hiking

hike #67: Mount Sniktau 13,240ft

Published November 23, 2013

“The mountains are calling and I most go” – John Muir

Ironman training, right on track. Bad news – really missing the mountains. Gotta find a healthy way to juggle both.

Drove to Loveland Pass – destination Mt Sniktau. Not just hiking, hiking in heavy snow. Big smiles.

And although we haven’t received much snow yet in Boulder County (couple inches in October, 4 or 5 inches last week), the mountains have been getting socked with winter precip. All ski resorts now open – life is good in Colorado 🙂

Sniktau is considered the easiest of our 13ers.

An initial false summit, 2 lesser summits, then BAM – there’s the peak. Hike no more than 4 miles roundtrip.

Ro couldn’t have been more excited. He’s BAAAAACK! Completely covered in snow, ice formed on Ro’s beard & coat – creating doggie dreads. Temps stayed just above zero so found myself jacket shedding early on – well layered this day.

Top of the first false summit – BEAUTIFUL! Quiet, stunning, everything WHITE. A-Basin, Keystone, Breckinridge & Loveland all visible. Grizzly Peak & Torreys too. Better than a class reunion – I missed you guys!

Ro & I pushed passed both lesser summits & caught a glimpse of Sniktau – probably another 45 minutes ahead. Snow flying, visibility diminished, blowing wind. Layered back up – yep, even a jacket.

Quick shot of the peak, good enough – today was about the journey, not the destination.

Ended the day with chili & nachos in Idaho Springs. Mighty good to be back in the mountains.

: November mountain hike

: beautiful blue skies (for an hour anyway)

: Sno’ Ro is BACK! Check out that beard!

: Hello Paul & Terri – what are YOU two doing here?

: SPECTACULAR!

: fast moving clouds

: yep, all smiles

: Grizzly Peak

: Sno’ Ro & Sniktau (another hour out) — we’ll conquer this 13er another day

: WHITE-OUT hike return

: proof this boy can eat — chili & nachos…YUM!

Posted in 14ers/13ers | Tagged hiking, snowpocalypse | Leave a comment

hike #66: North Table Mountain, Golden

Published October 26, 2013

Super fun having visitors in town. Trying to get better at not overexerting East Coasters in our high altitude air.

Two days in however, I go stir crazy – gotta get outside & soak up some Vitamin D.

Wanted to hike relatively local this weekend so headed south on Highway 93 to Golden (most trails in Boulder County remain damaged & closed from last month’s flood). Ro took his usual spot & stared down the highway, happy to be in the car 🙂

I’ve often passed North Table Mountain while driving home from weekend treks off I-70, using Highways 6 & 93 to avoid Denver traffic (slows to a crawl every weekend – in winter, folks return from skiing; in summer, return from hiking & camping). Took a quick left into the parking lot. Ro and my friend, Stephen poured out – ready for adventure.

Mildest weekend of October – our first without snow. Today’s trail was jam packed with mountain bikes, runners, hikers – and horses. Beautiful sunny day with highs in the low 60’s – hard to believe it’s gonna snow again on Tuesday.

Basalt cliff pillars, amazing late season colour – SPECTACULAR. Hike duration: 6 miles roundtrip. PERFECT hike for a sunshiny day in the Fall. Not a lotta trees though – do not recommend [this hike] in summer months.

Back home, little guy was fast out for the count. Happy day 🙂

: North Table Mountain in nearby Golden

: basalt laced with zeolite — 20 different types — more than any other site in the world

: tranquil western landscape – BEAUTIFUL day!

: dogs & tall grass

: mountain bikes, runners, hikers – and horses too!

: basalt pillars & lotta late autumn colour – SPECTACULAR!

: yes, dogs do smile 🙂

Posted in Denver Metro | Tagged hiking, horses | Leave a comment

hike #65: Fish Creek Falls, Steamboat Springs

Published October 5, 2013

Keenan Haga Off to South Dakota – climbing Harney Peak, their state’s highest. No Mt Rushmore though – closed because of our inept federal government. Reason 101 – why we should all be Libertarians 🙂 October 4 at 12:53 pm

Plan B? Someone forgot to check the weather forecast but it’s only October, right?

Dropped Ro at Windstar Kennels, finished work – TGIF!, then north on I-25 – weekend hiking destination: South Dakota’s Black Hills. Nearing the Wyoming border saw a flashing road sign warning I-80 West to Laramie was closed due to drifting snow. That’s odd – we only received a dusting this morning, stopped altogether before noon.

Brief fuel stop in Cheyenne, stocked up on road-happy provisions. Crazy wind. I overhear truckers talking about road closures (while eating at Wendy’s – I know, but chili sounded tasty) so asked the Love’s station guys about road conditions ahead. All roads are closed. Yeah, yeah I saw the sign but I’m not heading west – I’m travelling north, then east to South Dakota.

No ALL roads are closed – freak blizzard. What?

Being completely hard-headed…maybe we can travel east, then cut north thru Nebraska somehow. Ok, calling ahead – we had reservations at Custer State Park. 20 inches of snow already, roads are closed – no end in sight. ARGH!

One of the worst blizzards in South Dakota history plowed through the region during the first weekend of October, leaving a wake of destruction in its path. In Rapid City, nestled in the Black Hills, 19 inches of snow fell on Oct. 4 alone. By day three, total snowfall reached 31 inches near Mount Rushmore and close to 5 feet of snow blanketed the hardest hit parts of western South Dakota. Hurricane-force wind gusts raged through the hills, breaking branches and uprooting massive pine trees already covered in ice. It will be days, maybe weeks, before ranchers can locate missing livestock, but estimates are they will find tens of thousands of dead cattle.

Sullen, turned around & headed back to Colorado. Plan B – I need a Plan B. I’m not beaten…just gotta think.

Limited myself to one hour on the Internet – think, think quick.

I’ve never been to Steamboat Springs. Heard there are natural hot springs (similar to Iceland) & assume hiking trails since Steamboat is a Colorado ski destination. Check, done 🙂

Caught some sleep, breakfast burritos at Whole Foods, then hit the highway (again).

Enjoyed beautiful autumn colour travelling west past Silverthorne, north on 9 to Kremmling, then another hour to Steamboat on Hwy 40. Bit of a late start for a hike – but wow, was not disappointed with my choice. Aspen last weekend, Steamboat Springs this weekend – both fantastic foliage selections plus snow plus chilly 20-degree camping overnights. ROCKSTAR life!

Quick ½ mile hike to Fish Creek Falls, then a longer trek thru knee-deep snow to Second Falls where a group of CSU engineering students offered a hit from their blunt (thanks work friends for the terminology share).

[Nope I didn’t partake but found the situation funny enough to include in my post. Come on, you gotta laugh. Not happening.]

Return hiked to Steamboat, grabbed some chili, then back on the road – day’s only half over, right? 🙂

Drove two miles up a muddy road riddled with pot holes. Strawberry Park Hot Springs looked like a resort spa on the web. Sun was disappearing fast. Was this the right place? Paid a guy the $10 cash-only entrance fee. Seemed kinda shady. And where do you change clothes? Yeah, the experience was a bit out of my comfort zone.

Temps plummeted with the fading light, steam from the natural hot pools created a dense fog.

Slipped on a suit & kerplunked into the pool – awkward, missed a step completely & all but fell in. LOL>

Ahhhhh. Warm, relaxing. Lowered the voice control in my head.

Perched against a rock wall, kicked back & enjoyed the show – the heavens opened up, exposing every imaginable star. Little Dipper, Milky Way, Cassiopeia. Never thought I’d soak ‘til almost midnight – one AMAZING nite.

Flash-bathed at McD’s next morning (another proud moment), then enjoyed oatmeal & blueberries at the Steaming Bean. Quick walk-around F. M Light & Sons (western store advertised in every farm field from Kremmling to Steamboat), followed by a stop at historic More Barn, before the return drive to Boulder County.

SPECTACULAR ‘Plan B’ weekend – South Dakota can wait, I’ve got time 🙂

WATCH my short clip – ‘Second Falls (Fish Creek Falls trail)’