Date: Thursday, January 17, 2019

Miles: 2.8 miles

Elevation Gain: 1266 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 1.5 hrs moving; 1hr 45 min total

Type: Day hike from Denver (30min drive)

Trail Link:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/mount-sanitas-peak-trail

Notes:

Low commitment hike with a big view of Boulder and the Flatirons. I got off work early today and scampered up here for golden hour, before the rain and snow come into town (weekend forecast). The trail is steep and very rocky, but gets enough sunlight that microspikes are not needed. I’ve done this hike previously from the east ridge (Goat Trail) and prefer that route– less crowded and rocky.

Date: Sunday, January 13, 2019

Miles: 1.3 miles

Elevation Gain: 305 feet

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 30 minutes

Type: Day hike from Denver (30min drive)

Trail Link:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/red-rocks-trail

Notes:

If you want to check out Pearl Street but also get some quick exercise, this is the hike for you. We parked off of the pedestrian mall, grabbed Happy Hour at Tahona downtown, and then walked west on Pearl street to the start of this trail. This hike is easy and low commitment, which was perfect for me since I’d been fighting a cold. The trail can be muddy in parts, slick from melting snow. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can tack on Mount Sanitas from the same trail.

Date: Saturday, January 12, 2019

Miles: 2.9 miles

Elevation Gain: 1381 ft

Difficulty: Moderate

Time: 2 hrs moving; 2.5 hrs total

Type: Day hike from Denver (30min drive)

Trail Link:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/first-and-second-flatiron-hike

Notes:

Hiked this as a group right after one of the larger snow falls so far this season. The snow added an extra challenge, but offered such serenity. I like to do popular hikes, such as this one, off season for more solitude. We started at 8 am and had the trail mostly to ourselves– on our descent there were quite a few more hikers. Microspikes were helpful to gain more traction with the snow.