Side Bar 6: Overdue September Check-In

On By AnnieLeave a comment

I have neglected timely / frequent posts this past month– we have been very busy! We spent some time out of the state visiting friends and family during the Labor Day holiday. Then, last week Travis and I got married at Tombstone Ridge trail in Rocky Mountain National Park! It was the perfect way for us to start the rest of our lives together. Once I get our full pictures, I will probably create a post about that too!

We officially have passed 52 Hikes! It felt good to submit my name on their website as a completer. Here is where I currently sit:

Hikes: 57 / 70
Mileage: 288.8 / 300
Elevation Gain: 60,092 / 60,000
Average MPH: 2.32 / 2.5

I am so close to completing all my goals! Now that I have elevation gain completed, I will soon cross mileage off as well. Only 11.2 more miles to hike– maybe I’ll shoot for 500 miles next year. I’m so proud of how well my boots have stayed together during this journey– however, it’s almost time to replace them!

We have a few trips planned for the upcoming months. Most notably, we decided to cross two National Parks off of our list this Thanksgiving break — Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Big Bend National Park. I can’t wait for new adventures.

Hike #57: American Lakes and Snow Lake, State Forest State Park, Gould, CO

On By Annie1 Comment

Date: Saturday, September 21, 2019

Miles: 8.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 1742 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 3 hr 45 min total

Type: Weekend hike from Denver (4 hr drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/snow-lake-via-american-lakes-trail

Notes:

This hike has been on my bucket list since I moved to Colorado, but it’s remote location has prevented me from completing it. While staying on the west side of Rocky Mountain this weekend, we drove the extra hour and a half to State Forest State Park, off of highway 40.

The trail does not have a lot of signage, but it is easy to follow and well maintained. The trail was not crowded, but populated more than reviews I read depicted. The first mile climbs elevation through a pine forest, with a wide trail that accommodates hikers and mountain bikers. The second mile stretches through the valley and a meadow, before reaching switchbacks up the mountain to the alpine tundra.

You reach the base of American Lake around 3.6 miles in— the trail then splits, with the left side climbing towards Thunder Pass (entrance to Rocky Mountain) and the right side going up to Snow Lake. We took the right branch to the next lake, another .6 miles and 300 feet in elevation. The last .2 requires scrambling up rocks, class two. I think it would be sketchy to do if there was snow. Snow Lake was beautiful and featured close up views of the Crags Mountain and Static Peak.

I would highly recommend this hike— it’s gorgeous and spreads elevation gain out moderately. I think next year I would like to do this as a backpack trip and hike over Thunder Pass, into Rocky Mountain. That trail eventually connects with the LuLu City trail we did last weekend.

First mile mostly looks like this
Meadow
Thunder Pass
Alpine Tundra
American Lake, Thunder Pass to the left
American Lake
Travis climbing boulder section up to Snow Lake— final stretch!
Looking down towards American Lake from Snow Lake boulder field
Snow Lake

Travis at Snow Lake

Hike #56: Lulu City Site Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

On By Annie1 Comment

Date: Friday, September 20, 2019

Miles: 7.6 miles

Elevation Gain: 906 feet

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Time: 2 hr 45 min total

Type: Day hike from Denver (2 hr 30 min drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/lulu-city

Notes:

Welcome to the west side of Rocky Mountain! Travis and I have only explored here twice, so we were excited to pick a trail we had not heard of before— LuLu City Trail, from the Colorado River Trailhead. This trail leads to the remains of an old mining town from the late 1800s. The actual “remains” are minimal, mostly what is left of Shiplers cabins, which you reach before the site.

The trail is an easy family hike that follows the Colorado River upstream. The trail is mostly shaded in the forest and also has a few meadow outlooks. I think it would be an easy backpack, plus the trail offers numerous interactions with other trails for added mileage. For the traveler who rarely visits RMNP, I think there are a lot more scenic hikes your can follow— the actual destination is pretty underwhelming.

Lulu City Site Marker
Colorado River bear LuLu City

Hike #55: Upper Beaver Meadows Trail Loop, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

On By AnnieLeave a comment

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2019

Miles: 1.1 miles

Elevation Gain: 118 feet

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 25 min total

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

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/upper-beaver-meadows-trail

Notes:

We completed this short loop in Upper Beaver Meadows, an area of Rocky Mountain we have not explored yet. The trail was a flat, easy loop through the meadow with panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges. There was plenty of parking at the trailhead and many of options to make the trail longer, if desired. We had to finish early, since elk are aggressive in the evenings this time of year. I think this would be a great hike for families. Half in the shade, half in the sun.

Hike #54: Tombstone Ridge via Ute Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

On By Annie1 Comment

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2019

Miles: 1.5 miles

Elevation Gain: 161 feet

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Time: 45 min total

Type: Day hike from Denver (2 hr drive)

Trail Head:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/ute-trail-tombstone-ridge

Notes:

On Thursday we drove Trail Ridge Road for the first time this year! We stopped off to hike Tombstone Ridge, directly off the road, but turned around early due to weather. This trailhead has limited parking, only accommodating about 6 cars.

The trail starts at alpine, and curves slowly towards the Beaver Meadows valley. The path is narrow and rocky, featuring panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains. There were elk visible on the trail. Storm clouds started rolling in, so we quickly headed back to the car without finishing the whole ridge.