Adventure Travel Photography Blog
I’m fortunate to have a handful of Denver friends who also have homes and condos in Fraser and Winter Park. This week I got to join Brad and Angie at their beautiful home in Fraser. While at Brad and Angie’s, when we weren’t discussing camper vans and photography, we were hiking. At least Angie and I were, as Brad would rather mountain bike and had to work.
Happy Hiking!
I enjoyed such nice views at Old Baldy yesterday that I returned to the area to hike Woodland Trail to Skycraper Reservoir. To my surprise, this hike was significantly different from Old Baldy despite beginning just 3 miles south at Hessie Trailhead.
The previous day while driving to Old Baldy, I took note of the Hessie Trailhead parking situation. Just before 8am on a Thursday, there were a few spots left, so this Friday, I made sure to arrive just before 7:30am. Many cars lined the road, but I did find a designated spot which is important as illegally parked vehicles will be ticketed!
HAPPY HIKING!
So just as there are multiple “Blue Lakes” in Colorado, there is more than one “Baldy”. I decided to tackle the Old Baldy Summit in Roosevelt National Forest near Nederland, Colorado. The hiking in this area is spectacular, but the parking in this area is atrocious. As a result, I don’t go as often as I’d like.
HAPPY HIKING!
After three days in Grand Lake with Tina, I met my next guests in Winter Park, an hour away. Dom and Gary had much farther to drive…from Texas. Actually, they spent a few days in Vail first, so their drive wasn’t too long either.
We met up Friday night at my friend’s Beaver Village condo and prepared for a weekend of hikes. The trailheads to all the hikes we took this weekend are located in Arapaho National Forest on Corona Pass Road. While the road is just a few minutes down Hwy 40 from Winter Park, getting to the trailheads are somewhat tedious.
HAPPY HIKING!
While I generally travel a lot, in the summer I stick to Colorado for the amazing hiking. As a result, I planned a few days of hiking near Grand Lake and in Rocky Mountain National Park with my friend Tina who drove in from New Mexico. Miraculously, we secured a cabin last minute at the historic Grand Lake Lodge which was perfect.
HAPPY HIKING!
Pennsylvania Mountain is a 13,000 foot mountain located near Fairplay, Colorado. Access to the trail head is via a well graded dirt road. When I arrived early on a Saturday morning, I was the first car in the cul-de-sac parking area.
HAPPY HIKING!
After thoroughly enjoying my hike to Lake Isabelle last week despite parking challenges and a failed off trail excursion, I returned to the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. This time, with my friend Colin and my National Parks card in hand.
HAPPY HIKING!
I have recently been on a kick to hike to lakes as I find the beauty of the lakes peaceful and the challenge rewarding. Today, however, I changed up the scenery. After a few days of longer hikes, I wanted something short. With it being the weekend, I also looked for a trail less traveled. While staying at our family cabin near Bailey, Colorado, I searched for nearby options on All Trails.
HAPPY HIKING!
Hunt Lake Trail is located in the San Isabel National Forest near Salida, Colorado. As I mentioned in my previous post about Kroenke Lake, both Salida and Buena Vista are great towns to visit while exploring the surrounding wilderness area that feature some of Colorado’s famous 14ers.
HAPPY HIKING!
Kroenke Lake lies in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and is just a short drive from Buena Vista. Buena Vista and Salida are wonderful small towns to visit while exploring this amazing wilderness area chock full of Colorado’s famous 14ers.
HI HO, HI HO, IT’s OFF TO THE LAKE I GO!