red 'you are here' symbol on the left middle side of the map. Follow the Mayhem Trail to the intersection at the Juniper Trail, continue on the Juniper Trail to create the 4.6 mile loop back to the parking lot.

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The last of the summer flowers were in bloom, and none of the aspen trees were changing color when I hiked this in late August on a weekday. The trail was mostly deserted except for a few mountain bikers who passed me along the way. I didn't see any other hikers, however.

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Views going up the trail, the entire part that I hiked provided you with views of the mountains beyond, because you hiked up the side of the mountain. You can see Clear Creek and Hwy 6 in this photo.

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More views of the mountainside and you can even see the trail if you look closely.

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Beautiful summer flowers!

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The trail was well maintained and very easy to hike on, I'd call this trail moderate just because of the incline, but there was no scrambling or any other difficult sections. Just steady incline up the mountainside.

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You can see the trail that I just hiked up on the mountainside beyond me. Here I am at nearly 8 months pregnant, hiking with my two doggies and by myself. My husband gets a little nervous when I go by myself, but I think he realizes that I need the alone time, as I always have, and being pregnant doesn't change that! I hope to hike this trail with little baby someday.

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After 1.5 miles you will reach a trail intersection and this sign. This is where I turned around and hiked back the way I came, making my hike just 3 miles. However, had I not been pregnant, I would have continued on to the 4.6 mile loop. The baby has pulled a muscle in my upper abdomen and hiking has become painful during this 3rd trimester. Each step I take, I feel my muscles pulling apart, even while wearing a belly band, but the exercise and solitude draw me to the trails always!

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Again, this is a photo of the trail split, you can continue up, or there is a trail behind me, or the trail on the right takes you back to the parking lot, which is what I did.

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Love the summer flowers, and I am hoping next Spring I can make it here with the little baby in my Ergo Carrier and we can hike the loop!

We'll see how easy that is. Any hiking mama's out there have any advise? Please leave a comment if you do! Also, if you have hiked farther at Mayhem Gulch, please leave your comments or input, our readers will appreciate it!

The Manitou Incline; Colorado Springs - One of the most intense trails I have hiked.

2011-08-11T14:37:00.000-06:00

I have heard lots of things about The Incline, a 0.9 mile hike up the old cog railroad which gains 2100 feet in elevation; its hot, its steep, its hard, its crazy, its feels endless; and its all of those and more! I kept thinking, how hard can it really be? It's just under a mile to get to the top, I can do anything for a mile; but it was definitely an intense trail that was so steep in some places that it gave me vertigo to stop and look down and I am not afraid of heights. The trail reminded me of a roller coaster, when you are looking over the top and you can't see the track in front of you just the track at the bottom because it's so steep; that's exactly what The Incline is like.
The Incline is a favorite trail for fitness buffs who frequent the trail as part of an exercise regimen, some people will even run up the trail and back down it as well. Most people however, take the 4 mile Barr trail down the mountain instead. The entire trail provides amazing views of the foothills and as far into the distance as the eye can see and as weather permits.

Getting there: From Manitou Springs, take Ruxton Avenue (off of Manitou Avenue) west toward the mountains at the (left) traffic circle and head up the mountain toward the Barr Trail. Parking is very limited in this area and is a very sensitive issue. The actual incline begins close to the Cog Railway parking lot. Do not park in the Cog Railway parking area. Park in the Barr Trail lot ($5 fee) or park farther downhill along Ruxton Avenue. Some park near the center of town and walk entirely up Ruxton Avenue; others ride their bikes to the start of the trail. If you park in the Barr Trail parking lot, there is a side trail that you will see many people heading to, that takes you up to the Incline, but you won't be starting from the very beginning. We parked here because we didn't know any better and continued up the side trail after speaking to some people in the parking lot to The Incline.
Specs: If you park in the Barr trail lot it costs $5 and there is a restroom and water. The parking lot is small and crowded and the drive is on a steep incline. Because it's so busy, cars will wait for someone to leave and then get that person's spot; so if there is a line when you make it to the parking lot, this is why. The $5 fee is good for 24 hours, so give yours to the next person in line when you leave!

The Hike: This trail is steep, hot, without much shade and without much privacy to use nature's bathroom; so keep that in mind as you hike. Bring LOTS of water on this trail, more than you'd typically need for this length of hike. Josh and I actually ran out of water, which is not the safest thing for a pregnant lady in her 3rd trimester, fortunately I had drank nearly 3 liters on the way up and that sustained me until we made it back to the car. Josh, however, was worried about me not drinking enough water and got himself a little dehydrated trying to save water for baby and I. The hike is on private land, so if you choose to bring your dog, pick up after them because the animals poop on the side of the trail and it really stinks! There is a "bailout" trail if the Incline ends up being too difficult for some reason, you can see it on the left side of the trail, before the first false peak, when the steps get very rickety and uneven. Keep your eyes peeled for it, because it's not super obvious, but noticeable if you are looking for it. Below is my photo journal of the hike.

Prepare yourself, this is what you are doing! You are walking up 2100 feet of incline in under a mile. Its crazy intense and a great accomplishment when you reach the top.

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See the full parking lot, the Barr trail starts in the far right of this photo; the Incline trail is unmarked but a wide path that continues up from the left side of the parking lot.

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Walking up the trail, you can see the steps of The Incline above.

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We stepped on the trail and faced our challenge; the top that you can see here is a false peak and I knew that fortunately otherwise it would have been a sad realization reaching it.

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Its getting steeper......this is a section where the railroad ties were very well maintained and consistent. They got much worse as the hike went on.

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Here the stairs start to get a little more rickety as the hike elevation increases; the steps were very large and with my belly I had to really step up hard and keep my momentum forward.

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Looking back at the views of the city and beyond. Anytime you need to take a breather, there is no shortage of scenery to take in.

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Nearly to the top of the FALSE peak, this took us about 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach the top of the false peak. And another 50 minutes to make it to the very top. Once you reach the false peak, you have made it through the worst of it and you are about 2/3 of the way done. I was trying to keep my heartrate under 140BPM on the hike, so we were probably the slowest people on the mountain. I don't always follow this rule, but it was easy to get out of breathe on The Incline and this kept me in check.

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Getting up and over the false peak, finally! You can't even see the trail you just hiked up because it's so steep.

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And now you see the finish line; the next peak. It's still pretty far away, but I thought this section was easier than the first section.

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Views looking back down, I kept thinking 'maybe we can see all the way to Kansas,' I don't know if that's possible or not, but it seemed like we had views forever!

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Almost there! I can see the finish, just a little more...

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Just a few more steps to go; then if you go to the left, you can take the 4 mile Barr trail back down to the Barr Parking lot. This took another 1.5 hours, making quite a long day of hiking. But I felt pretty happy and accomplished that I did The Incline in my third trimester of pregnancy.

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Here I am! All belly, still hiking and feeling great in trimester 3!

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On the way down along the Barr Trail you are greeted with views of the Cameron Cone peak in the distance, and some short views of Pikes Peak.

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Taken FROM the Barr trail, this is where you can shortcut OFF the Incline if you need to quit. This is a rickety section along the trail and to the left of the steps the Barr trail is in view.

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Celebrate! Wa hoo! We did it!

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One pic of us on the tippy top, even looking over the edge at the finish of the trail is steep!

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The Incline turned out to be one of the toughest hikes that I have ever done, it was very difficult, but I also had a hard time keeping my speed slow and focusing on what my body was telling me to do. I drank tons of water and didn't use nature's restroom very much, so dehydration was a concern on this trail. It was 90 degrees when we started, fortunately there was a breeze that day. Overall, I'd love to hike this one again! Any hike in Colorado Springs is amazing, I have never found one that I didn't like!

Have you hiked The Incline? Post your comments here!

Cupid Mountain, 13,117 ft, Colorado's 555th highest peak

2011-08-06T06:16:00.002-06:00

Views and wild daisies in bloom at elevation

Hiked July 29th, at 27 weeks pregnant.

One of my goals with pregnancy was to hike a peak at least once before the baby comes, and last week I decided that it was time to do one. I chose Cupid Mountain, at 13,117 feet; which begins at the top of Loveland Pass on the Continental Divide. The hike is around 3 miles round trip and you can make the hike into a loop by hiking to the top of the un-named 12,000 peak then turning right and hiking over to Cupid. Many people curse Cupid as the "hump" on their way to hike Grizzly Peak, but it's actually a ranked peak, 555th highest in Colorado.
This peak is an easy hike to the top; there are some steep sections, but I knew that I had cell signal the entire hike and there were plenty of people nearby if something happened but I felt confident in my pregnant body that I could do the trail just fine, and it was a beautiful day as I hiked up to the top. I kept thinking that someday the baby will hear this story of it's mama hiking over 13,000 feet and I wondered if this kiddo will think its cool or weird; hopefully the former?

Getting there: From the Denver area, head out I-70 and exit #216 toward Loveland Pass; drive the 4 miles up to the top of the pass and find a place to park. There are two smaller overflow lots if you start to head down the other side of the mountain. The trail starts on the left side of the road, opposite side of the Loveland Pass sign. You will see plenty of other tourists and hiking enthusiasts starting up this trail, however many won't make it to the top and are just checking out the scenery.

The red line traces the trail, make it into a loop by hiking
through the alpine valley.

Specs: The trail is moderately difficult, the altitude makes the hike harder than it would be at a lower elevation. There are no restrooms, just a small parking lot and a few trails on the top of Loveland Pass. This area is typically busy all times of the year, in the summer with tourists and in the winter with backcountry skiers. Come early to ensure a good parking spot.

The Hike: I didn't make it to the top of Loveland Pass to start my hike until about 10:45am and it took a while to find a parking spot with all the tourist traffic on top. As I got my pack on, and Rock ready several people passed me smiling and saying "happy trails" to me as I started up the mountain. I remember thinking, 'they must be tourists' with a smile as I started up the well maintained wide gravel path. The trail heads up the mountain toward the top of an unnamed peak that is about 12,300 feet high; there is a shorter side trail that will take you through the valley and up to Cupid without summiting the 12er first, but I wanted to do both peaks to make the trail a little longer and more challenging. You can see the route that I took in the photo above traced by the red line. Click any photo to enlarge.

Several hikers stopped at the snowfield to throw snowballs in the 70 degree weather in July.

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Rock posing for a photo opportunity about 1/3 of the way up the trail. The trail is steep in some sections and I took my time by stopping and taking lots of photos of the beautiful wildflowers.

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Marked with a large carin, the trail split to the right heads over to Cupid Mountain, or continue straight up to the un-named peak and then across the buckle to Cupid. This is well marked in the summer months without snow, but in winter it could be hard to see without a foot path to follow.

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Final steep section near the top of the first 12,000 foot un-named peak.

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Wind blockade at the top of the un-named peak with views of A-Basin ski resort in the distance, which only closed just a couple of months prior.

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From the top of the un-named peak, you can see the trail heading over to Cupid, the tippy top can't be seen in this photo, but it's pretty close. Most of the trail traffic stopped on the 12er and I continued over to Cupid alone without anyone else on the trail.

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Daisies along the trail, the alpine flowers were in full bloom as I hiked along. I love the fields of flowers in all colors, it's exactly what I remember picturing Colorado looking like when I dreamed of moving here in high school.

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Nearing the top of Cupid Mountain, the rocky outcroppings are the top of the mountain at 13,117 feet.

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One of the marmots at the top wasn't too happy with us eating our lunch so near to his home, and he kept chirping at us while we sat here. Rock kept stalking the other smaller animals on the top of the peak and she seemed like a puppy instead of 13 years old as she ran around chasing the chirping with no change of catching anything!

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Rock stalking one of the marmots on the peak.

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Torreys Peak in the distance (pointy peak) and Grizzly Peak to the right. Torreys peak is a 14er that I have yet to hike, its one of the few 14er peaks besides Pikes Peak that I haven't hiked on the Front Range.

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My trusty hiking pole on the top of the peak! I lost the matching pole last winter while hiking in Evergreen. I love these poles, they are from Leki, very adjustable, and will fit both my husband and myself.

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Photo of me, 26 weeks pregnant on the top!

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This is hiking back downhill, you can see on the left that I am pointing at the trail that cuts through the valley instead of going back to the un-named peak. I took the valley trail which was filled with wildflowers and snowfields!

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Views of the road and the only other hikers that I saw coming down on Cupid, they actually came from Grizzly Peak a tougher peak that Cupid connects to.

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Some of the wildflowers along the path, you can see Cupid in the center of the shot

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The rock stairs that start and end the hike coming up from the road to the trail.

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At the end of the day I actually felt pretty great, it took 3 hours to do the hike, but I did eat lunch on top and took in the views and solitude for a while. I'd love to find another easy peak to hike before I get too tired and the baby comes. I'd love to hear your comments or any questions you have regarding this trail or any others.

Osprey Trail on the South End of Gross Reservoir, Boulder Colorado

2011-08-05T07:46:00.000-06:00

Views from just up the hill at the start of hike

Hiked July 21, 2011, at 25.5 weeks pregnant

This summer I wanted to explore Gross Reservoir, an area in Coal Creek Canyon and West of Boulder; the reservoir is very scenic and there are several trails surrounding it. A few weeks ago I hiked from the scenic overlook on the opposite side of the canyon down to the raging river, you can read my trip report here. This hike I went to the southwest part of the reservoir to the Osprey Point boat launch and trailhead. From there I took the 1.5 mile trail all the way until it dead ends at South Boulder Creek where the river meets the reservoir. At the start of my hike, a two gals came over to ask me where the 'cliff jumping' was on the reservoir, unfortunately, I had no idea where people cliff jump from, but I would like to know so that I can go sometime. However, the reservoir is part of the Denver Water supply and does not allow swimming, which makes the water even more tempting in my opinion. If you know where this cliff jumping occurs, please post a comment! This is a great place to canoe or kayak as well as hike and picnic.

Getting there: From Golden or the Denver metro area take highway 93 North to Hwy 72; turn left (west) on Highway 72 toward Pinecliffe to County Road 77/Gross Dam Road; this is just after mile marker 19. Gross Dam Road will take you to both the north and south access points; you will reach a stop sign and T in the road by the Denver Water Headquarters where you will find a map of the reservoir and surrounding area.

Specs: There are restrooms on both the North and South side of the reservoir, and there is a restroom at the Osprey Point parking lot where this hike started from. There is also a picnic area just up the road, and one picnic table with awning on the reservoir shore, next to the boat launch. This trail is moderately difficulty and approx 1.5 miles round trip.
Click on photo to the right to view map, the Osprey Point trailhead is bottom center of the map photo on left.

The Hike: It was already warm as I hit the trailhead at about 10am and there were a couple of other cars parked in the lot, but they were all there to use the boat launch, not the trail. I started out on the trail, which is well marked with small trail signs that have an Osprey bird on them, and these signs are easy to see along the entire trail route. The trail initially heads uphill and you are greeted with views of the reservoir when you reach the top of this vista. Sadly there is a small grave near the edge of the cliff, so watch your step and don't stand too close to the edge, there are jagged rocks below. After this, the trail heads downhill and continues in an up and down fashion for the duration of the hike; often down near the water, other times taking you above the reservoir for great distance views.

The hummingbird feeder on the information sign at the start of the hike. There were at least 3 birds on the feeder when I walked up and I was lucky enough to get this great shot of them!

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The trail continues past several green meadows with wildflowers just past their peak. Lots of yellow monarch butterflies were flying around landing on the flowers.

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Here are some views as the trail takes you above the reservoir, the entire time the trail was well maintained and easy to follow.

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Eventually the trail heads back down toward the water again, and you can hear the river and rapids in the distance, this is where South Boulder Creek meets the southwest point of the res. Here the trail was underwater due to the high river, and I had to hike near the shore getting my feet wet. At one point I had to take off my shoes and wade through the water; had I not been pregnant, I would have scaled the medium sized rock and jumped down to the other side, but my balance is not as good as it was without a belly sticking out. Belle, my dog was terrified and I had to leash her just to get her to follow me, not much of a water dog :)

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The trail pretty much dead ends shortly after the flooded section of the trail, there is a large orange garbage can and a flat area that would be great for a picnic. I waded in the water and looked downriver at the rapids from the creek, it's pretty cool how quickly the water gets calm entering the res.

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This cool teepee and fire pit was just off the river next to the trail. Apparently some back- country camping is allowed here.

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The flooded trail on the way back, you can see Belle's little black face and white body near the rock; at least she learns quickly and was able to go back through the water without the leash and didn't seem to scared.

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Belle near the end of the hike, never too tired and she will always keep going.

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I am looking forward to exploring Coal Creek Canyon a little more this summer, and want to check out the north side of the res next time. I only wish I had a canoe or kayak to explore this scenic area.

Please leave your comments or questions!

Cataract Campground, White River National Forest - A Small Campground with great hikes nearby

2011-07-30T13:02:00.000-06:00

Campground and site #1 with best views of surrounding mtns

Camped over Fourth of July weekend, 2011, 23 weeks pregnant.

Even though pregnancy has slowed me down this summer, I was determined to camp at least once this season; even with the holidays crowds we hit the road to camp north of Silverthorne Colorado. After looking into the Green Mountain Res area, I found a more secluded campground southwest of the reservoir which had lots of trails nearby and hoped we could find a site there. We drove out Friday afternoon, arriving at the campground near 6pm and there was just one spot left! We felt very fortunate to get a site, although it ended up being mosquito infested and made for a weekend of swatting bugs and spending more time in the camper than usual; but it was worth it!

Getting there: From the front range head out I-70 west to Silverthorne Colorado, exit at the Silverthorne exit and take highway 9 north out of Silverthorne for 16.5 miles. Turn left on Heeney Road #30. Continue for 5.4 miles to County Road 1725 and turn left (the left turn is almost a big U-turn to start heading up the dirt road). The campground is about 2.5 miles up the bumpy dirt road and it's very easy to find. There is NOT any noticeable free forest service camping along this road, much of it is public land, and many 'no camping' signs are posted. Large RV's and campers would not be able to easily turn around on this dead end road.

Site #5 and the field next to the site filled with wildflowers

Specs: There is no fee to camp here; but there is a $5 fee to use the 'day use' area farther up the road, click for my hiking report. The campground has only 5 campsites; sites 1 and 5 are the most secluded; site #1 offers the best views and #5 offers the most shade; site #4 is pretty nice too for seclusion and some shade. There are picnic tables at each campsite and a pit toilet for the campers. The campground is located along the Cataract Creek River, which was flowing very high when we camped here; however the river is below the campground and you can hear it better than you can see it from most campsites.

Site # 5 and our Chalet! We spent more time in the Chalet than we normally would have due to the large number of mosquitoes that persisted in biting us all throughout the day. I don't know if our site was just the bad one for bugs, or if the other campers nearby had this problem as well. Bring your best bug spray when camping by the river!

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Views as we walked up the road to the trailheads nearby. Click here for my hiking report of the Cataract Lake Loop.

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Wildflowers are in full bloom with the wet season we have had! There were more flowers here than I have seen in Colorado, above are some yellow daisies and purple wildflowers.

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Relaxing by the fire, while swatting mosquitoes, 23 weeks pregnant.

We had a great time at the campground and it was so great to have hikes within walking distance of our campsite! I expect we'll be back to Cataract Creek again soon. If you have camped here, or at other campgrounds in the area, please post your comments and experiences. If anyone has any questions, please comment as well.

Lower Cataract Lake Loop/Creek, North of Silverthorne Colorado

2011-07-29T13:46:00.001-06:00

Lower Cataract Lake, Colorado

Hiked July 2nd, 2011; 23 weeks pregnant.

While I haven't posted many hikes this summer, it doesn't mean that I haven't been hiking! In fact, I have several posts to catch up on and they are good ones!

Over the weekend of the Fourth of July, Josh, the dogs and I decided to go camping. I wanted to camp at least once while pregnant this summer. We decided to head North of Silverthorne Colorado to the Green Mountain Reservoir area; we didn't exactly know where we wanted to camp, but I wanted to check out the Lower Cataract Lake area, which is just southwest of the Res. We drove up the bumpy dirt road 3 miles to the Cataract Campground and hiked just up the road at the Cataract Creek/Lake Trailhead. Josh and I hiked the loop which is moderate/easy and approximately 2+ miles around the loop; located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, White River National Forest.

Getting there: Find more information on the Summit County website about Cataract Lake and Waterfall. To get there from Silverthorne Colorado which is about an hour west and then north of the front range take I-70 West to Silverthorne Colorado. Take highway 9 north out of Silverthorne for 16.5 miles. Turn left on Heeney Road #30. Continue for 5.4 miles to County Road 1725 and turn left. The parking area is 2.6 miles ahead, fee area of $5 for the day use.
Specs: There are a few picnic tables near the lake, and it's a great place for lunch if you don't mind some company. This area because of the beautiful scenery, large waterfall and lake is very popular. Parking can be difficult and there are 2 lots, one lower than the main lot for overflow. The upper parking lot has pit toilets and a map of the area.

The Hike: We walked from our campsite about 3/4 of a mile down the road up to the main trailhead at Cataract Lake and then started on the trail loop, and click here for campground info.

There are other trails in the area, and this trail which crosses the river and up into the wilderness is separate from Cataract Lake and is at the lower (first) parking lot. We didn't explore it very far due to the mosquitoes.

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Map of the Lower Cataract Lake and Creek area at the start of the trailhead.

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We started the loop heading toward the lake on the well maintained trail, I could tell this was going to be a great hike right from the beginning. The scenery was just amazing, there is a huge waterfall in the distance and in the middle of July all the wildflowers were in full bloom.

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Head into the White River National Forest, Eagles Nest Wilderness when you pass this sign.

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The columbine flowers were in full bloom and we saw huge fields of them along the trail. I have never seen so many columbines all at once; and I think they are one of the most unique flowers you can find.

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Views of the large Cataract Lake waterfall in the distance. The columbines were all shades of purple and pink in the fields before the waterfall. The best views of the large waterfall are from the distance, the trail does get you close to the falls, but its where the falls meet the river and there is no good view looking up at the falls due to the thick lush forest.

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As you get closer to the waterfall, the forest becomes thicker and the trees larger due to all the water their roots get from the lake and falls. The trail continues into the woods and toward the amazing falls.

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The falls and river were overflowing into every tributary possible with all the runoff this year and rain this summer. This made the dogs happy and they were able to get drinks and cool off, this also made for lots of mosquitoes.

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The bottom of the waterfall, water is flowing everywhere! There is a bridge that crosses the river and its much cooler here. Beautiful!!

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More water coming into the river, tons of waterfalls, it was really loud and lots of people gathered here to take pics and it got a bit congested; but we were here 4th of July weekend.

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After the falls, you will hike out of the woods and beside the river that flows into the lake. It is said this is the best part of the lake to fish, but I didn't see anyone fishing here. Then the trail continued into this swampy area with large green plants; it was pretty muddy and fortunately it didn't last very long.

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Once past the swampy area, the trail gets a little overgrown and continues uphill above the lake. There are all sorts of wildflowers and fields of flowers lining the trail, and the lake is below and makes for some amazing scenery.

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Looking back at the lake you can see the waterfall with some large peaks in the distance.

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Wildflowers lining the trail on the opposite side of the lake, one side had all columbines, this side had no columbines and lots of different types.

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You know you are nearing the end of the hike when the forest service cabin and power lines come into view. We hiked back to the toilets, and then down the dirt road and back to our campsite!

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Back to our Chalet for dinner! We love this little camper and spent a lot of time in it this trip due to the mosquito's that were constantly attacking us!

Have you hiked in the Silverthorne, Green Mountain area? I'd love to read your comments about the area, or any questions you have!

Warren Gulch Trailhead, for hikers and bikers; Idaho Springs, CO

2011-07-28T17:12:00.001-06:00

Hiked this trail June 30, 2011, at 22 weeks pregnant.
Summer hiking this season has kept me closer to home and I have been exploring Clear Creek County trails which give me a little bit of a higher altitude hike, but without the crowds of Open Space trails. There are numerous trails in Clear Creek County that can be found on their website here.

I hiked Warren Gulch last week, and while the website gave good directions on how to get to the hike, they left out that there is no parking at the trailhead, the road is a dirt single two track that continues up the Gulch with no place to turn around if another car comes, or if you want to turn back. However, once I found the trail and parked, I did end up having a great hike. It was just a little dicey to get there.

Getting there: Warren Gulch trailhead is on the Clear Creek site about halfway down the page. The website gears this trail as a biking trail and suggests the biker park in Idaho Springs and then ride to the trailhead over 1.5 miles away. However, I was not planning to walk from Idaho Springs to the trailhead, so I followed the directions and drove to the trailhead. It is on a very narrow road, with no parking accept for a few small areas to pull off to the side and park. I was not clear if this was private property or not, but there were no signs stating that it was. Here are the directions per Clear Creek's website: I-70 Idaho Springs Exit #241, go through East Idaho Springs and find parking, start your bike ride heading west to fork in road, take the left at the fork onto Miner Street, take this to Soda Creek Road, left onto Soda Creek Rd., 1.5 miles on Soda Creek Rd.(you will pass Indian Springs Resort), to the Idaho Springs Recycling Center on the right, opposite the recycling center is Steves Canyon Rd., turn left onto this road and continue ½ mile down.

Very narrow road with little parking to access trail

The trail was on the left side of the road, it was not hard to spot if you are looking for it diligently. If you reach a house on your left, you have gone too far.

Specs: There are no restrooms here, closest are in Idaho Springs; the trail is intermediate in difficulty. The trail goes on at least 8 miles up the mountainside; it is part of the Colorado East Mountain Segment of the American Discovery Trail, the nations first coast-to-coast, non-motorized recreation trail per their website. The trail was well maintained and moderate difficulty.

The Hike: The trail was very secluded and started up the mountain in the woods, which was nice for the shade on this hot day. I could see views of the mountains peeking through the trees and there were wildflowers lining the trail.

Columbine flowers along the trail and road; one of the most unique flowers I think and there are so many more this season with all the rain we are getting!

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Views of the Continental Divide peeking through the trees ~ still a lot of snow on the mountains!

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Well maintained trail through the woods.

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Apple or Cherry Blossoms along the trail

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Eventually the trail just takes you over a ridge to an area of houses. It surprised me cause I was not expecting that at all. Walk on the trail next to the private property and the trail curves around to a dirt road. Continue up this dirt road about 100 yards and there is a large curve in the road. At this point, the trail continues into the woods, however I did not notice the trail here, so I continued up the road. You can do either. The trail through the woods (which I descended on) was not well maintained in this short section and you could possibly get lost. But its much shorter. If you want, continue up the trail diagonally across the mountain passing well below a house until you reach the dirt road. Continue up the road and around a curve for a short walk until you find the trail sign directing you off the road and back onto the trail.

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I continued up the road because I missed the trail and came to this sign, I followed the arrow toward Warren Gulch; the dirt road continued for about 1/2 mile, passing houses with great views of the mountains beyond. One of the houses had 3 dogs that ran out into the road at me barking like crazy, fortunately Belle the little protector since I have been pregnant, was nice to them. However, it was not a fun situation as they continued to follow us and growl; and their owner, who was outside watching this did nothing to stop it? So, keep this in mind if you hike up this route.

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Eventually the road curved around to the right, and then continued upward again, shortly after there is the trail that I am pointing to in the photo. There is a small sign as well to direct you to the Warren Gulch Trail.

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The sign that is hard to see, but is next to the trail continuation after the road section.

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I continued down the trail after the road for about 10 minutes, and then it was time for me to turn around. Per the information on the Clear Creek website, this trail continues up to the top of Mount Evans byway.

When I hiked back, I avoided the dogs by the house and cut through the woods randomly finding the trail that I missed and mentioned above. I hiked down the trail for a few hundred yards and then came out to the road, continued down the road 100 yards and back to the main trail.

Me at 22 weeks pregnant; hiked this trail June 30th, 2011. It just took me forever to post!

22 weeks pregnant, checking out the views!

If you have hiked here or have a favorite trail from Idaho Springs, please post your comments!

Gross Reservoir - Boulder Colorado, 30 minutes from Golden and lots of hiking trails!

2011-06-27T14:53:00.010-06:00

View from a field along the trail

The summer weather has been beautiful lately, and I wanted to get into the foothills for a hike while all the wildflowers were still in bloom. Colorado has some of the best wildflowers and I enjoy photographing them and love looking at them lining the trail.
I decided to hike at Gross Reservoir a place Josh and I found years ago while taking a motorcycle ride one day in the mountains. Last summer, I spent most of my time hiking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness (use the search tool to the right on blog to find many trails in the Indian Peaks) and passed the turnoff to Gross Dam Reservoir numerous along the way. This summer, with the limitations of being pregnant, I decided to explore the numerous trails around the dam west of Boulder. The trails aren't very popular during the week and its a great place to get a taste of high country hiking but staying closer to home. Gross Dam Reservoir in Boulder County in Coal Creek Canyon off of Hwy 72.

Map of Eldorado Canyon SP trail on the way to the dam,
I ended up picking up this trail accidentally and hiked to
the marked parking lot and back.

Getting there: From Golden, Colorado take Hwy 93 north toward Boulder; turn left/west onto Hwy 72 at a well marked stop light. Take Hwy 72 for about 7.5 miles west, and turn right onto Gross Dam Road. Continue on this dirt road which is mostly downhill following small signs to reservoir, don't turn off the road onto a paved road. There are several access points to the Reservoir, and you will pass Boulder Creek hiking trails on the road down to the park. Reach a stop sign at a T intersection approx 5 miles down the road, it has a park map that directs you to activities.  I continued right toward the South Access of the Res and parked at the first small parking area 1 mile from the main sign. The lot is small with a picnic table, hiking access and boat access on the river in the canyon below. Click here for google map to the south side of the reservoir.
Specs: There are numerous miles of hiking trails near and around Gross Dam, click here for the county link on the page and here for the Denver Water information. I wasn't able to find a good map of area activities and parking online, and I should have taken a photo of the map while at the Res. I didn't see any restrooms in the area's that I visited, but it's a large park and there could be at a larger lot with restrooms.   Park is free.

The Hike:   The trail starts at the South parking lot high on the mountainside and it immediately heads downhill toward the river. The trail is very obvious in the beginning and is lined with rocks and railroad ties to keep the hiker on the down slope going in the right direction.

Bright yellow daisy and many other flowers lining the trail as it starts going downhill to the river immediately.

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At the time that I hiked this trail in mid June, 2011; the river levels were very high and the trail that is near the river was washed out in many spots and not easy to follow. On the way back to my car, I happened to find a trail higher up the mountainside that still takes the hiker along the river, but higher up to avoid high waters. Its not easy to find on the downhill, but there is a large boulder about 1/4-1/2 mile down the trail, make a left at the boulder and you will see the trail.

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The river was rushing higher than I had ever seen before. In many places the trail was washed out or completely underwater beside the river. There are also large boulders along the riverside that you have to climb over to reach the trail on the other side. Many times I thought I'd have to go back because the trail ended, only to find that if I climbed around the rocks, I'd locate the trail on the other side. This was a little treacherous and probably not the most safe thing for a pregnant lady. I also had to keep a tight leash on Rock who would have jumped into the river at any moment due to the heat. The water was so high, she would have been washed down immediately.

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All the river tributaries are filled with rushing water and many of the tree trunks are submerged.

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Eventually the trail alongside the river runs into the pedestrian bridge and I took this across the river to what was the Eldorado Canyon State Park Crescent Meadow section, Walker Ranch Loop. I didn't realize this was the trail I was on until I reached the parking lot that I had passed on the way down to the south parking lot. The map above reflects this section of the trail. Walker Ranch loop is 7.2 miles and I wasn't up for doing that long of a hike in the heat.

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I turned left as these arrows show and hiked up the hill for some views.

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Along the uphill there are views to the left and river below.

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Once I reached the top of the hill I saw a small social trail leading out to a meadow, I decided to walk down this trail for the views, and to rest and eat some food. While sitting here, admiring the wildflowers and views and deer ran right past the dogs and I. She went so fast that the dogs didn't have time to react and I was able to grab their leashes before they followed her over the mountainside. It was a cool experience being alone in nature and seeing that deer, I am suprised she didn't see us and ran so close to 2 dogs. I tried to push out of my mind that she might have been running from something, like a mountain lion.

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Colorado wildflower beauty! Snap dragons, I think?

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Happy dog on a hike but she is a little miffed she didn't get to chase the deer.

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The trail continued uphill for a while after the valley of flowers, and it was during this time several mountain bikers passed me going downhill, and I passed a few hikers going the opposite direction. This Walker Loop is much more popular than the Gross Dam trail that I initially started on. Eventually the trail comes out of the woods to another high altitude meadow; shortly after this the parking lot that I had passed on the drive down to the trail came into view. I hiked to the parking lot and took a photo of the trail sign (above) but then opted to turn around because the loop was more than 7 miles and I wasn't up for that distance in the heat.

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Turning around and heading back the way I came

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Some of the views of Coal Creek from the trail. You can see the river below too.

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Back down to the river, back across the bridge, and heading back to the car.

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Views from the very beginning of the hike, there is a small social trail that takes you up a few more feet to check out the views in the canyon. I sat here and ate some lunch before heading home.

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Tired doggies at the end of the trail.

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Home after the hike, showered and tired. 21 weeks pregnant.

The hike was just what I needed and during my second trimester, I feel pretty good while hiking, except for my sore feet. There are numerous other trails at Gross Dam that I didn't even drive to reach and I plan on heading back next week for more exploration of this great area just west of Boulder.

Upper White Ranch Park, great for hiking, camping, trail riding and more!

2011-06-15T08:44:00.000-06:00

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The hot weather and my new found energy during pregnancy helped me to get out of the house yesterday and take a hike at White Ranch Open Space Park. This is a trail system which I have frequented before, and it doesn't disappoint, especially in the spring/summertime with fields of blooming flowers, green mountains and great views!
I managed to get out the door by 9am and made it to the trailhead just after 9:30am, I was surprised to see so many cars at the trailhead on a Tuesday morning, but somehow I didn't see anyone during my hike on the trail. White Ranch is part of the Jefferson County Open Space Trail System and provides trail maps at the main parking lot; I grabbed a map and started out on the trail with both dogs. We hiked the .25 miles to the restrooms and then started off on the Rawhide trail going north, I took this trail 2.2 miles until it intersected with the Waterhole Trail for .6 miles then back to Rawhide for the approx 1.6 miles back to the parking lot. The round trip loop was 4.4 miles according to the park maps.

Getting there:   There are two sections of White Ranch Park, what I call the upper and lower sections.   The lower section can be accessed by Hwy 93 just north of Golden, click here for my blog with info on the lower park. The Upper part of the Park can be reached by taking 93 North in Golden, to Golden Gate Canyon Road, turn west onto Golden Gate Canyon Road; take this road 4.1 miles to a fork/right turn onto Crawford Gulch Road (Highway 57) and continue up the road following the signs to the park. Approximately 4 miles from the turn; make another right turn onto Belcher Hill Road and this will dead end at the park. From the entrance into Golden Gate Canyon, there are obvious signs from then entrance of the canyon to the park, you should have no problems if you watch for the brown park signs.
Specs: Check the Open Space website and trail map here.   There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and campsites (which are hike in, free, and you can reserve them online).    Also, there are over 10 miles of trails within the system.

The Hike: It was such a beautiful, warm and sunny day on Tuesday when I hit the trail at 9:30am and I was so glad to be outside enjoying the fresh air and summer wildflowers, and so were the dogs. Rock was smiling and Belle was so excited she would look at me and spin in circles, tangling her leash.  I decided to head north on the trail guessing it would be the least crowded, and I was right. The valley below was bright green, and filled with wildflowers; I wish I better knew the names of the flowers. Please comment if you know one of them!

Here you can see all the way out to Denver; the smoke from the Arizona/New Mexico wildfires have made the sky hazy.

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Rock, a very happy dog near the start of the trail. This trail winds through valleys and pine forest for a good blend of sun and shade.

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Some pretty yellow flowers filling a field, I am not sure what these are, but they look like snapdragons.

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A robins egg shell along the side of the trail, I love the bright blue and the contrast against the green grass!

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Apple blossom, or crab apple blossom along the trail entering the forest.

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Where's the deer? See them? Belle sure did and was ready to run, however Rock wasn't sure what Belle was looking at and wanted to keep hiking until a breeze came and she could smell them!

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More beautiful flowers along the trail, these purple wildflowers were everywhere.

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Very very happy doggies! And the views behind them are overlooking central Golden.

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Another amazing flower that I don't know the name of, I need a pocket wildflower guide for Colorado or something. Anyone know what this beauty is?

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Water pump at the campground, it wasn't working when I went past it, or I couldn't pump it fast enough; either way, we didn't get any water and I was hoping to cool down Rock by getting her wet. Instead, she chose to cool herself down shortly after the campground; she found a bog and jumped into it. Unfortunately, the bog was in a ravine, it was very deep, muddy and gross, and she got stuck and couldn't get out, I had to go down and pull her out of the bog by her shoulders. She was a muddy mess, but much cooler and happier.

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A photo of me at 19 weeks pregnant. We aren't finding out the sex of the baby, so it will be a surprise. Baby seemed to enjoy hiking cause mama did!

If you have frequented White Ranch, have any questions or want to post a comment, please do so! I love to hear your experiences on the trail.

Fillius Park in Bergen Park-Evergreen; Denver Mountain Parks Trail

2011-05-19T12:24:00.001-06:00

It has been way to long since I hiked and posted; being pregnant and trying to get our house ready for baby plus my lack of energy has really made it harder for me to get outside as much as I'd like. However, I did manage to hike in Bergen Park about 2 weeks ago and I am finally getting around to posting about it now.
I had passed Fillius Park many, many times while driving into Evergreen for other hiking trails and always thought it was just a park, not a park with trails.   But for some reason, I decided to stop there and see if I could find a place to hike.   When I arrived on an overcast Wednesday morning, there were 2 other cars in the parking lot and I didn't see any people in the park area, with picnic tables and handmade rock shelter. So, I assumed there was a trail nearby, I just had to find it. Directly across the street from the parking lot I noticed a trail with a small Denver Mountain Parks sign; there is no trail map, so I had no idea how far the trail was, but just started hiking and to my surprise had a great day walking along the ridge-back mountain and along the trails.
Getting there:  Fillius Park is located in the town of Bergen Park, or just north of Evergreen. The best way to get there is take I-70 west to exit #252 onto Hwy 74 or Evergreen Parkway. Drive about 2.5 miles and make a right turn at Bergen Parkway/Evergreen Parkway (this is at a light, you can see the park on your right at this point). Park in the lot and walk across the street to the intersection of Soda Creek Road and Bergen Parkway to the trailhead. Check the google map here.
Specs: There are picnic tables in the park, and a covered shelter. I am pretty sure there are port-o-pot restrooms in the summertime, however I did not see any at the time that I hiked this trail. However, there are restrooms at the grocery store across 74, not far away from the park.   This is an easy hike and there aren't more than a few miles of trails along the route, great for hiking a couple of hours.

I started up the trail which is in the pine forest, there are lots of bird houses and you have views of the surrounding mountains and park below.

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Along the trail there were several cactus flowers just blooming and some flowers peeking up out of the pine needles.

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Cactus flowers in bloom.

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Rock at one of the many intersections along the trail. There are small trail signs with arrows that point you in the correct direction, but they are not at every intersection. The trail is mainly on the saddleback between two neighborhoods and the main road of Hwy 74, so it's pretty easy to keep oriented along the trail. At each end of the mountain, there are houses and no trespassing signs.

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Views along the trail, this is near the east end of the mountain, you can see Hwy 74 in the distance.

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One of the shelters in the park, there is a fireplace inside and picnic tables.

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Fillius Park sign.

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One of the Denver Mtn Parks signs along the trail with arrow. This is the only signage along the trail.

White Ranch Open Space - A cloudy day hike after the rain

2011-04-23T09:05:00.000-06:00

Signs of spring blooming on along

It's been way too long since I have hiked or blogged; I haven't had much energy this winter/spring. I am happy to announce that my husband and I are welcoming our first child next fall and I am 3 months pregnant. Now that my first trimester is coming to an end I am starting to have more energy and I want to enjoy these last few months hiking solo; but even this short 3.4 mile, out-and-back, hike with Josh and the dogs at White Ranch took a lot of out of me. We took the Belcher Hill trail to Whippletree Trail and continued on the Whippletree trail for .6 miles to the next trail intersection; there we turned around and walked back for a 3.4 mile hike. It was a cloudy spring day on Wednesday afternoon and signs of spring were coming up everywhere.

Getting there: White Ranch is a very large Open Space in Jefferson County; you can access the park from two separate entrances. I hiked from the east entrance this week; From Golden continue north on Hwy 93 toward Boulder about 1.7 miles outside of Golden. Turn left or west onto Pine Ridge Road; this is an easy road to miss, there is an Open Space sign immediately at the road turnoff; if you have reached the light at 58th Avenue, you have gone too far. Continue down Pine Ridge Road for about 1 mile, turn right at the stop sign into the Open Space Parking lot.
Specs: There are pit toilet restrooms, ample parking, and picnic tables with grills for an outdoor lunch after your hike. Click here for the Open Space website and here for the map; the bottom right of the map is the east entrance parking lot. *Of note* the map online is not presently updated accurately; due to trail erosion Open Space changed the trail route, the Belcher Hill Trail to the first trail intersection is not 1.7 miles, but is now 1.1 miles. The trail map at the park does reflect this change. Dogs must be on a leash, Open Space Rules apply.

The Hike: There were too many great pictures along this trail not to post my favorites; below is my photo journal of the hike. The route we took was the Belcher Hill trail 1.1 miles to the first trail intersection; then turned right and continued on the Whippletree Trail .6 miles to the next trail intersection. At that point I was getting tired so we started back down the trail for a 3.4 mile hike.

The start of the trail; it was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon; I love to hike with the clouds sitting on the mountains because you always see more animals, less people, and I think it looks almost magical in the fog.

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Crab apple Blossoms and many other trees were blooming their spring flowers. Many had just started to bloom and will look beautiful after this weekend's rain and snow.

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We saw a herd of 20+ deer and then a second herd of maybe 6 or 7 farther up the trail. The mountainside was tinted green from the recent rainfall. Very springlike for Colorado! Along this trail you will pass several huge houses, the first time we hiked here I thought one of them was a golf clubhouse, until I realized there was no golf course nearby.

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I noticed a tiny birds nest in one of the bushes next to the trail; when the leaves grow in, this nest will be properly hidden, but until then, no bird would dare live here! It was very close to the ground.

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There is a bridge and small creek along the trail about .4 miles or so into the hike; there isn't other water along the trail, so be sure to bring some for your dogs!

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Looking back along the trail you can see North Table Mountain in the distance between the valley.

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I love the clouds and fog behind the tree, the higher we climbed up the mountain, the cooler it got and we hiked into the clouds. The views along the trail after it intersects with the Whippletree Trail become more majestic and beautiful!

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This photo opportunity presents itself at our turnaround point at the intersection of Whippletree Trail and the Longhorn Trail. From here we hiked back, it took us a little less than 2 hours, but I was hiking quite slowly, stopping often to take photos.

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Rock loves to hike on a cool, cloudy day, its her favorite, can you tell?

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More flowers along the trail, not sure of the name; does anyone know? I am terrible with the flora and fauna here in Colorado, I can't seem to find a good website with identifying photos.

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More flowers in bloom :)

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I'd love to hear your comments and/or suggestions for other hikes in the area!

Matthews Winters Park and Open Space - A sunny spring hike!

2011-04-02T19:20:00.001-06:00

Happy Rock dog on the Red Rocks trail

It was beautiful weather on Tuesday afternoon as I set out to hike at Matthews Winters Park. This is usually a very popular trailhead with both bikers and hikers, so I prefer to hike here during the week when its less crowded.
Distance: There are many miles of trails starting from this trailhead; but the main trail is a 4.2 mile loop that can be completed in about 4 hours, or less. The trail loop starts with the .3 mile 'Village Walk' trail, which continues to the Red Rocks trail for .8 miles. Next there is an intersection where the loop starts and ends; take either path for a 2 mile loop, and then follow the path you came back to the parking lot.
Difficulty: Easy for about 1 mile, then moderate as the trail gains elevation.
Specs: There are picnic tables, grills, and restrooms (pit toilets) at the trailhead, and along the river. There is ample parking during the week, but the weekends often find crowding. Overflow parking across the street. Dogs need to be leashed per Open Space rules.

Getting there: From I-70 take exit # 259 South toward Hwy 93 for .2 miles to the trailhead on the right or west side of the road. There is a large Open Space sign at the entrance. Click here for the trail map and here for more info.
Trails in the area: There are several trails nearby that are easily accessible; one of my favorites is Hogback Mountain/Dakota Ridge; another is climbing to the top of Mount Morrison.
The loop trail at Matthews Winters has a lot of diversity, it starts with open fields that are filled with cactus roses and wildflowers when we have gotten enough rain in the springtime. There is a river crossing after 1.2 miles for your dogs to cool down, then the trail continues around the loop with views at the top of the Morrison Slide trail, and amazing Red Rock formations on the backside of the mountain hiking down to the Red Rocks Trail.

Views from the meadow along the Village Walk Trail which is the start of the hike.

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The start of spring? Some of the budding flowers along the trail, I don't know the type, but if anyone does, please leave a comment!

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Hiking up the well packed trail toward the river crossing.

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Red Rocks along the aptly named Red Rocks trail on the front side of the mountain.

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The only confusing part of the trail, this is a steep downhill (hard to tell from photo) and when you see this hill, there are other trail splits; just continue down the hill as the photo shows and then continue back up the mountain on the Red Rocks trail. (there is a sign to signal this turn)

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One very large pine tree growing by the riverside

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Views from the top of the Morrison Slide Trail looking East toward Hogback Mountain.

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Please leave a comment if you liked this trail, or any others in the area, and if you have any questions regarding this or any of my blog posts.

Clear Creek Park in Wheat Ridge, Colorado; A spring walk along the river

2011-03-25T14:57:00.001-06:00

Clear Creek and one of the bridges crossing it

I haven't been up into the mountains as much this winter compared to last year; in 2010 at least once per week I was hitting the road for solo winter and spring hikes in Boulder or one of the many areas near Mt. Evans. This winter, I have been opting for staying closer to the metro area, and walking or hiking at parks and trails which are much more accessible for many people. Both hiking up a peak and walking down a popular trail have their advantages; but I must admit I enjoy hiking peaks much more.
With that said, the smell of spring is definitely in the air along the Front Range and walking next to a babbling river with ducks, fish and dogs playing in the water reminds me of growing up in Michigan. Spring there has the smell of thawing water and fresh grass; and walking next to Clear Creek yesterday I could smell the river and feel the sense of spring in the air. However, with the dry conditions in Colorado, I am hoping that we get at least one more blast of snow or a lot of rain.

Getting there: There are numerous places to access the Wheat Ridge trail, I started at the east end and walked west. The east end of the park has a large parking lot and it is located on the google map here. To reach the east end of the park take Kipling Street to W. 41st Ave in Wheat Ridge and turn west onto W 41st Ave, when the road ends it turns to dirt, continue down the dirt drive to the parking lot. *One thing that can be confusing, there is a road split when the road turns to dirt; take the road to the right; the other is a driveway. It will dead end at the parking lot.
Specs: There are no restrooms at this parking lot, but as you hike west down the paved path, you can find restrooms on the other side of the river after you cross the bridge. The parking lot is large, and there is a trail map at the start of the trail.

Below you will find photos of my walk and trip report, when you visit, enjoy exploring the park yourself and finding your own trails and adventure. There are several social trails throughout the park that take you away from the paved main path, and lots of places for photo opportunities along the way. Please leave a comment if you have hiked or walked in the area or if you have any suggestions regarding my post!

Parking lot and trail map at the start of the trailhead.

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One of the many ducks on the river; I love to watch them swim and to watch the dogs get so excited wondering what would happen if they could chase them.

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Cross the bridge to a kids playground and another parking lot, there are also restrooms here as well.

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The rushing water along the river; I love to look into the water and see all the colorful rocks and fish

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One of many ponds along the west end of the trail with cattails and views of Table Mountain in the distance.

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A walkway that leads to a path around one of the ponds.

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Looking west toward the mountains and the still water below.

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This boardwalk loops around one of the ponds and has swamp below it.

NREL Trailhead on South Table Mountain, Golden Colorado

2011-03-23T08:33:00.003-06:00

Belle looking for deer

I was prompted to hike at the NREL trailhead after a reader posted a comment asking about the mileage of the trail system there. Since this trail is near to my house, I decided to head on over for a hike and find out; plus I was eager to see if the dusting of snow we received helped the foliage start to bloom. I didn't see any flowers, or even cactus flowers, but there was a tiny tint of green on the mountainside, unfortunately if we don't get some rain or snow soon, this spring and summer are going to be very dry.

If you haven't hiked this trailhead, its definitely one to check out; its close to the metro area, great for trail running, easy to moderate mountain biking, or just a great hike with views of the city, front range, and often you will see lots of deer that frequent the area. Plus, there is always something interesting going on at NREL; which is heavily patrolled especially on top of Table Mountain. (this does not interfere with your hike, there is a fence and boundary)

Getting there: NREL or the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is the only national lab that is dedicated to research and development of renewable energy. It is located on the north side of I-70 in Denver West, and the road dead ends at NREL, so its quite easy to find. Exit I-70 at #263 and go north, make a left turn at Denver W. Parkway and drive about .6 of a mile to the parking lot on the right. Click here for the google map and to input your own directions.

Specs: There are no restrooms at the trailhead, but there is a visitors center at NREL that may have a facility. (I have not been inside the visitor center)
The first time I hiked here, I thought I was in the wrong place, it is very official looking; but the small parking lot at the base of S. Table Mountain is for visitors to park and hike. Currently, as of March, 2011, NREL is doing construction and the main trail starts down the sidewalk about 500 feet, (back the way you drove in) but there is a sign pointing you in that direction.

Apartments on the east side of the trail

The Hike: I have been trying to figure out a way to get the mileage of my hikes for a while now. I don't have a smart phone or data plan, and my GPS won't track my walking; but my husband does have a smart phone, two in fact, one is his work phone. So, I decided to find an app that tracks distance, and borrow his phone each time I go hiking. On this hike, I took the main trail to the trail split; then the Tertiary trail to the Basalt Cap Loop, and then back the same way. The total mileage was 3.04 round trip and took me about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

It's been several years since I have been to this trailhead, and it has come a long way since then; the Basalt Cap Loop has fresh gravel and there are trail signs that mark the other off-shoot trails on the mountain. You can easily make this hike much longer, there is a split at the northwest end of the Basalt Cap Loop, that trail takes you to a rock house and through the mesas. I passed a gal who was hiking and she told me she spotted 24 deer just a few minutes ago, but I wasn't so lucky to see them.
I'd love to hear any comments or questions regarding this trail or other in the area; please post your comment!
Below you will find the photos I took along the trail as my trip report.

Walk down the sidewalk and there is a pedestrian crossing along the road, which leads to the trailhead.

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Start hiking up the main trail

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After approximately a half mile you will reach this trail sign, I took the Tertiary trail to the Basalt Cap Loop

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The Basalt Cap Loop once I reached the top of the mountain from the Tertiary Trail.

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The views from the far east side of Table Mountain

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This reminds me of the 'old west;' views of Denver in the distance

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Very dry tinder along the trail; I remember thinking wildfires were going to be inevitable this season; as of now the Indian Gulch Fire is burning out of control in high winds not far from here.

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Views looking to the North, you can see The Flatirons of Boulder in the distance, and South Table Mountain in Applewood. You can see the curve of the mountain here.

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Looking west along the trail

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Looking west at Lookout Mountain in the distance

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Flatiron Vista, Boulder Colorado; large trail system creates short or very long hikes

2011-03-15T20:53:00.002-06:00

Views of the Flatiron Mountains

It was a cloudy day in Golden when I decided that I needed to end work for the day and get outside for a little hike. I grabbed the dogs and my supplies quickly and unfortunately, hastily (I forgot food) then we jumped into the car and drove up Hwy 93 toward Boulder.
I had a hike in mind, the Flatirons Vista, it's a trailhead that I have been to many times, but not recently. The trailhead has been re-done with a nicer bathroom, different trail map and gate system, and a larger parking lot which can accommodate trailers for horse trailer parking.
Several years ago, Josh and I hiked here with Rock, we had planned on a 2-3 hour hike, but somehow it turned into at least double that when we crossed the river on the backside of the trail just below the mountains; but there was no place to re-cross the river and loop around. We were pretty far out, and just kept assuming the trail would loop back across the river. We ended up hiking for hours and eventually had to follow the river out the Hwy 93, then walk back along the meadows near the highway. Needless to say, we were pretty tired and annoyed that we missed the 4:30 closing of Coors that we had planned, but it was an adventure that we still talk about.

Getting there: The trailhead is just across the Boulder County line on Hwy 93; it's .3 miles south of Hwy 128 on Hwy 93. It's about 15 minutes from the North Golden area, and maybe 10 minutes from South Boulder. It is considered Boulder Open Space, so dogs with green sight and sound command tags can be off-leash.

Pine trees in the meadows

Specs: The trailhead has pit toilet restrooms, a map, and ample parking space, it can get crowded sometimes on the weekend during the summertime. Click here for the trail map and here for the Boulder Open Space site. This is a very large trail system and connects with well over 15 miles of marked trails, at least. And a great place to do a long day hike that is of moderate difficulty, or an easy mountain bike trail. The hike I did was the Flatirons Vista North and South loop, which is about 3.3 miles.

The Hike: Like many of the Open Space trails near my area, Josh and I over-hiked the Flatirons Vista when we first moved to Colorado 8 years ago now. I haven't hiked here in probably 2 years, but drive by it frequently to get to other trails and have watched the semi-recent construction to update the trailhead as it gained popularity.

It was windy and 47 degrees (so much for the high of 65 today) when I got out of the truck at 1pm and hit the trail. It was cloudy above me with sun to the north, and the wind was chilly without a hat, and I took the Flatirons Vista Trail South around the small pond and across the meadows, with views of Hwy 93 behind me and the mountains and pine tree forest ahead. After about 25-35 minutes or so of hiking, the trail goes through another cattle gate and continues straight toward the mountains. If you want to cut the loop shorter, there is an unmarked trail that is available to hikers only after the gate, the trail heads north and meets up with the Flatirons Vista Trail North. I decided to take this shortcut trail because I forgot to bring food with me and had a very early lunch and my tummy was rumbling painfully. The trail follows the power lines in a two track path, and we happened to see two deer along the way, one of them posed nicely for the photo below before hopping away with it's pal.

The un-named short cut trail intersects very near the named Flatiron and Dowdy Draw trail, and I started walking back toward the parking lot on the Flatiron North Trail. From the intersection it's just over 1 mile back. The thick clouds finally passed and the sun was shining, and I was able to get some great shots of the mountains and prairie. All in all the hike was probably around 3 miles and took me an hour and 15 minutes.

Once I was back at the trailhead, I studied the map a little bit more and realized that I haven't hiked all the way back to the Spring Brook trail loop or the Goshawk Ridge trail, and would like to attempt the long day hike which would be approximately 9 miles. Have you done this trail or been to Eldorado State Park? Please post your comments, I'd love to hear them!

Roxanne <3

Lone tree near the start of the trail

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Small pond near the start of the hike

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Along the trail....

ROAD TRIP: Hiking in Kauai; Kuilau Trailhead 2.1 Miles; an easy day hike from Lihue

2011-03-15T08:30:00.002-06:00

Views of the foliage and mountains along the trail

As much as I love to hike and travel, I don't have unlimited money or time to do so as much as I'd ultimately like to. And I began to consider having guest bloggers who can write about hikes and trails in an area they have been; so that more content can be added to my blog, and maybe by chance, you are going to one of these places and want to know where to hike.

Recently, my parents spent two weeks traveling around Hawaii, (lucky!) since my father is an avid hiker, I asked him to review some trails that he visited. Unfortunately, he pulled a muscle in his leg and only hiked once; on Kauai. Here is his trail report and the two photos he took on this hike.

Directions: To reach the trailhead take Highway 580 (Kuamo’o Road) from Wailua for 7 miles until you reach Keahua Arboretum. There is a spillway across the road and parking for the Arboretum. The trail starts about 100 yards before the Arboretum.

Specs: Kauai Hiking: Kuilau Trailhead 2.1 Miles; The trail is easy to moderate. The trail takes you uphill to a small picnic area about 1.5 miles up. One picnic table is available and there is parking for 15 cars at the trail head. Click here for more information on this trailhead and here for another site with info as well.

Trailhead is a short walk up the road from parking area. It is gated so that 4Wheel drives cannot access the trail. The trail can get muddy after or during a rain and can be quite slippery. Kauai is considered the Garden Island of Hawaii and it rains every day in the mountains.

Looking down at a waterfall below

Views of lush mountainsides and scenery back to the ocean in some locations. Views of mountain range when not cloudy or foggy.

After picnic area, trail continues past a small waterfall. There is at least one switchback that goes up and the trail ends at a footbridge going over a small creek. From that point, it joins the Moalepe Trail and goes down, continuing for another 2 miles, stopping at a State park.

It was a Sunday and hunting season while we were hiking. We came across several men and boys, most likely a family. They had several dogs with them and had just gotten on the trail from a deep valley coming up through the deep brush. One man was carrying a 100 pound wild boar that he had just shot. The man was willing to speak to us and allowed us to take his picture with the boar on his back, carrying it like it was a back pack. This was certainly a highlight of the hike.

This trail was a good diversion for a two hour hike that was easily accessible from our stay at the Kauai Marriott Resort in Lihue.

The Dome Trail to Mount Morrison; Red Rocks Park, 7,877 feet

2011-03-03T15:00:00.003-07:00

Views of Red Rocks from early in the trail

Mount Morrison is one of the most prominent peaks in the Denver metro area, and its situated directly behind Red Rocks Amphitheatre with it's amazing and unique red rock formations. For many years, access to the top of the mountain was closed, but in recent years the fences have been taken down and hikers can stand on top of the summit taking in the amazing views of Denver and the areas to the south.
There are several routes to the summit, including the southern route which I hiked last April with the dogs; all of the trails to reach the peak are rated a Class 2 on Summit Post, another great resource for hiking in Colorado.
If look up at Mount Morrison, near the summit, you can see the large boulders and rock formations called The Dome a large rock outcropping. These rocks make for a Class 2 hike near the peak, which means using your hands and scrambling a little bit to get over the large rock formations and up the steep incline.

Getting there: Originally, I had planned on hiking to the top from the North Summit, but the directions that I followed were inaccurate as to which entrance into Red Rocks should be taken. Instead, I ended up hiking to the The Dome route, which begins at the Picnic and Viewing area on Plains View Road on the north side of the park from Entrance #1. Click here for the Red Rocks park map and here for a google map to the picnic shelter.

Specs: Starting the hike at the picnic shelter does provide pit toilets, picnic tables, a viewing area, and trails which are un-named, but take you throughout the red rock formations and then up to the peak. This route is approx 1.2 miles one way taking The Dome route, with added mileage on the summit if you decide to explore. It took me about an hour and a half to do the hike, but I spent 25 minutes eating lunch at the top.

The Journey: Because I had planned on starting the hike along the north route, I had printed directions to reach the summit from that point. However, when I realized the error, I was at the picnic shelter, and could see a trail and decided that I could figure out how to reach the summit from that point. Here is a map of the trail routes, the route I took is the top or northern red line; and here is further information on the hike; Dome Route.
From the picnic shelter parking lot, I took the main trail past the picnic tables, and then the trail winds to the left behind the larger rock formations. During this section the trail was icy due to being in the shade, but it was only a small section of the trail, fortunately. I really had no idea which way to go, but I continued to look up to the peak and hiked toward the middle antenna next to the house-like structure. There are several social trails behind the red rocks formations that make the main route confusing, but they all end pretty abruptly or become very icy. Once the main amphitheatre rock formation is in view (first photo above), then turn west toward the peak and continue heading that way. Click on any photo to enlarge.

At this trail split, I chose the trail to the right that you can see Belle taking in the photo. I could look up and see the middle antenna with the house almost directly above me.

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Shortly after the trail split above, you will see a rock wall and dam area; at this juncture I turned right again, and took the steep path up the mountain to the north.

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Continue to follow that trail around the mountain bluff and and then keep going UP and LEFT when the trail splits again shortly after this point. Again, you can keep looking up at the middle antenna and house-like structure and head toward that.

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Once you reach the top of that bluff, the route to the top becomes much more clear; you will see a rock wall (shown in pic above) and the trail passes through the wall, and continues up the east face of the mountain. This is where the trail gets much harder and steeper, and it's great practice for 14ers and other tough peaks that are more accessible in the summer.

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Looking back from partway up the trail to show the ridgeline that the trail crosses.

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This really cool tree was growing out of the rocks on the trail along the path, pass it and continue upward toward the middle antenna.

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If you are a climber, this is where you can make the trail a Class 3-5, but scaling these rocks, however I am not a climber and I hiked along the path around the rocks. I did have to use my hands a few times to scramble up the rocks, but I thought the trail was much easier and with less exposure than the southern route that I hiked last spring.

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Almost there! Keep climbing, and you will reach the summit shortly, the views looking west are amazing!

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Summit! On the top you are provided with amazing views to the west and south; Pikes Peak, can be seen in the distance on a clear day. The photo above is a shot of Mount Evans and Bierstadt.

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The Continental Divide looking due west; and the mountain ridgeline seen on Colorado's license plates. The only downfall with the views are the antennas and wires on the top which obstruct your view slightly.

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Views looking to the south, the peak on the right/top of the photo is Pikes Peak.

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What better company for lunch? Rock dog and Belle dog, with views looking south of the Hogback mountains and ridgeline.

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Views of the Hogback Ridgeline looking south.

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The brown cloud over Denver, yuck! I have never seen the pollution as bad as it was yesterday, and I hike quite often with views of the city, but it was hard to see through the thick smog. This photo doesn't do it justice.

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Heading back down the trail the same way that I came, you can see the picnic area and parking lot in the photo. I could see my car most of the hike actually.

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About halfway down the mountain and heading back to the car.

It didn't take long to get down the mountain, but I had to take the trail really slowly because it was so steep, having my hiking pole would have helped. Today my quads are pretty sore from the steep decline, but it was a great hike, nonetheless and the soreness was expected.

Mount Morrison is definitely a great hike near the metro area, and I will have to get back there soon to hike the north ridge, I'd like to take Josh next time though, maybe this weekend?

If you have a favorite peak in the metro area, I'd love to hear about it, please post a comment.

Other trails in the area you might like to check out are:

Mount Falcon

The Beaver Brook Trail near Lookout Mountain and I-70

ROAD TRIP: Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge; Melbourne Beach, Florida

2011-02-26T14:38:00.002-07:00

Pelican Island; the first wildlife refuge in the United States

My grandparents have been spending their winters in Melbourne Beach, Florida; a barrier island off the eastern coast of Florida, since the 1980s. The area was suggested to them by my other grandmother, Mary, who lived in Melbourne Beach and ran a small motel when my mom was a child. And as a kid, my family would come down to Florida most winters to get away from the freezing cold in Michigan, but since Josh and I moved to Colorado 8 years ago, we haven't visited the Sunshine State.
One of the first things that I noticed about Melbourne Beach, that probably wouldn't have occurred to me in my youth, is that the island has numerous parks and trails for hiking, biking and wildlife viewing. So, I was really glad that my Aunt Chris and Uncle Rob asked if Josh and I wanted to go check out Pelican Island and take a hike, or we could go to Ron Jon's Surf Shop, they added. Josh and I both echoed 'hike' and we were on our way.

Getting there: The Wildlife Refuge has a great website with maps, directions and more information on the park and it's history. The directions copied here are from their website;
From A1A: Traveling South - Cross over the Sebastian Inlet State Park Bridge (South of Melbourne Beach), continue for 3 miles, turn right onto Historic Jungle Trail.

Traveling North - From Vero Beach, at the intersection of Wabasso Road (County Road 510) continue to drive north 3.7 miles on A1A, turn left onto Historic Jungle Trail.

Greenery from the boardwalk

Specs:   The park has restrooms, several miles of hiking/walking trails, wildlife viewing and more. Check their site for more info.

The Journey: Pelican Island Wildlife Refuge was the first refuge in the United States, it was started by a man named Paul Kroegel, who used to sit on the 5 acre mangrove island and protect the bird population with his shotgun, because there were no laws to protect these birds.   Eventually, Pelican Island was visited by a well known ornithologist, Chapman, who noted that the island was one of the last places for the Brown Pelicans to nest, and he pledged to protect these birds. In 1903, President Roosevelt signed an executive order to make Pelican Island the first wildlife refuge in the United States.   Now there are hundreds of refuges across the country, and each one is named in date succession along the boardwalk to view Pelican Island.
It was a beautiful, sunny Florida afternoon as we started up the boardwalk to view Pelican Island, Josh and I enjoyed looking at all the other wildlife refuges along the way, picking out Colorado's and some of the other states. The boardwalk is elevated off the ground and I expected to see snakes or alligators below, but was disappointed there were none; if I was going to see one of those creatures, it's nice to be high above them for viewing. When we reached the end of the boardwalk there are binoculars and a viewing area for the small island, but you cannot go out to it, of course.   After taking in the views, we walked back down the quarter mile boardwalk and decided to walk on one of the many trails in the Refuge.

White bird in middle of photo across swamp, real or fake?

We chose one of the 2.5 mile loops that we saw on the trail map and started walking. The mangrove was so thick that it was hard to see the Indian River even though it was just a few feet away from us. We walked along with Rob and Chris, chatting easily, no mountains to climb up and take your breathe away in Florida, all the while I kept looking for snakes to not step on and alligators to take photos of.
After a mile we reached the second wildlife viewing area, and we walked out on the bridge and boardwalk to see the sand cracks and swampy area. We noted a white bird way across the swamp, and Uncle Rob remarked it was probably fake, just so people would have something to take photos of. Even though we didn't see any animals, I happy to snap photos of the greenery and scenery that is so different from Colorado.
We decided to head back the way we came instead of finishing the rest of the loop, which was very similar to the first half, according to Uncle Rob; and I was happy to walk back the way we came, snapping photos of the moths and birds that we came across along the way. Below are a few more pics of the Pelican Refuge and our journey. Melbourne Beach offers so many places enjoy nature in a small area on the barried island and I can see why my grandmother Mary loved this area and made it her home for so many years before moving back to Michigan.
If you live in the area, I'd love to hear about your favorite trails, hikes or places to check out the wildlife, please leave me a comment!

I love the sand cracks in the swamp!

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White moth enjoying some lunch

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Josh and I at the second viewing area

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Driftwood and swampy cracks

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I love moths and butterflies ~ this field was filled with them!

Apex Trail; a great place to hike or bike near the metro area

2011-02-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

Start of Apex Trail

Apex Park is one of the more popular trails in Jefferson County Open Space; the park is open to hiking, biking and equestrian riding. If you avoid Apex because of the crowds you are not alone, because of the crowding and different speeds in which people use the trail; Jeffco put in place an odd-day directional traffic for bikers in several areas along the trails. They also created a new trail along the front/east side of the mountain. You can check out the new changes here. I have hiked at Apex several times since the changes, and it makes the hiking experience a lot more fun, and much safer too!
Getting there: The main entrance to Apex Park is near Heritage Square in Golden, at the intersection of Co Hwy 93 and Hwy 40 (Colfax Ave). The intersection is on a curve; make a sharp right turn from Colfax onto 93, and then make an immediate left turn into the parking lot. Click here for a google map to input your personal directions and here for the Jefferson County website.

Specs: The park has a trail map that is well marked, and a pit toilet that is usually in rough shape. The trails at Apex range in difficulty, but most are moderate and rocky causing you to watch your footing.

The Journey: I usually hike alone during the weekdays; so I was glad to have company on this hike, my friend Staci visiting from Virginia was eager to hit up the Colorado. Fortunately, Staci is also an avid photographer and she let me borrow one of her Canons for the trail photos, since mine is in the shop; again.
We started out on the main trail, both of us snapping lots of shots of the blue sky and earthy Colorado foliage, and hiked up the new Argos trail on the front side of the mountain which connects with the Pick n Sledge trail that was part of the original trail system. The Argos trail much less icy than the main Apex trail which is in the valley; although there were several spots that had a lot of ice and mud. The Argos trail provides great views looking to the east, north and south; with views of Denver, Golden, the I-70 corridor, and of Heritage Square below. We reached the trail intersection and continued up the trail a little farther; the higher we hiked, the worse the trail conditions became; but this is typical winter hiking in Colorado, snow, mud and ice.

After about an hour, we started back down the trail, the wind was making me a little chilly in my sweatshirt and pants, and decided to go to Coors; my favorite activity after a hike.

We only hiked on a tiny portion of the numerous trails that Apex offers and there are several loops in the park from 1.5 miles to well over 9 miles including the Apex trail which continues all the way to the Lookout Mountain Nature Center, and the Enchanted Forest trail which is great on a hot summer day with lots of shade through a thick pine forest. I frequently see deer and elk at Apex, but only saw birds on this day.

What are your favorite trails/hikes in the metro area? Please leave a comment and let me know!

Sign of trail changes at the park, these were effective March, 2010

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A blue bird with a peanut, I don;t know the type of bird, do you?

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Rock doggie happy to be hikin'

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Fairmount Trail from Golden to Arvada; a great way to commute on foot!

2011-02-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

Muddy and flat gravel trail, but it wasn't icy

After starting a hike at Mount Galbraith only to turn around shortly after icy trail conditions stopped me in my tracks. Since the dogs and I hiked only a short time on the Cedar Gulch Trail, I decided to find another place to hike nearby.

The dogs and I got back to the car and drove out of the canyon; I decided to turn left or north toward Boulder on 93. Then I made a right turn at the light 58th street and started hunting for a trail. I passed an entrance to one of the neighborhoods and noticed a trail, but decided to keep going on 58th. After a couple of minutes I came across a trail directly across the road; I made a U-turn and parked in a small dirt space beside the road. Again, I heard the happy whines of two doggies ready to get outside and hike, although this trail is more of a stroll than a mountainous hike, but it wasn't icy and that was good enough for me!

Getting there:   The Fairmount trail connects from the north side of Table Mountain to W. 64th St in Arvada near the reservoirs. Click here for the google map and where I parked to start hiking. Here is the Jefferson County's Open Space information on the Fairmount Trail.
Specs: The trail is flat gravel; and easy to walk or bike on. I am not sure if there are any facilities at either end of the trail, and there are none where I parked on 58th Ave. It is 3 miles in length, out and back.

Back toward car views of North Table Mtn

The Hike: I was glad to find the Fairmount Trail, but it wasn't the hike I was looking for, however I wasn't about to go find another trail so we got out and started walking toward the mountains. I checked the trail map and it looked like it was about 1 to 1.5 miles to the Arvada Reservoir and I hoped that I could make it there before my 2 o'clock turn around time. The trail is pretty straight and flat, but after crossing a paved sidewalk connecting two neighborhoods, the path continued uphill and then curves north toward Arvada High School. The views from the trail were great, mountains everywhere to your west and the city and reservoir to the north and east. I snapped several shots of the earthy muted landscape and then started back at my turnaround time. I didn't quite make it to the reservoirs, but it was still a nice path for the dogs and I to walk on. I only came across one other person along the start of the trail, otherwise it was completely deserted on the warm 65 degree work day.
I'd love to find some more trails in this area; please leave a comment if you know of any!

Fairmount trail map above, along with other connecting trails. Click to enlarge photos!

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Views looking southwest; love that blue sky!

Mount Galbraith Park, Jefferson County Open Space; A short hike on an icy trail

2011-02-17T08:50:00.002-07:00

Icy trail at Mount Galbraith

One of my favorite Jefferson County Open Space Parks is Mount Galbraith for several reasons; great views, this is a hiker only trail so it's less crowded without bikers/equestrian riders, and I always find an abundance of wildflowers here in the spring to photograph. Plus, Mount Galbraith is one of the first trails my husband and I hiked when we first moved to Colorado over 8 years ago and whenever I step on the trail I think of how excited I was when we first did this so many years ago.
It had been a long time since I did the 4.2 mile loop here and I was excited to hit the trail, but it didn't take long to realize that the trail was really icy and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to hike the loop with the slick conditions, but I kept pushing forward. After about 400 yards up the mountain I came across a group of hikers who were coming down; they all had crampons and hiking poles in both hands. They said it was really icy the farther up the trail went, and crampons were a needed; they also questioned if my dogs could handle the hike, which I thought was odd. The dogs are way better on the ice than I am, and surely they both could hike days longer than me.

Getting there: From Golden, Colorado take State Hwy 93 to Golden Gate Canyon Road in North Golden; drive into the canyon approximately 1.5 miles until you reach the trailhead on the left side of the road. Click here for google map of trailhead.
Specs: The trailhead has pit toilets; and 4.2 miles of trails for hikers only. Dogs can be offleash pretty easily here, but Jeffco Rules state dogs must be on a leash, of course. This trail has a seperate access from the neighborhood along Hwy 93 which is a lot of fun as well. Here is the website for this trail.

The Hike: After running into the group of hikers who said the trail only gets worse, and I couldn't imagine hiking down on all of this ice without falling, I decided to head back to the car to hike somewhere else. I called the dogs and said we were turning around; but neither of them budged and they whined as I started back down the trail; they really wanted to hike! Even though I only hiked a few hundred yards, I wanted to include this hike into the blog because it is one that I have done numerous times before. The trail is a loop, but it starts out with a 1.3 mile hike to the trail split on the Cedar Gulch Trail, where you can choose to go right or left around the 1.6 mile Mount Galbraith loop trail; then back the 1.3 miles to the parking lot. I really enjoy trails that provide views and this trail does just that; for the first 1.3 miles the trail continues around the side of Mount Galbraith and provides views of the foothills, North Table Mountain, the city of Golden and mountains beyond. Once you reach the trail split, choose either direction and start around the loop; there are some great views of the larger foothills and snowcapped peaks in the distance on the south side of the loop. I usually stop on one of the flat rocks for lunch before finishing up the loop and then heading back down; the hike takes me 2-3 hours depending on how much I stop or how many photos that I snap.
Some other trails in the area are, Centennial Cone Park, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, North Table Mountain, and the Fairmount Trail from Arvada to Golden.

Here are some of my photos from a winter hike at Mt. Galbraith a few years ago below.

Views of Golden, Colorado and North Table Mountain.

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Views looking west at the Foothills beyond.

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More views!

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Signs of spring in January!

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My favorite part of the hike is the first mile; here you can see the trail going around the mountainside.

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Belmar Park, Lakewood Colorado; A great place to walk the dogs!

2011-02-16T15:10:00.003-07:00

One of the lakes at Belmar Park

The warm weather this week has made it almost irresistible to not go outside and enjoy it! But with severe cold temps, a significant amount of snow and now bright sun during the day and cold temperatures at night make for some muddy and icy trail conditions. To keep yourself safe from falls on the ice, it's a great time to explore your local parks and trails in the metro area. Belmar Park offers over 4 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and equestrian riders that wind around Kountze Lake over several hundred acres of land between Alameda and Mississippi near Wadsworth St.

Getting there: Belmar Park is located at 801 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Lakewood, CO. Check out the Belmar Park website for more details. There is also parking in the neighbornoods that surround the park; I entered the park this way. From Alameda at Carr St in Lakewood; go south on Carr St. into a neighborhood with speed bumps; make a left turn at the first stop sign at West Virginia Ave; drive a few hundred yards as the road curves around and you will see the large Belmar Park sign on the right side of the road; you will enter the park at the northwestern corner. Click here for google map that shows near intersection to park.

Start of trail; lighted path for night walking too

Specs: The park has over 4 miles of easy paved or gravel trails, restrooms, playground area, access to Heritage Center, lots of benches and gazebo's for your family picnic or to stop and view the wildlife. People who live nearby walk there dogs here, so you will see lots of owners and doggies at anytime of the day. Geese, ducks and water fowl are found in the park year round, but abundantly in the warm weather; you can also see coyotes and foxes in the park as well.

The Park: I didn't have a lot of time on Monday for a long hike, so I decided to head over to Belmar Park for a nice walk; I knew the park's trails were paved and would be plowed. Sometimes its just nice to take a stroll in a park rather than a long hike; sans pack and boots. The dogs were happy to get outside; and we drove to the neighborhood access, parked and start walking. I have been to Belmar Park a few times in the summer for long walks around the lake, but it's been a few years and I had forgotten how many trails there are which look very different in the winter. We started out toward the lakes on the paved trail, and eventually turned down the less travelled dirt (mud/ice) path so that the dogs could run a little more freely.

I continued to explore the park on the trails less traveled and I immediately wished I had wore my hiking boots.

The dogs and I just created our own little hike, over the bridges, around the lake, through the little woods; it was a lot of fun! After about an hour and a half, we made it back to the car. I have added some fun photos below if you'd like to look!

I'd love to know of some other great parks in the west/metro area; if you know of any, please post a comment!
Some places nearby to hike would be Green Mountain, and Mt. Falcon Park.

Belmar Park Sign at Northwest corner of park

Playground area

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There are some trails in the trees that we explored!

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Walking across one of the many bridges over the water in the park.

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Kountze Lake, Belmar Park

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Paved trails, blue skies!

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More of the lake, be careful to not let doggies onto the thin ice!

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Walked across this cool bridge; one of many in the park

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Views of the Front Range!

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Aspens in the winter

Paracord Survival Belts at Hip-Threads.com

2011-02-08T14:04:00.002-07:00

Paracord survival belt, find them for sale here.

While I started this blog to be about hiking, I wanted it to encompass everything about hiking, including gear. One thing that I am very passionate about is supporting independent artists and small businesses providing great products made locally rather than running to get the cheapest item at Walmart. Over the years I have shared my favorite gear that I take when I hike, including handmade items for the trail made locally or by myself. Now, I am very excited to offer these survival belts on my website; they are made by a small company in Kalispell, Montana and are both useful and stylish; very Colorado! The belts are made from 80+ yards of woven paracord that can unravel in seconds for use in any survival situation; you can also use the metal pieces of the belt. Now, maybe you are like me and are thinking; 'if I use the belt once then its unraveled and gone.' Fortunately, Survivor Geek will remake the belt at no charge if you share your story with them; and if you want to take it apart 'just because,' then they will remake it for half the amount of the belt.
The belts come in two different colors, Desert Sand and Black as Night; they are great gift ideas for the outdoorsy guy or gal in your life! Great for fishing, camping, hiking, hunting, golfing, water sports, and more; plus the belt looks great for the mountains, the beach, golf course or just anytime!

Blue Sky Survival Wrist band, just $13.99 FREE shipping!

I also am offering survival wrist bands as well; they come in Fire red, Blue Sky and Black as night; and will unravel from 17-25ft of cord when needed. They also have a Whistleloc buckle capable of 106 decibels for signaling; having a whistle is vital in a survival situation and can make a difference if you are lost or in need. Wear it camping, hiking, rock climbing or hunting, then, when you need some incredibly versatile and useful cordage, simply pull the loop and unravel the belt to have a length of 550 strength paracord in hand. Use your paracord to build a shelter, secure equipment, or tie a splint; and use the whistleloc on the wrist band to signal help.

Each belt in any color or size is just $29.99 with FREE shipping, and the wrist bands are $13.99 with Free shipping as well. Check out my site to purchase and see more photos of this awesome new piece of must-have gear!

What else do you have to take with you on a hike; please post your comment with your favorite hiking gear!

Road Trip: Bahia Honda State Park; one of the best beaches in the United States

2011-02-08T13:29:00.005-07:00

When we knew we were visiting the Keys, I had to find the best beach for us to do some snorkeling. Bahia Honda State Park boasts one of the best beaches in the country; and has miles of sandy beach (don't be shy with the sea wall) and teal blue water for miles. Josh and I only had 4 days in the Keys, so we spent every minute doing something fun; and one whole day was dedicated to swimming and hiking in two of the Keys State Parks located near to our resort. After spending the morning and afternoon nature viewing and hiking in Long Key State Park, we were eager to cool off with a swim and we drove the 30 miles (which takes 45 minutes on the 2 lane road) to Bahia Honda State Park.

Getting there: The park is at mile marker 37 along the Overseas highway, Florida Keys. Here is the address: 36850 Overseas Highway Big Pine Key, FL 33043. This is about 2 hours south of Key Largo. Here is the Bahia Honda website.
Specs: The park offers all of the amenities; camping, shower, bathrooms, changing area, as well as a snack bar; activities include swimming, snorkeling, bicycling, kayaking, fishing and much more! It cost us $9 for the car day pass; and an additional $38.50 per night for camping or $269.50 per week. Reserve early the campground fills up fast!

Miles of shoreline at award winning beach

The Park: We had only a few hours before dusk to view the park and we spent the entire time laying along the sandy beach or in the water; which is at it's coolest in January/February when we were visiting. It was a touch cold for me, but I was able to walk in the water while Josh snorkeled alongside of me; there weren't as many fish or things to see as there was snorkeling at our resort, but the water was pristine. Later we realized that there is better snorkeling at Looe Key and tours can be purchased in the park until 1pm and we were too late for the last tour.

The beach is similar to the beach at Long Key SP, it is shallow for several yards and you can see numerous sand bars with birds wading and fishing. We walked out at least 100 yards from shore and I was still just above my knees. There are not many shells on this beach and lots of people looking for them, making them slim picking compared to the beaches on the eastern shoreline of Florida that I am used to, which offer shells galore. Another thing to consider is the seawall, which is a large wall of brown seaweed/seagrass that is dried up along the shoreline, you will find this seawall at all of the beaches along the Keys and it takes some getting used to, but isn't too bad once you do!
The camping at Bahia Honda SP is well booked for months out, the campsites offer some views of the Atlantic; they are locked with a code if you are not a registered camper, you cannot drive through. Some of the sites are directly on the Atlantic, some on the Gulf Coast and some along the bay on the Gulf side.

I look forward to coming back soon to camp in the Keys, maybe next September, when they aren't booked up! I'd love to hear about your favorite places to camp in Florida or the Keys; or the best beach camping you have ever done?
Please leave a comment!

Vines growing onto the sand

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Seawall, don't be afraid, its not that bad!

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Camping on the Coast; Long Key State Park, Florida Keys

2011-02-08T12:28:00.003-07:00

Raised campsites along boardwalk near Golden Orb Trail

I had the pleasure to visit the Florida Keys last week and get out of the miserable cold that blasted into Colorado, while Josh and I were there, we visited two State Parks for hiking and snorkeling. Both of these parks offered camping, which we were excited to check out for a future road trip with our little Chalet.
Long Key State Park has two separate camping areas; one specifically for tent camping that has raised decking to deter snakes from coming into the campsite. These sites are widely spaced; there is a shower and water and a grill nearby along the boardwalk, and the sites are within a few yards of the beach but there is a lot of foliage that obstructs the view.

Getting there: Long Key State Park is located in the town of Layton, in the Florida Keys, here is their website. The address is: 67400 Overseas Highway Long Key, Florida 33001. This is at Mile Marker 67; just over an hour south of Key Largo.
Specs: The state park has restrooms, showers, camping, trails, small beachfront, snorkeling, and canoeing to list a few of the activities. Check their site for more info. Fees: a day pass is $6 for 2 people in addition to the camping fee of $38.50 per night. Reserve your site early, they fill up fast in the winter months and are booked for months out!

One of the 11 tent sites elevated along the coast.

Camping: The campground is along the coast and provides showers, bathrooms, changing area and swimming. There is a tent only section with 11 sites elevated on the boardwalk; and then an additional 46 sites along the beach that can accommodate an RV or tent. The additional 46 sites are locked with a code to enter for campers only; the 11 sites on the boardwalk do not have this feature.

The beach area is not a super sandy coastal beach; you can swim when wading far out; watch the crabs or birds hunt for food and watch the sky light up as the sun sets. This campground is much smaller than the larger Bahia Honda State Park just 40 minutes farther south along the highway.
I can't wait to come back to the Keys very soon with our Chalet to camp in the future.

Camping alongside the beach; tent or RV.

Boardwalk platform viewing area.