This is my first repeat trail this year! I hiked this with some of my friends Saturday afternoon and had the perfect weather for a quick hike. You can read more about the trail on my previous post (#9). In terms of trail conditions, the trail was completely dry with only a few patches of mud.
We took the day off for my birthday to enjoy the 80 degree weather and sunshine before the bomb cyclone. Lily Mountain was the perfect way to celebrate— short, moderate hike with one of the most breathtaking panoramic views in the front range.
Between Allenspark and Estes Park, the trailhead is immediately off Highway 7, with no designated parking lot. There are shallow pull offs along the trail sign, probably a total of 6 spots altogether. The first mile is mostly flat, with a few gradual inclines and descents. This part of the trail had patches of snow, but could be navigated without traction. The second mile of the hike to the summit packs the majority of elevation gain, with a steep rocky ascent the last .1 mile to the top. Traction was required for this section.
The summit had the most magical views of Longs Peak, Mt. Meeker, Mt. Lady Washington and the surrounding forest. This is one of the best views in the front range— without having to commit to a long day hike.
First half mile overlooking Twin SistersTrail turns left— get ready for the climbScramble to the top — light climbing requiredTrav at the topView from the top! Trav looking towards the Estes Cone
We took a quick weekend trip to Glenwood Canyon area, so we stopped off in Eagle for a quick hike on the way. Haymaker Trail is a mixed sport trail in Eagle Open Space, easy to get to from I-70. The trail was pretty easy, mostly flat with panoramic views of the mountains. There were more mountain bikes than hikers, so we had to step off the trail several times to accommodate riders. This is a great trail if you want to quickly stretch your legs on a road trip, but definitely not a destination hike.
I’ve known St Mary’s was a popular hike from Denver since I moved to Colorado, but had never made it out until yesterday. The trailhead parking lot has $5 (cash) fee for parking, but the actual trail starts about .1 mile down the road. There was plenty of packed snow- I wore spikes, but Travis just used poles and managed fine. The first half mile up to the lake climbs about 400 feet through the forest. The next .8 miles up to the ridge is exposed with a very steep incline to the junction of Kingston Spur Trail. While the overlook to the glacier is at the first false summit on the incline, I would suggest adding on the extra .4 miles to the top of the ridge- beautiful views of James Peak and the alpine.
First half mile, bridge by lakeLakeIncline on the leftLooking back while hiking inclineAlpine ! Close to Kingston Spur JunctionGlacier overlook on hike back Trav descending the incline Stop what you’re doing and check out my haircut Heading back down to the lake
Goodbye spring weather— last night it snowed, only accumulating 1-2 inches in the city. Temperatures picked up above 30 in the afternoon, so we went to Evergreen for a quick day hike. The trailhead was right off a busy road, easy to get to from Denver but had street noise most of the hike. We did this hike clockwise from the trailhead, climbing elevation steadily through a forest for 1.5 miles. The trail was clear except for some light snow, easy to hike without traction needed. From there, you descend through the Meadow, along the road and back up to the parking lot. I wouldn’t consider this the most exciting hike you can do in the area, but it is easy to get to and offers multiple trails that connect together. We were happy to get some outside time!
Annie Hikes 500 Miles 