Video Hike to Mt. Elbert - the Highest Mountain in Colorado

Video Hike to Mt. Elbert - the Highest Mountain in Colorado

Monday, June 9, 2014

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At 14,433 feet, Mt. Elbert ranks as the highest mountain in Colorado. It’s also the highest point between Mt. Whitney in California, Fairweather Mountain in Canada, La Malinche Mountain in Mexico, and Mont Blanc in France. But don’t be intimidated - it’s a relatively easy hike - if you have good fitness and are properly acclimated. Below is a short video highlighting some of the outstanding scenery you'll see on this hike. For more detailed information on this hike, please click here.








Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Win a trip to Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness

Win a trip to Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness

Sunday, June 26, 2011

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Enter the Backpacker Magazine EXTREMES SWEEPSTAKES for a chance to win an epic hike for you and a guest with Southwest Adventure Guides. You'll cross wildflower-filled meadows and peak-studded basins to reach one of the most remote spots in the Lower 48: Rock Creek Lake in Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness (featured in BACKPACKER's May Issue and Dec 2007).

Big-time bonus: Both the winner and guest will get expedition packs from Osprey loaded with sleeping bags and tents from Pine Needle Mountaineering. To enter, all you have to do is submit your email here!

Don't delay - deadline to enter is June 30th.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Hiker killed by mountain goat versus my recent experience

Hiker killed by mountain goat versus my recent experience

Saturday, October 23, 2010

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Most of you have probably already heard the story about the hiker that was fatally gored by a mountain goat in Olympic National Park last weekend.

After reading the details that have emerged this week, I couldn’t help but relate this to my own recent experience on Quandary Peak in Colorado.

Here's a quick recap of the incident in Olympic:

Last Saturday 63-year-old Robert Boardman of Port Angeles, WA was hiking with his wife and a friend on the Switchback Trail in the national park. They stopped for lunch at an overlook when a goat appeared and began acting aggressively toward them. After chasing him for a bit, the ram gored Boardman in the thigh, then stood over him as he lay bleeding to death, staring at people trying to help.

That goat was killed shortly thereafter, but rangers and biologists continue to investigate the area for other signs of aggressive goat behavior.

I pointed out in my blog posting from a couple of weeks ago that the highlight of our hike up Quandary was seeing a family of mountain goats. It was the closest I’ve ever been to a mountain goat. However, the story of Boardman’s death hit a little close to home as the goats we encountered appeared to express a degree of aggressiveness towards us as well.

The first indication of this behavior was when the largest male goat laid down on the trail as we approached from below, thus preventing us from proceeding forward. The only reason the ram started moving again was due to another group of hikers ascending the trail below us. This group included a dog.

Although the goats were at least walking again, they stayed on or near the trail, not allowing us to pass. This went on for several minutes until another group of hikers approached from above, prompting the goats to move off the trail. We were finally able to safely pass, and got about a quarter of a mile away from the goats when we decided to take a quick bathroom, food and drink break. Because we were on a fairly narrow ridge, we were just off the trail at this point.

After sitting down on a rock for a couple of minutes we noticed the goats moving again. The large male, the same ram that plopped down on the trail earlier, was making a direct bee line towards us. In a somewhat similar situation as the Olympic incident, I told my wife to get moving as quickly as possible. She was already up the trail when I was finally able to get my backpack together and hurriedly moved out as the goat got to within 75 feet of me. It was the last time we saw the goats.

Interestingly, since the incident in Olympic, park officials there have warned hikers not to urinate on or near the trail because goats are attracted to the salt. Was this the reason the ram approached us?

Obviously I’m not a mountain goat expert, so I don’t know if this behavior is considered normal or aggressive, but I’m going to forward this posting to rangers at the White River National Forest as an FYI.







Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
HikinginGlacier.com
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In a Quandary

In a Quandary

Saturday, October 2, 2010

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The main hiking objective of our recent trip out west was to summit Quandary Peak in central Colorado. At 14,265 feet, Quandary is the 13th highest peak in Colorado, and the highest mountain in the Tenmile Range.

According to 14ers.com the peak’s name comes from a group of miners who were unable to identify a mineral sample found on its slopes in the 1860s. The group was in a quandary over the exact nature of the mineral, and ended up naming the mountain from which it came, “Quandary Peak.”

Arriving at the trailhead near Hoosier Pass that morning, the temperature gauge read a chilly 36 degrees. After a long and very hot summer, this was a bit of a shock to the system.

Although it’s a relatively short hike, and has less elevation gain when compared to other Fourteeners, the trail still packs a punch. Much of the climbing occurs in two relatively short sections. One climbs 1300 feet over a 0.9-mile section roughly midway through the hike. The second climbs 1100 feet during the final 0.8-mile push to the top:

By the time we arrived at the summit the sun was already high in the sky, making the thin air feel relatively warm.



Although the views from the summit were quite spectacular, the highlight of the hike was coming face to face with a family of mountain goats. We first saw them from a distance hanging around the pathway several hundred yards up the trail. However, as we got closer, although curious, they didn’t move. In fact, the largest Billie (male goat) decided to lay down on the trail just as we got close enough to look into his eyes.

You could say that we were now “in a quandary” as to what to do next. We were just about to go off trail and walk around the road block, but noticed a group of hikers approaching from behind us. The sight of their dog provided the motivation for the goats to finally move out. Because we were on a fairly narrow ridgeline we basically followed the goats for about a quarter-of-a-mile until a group of hikers descending from above effectively forced them off the trail, and out of our way. Moving towards the edge of the ridge allowed me to get some great shots:



After our hike, on the way back to Buena Vista, we stopped in the town of Fairplay for an ice cream at an old-fashioned soda fountain joint. The town is an absolute hidden gem. Although it plays up its association with the popular South Park animated sitcom, it’s really a small, laid-back rustic town with an old west vibe. There were no signs of over-commercialization, nor do I recall seeing any national chains of any type. We really wished we could’ve spent some more time there, but Kathy was nursing a massive headache from the altitude and just wanted to take a nap.

Speaking of South Park, the drive though this region is extremely beautiful. There are two main roads that pass through this high elevation grassland basin that encompasses roughly 1,000 square miles; one takes you from Buena Vista to Denver (U.S. 285), while the other travels from Buena Vista to Colorado Springs (U.S. 24). In 2009 South Park was designated as a National Heritage Area.

Trail: Quandary Peak Trail
Round-trip Distance: 6.75 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,450 feet
Trailhead Elevation: 10,850 feet
Summit Elevation: 14,265 feet

The trailhead is located roughly 8 miles south of Breckenridge/14 miles north of Fairplay, on the north side of Hoosier Pass in the White River National Forest.















Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed trail information for the Great Smoky Mountains; trail descriptions, key features, pictures, maps, elevation profiles, news, books and more.

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America’s Newest National Park

America’s Newest National Park

Friday, October 1, 2010

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During our transition day from Santa Fe up to Buena Vista, we stopped at Great Sand Dunes National Park in south-central Colorado.

Originally designated as a National Monument in 1932, the Great Sand Dunes was promoted to a National Park and Preserve by Congress in 2004.

With 30 square miles of dunes the park contains the largest dune field, as well as the tallest sand dunes, in North America. The highest, Star Dune, rises roughly 750 feet above the San Luis Valley floor.

Visitors are free to walk wherever they want on the dunes. Other popular activities include sandboarding, skiing and sledding. In fact, there’s a shop just outside of the park entrance that will rent all the equipment you need to participate in any of these unique sports.

The park is more than just sand, however. There are 150,000 acres of grasslands, wetlands, dunes, forests, alpine lakes, and three peaks that exceed 13,000 feet in elevation, all contained within the park boundaries. There are several hiking trail opportunities as well.

Visitors should be aware of extreme sand temperatures. Although summer afternoon air temps may only read in the eighties, the surface of the sand can reach a scorching temperature of around 140 degrees! As a result, the park encourages people to wear closed shoes. Gaiters would definitely be of great help in keeping sand out of your boots as well.

Walking in the sand can be difficult. When walking uphill your feet tend to slide back downhill with each step. However, running and jumping back down the dunes like a kid makes it all worthwhile.

Here are a few scenes from the dunes:





















Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed trail information for the Great Smoky Mountains; trail descriptions, key features, pictures, maps, elevation profiles, news, books and more.

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Hike Report: Gilpin Lake Loop

Hike Report: Gilpin Lake Loop

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

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The Gilpin Lake / Gold Creek Lake Loop in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area is an extremely popular hike; and for good reason. My wife, brother and I tackled this hike while on vacation in August of 2008.

The Mount Zirkel Wilderness is located in north-central Colorado near the town of Steamboat Springs, and lies within the Routt National Forest. With the passing of the Wilderness Act in 1964, Mt. Zirkel was among the first designated wilderness areas in the country.

From the Slavonia Trailhead, about a 30 minute drive from Steamboat Springs, we started down the Gilpin Lake Trail (trail 1161) before reaching the Gold Creek Lake Trail junction less than a quarter-mile into the hike. For this loop, I would recommend taking the Gold Creek Lake Trail (trail 1150) first.

Throughout the early portions of our hike we noticed some of the devastation from the freak windstorm that struck the area in 1997. Known as the Routt Divide Blowdown, winds in excess of 120 miles per hour were recorded during the height of the early winter storm. The devastating force of the storm brought down more than four million trees within a swathe of land 5 miles wide and 30 miles long. The Routt Divide Blowdown is the largest blowdown ever recorded in the Rocky Mountains.

Along the route to Gold Creek Lake we passed a nice 35-foot waterfall:

At roughly 2.8 miles from the trailhead we reached Gold Creek Lake, an 8 acre lake surrounded by fir and lodgepole pine. The trail skirts around the western and northern side of the lake, offering several different vantage points. Hikers should note that the lake is a very popular destination.


The next major destination on the loop is a huge meadow below Ute Pass. This glacially carved valley is an outstanding place to relax or do a little exploring. Looking towards the east, the prominent backdrop to the valley is Flattop Mountain, Ute Pass and the Continental Divide.

Beyond the meadow you’ll reach another fork in the trail where you’ll be turning left onto the Gilpin Lake Trail. From here the trail climbs up to the top of Gilpin Ridge.

At the top of pass you’ll have your first views of Gilpin Lake. The view of the deep blue, alpine lake is stunning and dramatic – one of the best in the Rockies. You’ll also have your first views of Mt. Zirkel and Big Agnes Mountain. At 12,180 feet, Mount Zirkel is the highest peak in the wilderness area, and is one of 15 peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation.

From here the trail descends rapidly towards the lake. Through this section and just below the lake we saw a variety of wildflowers.

Although the lake looks like a blue sapphire from 450 feet above, it’s actually crystal clear when viewed from the shoreline.

After passing Gilpin Lake, the trail generally follows Gilpin Creek for most of the way back to the trailhead. After passing a few more wildflower-filled meadows, the path descends back below tree-line before eventually passing through a beautiful grove of aspens.

After a long day on the trail we made a beeline to the Old Town Pub for some wings and beer.

With a mixture of western flavor and yuppie ski resort status, Steamboat Springs seems to be a nice enough town. The town does have a bit of pretentiousness about it, but not nearly as bad as other Colorado ski towns such as Vail, Breckinridge or Aspen. Filthy Rich Cattle Drive, the CMT reality series you may recall from a couple of years back, was filmed in and around the town.

I'm definitely planning to return to hike the Gilpin Lake Loop again, as well as some of the other trails in the wilderness area. With close to 170 miles of trails in Mt. Zirkel, there’s still a lot of exploring to do.

Gilpin Lake / Gold Creek Loop
RT Miles: 9.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 2370 feet
Max Elevation: 10,790 feet




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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Race Across the Sky: The Leadville Trail 100

Race Across the Sky: The Leadville Trail 100

Friday, October 30, 2009

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Below is a trailer for a limited release movie about the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race.

This was a significant race as it marked Lance Armstrong's return to Colorado after finishing second the year before to Dave Wiens, a six-time winner of the race.

The race starts from the historic mining town of Leadville, Colorado. Along with Ouray, Leadville is one of my favorite mountain towns in Colorado. Unlike most of the ski towns of Colorado, no one could ever accuse Leadville of being pretentious.

First run in 1994, the Leadville Trail 100 MTB is one of the oldest ultra-marathon mountain bike races in the world. The race is run on a 50-mile out and back course, starting and finishing in downtown Leadville, Colorado (which sits at an elevation of 10,200 ft). Total elevation change is roughly 14,000 feet, with riders peaking at 12,600 feet on Hope Pass.

I happened to be in Leadville the week before the 2008 race. Unfortunately our plans were already made well before Armstrong announced that he was going to ride the the race that year. After learning that he was going to return in 2009, I came up with the brilliant idea that I was going to enter the race as well. My sole purpose was to do an all out sprint at the starting gun so that I could get in front of Lance, and then have my wife take a picture - just for bragging rights.

For some reason though, Kathy thought this was a silly idea. Geez, can't a guy have a little fun once in awhile!

Anyway, here's the trailer:



Race Across the Sky: The Leadville Trail 100 was shown in select theatres across the country on October 22, but is scheduled for an encore viewing on November 12. You can find more information by clicking here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Great Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Top 10 Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Top 10 Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Sunday, September 27, 2009

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A couple people have emailed me recently, asking for suggestions on some great day hikes, or asked me what my favorite trails are in Rocky Mountain National Park. Based on many hikes over the years, I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 hikes in the Rockies. They are as follows:

1) Hallett Peak
2) Sky Pond
3) Old Ute Trail
4) Emerald Lake
5) Chasm Lake
6) Bluebird Lake
7) Key Hole on Longs Peak
8) Black Lake
9) Twin Sisters Peak
10) Odessa Lake

You should also consider the hike up to Mount Ida Trail. Other hikes completed, for comparison purposes, include: Ypsilon Lake, Deer Mountain, Big Meadows, Lake Haiyaha, Fern Lake, Tundra Trail, Cub Lake and Poudre River Trail, among others.

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For more information on all the trails in Rocky Mountain National Park, please visit our new sister website at Rocky Mountain Hiking Trails.

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Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Rocky Mountain National Park: An overview

Rocky Mountain National Park: An overview

Saturday, September 19, 2009

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Before I begin posting hike reports from our Rocky Mountain National Park trip, I wanted to give you all a short overview of the park. Our recent trip to the Rockies marks my seventh visit to the park in the last 20+ years.

Anyone who’s ever been to this magnificent park in Colorado can surely identify, on some level, with John Denver’s lyrics.

With roughly 360 miles of trails, the park is an absolute hiker’s paradise. Altitude in the park ranges from 7500 to 14,259 feet and slices through montane, sub-alpine and alpine zones. Ecologically speaking, a drive up Trail Ridge Road effectively takes you to the Arctic Circle – and will definitely feel like it on most days.

Trail Ridge Road is also the highest paved road for any national park in the United States, cresting at 12,183 feet before it crosses the Continental Divide when driving towards Grand Lake. It was opened to the public in 1932. Prior to its completion, Horace Albright, director of the National Park Service, predicted; "It is hard to describe what a sensation this new road is going to make. You will have the whole sweep of the Rockies before you in all directions."

Rocky Mountain National Park is also home to elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, eagles, hawks and more than 300 species of birds.

One-third of the park is above tree line. Besides the incredible scenery, the park is famous for the aspens that turn a brilliant golden yellow in the fall, as well as the hundreds of elk that congregate in the Moraine Park area during the rut season.

The first settlers to move into the area arrived in 1860. Joel Estes, a Kentuckian, and his son Milton, rode into the valley that bears their name the year before while scouting for game. The father and son decided to return after climbing a high promontory that gave them a commanding view of the breathtakingly beautiful valley.

I was a bit confused the first time I visited Estes Park back in 1986. I expected to see a town or county park of some type. Instead, I found an actual town. I didn’t understand the use of the word “park”. It wasn’t until later that I discovered that Coloradoans refer to large, high-elevation meadows and grass basins, as parks. Thus the source of the names such as Estes, Woodland, Winter, and even South Park, which is located about 50 miles west of Colorado Springs.

In the years that followed, the Rockies attracted various adventurers, including the great explorer John Wesley Powell who, in 1868, conquered Longs Peak, the highest point in the park. Just five years later, Anna Dickinson became the first woman to succeed in making the climb.

Isabella Bird, an Englishwoman whose extensive travels and writings earned her the first female membership in the Royal Geographic Society, visited Estes Park in the fall of 1873. She fell in love with the area and published a book; A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains. This began attracting tourists to the area.

In 1903, F. O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, came to Estes Park for his health. Impressed by the beauty of the valley and grateful for the improvement to his health, he decided to invest his money and his future there. In 1909, he opened the elegant Stanley Hotel.

The hotel became famous in recent times when novelist Stephen King found his inspiration for "The Shining" after staying in an almost empty hotel on the night before it closed for the winter. Although the hotel wasn’t used as a backdrop for the movie, it was used for the three-part 1997 television miniseries.

On January 26, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation that created Rocky Mountain National Park, and in 1976, the park received recognition from the United Nations as an international Biosphere Reserve.

Our most recent trip to the Rockies was certainly the rainiest and the coolest we've experienced in Colorado. It rained every single day we were there. Although we had a window of very pleasant weather each morning, it felt like rain, or the threat of rain, was chasing us out of the wilderness each day. By the end of the week it got so cold that it snowed in the upper elevations, requiring us to make a few adjustments to our itinerary.

All in all though, we still had an excellent trip with some outstanding hiking.

By the way, if you’ve been to Gatlinburg, you’ve been to Estes Park.

Tomorrow I will be posting my report and pictures from our hike to Lake Helene and Odessa Lake.

If you want to see some absolutely stunning photography of the mountains of Colorado, check out Colorado II by world renowned photographer, David Muench:















> Please click here to see a summary of trail reports and photos from our hikes in the Rockies.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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Colorado Hiking Trip Pictures

Colorado Hiking Trip Pictures

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

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Okay, I know this post has nothing to do with the Great Smoky Mountains, but it's still hiking related. I thought I would share a few photos from a couple of hikes we did on our recent trip to Colorado. While in the Rocky Mountain State we hiked Huron Peak, Gilpin Lake, the Devil's Causeway and Rabbit Ears Peak.


Gilpin Lake in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area.

An aspen grove.

The Devil's Causeway in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. This is a land bridge at an altitude of roughly 11,800 feet. The bridge is roughly 100 feet long and narrows to just 6 feet in width. On either side of the bridge are 1000 foot drop-offs! Unfortunately (or fortunately), I didn't get a chance to walk all the way across. Just seconds after shooting this picture it began to rain and we were forced to turn around. We had to hightail it down the mountain after we began hearing thunder.

Columbine on the trail to Rabbit Ears Peak (just outside of Steamboat Springs).

A marmot hamming-it-up for the camera.

From the summit of 14,003-foot Huron Peak in the Wasatch Range.

Jeff

HikingintheSmokys.com

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