Hike #67: Heil Valley Ranch Trail, Boulder, CO

On November 25, 2019November 28, 2019 By Annie1 Comment

Date: Saturday, November 23, 2019

Miles: 10.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 1286 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 4 hr total

Type: Day hike from Denver (50 min drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/heil-valley-ranch

Notes:

Saturday I met up with someone I met through blogging— Chelsea ! It was so much fun to meet up for a local hike, we had the most beautiful weather. Despite its close proximity to Denver, I had not been to Heil Valley Ranch before. This area has several trail closures due to mud, so definitely check the Boulder County Open Space website before you head out.

We parked at the main trailhead and started out on the Wapiti Trail. This trail slowly climbs elevation for about 2.5 miles to the junction of Ponderosa Trail. From there, we followed the trail to the scenic overlook, then straight onto Wild Turkey Run Trail. After following Wild Turkey, we got back on Ponderosa and retraced our steps on Wapiti. The trail had a slight dusting of snow, but traction was not needed.

The trail has stretches of multi use paths, although we did not encounter too many mountain bikers. The trail spreads out elevation evenly, without any steep sections. Great trail for adding mileage!

Hike #66: Canyon Loop, Betasso Preserve, Boulder, CO

On November 17, 2019November 28, 2019 By Annie1 Comment

Date: Sunday, November 17, 2019

Miles: 3.4 miles

Elevation Gain: 482 feet

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Time: 1 hr 15 min total

Type: Day hike from Denver (45 min drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/canyon-loop

Notes:

We found another great park near Boulder! I have had Betasso Preserve on my list of places to explore for awhile, so we drove up to Boulder this morning for a quick loop. This is a multi use path, but mountain bikers are not allowed on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We got to the trailhead before 9AM and there was plenty of parking.

We started this trail clockwise, descending into the canyon for the first 2.5 miles. The trail was completely dry, free of snow and mud. Some areas of the trail were pretty narrow, which may be frustrating if there are a lot of mountain bikers. The trail has beautiful views of the canyon and foothills. Great year round trail!

Hike #65: Long Lake (Winter Trailhead), Indian Peaks Wilderness, Ward, CO

On November 17, 2019November 28, 2019 By AnnieLeave a comment

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2019

Miles: 7.8 miles

Elevation Gain: 666 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 3 hr total

Type: Day hike from Denver (1 hr 20 min drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/lake-isabelle-trail-winter

Notes:

Winter has settled in the mountains— and so has winter trailheads! We drove to Indian Peaks today for a glimpse of the alpine before the afternoon snow rolled in. The Wilderness area is completely closed at the Gateway Trailhead, requiring some extra mileage to get into the park.

To get to the Brainard Lake area, home to some iconic hike trailheads, we took the Brainard Lake snowshoe trail to the right of the gated entrance. You can also hike along this road, which is faster— what we ended up doing for the hike back to the car. The snowshoe trail was well packed and easy to find, although it does not follow the trail route located on AllTrails. It is about .6 miles longer than taking the road. You really only needed micro spikes on the snowshoe trail— the road and trail to Long Lake was clear. We hiked a little over 3 miles before we got to the summer trailhead for Long Lake.

From the summer trailhead, you reach Long Lake I’m only a half mile. From there, you can do a loop around the lake— we started to hike along, but stopped when the snow got deep. We also walked out on the lake, which was completely frozen. Great winter hike!

Hike #64: Pella Crossing Loop, Hygeine, CO

On November 11, 2019 By AnnieLeave a comment

Date: Sunday, November 10, 2019

Miles: 1.4 miles

Elevation Gain: 16 feet

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 30 min total

Type: Day hike from Denver (50 min drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/pella-crossing-loop-trail

Notes:

Travis and I completed this short hike yesterday afternoon, while killing time for the 2019 Wildlands Restoration Volunteers appreciate dinner and 20th Anniversary celebration! This trail head is actually the site of my first WRV project, so it was really meaningful to go back and explore.

The trail is just about as easy as it gets– wide and flat with crushed gravel. No show was on the trail. It had beautiful views of the foothills and Longs Peak. I would definitely recommend this for families or after work walks. There were plenty of benches lining the perimeter of the ponds.

Hike #63: Lake Helene via Bear Lake Trailhead, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

On November 10, 2019November 28, 2019 By Annie2 Comments

Date: Saturday, November 9, 2019

Miles: 6.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 1352 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 3 hr total

Type: Day hike from Denver (1 hr 30 min drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/lake-helene-via-fern-lake-trail

Notes:

Today continued our perfect weather weekend, so we ventured up to Rocky Mountain National Park with some friends for a snowy hike. I typically avoid the Bear Lake Trailhead in the summer, and opt to hit the most popular trails off season. Today did not disappoint— we got to the TH at 9am with plenty of parking left, and mostly had the trail to Lake Helene for ourselves.

From the start of the trail, micro-spikes or snow shoes are needed, although we saw a lot of people struggling up the trail without traction. To navigate, I would recommend downloading the AllTrails app, since snow and wind can easily wash out a trail (although we were fine). Keep following the signs towards Odessa Lake.

The trail is easy to find in the snow and is packed down; however, the trail is pretty narrow. It’s easy to post hole while stepping to the side. The snow on the trail is surprisingly deep! Elevation is spread out gradually, with a brief descent down to the lake. I would consider this hike one of the best winter adventures off of Bear Lake TH.