Summary: A 6.2 mile hike that begins by following a brook with numerous cascades, continues to stunning views at higher elevations, and finishes with a gorgeous waterfall.  Take the free shuttle back to your starting point.

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What I think

It’s been almost a year since I did this hike, but I do remember it as being very enjoyable.  It starts in the valley and starts climbing immediately.  You’ll climb 1500ft in less than 3 miles.  However, you almost don’t notice because you are following a lovely creek with lots of waterfalls and cascades.  I could have spent hours photographing here, but I forced myself to press on, knowing I had a long way to go.

Once you get to the higher elevations, the epic panoramas are plentiful.  You’ll be wandering through alpine meadows and stands of evergreens.  I remember the trail being rather wet in places due to spring run off, often leaving me with wet feet (I hike in Vibram Five Fingers).

After reaching the North Longs Peak trail, you start to descend again.  Gorgeous views are still plentiful and the evergreens start to intermix with beautiful aspens.  Eventually, you reach and cross the Glacier Gorge, a raging river at that time of year that eventually spills over Alberta Falls.  You get to see that too. I got rained on during this portion of the trip…a lot.  Remember that you’re in the mountains and the weather can change suddenly.  Dress and pack accordingly.  I had rain gear along, but I learned that it was no longer waterproof.  I guess my 15-year-old North Face jacket had reached the end of its useful life.  I bought a new rain jacket that evening.  Naturally, it didn’t rain the rest of my time in the park.

From the falls, you head to the Glacier Gorge trail head and parking area.  Catch the free shuttle to the Bierstadt Lake parking area and walk the 0.2 miles back to the Storm Pass trail head where you parked.

Quick Summary: An out-and-back hike starting from Chautauqua Park up to the rock formation known as Royal Arch.

Description

A short, strenuous hike that has you scrambling over rock slides and boulders as well as climbing/descending numerous rock stairs. However, the view from the top and the arch itself make it all worth it. The trail has a decent elevation gain over the short distance and is definitely not just a stroll in the park.

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Trek Report

A friend and I headed up to Boulder to do this hike on a Saturday morning in late May. We arrived in the late morning and discovered that the parking lot and streets surrounding the park to be completely full. We had to park a couple blocks away and walk to the park before we even started the hike. I’ve been Chautauqua Park on a week day and it’s considerably quieter.

As to be expected from the parking situation, we met a lot of other hikers on the trail and up at the arch. It definitely is a popular place on a nice weekend despite being a fairly demanding hike. Many hikers brought their pets, all of which were very well-behaved and friendly. It was fun to watch the smaller dogs scamper up the rocks.

The views from the arch are spectacular. You can see from Boulder and beyond to the north and all the way to Denver to the south. The arch itself is pretty impressive and there are plenty of good size boulders beneath it to climb up and sit on to admire the views. Watch for the chipmunks scurrying around at your feet for some added entertainment.

Quick Summary: An out-and-back hike with stops at Copeland Falls, Calypso Cascades, and Ouzel Falls

Description

A 5.4 mile out-and-back hike that passes numerous waterfalls and cascades. The trail begins by following North St. Vrain Creek to Copeland Falls, a series of falls dropping 12ft. Later, the trail crosses the creek and climbs to Calypso Cascades, a 90ft series of cascades streaming down the mountain fed by Cony Creek. After crossing the cascades on a series of bridges, the trail climbs another mile to Ouzel Falls, a 60ft waterfall fed by Ouzel Creek. Turn around here for the 5.4mi hike or continue on to Ouzel or Bluebird Lakes if you desire a longer trek.

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Trek Report

I attempted this hike twice in the month of May. The first attempt occurred on May 7th and failed due to deep snow up near Calypso Cascades. The snow was 3ft deep at the bridges crossing the cascades and only got deeper from there after. I didn’t have snowshoes along and I was sinking in up to my knees so I aborted the hike and tried again three weeks later. By then, all the snow was gone all the way to Ouzel Falls.

The second attempt had its share of challenges too. Shortly after reaching Copeland Falls, it started to rain. Then, the rain changed to sleet. Then, to hail. I hid under some pine trees and tried to stay dry. The storm only lasted 15 minutes or so and then the sun came back out. I dried out and continued my trek.

Calypso Cascades are not as immpressive as they sound. The area is strewn with fallen logs, making the hillside look like a mess. I found it hard to come up with a pleasing composition when photographing them as a whole. I did better by zooming in to small sections of the cascades that were clear of debris.

If you stay on the trail, you won’t get a very good view of Ouzel Falls. To get a better look, scamper up the rocks to the left of the bridge and circle around to view the falls head on. This is where I got most of my pictures of the falls.

There are not a lot of panoramic views along this hike, but the waterfalls and numerous opportunities to view the rapids and cascades along the various creeks you follow and cross more than make up for it.

Quick Summary: A driving tour of RMNP with a short stop at Chasm Falls.

Trek Report

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine came to visit me in Denver. On the first day of her stay, I took her to Rocky Mountain National Park because nothing says Colorado like RMNP. We started from the Beaver Meadows entrance (point A on map below) and stopped at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center to check out the road and trail conditions. From there we headed over to the Endovalley picnic area to park. (Point B on the map is the entrance to Old Fall River Road. Google Maps thinks this one way, which fouled up the driving directions.) Old Fall River Road was closed past this point so we parked and hiked up the road to Chasm Falls. During the summer months, you can drive up to the falls.

After exploring the falls, we returned to our car and drove back to Trail Ridge Road. The visitor center had posted that Trail Ridge Road was closed at Rainbow Curve. However, upon reaching the curve’s pullout, we discovered that the barrier was open and we could continue on to the Forest Canyon Trailhead (point C). From Rainbow Curve to the trailhead, there was plenty of snow on the ground. In some places, there was still 10ft or more! I would love to see how the plows push through that much snow. They obviously do, because the road was completely clear. After hiking the short Forest Canyon Overlook Trail through the snow, we headed back to Estes Park, stopping at a couple other pull-outs we had skipped on the way up.

The slideshow shows images from Chasm Falls, Old Falls Road, and various pull-outs along the journey. Since I wasn’t tracking with my GPS for most of the trip, I couldn’t do my traditional trek report, but I felt the trip was interesting enough to warrant a post and video. I’ll be returning to RMNP in the future for more traditional treks.

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Quick Summary: A lollipop hike through Apex Gulch west of Denver

Description

A lollipop loop that begins at the base of Apex Gulch near Golden, Colorado. The trail follows a small creek up the gulch before crossing into a small wooded area known as the Enchanted Forest. The trail winds through the forest before returning to the main trail and returning you to the trailhead.

This is multi-use trail that is popular with mountain bikers.

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Trek Report

I wasn’t really impressed with this hike. The scenery was nothing special when compared to other hikes in the area such as the Trading Post Trail at Red Rocks. There aren’t many panoramic views of the area and much of the trail is though fairly open and barren terrain. There is a small creek running through the gulch, but it heavily overgrown in most spots and hard to see. I did hike this trail early in the spring before anything had a chance to green up, which may have contributed to my negative impression of the place. It’s possible that the area could be filled with wildflowers later in the season and it would have been much prettier had the aspen been leafing. There were also many fallen trees across the trail in the forest, making travel difficult in spots. Hopefully, trail maintainers will remove them later in the spring.

The trail was heavily used by mountain bikers so I had to be constantly alert and prepared to get out of their way. There are several blind curves where the bikers appeared suddenly from behind me on the way out. Since it was down hill, they were moving quite fast and I only had moments to step out of the way. Be careful.

On a positive note, I did get to see several mule deer and a herd of elk on the trek. That’s always exciting!

Quick Summary: A 7.7 mile loop on Walker Ranch with several waterfalls and panoramic views of Eldorado Canyon and Crescent Meadows

Description

A loop trail that starts through open terrain that was burned in a forest fire in 2000. The trail descends down to South Boulder Creek where there is a picnic area and several small waterfalls. The trail then heads south in Eldorado Canyon State Park where you can often view trains traveling along the Rio Grande Railroad. The trail then circles back towards South Boulder Creek and another waterfall as it passes into Eldorado Canyon. From there you start climbing again as you circle back to your starting point.

This route is a multi-use trail so watch for mountain bikers or horse riders as you hike.

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Trek Report

I hiked this route on a Wednesday morning/early afternoon and still encountered numerous mountain bikers throughout the day. Keep on eye out for them as there are main downhill portions with sharp corners where they can surprise you suddenly.

The waterfalls on this trek are not large. They only drop several feet. But, they are pretty nonetheless and add some variety to the scenery on the hike. The rest of the hike consists primarily of trails through heavy forest, rock formations, and some open prairies. I found myself getting a little bored with the terrain during the last mile or two…but, maybe I was just getting tired. There are some panoramic views of the surrounding valleys, but nothing that I would call really spectacular. Still, it’s a nice hike.

The drive from Boulder to the trailhead was almost as interesting as the hike itself. Heading up Flagstaff Road, you encounter numerous hairpin turns as you climb up the mountain. You’ll also run into many bikers (hopefully, not literally) also making the climb. The are some nice views of Boulder as you travel. Parking in these areas is not free, however, as it is part of the Boulder Mountain Parks system.

Quick Summary: An out-and-back hike from Chautauqua Park to the top of First Flatiron in Boulder.

Description

A short, but difficult trail that starts in Chautauqua Park in Boulder. The trail starts climbing immediately and rarely lets up. Although much of the trail is a rocky, dirt path, portions force you to scramble over rock slides or even climb short rock faces to reach the top of the mountain. The lower portions of the trail are suitable for children, but once you pass above trail junction 4 (see the map), it’s far too dangerous to bring young children along.

Panoramic views are plentiful. Early in the journey, you’ll have views of Boulder and the surronding areas. Later in the hike, you’ll be able to look out towards Denver. On a clear day, even downtown Denver is visible in the distance.

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Trek Report

I arrived at the park early Monday morning and found a number of cars already in the parking lot, but it was mostly empty. By the time I returned in the early afternoon, the lot was almost completely full. A little surprising for a weekday. If you come on a weekend, you might have to park elsewhere in the park. This place is popular.

Although the trail starts out pretty tame, it quickly became challenging as I entered the forest and started climbing. The path became rocky, uneven, and zigzagged constantly as I climbed. I loved it! I especially liked scampering across the boulders at the rock slide and climbing a small rock wall midway up the mountain using the hand and toe holds carved into the rock. Since I was shooting video, I had to do it several times in order to get the footage and retrieve my camera.

The views of the Colorado flatlands east of the Rockies are excellent. I could make out downtown Denver in the distance when looking south and could see all of Boulder when looking north. Only when you reach the top do you get to see views of the Rockies west of your location.

I ran into some lingering snow on the trail in the higher elevations. Since most of the trail falls on the north side of the mountain, this was expected. There were several areas with an inch or two on the trail which made things a little slippery, but, all in all, it wasn’t bad. It should all be gone in a few more weeks.

Quick Summary: A short 1.4 mile loop through scenic rock formations and natural meadows in the foothills near Denver.

Description

The trail starts from The Trading Post, the park’s visitor center and gift shop. It’s a relatively flat hike that circles four of the park’s major rock formations, which give the park its name. The trail crosses Red Rock Park Rd twice during the loop and passes the Red Rocks Amphitheatre before returning to the visitor center.

It is possible to run into rattlesnakes and poison ivy in the area, but if you heed the posted signs to stay on the trail and avoid climbing on the rocks, you should be able to avoid these hazards. There are numerous unprotected drop-offs and rock stairways on this hike, so be careful and keep an eye on your little ones.

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I ventured up to Red Rocks from Denver on a Wednesday morning to avoid the crowds of teenagers that I’ve seen in the park on warm evenings in the past. I was happy to find that I had the place mostly to myself. I would be shooting video as well as photographs on this trip and I didn’t need a lot of other hikers around to witness my fumblings. This was my first attempt at shooting video on a trek and, while much of it didn’t turn out as well as I hoped, some of it proved to be usable.

I chose this hike as my first trek in the Denver area because I knew that trees were fairly scarce in this area and the resulting images would still look nice even though spring hasn’t fully arrived in the region. Even the trees that are present in the park look rather cool against the red rocks due to their bleached white color. I knew I could work with it and get some nice images. As it gets warmer in the summer, I can see this being a very hot hike due to the lack of overhead vegetation to give you cover. However, it is rather short, so you could easily hike it an hour or so before sunset to avoid the heat.

Quick Summary: An out-and-back hike from the Happy Isles to Vernal Falls and on to the top of Nevada Falls

Description

The trail starts from the Happy Isles Bridge along the left (north) bank of the Merced River. The trail is paved for part of the journey, but eventually becomes a rocky, dirt path as you start the climb to Vernal Falls. If you’re hiking in the early winter months, you won’t have to worry about the Mist trail living up to its name. The waterfalls will be quite tame compared to the spring and summer months.

As you approach Vernal Falls, the trail becomes a stair stepper’s paradise with a seemingly unending line of rock steps to the top of the falls. At the top of the falls, you once again enter the forest as you start your climb to Nevada Falls past the Emerald Pool and Silver Apron. As you approach the base of Liberty Cap, the trail becomes a long series of switchbacks with views of Nevada Falls along the way. When you reach the top of the pass, you’ll find a small backcountry restroom at the trail junction. Head south (right) to follow the trail to the top of Nevada falls. You can retrace your steps at this point or continue on to take an alternate route back to the trailhead along the John Muir Trail.

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Quick Summary: An out-and-back trail from the Yosemite Valley to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls.

Description

The Upper Yosemite Falls trail is a workout, climbing 2750+ feet over 2.5 miles from the valley floor to the top of the falls. The trail begins climbing immediately as you traverse numerous switchbacks up the side of the mountain through rocky, forest terrain. As the trail levels off and you circle the mountain, the forest cover begins to thin out, giving you views of the valley and the falls. Then, more climbing begins as you circle and scale the backside of the mountain and reach the falls from behind. In good weather, you’ll have views of the entire valley from the Upper Yosemite Falls overlook.

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