The high country is lacking good snow. And the foothills were probably crowded. But I found an obscure little spot to enjoy. Read More ...

Continue reading Some time in between at PMags.com.

Our annual late-Fall hike to Eldorado Mountain in the south part of the Boulder area.

Ever year for the past few seasons,  d-low has put together a walk up this mountain outside of Eldorado Canyon State Park.  This local mountain is trail-less and offers exquisite views of the Continental Divide and the local foothills of the open space system not normally seen by most people.

Throw in some off-trail travel, some minor navigational challenges along with the time of the year and something only a few miles from Boulder seems more like a wilderness experience than a typical walk in the open space.

Joining d-low and I was our good friend Disco and Hearsay (a thru-hiker  bud from Crested Butte).

The hike was another enjoyable with cool, crisp and sunny weather.

The trail started off at a mellow clip in Eldorado Canyon State Park up the Rattlesnake Gulch trail.  Not long after, we went off trail, through the talus and made our way up the mountain off trail.

Continue reading Eldorado Mtn Bushwhack at PMags.com.

About mid-April to mid-June or so, is an interesting time in Colorado.

The high country is still full of snow and a bit too much for hiking.   The snow can be fun to ski, but turns slushy and concrete like by mid-day.

The foothills beckon and it is invariably what calls to many of us who love to hike.

And every year some friends and I start the hiking season with a hike we dubbed the Boulder Super Slam. A hike that takes in all the high points of the Boulder open space and connects it all with the well-known Mesa Trail (and a little bit of road walking!) for a big loop in our backyard.

This year, the weather (and a trail closure due to a fire from earlier this year) did not cooperate for the full loop.

The cast of characters was smaller this year as well.   But the smaller crew represented a lot of hiking!  It was nice to see Dave H.

Continue reading Flowers and Frost : May in Colorado at PMags.com.

The Boulder Grand Slam

The Boulder Grand Slam is a route that takes in the ridge line of the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks system.

On this hike, we start at the Sanitas trailhead and proceed to Sanitas, Anemone, Red Rocks, Flagstaff, Green, Bear and South Boulder peak. A total of ~18 miles and 8500′ elev gain.

Looking down the Valley Trail towards Bear and S. Boulder peaks. The end of the day’s journey.

The hike is a fantastic way to have an adventure within city limits.

We did the hike last year and had a wonderful time. This year we competed with a dumping of fresh powder in the high country! Half the people bailed to go snowboarding or skiing.

This time of the year always shows where a person’s true passion lie. If you are a die hard skiier/snowboarder (be it backcountry or (ack)! resort), you are looking for that last stash of powder.

Continue reading Boulder Grand Slam 2007 at PMags.com.