Holiday season can be a tough time mentally – really had to push myself out of the house to bang out hike #50. But…once I got motivated, picked an amazing winter trail – Chicago Lakes in the Mt Evans Wilderness Area, just west of Denver.
Glad to have my Hike Challenge – forced me outside. Decided I needed SNOW to help clear my funk. AND Ro couldn’t have been more ready – after spending the previous week sequestered with his friend Molly (while I travelled to humid Orlando).
Chicago Lakes is approx an hour half from my home. Trailhead start at Echo Lake where it was just me & Ro – and an ice fishing couple.
Cold day! Hiked with almost all my extras this day – hat, gloves, multiple layers plus a coat, long johns, bungee leash for Ro & poles. Forgot my crampons – hit more than one icy patch this day, will remember crampons next winter hike.
Protrails.com’s hike description said moderate to strenuous. Psyched. Pines lined our day trek since we stayed below 12,000 ft. BEAUTIFUL! – ya’ll know I’m a HUGE FAN of our uber tall lodgepole pines.
Less than 2 miles in, we reached the Mt Evans Wilderness Area – where everything beautiful and serene increased 1000%. Walked thru a stretch of trees which had been damaged by forest fires past. Mountains and snow – I tell ya…it’s a ‘can’t miss’ cure for the blues! FAAANNNNTASTIC! Yeah, I’m hooked & now digging this day 🙂
Started the trek over our only water crossing upright; even with poles, one quick tug by Ro brought me down. Yep, I’m human. If there were any doubt after walking around in winter paradise, smacking your rump HARD on solid ice is a good reminder. LOL>
Half mile further, Ro & I approached a snow cloud hugging the ground like fog. Stared up at sun muted by blowing snow. Brrr…and yeah! all at the same time. Focused on keeping the trail and reaching Chicago Lakes before noon.
Over our day hike, Ro evolved from Snow Beard the Great to Ice Beard the Chatterer. Had never heard a dog’s teeth chatter before. Kinda cute – that said, grabbed little guy, held him close, warming his body. Ro thanked me by rolling in more snow 🙂
2-3 miles into our hike return, snow ceased and sunshine beamed over Idaho Springs Reservoir (where I snapped this week’s ‘Ro on Ice’ shot). 2 miles further, took a short detour, walked over Echo Lake and checked out the ice fishing. Ro didn’t catch a thing this trip – but was mighty interested. Maybe next time.
Gloom n doom guy is gone, Colorado K* is home, happy and looking forward to hike #51 – yep, only 2 to go!
ROCKSTAR year, ROCKSTAR Colorado life!
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- multiple layers, coat, hat, gloves, long johns, poles & portable water – LOVE December snow hikes!
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- ice fishing on Echo Lake
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- Sno Beard
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- first wilderness, next a water crossing, then…Chicago Lakes
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- entire hike below treeline (12,000 ft) – BEAUTIFUL!
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- forest fire damage from years past
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- December river crossing – solid ICE!
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- sunshine in a snow storm – only in Colorado
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- Chicago Lakes
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- lunch break: rock protection from wind & blowing snow
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- Ice Beard
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- snow ended & sun popped out on hike return (Idaho Springs Reservoir)
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- Ro’s 1st try at ice fishing (Echo Lake)
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- better luck next time
Woke up Saturday morning to rain. Ugh. 40 weeks of fair weather hikes, my luck had ended – maybe. Rain is not super common in Colorado so no matter what your plans, you happily adjust and remain grateful for precip of any kind.
Weather folks have been saying ‘snow in the mountains’ for weeks – so off to mountains we drive. AND good to have my hiking buddy Ro back. Ro was more than ready for a road trip, circling the car multiple times before I opened the rear passenger door. From the time I grab my backpack and start loading with water and food fuels, Ro gets super excited; little guy knows 🙂
Off to the Continental Divide, today’s target was Mount Parnassus – a 13er not far from Grays & Torreys. But as I learned last week in Moab, there’s much joy in the journey (although end destination/summit views generally ROCK!)
Arrived at Herman Gulch trailhead, greeted by light snow and ONE other vehicle in parking. Hmmm…no getting lost today – appears my hiking community stayed in bed dreaming of the impending ski season (our state’s unofficial religion). Layered up and ready to go. Ro was a dog possessed today – LOVES snow! Sniffing, rooting [his nose] under the snow, then leaping in attempt catch snow flakes.
What a gorgeous hike start – light snow, pines, bare aspens (having now shed their leaves), and quiet…complete quiet. Far from work and concerns of the world, the simply beauty of today’s hike refueled my soul. Passed a stretch of fallen trees from spring avalanche past, right at the first trail marker, then left at the second pole. Successfully crossed two small creeks, stayed dry. Right on track, no getting lost.
Loss of treeline near 12,000ft and the wind blew. Snow erased all remnants of trail so needed to use hiking experience this day – kinda like taking a midterm. Headed UP, identified the range ridge – trails lead to ridges, ridges lead to peaks.
Snow pellets were stinging as the wind gusted. Ro’s beard was completely snow-abomiable now, icicles forming off his neck and muzzle. Then almost like a mirage, I spotted another hiker. Ro & I picked up the pace – was not gonna lose sight of the only other human out today. John, Kelso & Chena (his 2 dogs) hike this range often and didn’t mind us tagging along to Woods Mountain, a 12er directly ahead. Parnassus was right of the ridge saddle, Ro & I had went left. Could have backtracked and hiked 1500ft UP to summit; but honestly had no attachment to Parnassus vs Woods this day – all about the journey (and hiking with other humans) 🙂
10 minutes more and hike SUCCESS! Wind was whipping; Ro kept forcing himself between my pants legging for shelter. Enough for one day. 30-45 minutes down from Woods, I found group of rocks & 2 trees to shelter us from the pounding wind/snow pellets.
Lunch break! My energy bars were jerky-hardened from the cold but still had available water thanks to a trick learned from my friend Kimberly. Blowing water back into the CamelBak after drink-finished keeps water from freezing in the tubes. Sure she was trying to keep water from heating up at Delicate Arch – but same concept.
5 days after Moab hiking in a t-shirt, now Macgyver-focused on water not freezing in my backpack.
LOVE LOVE LOVE my Colorado life!
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- strewn trees from avalanche past
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- LOVIN’ this hike!
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- creek crossing
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- biting wind past treeline
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- hey look ahead…
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- another hiker!
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- oh no, now gone in today’s white-out
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- hiker John w/ dogs Kelso & Chena
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- SUMMIT SUCCESS!
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- crazy cold wind – LOVE my Colorado life!
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- Sno Ro – too much of a good thing
First official day of autumn – hooray, our long summer of forest fires is over!
Kicked off the season with my first meetup.com group hike. Soon after the lightning strike on Audubon, my former co-worker Leslie suggested that I try meetup. Haven’t had a ton of luck thus far – lotta weekday hikes (I work), Sunday hikes (I go to church) & RMNP hikes (no dogs allowed in national parks). AND had signed up for 2 hikes which were both ultimately cancelled. But no worries – made this hike that much more anticipated!
Our hike organizer Ava, a Bailey CO resident, couldn’t have spoken more favorably about the fall foliage on Ben Tyler trail.
Ben Tyler, located in the Lost Creek Wilderness, is approximately 45 minutes southwest on route 285 from the 285/C470 intersection ( southwest of Denver).Driving out you’ll notice that one advantage is the ability to miss I70 weekend traffic. The Bailey trail head is right off the highway, so no dirt road driving needed.
This hike takes you into deep forest & Aspens along a creek. In the fall it is most DEFINITELY IMPRESSIVE to see the HUGE golden Aspen grove in the middle of a deep green Evergreen forest.
You will be able to see it in full view from the highway, but actually need to hike up 3 or more miles experience its beauty (that’s the fun part)! Hiking up to the saddle is close to 6 miles one way. That is my plan. Following this scenario, I would say that in my opinion, this is NOT an easy hike. It is rated moderate below, I’ve also seen it rated as difficult. I think it’s just LONG. The very end has a few switch backs and of course the elevation is getting higher.
9am trailhead meetup time so enjoyed a rare Saturday morn sleep-in. 12 hikers AND 3 dogs joined our trek – big group!
Hike was 11+ miles roundtrip so didn’t even notice the 3,200ft trail incline – very gradual. PLUS there were multiple stops along the way. Beautiful colour…Ava was not joking. The Aspens were at or just past peak. Ro & I generally push hard to summit early in the day so had to adjust our pace. That said, met some AMAZING folks on our trek – lotta former East Coasters (NY, NJ & Florida). Ro LOVED hiking with Karma (a Jack Russell) and Pedal (shepherd mix). Think group [hikes] are Ro’s new go-to ‘s.
Happy first day of Autumn 2012!
Next weekend might see me with a few of today’s hikers enjoying RMNP. As most of ya’ll know ‘FREE is for ME’ 🙂
The National Park Service will offer the following Fee Free Days this year:
- September 29 (Public Lands Day)
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- meetup.com group hike
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- proud dog owners: Annmarie (& Karma), Dan (& Pedal)
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- Ro taking a drink from Florida Dan; Ava our hike leader in YELLOW
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- lunch break – look at our Aspens!
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- final push; just above treeline at 11,600ft
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- relaxing at the top; after 6 mile hike (one-way) & 3,200ft hike incline
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- Florida Dan with Pedal
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- Happy 1st Day of Autumn!
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- autumn sunset; this week’s W-O-W shot!
