A Guide for Day Trippers
If the saying goes, “There’s no bad weather, just inappropriate clothing,” then with the right gear you can explore some great places deep in the mountains of Colorado. With just over 17,000 acres, James Peak Wilderness Area gives you a multitude of options for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Covering my two favorites, are the Crater Lake Trail (just outside of Rollinsville) or tackling James Peak Summit- the flagship of the wilderness area.
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Nestled up to the iconic Flatirons- and boasting some of the country’s best open spaces- with an interconnected trail system running throughout town, Boulder is a great place to explore. The Flatirons striking, sloped rusty-red limestone formations make up the Boulder foothills, and are the backdrop of just about everywhere you stop. Tying it all together is the pristine Boulder Creek, working its way through town. A seamless transition between nature and city, Boulder is best experienced by walking.
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Golden Gate Canyon State Park has pretty much everything you could want in a hiking destination. Just a short drive from the metro area, and you find yourself engulfed with the panoramic scenery of the Continental Divide- with a multitude of hiking options. Golden Gates: an ever-changing land scape from glaciers, that features carved-out prominent rolling saddles and steeply eroded canyons- just for our enjoyment, or so it seems. Topping it off with Thorodin as its centerpiece; legend has it, the first settlers could not decide on “Thor” or “Odin,” so they Read more
Leaf Porn, Leafing, and Leaf Peepers- and whatever other terms you may have heard to describe the Autumn rush here in Colorado. Checking out the foliage in the mountains is by far the busiest time of the year. And for good reason. The bright, golden leaves contrasted with cool evergreens is a sight to behold. Mix in near perfect weather, and you can’t blame the bumper to bumper traffic from Denver to Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 alone. This post is to keep you out of traffic, relaxed, and in the locals’ good graces, as was intended. Keep in mind, leaf season is as Read more
All the stunning panoramic scenery of a 14er- packed into a 13er! Topped off with a glacier and beautiful alpine lake, making James Peak a must hike in the Peak to Peak Region. The flagship and highest peak in Gilpin County- where I call home- can be reached in number of ways. I recommend the route via Saint Mary’s Glacier near Idaho Springs. After the hike, there are good many options to finish off a great day of trekking- and relax those tired muscles. As for the Read more
Longs Peak is the quintessential 14er in the Peak to Peak area. One only has to look at the state quarter to recognize that, with its image emblazoned on the back side. While it’s a very social hike, it is also very demanding. But like my wife likes to hear me say,
“Beauty is paid for, in part, by the currency of suffering.”
Peak 2 Peakers 