It was miserably cold and windy in Denver. Erin and I wanted to feel some sunshine, so we drove to the end of segment 1 of the Colorado Trail and hiked back towards Denver. We had her dog, Sappho, with us, so we went for as long as the dog wanted and then turned around. Which turns out to be about 10 miles total.
Some parts of the trail were dusted with snow and we could see various animal prints. Other dogs, humans, some kind of mouse/rat, and rabbit. Everybody loves the Colorado Trail!
Georgia, Linda, Myself, and Erin. Our Target, Thunder Butte, in the background.
On Top of Thunder Butte! Pike’s Peak in the Background.
Linda and Georgia were going to hike up Thunder Butte, the high point of Douglas County, and invited Erin and I to join them. I thought it sounded like a fun and easily attainable summit.
Our Destination!
I was looking forward to hiking a non-snow covered trail. It was the first big hike I had done since my ultra, so I wasn’t sure how my feet would feel. Both my big toenails had blisters underneath them, so I figured there would be a small element of pain. Tape goes a long way towards helping, but I also wore a thicker pair of socks.
Erin and I hiked from the Ranger Station in Eldorado Canyon, over to Walker Ranch. We then hiked the loop, and came back. It was a wintry day, but still a pleasant jaunt. We had fabulous views of Eldorado Canyon and did a tiny bit of off trail wandering, which was fun.
What a weekend! Climbing the First Flatiron with Doug, followed up by a lovely day hike to the Crater Lakes in James Peak Wilderness with Erin and Josh. Super duper fun…I wish all weekends could all be this rad!
I met up with Josh and Erin really early in the AM. We drove in Josh’s jeep to the trail head at the Moffat Tunnel. Hiking ensued lasting several hours. We meandered our way up to the lakes and stopped briefly for lunch. It was fairly breezy and chilly, so we didn’t loiter for long.
On the hike back to the car we saw lots of people with dogs and skis heading out for the afternoon. I thought it was a bit late in the day, but maybe they were just going to be out for an hour. On the way back to Denver, we stopped at Very Nice Brewery in Nederland for a pint (or three!).
Climbergirl on Summit of Pike’s Peak
Tom and Linda on their millionth-gazillionth summit of Pike’s.
The Scene:
Tom and Linda are looking for a little adventure, so they call me. “We’re thinking to hike up Pike’s Peak this weekend, do you want to join us?”.
The Setting:
Of course, I had nothing else going on; having just returned from Portugal. The calendar was wide open.
The Response:
“Sign me up!” I exclaimed, before even asking about the weather!…Lucky for me, Tom already had the forecast printed. It was supposed to be windy with gusts up to 20 and a possibility of late evening precipitation. The trail was mostly clear, but we might want to bring gators for a few areas of snow deposits.
After being blown off Pike’s Peak a few years ago, I decided this potential forecast sounded as good as any other day on Pikes!
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