Lions gulch, lions paw, lion everything

We hiked up Lions Gulch today near Estes Park. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful hike. However, in the photo below I didn't quite get my self-timer set with enough time. You see, the problem was trying to balance the camera on this rock and I kept adjusting it so it wouldn't fall off, all the while my timer is ticking away and then... only 5 seconds left to get in the picture!

At the end of the hike are a bunch of old homestead ruins from over a hundred years ago, like the one below. One of the homesteads was owned by this lady who would take milk and eggs into Lions everyday, sell them, and then buy supplies for herself. She would carry them all the way up the trail (provided she got a ride to the trail head), and then walk up the trail we just hiked; Up and down and up and down with the eventual elevation gain of 1,300 ft. over the course of about 3 miles up to nearly 10,000 ft. Whew! It was a hard life if you ask me.

A pessimist is an optimist on the way back

Just a couple of days ago we were standing on top of Carpenter Peak in 80 degree weather looking down on Roxborough Country Club. What a beautiful day it was. Now it's all covered in snow and about 32 degrees. How things change fast in Colorado. I knew it would get worse! A pessimist is an optimist on the way back.

Carpenter Peak

Yesterday, Nancy and I hiked to the summit of Carpenter Peak. It was a beautiful day and just a little breezy. At the top, we ate our energy bars and drank lots of cold water.

At the summit I looked around for signs of the recent fire and could just see a little strip of blackened timber in the photo below. The snowy mountain in the background is Mt. Evans. It appeared as if the fire is completely out now and there was no visible smoke. Between us and the nearest ridge is Waterton Canyon.

Wild Basin

Our hike up to Ouzel Falls was in the Wild Basin area. We followed a hard packed trail on the snow for four miles up to the frozen falls. The ice was was in and a number of climbers were enjoying the sunny day.

I know it doesn't look very deep, but one step off the side of this trail and you're in the snow up to your knees! That doesn't leave you a lot of ground if you drink too much water! Where do you go? Anyway, we enjoyed the hike and look forward to more of them.

Upcoming hike

In a few months I will be hiking 40 miles to this enchanting place. Craig, Ed, their boys and I will be visiting Peru and following the long trail of the Incas. I promise lots of photos for you.

In preparation, I bought new boots, Zamberlan's. I got their old style leather boots. I got them because they reminded me so much of my favorite Pivetta's, which has gone out of business. My old boots were just plain worn out and very tired. Now I'm in the process of breaking in the new ones and everything seems to be going well. I'm looking forward to the trip and my time with old friends on the trail. Hard to believe they would build a city and then farm on this high mountain ridge!

Ouzel Falls

I hiked up to Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park yesterday with our little hiking group. Due to the snow levels, we had to park a mile from this sign which is at the Ranger station. So the hike ended up about 3.7 miles one way. We gained about 1,000 ft. in elevation.

Many of us brought our snowshoes for the hike but quickly realized that the trail was pretty hard packed and we could just walk up it in our hiking boots, which is what we did. You didn't want to step off the side of the trail however, because you'd post hole up to your knees!

When we started the hike it was pretty windy and very cold, but as we got higher and into the timber, it warmed up, the sun came out, and I took off my hood and unbuttoned my coat. Nothing like a winter hike in the high Colorado Rockies!

Along the way we crossed a series of beautiful bridges. We stopped to eat at this one right below the falls. If you go a few miles farther along the trail, you'll come to Ouzel Lake. I think I'll come back here in the summer this year if time permits. It's a two hour drive from Denver but really nice.

Just a few hundred yards past the falls we decided to pose for a group photo. That's Longs Peak behind us.

Dawson Butte Hike

We went on a great little five mile hike last week on the Dawson Butte Trail, which is just about halfway between Denver and Colorado Springs. We enjoyed nice weather and some mixed sunshine. Not bad for a January day in Colorado! We all decided the trail was nice enough to return for a mountain bike ride. We'll see this one again in May or June! The area is also popular for Geocaching.

Just another hike?

My planned destination for this spring is Machu Picchu in Peru. We'll be hiking roughly forty miles over a period of four days on the Inca Trail to this spectacular spot. It's almost an "other worldly" place. In college my friend Craig and I agreed to meet here. We said, "Meet you in Picchu!" Now it's time to go before our knees give out.

Roxborough State Park hike

I went for a hike yesterday with my brother-in-law David, who is from Phoenix. We drove down to Roxborough State Park and hiked the North trail. He enjoyed the hike since he works with the boy scouts and likes getting outdoors. We packed a lunch and had a enjoyable hike.

Near the trail head we saw a number of deer right by the trail. I heard another hiker say that he'd seen a bobcat about an hour earlier. Last spring I saw a mountain lion track one of the trails, and last year I saw two black bears.

Segment 5 CT

I hiked with my friends down segment five of the Colorado Trail Saturday toward Lost Creek Wilderness. We enjoyed very nice weather and beautiful views.

This segment has open vistas with some wonderful views of the mountains around South Park, just South of Jefferson, CO. It follows the side of a hill along the West side of the rise. There were a few aspen trees that never got the email to drop their leaves. Ahh, how nice.

After about 4 or 5 miles of hiking we stopped for lunch and enjoyed the views. Nice to have such great weather (well into the 70's) up in the mountains in mid October. Word of a hard freeze this week however.

Little canyon

On our camping trip last weekend we hiked up a little canyon and found this unusual stream rolling down the carved grooves in the stone. It was delightful on so many levels. Had it been bigger without a drop off at the end, I would've been tempted to ride it down.

Here is a view from the side of the creek. It's almost like the water created rolls in the rock in the same way a car would create wash boards on a gravel road.

Chautauqua Trail, a burger, and a Haagen-dazs

Yesterday I hiked the Chautauqua Trail with our group. We then took the Flatirons Loop Trail and came back to the trail head in Boulder. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees. A hot summer sun really has its advantages. You don't have to shovel it! And, there is so much snow in the mountains this year, the streams are really raging down. I think the snowbanks are overdrawn.

Our group stopped at this little shelter to have some water and enjoy the views of the flatirons and the plains off to the East. Afterward, we all went to town and had a burger for lunch and then over to Pearl Street Mall for a Haagen-dazs. I was good though! Really! I promise!

Mt. Sniktau

Nancy and I climbed Mt. Sniktau with our little group today. We hiked up from Loveland Pass and enjoyed a nice lunch near the top. Mt. Sniktau is 13,238 ft. above sea level and a great little climb for the spring because the wind blows all the snow off the ridges. That's Gray's Peak behind us.

We posed for a summit shot and then went back to our cars and at cake! It was Chris's birthday so it tasted extra special after a hard climb. Colorado! What a great place to live.

Butler Gulch

Yesterday I went snowshoeing with our small group up Butler Gulch near Henderson Mine. There were 15 of us and we really enjoyed the hike through the quiet forest. The trail was a little steep at the end as we approached the divide, but with snowshoes it was not a problem. Not one of us was worried about an accident, you know, like an avalanche or something. Ninety percent of accidents occur in the kitchen. And I've cooked quite a few of them!

Fancy Lake

Someone asked what my favorite hike was this year. I think it has to be Fancy Lake in the Holy Cross Wilderness. It's beautiful, pristine, no people, magnificent scenery, and a very nice hike up to the lake.

Nancy and I stopped near a ravine for a short lunch on the way up. The weather was cloudy that day but no rain until we got back to the car. This is a place I hope to return to next year.

More on Herman Lake

Chris took this photo of me up at Herman Lake on Saturday. Hiking up to a place like this is a lot like exercise, which of course I need. You know, I may not jog or play tennis, but I'm a very brisk eater! Chocolate Gelato is a favorite. I do like to hike, but I don't believe in jogging. When I die, I want it to be from an illness.