Here are some quick reviews and photos of some of our favorite hikes of 2012:
1) Eureka Peak, Plumas-Eureka State Park, Johnsville, CA, January 1, 2012 - The first hike of the New Year was on the very first day of the year and was done during our annual trip to the Sierra Nevadas to visit Jonna's family. We again stayed in Graeagle, CA and again headed to the nearby Plumas-Eureka State Park for our annual New Year's Day hike. With so little snow on the ground we were more ambitious than in previous years and headed to the top of 7,400 ft high Eureka Peak. It was a trek through various depths of snow but resulted in beautiful views from the top. The hike was nearly 6.5 miles in length with just under 2,000 ft of elevation (including a few hundred feet through waist deep snow!)
2) West Magnolia trail system, Nederland, CO, January 8, 2012 - After an over-night snow fall Lyle, Jonna and Alan headed out early to get first tracks in the fresh powder. We strapped on the cross-country skis and explored the network of roads in the West Magnolia trail system. Clear blue Colorado skies made the white snow shine while a young moose provided a special animal sighting. Four miles of varying terrain with a touch over 300 ft of elevation gain.
3) Unnamed trail, Como Creek trail system, Nederland, CO, January 15, 2012 - A cold but clear day greeted us as we welcomed Holly back into the hiking group after she spent a month away. We headed out with three goals: find a place out of the gusting wind, with few people, and with hard packed snow. We ended up literally wading through knee and hip deep snow exploring a quiet, calm new trail and then bushwacked our way cross-country back out to the beginning. In the end, we accomplished two of our three objectives plus explored a new area. 2.3 strenuous miles with 250 ft of elevation gain.
3) Mud Lake Open Space, Nederland, CO, January 22, 2012 - With half the hiking crew feeling under the weather and with the wind blowing in freezing gusts we decided to make it a short hike this weekend. We headed just up the road to the Mud Lake Open Space and walked the loop there. Short, easy and at least a little protected from the bitterly cold wind. 2.5 miles with 250 ft of elevation gain.
4) Snowshoe Hare trail, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Golden, CO, January 29, 2012 - Despite a lack of snow, the hiking crew was able to find a valley with enough crusty snow to allow us to knock the dust off our snowshoes. We not only found snow but we also found a new trail, one of the last two in the State Park not hiked before. It was cold and windy but the sun peaked through the clouds for the first half of the hike making it feel a little warmer. A 3.5 mile loop but hilly with 500 ft of elevation gain.
5) Heart Lake trail, Tolland, CO, February 5, 2012 - What to do during a blizzard during which three feet of snow gets dumped in 24 hours? Why read up on the South Pole expeditions of Amundsen and Scott (this winter being the 200th anniversary of those amazing adventures) then load up the cross country skis and head for the high country. Fortunately, our hiking group had beautiful blue skies and a clear trail to follow so we didn't face the same trevails of the early polar explorers. We had a great ski in a beautiful mountain pine forest covered with an incredible amount of fresh snow. 3.7 miles in length with a touch over 600 ft of elevation gain.
6) Rainbow Lakes Road, Caribou townsite, Nederland, CO, February 12, 2012 - Another layer of fresh snow got the hiking crew out on snowshoes to enjoy the new powder. It was cold and overcast but we found plenty of the fluffy stuff to explore including some massive snow drifts for us to climb. Perfect timing too, as we got back to the car just in time for today's snow storm to start. We broke trail through boot deep snow for about 2 miles before turning back making for 4 miles of relatively flat terrain with only 200 ft of elevation gain.
7) Wildwood Trail, Forest Park, Portland, OR, February 19, 2012 - While on a trip to Portland, Oregon to celebrate Jonna's birthday we gathered friends and family together for a hike in Forest Park. This beautiful, lush forest setting was a stark contrast to the dry, rocky landscape we usually see during our hikes in Colorado. Sarah, Lesa, Taylor, Tonya, Dean, Lorri, Alan and Jonna all ventured onto the muddy trails and did a loop up and down a ridge on the southern end of the park. 5.5 miles in length with a surprising 800 ft of elevation gain.
8) Anchor Mine, Caribou townsite, Nederland, CO, February 26, 2012 - Our friends Alexander and Angela were visiting and joined our hiking crew this weekend. We headed back up to Caribou to check out a trail we'd seen in the past but had never explored. With the wind whipping we were glad the trail was protected by a thick pine forest and extra glad that those trees provided the extra benefit of fluffy, deep snow for snowshoeing. It turns out the trail lead to an old mine site, called the Anchor Mine, which was quite scenic. 3 miles with 400 ft of elevation gain.
8) Canyon Loop Trail, Betasso Preserve, Boulder, CO, March 4, 2012 - With our quiet mountain town overrun with masses of crazies for the annual Frozen Dead Guy Day festival we got the heck out of the mountains in order to find a peaceful place to hike. To that end, we met our friends Desiree and Gailen at Betasso Preserve and went for a short hike (and to search out a geocache). 3 and a half miles in length with 500 ft of elevation gain.
9) Flagstaff Mountain, City Of Boulder Open Space And Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, March 11, 2012 - We headed back down to Boulder this weekend to start our spring training: hiking down out of the snow and where we can start hiking some elevation. We climbed from Chautauqua Park to the top of Flagstaff Mountain and then back down Gregory Canyon. It was a little overcast but that made for perfect hiking weather: a little cool but no wind. A great start to our getting in shape for the summer. Just under 4 miles with 1,200 ft of elevation gain.
10) Green Mountain, City Of Boulder Open Space And Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, March 17, 2012 - What to do for St. Patrick's Day? Why the hikin' 'o the green, of course. In this case, that means the annual spring ascent of Green Mountain. With Jonna unexpectedly called into work and Holly busy, that left it to Alan and Lyle to trek up to the snowy summit. The hike started out with bright sunshine and dry trails but soon the sky became overcast and the trail changed to slushy snow. It was a slog but we made it all the way up and enjoyed the amazing view from on top. 5.5 miles in length with 2,500 ft of elevation gain.
11) Mt Sanitas, Boulder, CO - March 19, 2012 - Since Jonna missed this Saturday's hike due to work, she and Alan took advantage of her being off on Monday to hike Dakota Ridge and Mt. Sanitas. As has been the trend this past weekend the day started out sunny but steadiliy became overcast throughout the morning. It was cool with a periodic breeze, just enough to keep us from stopping too long while enjoying the view from the top. On the way down, we saw the first sign of spring: a tree covered in fresh blossums. 3.5 miles total with 1,300 ft of elevation gain.
12) Bear Peak, City Of Boulder Open Space And Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO - March 25, 2012 - Lyle, Jonna and Alan continued our series of Spring front range peak hikes with the big climb up Bear Peak. As with other recent hikes, the weather was increasingly overcast throughout the hike but that made for the perfect hiking temperature (and the sun continued to melt out the snow/ice left on the north face of the mountain). We started at NCAR, went up Fern Canyon and then returned via the West Ridge trail down to Bear Canyon. Beautiful, plus the 360 degree view from on top of Bear Peak is the most spectacular in the area. 8 miles in length with a climb up the mountain of 2,500 ft, plus enough extra up and down to make for 2,700 ft of total elevation gain.
13) Colorado National Monument, Fruita, CO - March 30, 2012 - Lyle, Alan and Jonna decided to do something different this weekend so we jumped on the motorcycles and headed over the Rockies and into far western Colorado. Specifically, we headed to Fruita so we could do a couple of days of hiking in the beautiful canyons of Colorado National Monument. First up, was a combination of short hikes along the upper rim (including find a geocache!). It was unseasonably warm and sunny so we got a double dose of vitamin D. 5.5 miles over three different trails with just under 800 ft of elevation gain.
14) Colorado National Monument, Fruita, CO - March 31, 2012 - Our second day of hiking in Fruita was just stunning. We headed back into the park to hike the Ute Canyon trail. There are imposing cliff walls a 1,000 ft high at the start of the trail. Once you climb them, you end up in the beautiful, desert filled Ute Canyon which winds for miles. Then, at the end of the trail, there is another 600 ft climb to the upper-most rim. Spectacular views all during the hike and surprisingly few people. 11 miles in length with 1,600 ft of elevation gain.
15) South Boulder Peak, Boulder, CO - April 7, 2012 - Spring has truly sprung in Boulder so Alan and Lyle headed out to enjoy the fresh buds and blossums. We also used this as an opportunity to climb the last of the five Boulder area peaks that we use as spring training hikes. With a perfectly cloudless blue sky we started from the Mesa trailhead near Eldorado Springs and headed up the Homestead trail. From there it was the steep climb up Shadow Canyon and then on up to the top of South Boulder Peak. After enjoying the awesome view, we headed back down Shadow Canyon and then out the Towhee trail in order to return to the trailhead. 7.5 miles in length with 3,000 ft of elevation gain.
16) West Magnolia trails, Nederland, CO - April 8, 2012 - Since Holly hasn't been able to make any of the recent hikes, Jonna and Alan joined Holly for an evening dog walk/hike. This was also probably our last chance to hike the West Magnolia trail system before they are closed for the summer in order for the forest service to remove dead trees. It was a perfect evening for a walk with the three C's: cool, clear and calm. We had great views the local aspens and of the South Arapaho Peak. A little over 2 miles of length with about 300 ft of elevation gain.
17) Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder, CO - April 15, 2012 - An overnight snowfall turned the mountain trails into a slushy, muddy mess so the hiking crew headed back down to Boulder to look for better hiking conditions. We decided to hike back up Flagstaff Mountain but to do so via a new trail to us, the View Point trail starting at Eben G. Fine Park. Once we got up to the top, we did a loop around the amphitheater, before heading back down. We had stereotypical Colorado weather, a constantly changing mix of sunshine, sleet, snow and wind. A bit over 6 miles long with 1,700 ft of elevation gain.
18) Horsetooth Mountain Open Space, Ft Collins, CO - April 22, 2012 - Lyle, Jonna and Alan ventured further afield than normal for this weekend's hike by heading up to Ft Collins to join our friends Katya and Bongo to explore the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space. We lucked out with perfect hiking weather...sunny but cool and not a cloud in the sky! We headed up to Horsetooth Falls, then went up the Stout trail to Tower trail and then to Westridge trail. At the highest point, we turned downhill and returned to the parking lot on Horsetooth Rock trail. In total, the loop was a smidge under 8.5 miles in length and a smidge under 1,500 ft in elevation gain.
19) Tilted Rocks Auto Trail, Dinosaur National Monument, Vernal, UT - April 27, 2012 - We decided to spend another weekend exploring hiking options outside our normal stomping grounds. In this case, by driving over to Dinosaur National Monument to re-visit the Carnegie Quarry Fossil Hall but also to explore some of the hiking in the area. We did a few short hikes along the Tilted Rocks Auto Trail but our favorite by far was the hike from Josie's cabin into the nearby box canyon called Hog Canyon: an idyllic oasis of cool air, clear trickling streams, fresh green grass and towering cliff walls. It was easy to idealize the life of Josie Bassett Morris (and intentionally glossing over the incredible hardships she undoubtedly encountered homesteading this place in 1914...) A total of around 5 miles spread across three short hikes with maybe 500 feet of elevation gain.
20) Jones Creek trail, Dinosaur National Monument, Vernal, UT - April 28, 2012 - Wow, another spectacular hike in the park! We started at the Jones Hole Fish Hatchery and hiked down Jones Creek, past Ely Creek and then all the way to the confluence with the Green River. The landscape was a fascinating mix of desert (cactus, sage and juniper) and lush riparian (box elder trees, cottonwood trees and reeds). Along the way we saw 1,000 year old petroglyphs, waterfalls, red rock cliffs and lots of butterflies. A beautiful hike! 8 miles round trip but relatively flat with only 600 ft of elevation change.
21) Harper's Corner trail, Dinosaur National Monument, Vernal, UT - April 29, 2012 - On our drive back from Vernal, UT we decided to stop in and re-visit a part of the park that we'd last explored back in 2003, the Canyon Area. What we did can't really be called a hike but it was a pleasant walk with some fantastic views (including the iconic Steamboat Rock, Green River and even a look down onto the Jones Hole area we had hiked the day before!) 2.2 miles out to the overlook and back with just about 250 ft of elevation gain.
22) Thunder Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO - May 6, 2012 - A big hike this weekend! It was just Alan and Lyle with an ambitious goal of hiking to a back country lake in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park. We made it to within .2 mile of our goal but huge snow drifts, downed trees and incoming weather turned us back just short of Thunder Lake. It was disappointing to come up short but ultimately it was the safe decision. On the hike back to the car, a storm rolled in dramatically dropping the temperature and dumping big fat snow flakes. 14 miles with just under 2,500 ft of elevation gain.
23) Bridal Veil Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO - May 13, 2012 - For this weekend's hike we returned to Rocky Mountain National Park to try a new hike. However, we found this one mis-named...it should be called Bridal Hail Falls because we were pelted by ice for over an hour during the hike. The falls that were the the destination were nice but the valley we hiked up was gorgeous: a rushing creek through a grove of aspens. We slogged back with two inches of hail covering the trail! A little over 6 miles round trip with 1,000 ft of elevation gain.
24) Lily Mountain & Cub Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, CO - May 20, 2012 - For a third week in a row, we pointed our car north to Rocky Mountain National Park for our weekend hike. This time we mixed things up by doing two short-ish hikes rather than one big one. For the sunny morning, we did the climb up Lily Mountain to enjoy the beautiful views onto the mountains to the west. Then, after lunch, we headed down into the valley for the hike to Cub Lake. A couple of short, spring rain sprinkles kept us changing in and out of our rain gear but the real sign of spring was our catching a Elk cow just as she gave birth to a tiny spotted calf. A truly magical moment! The two hikes added up to 9 miles of total distance (4 miles for one and 5 for the second) with 1,600 ft of elevation gain (1,000 ft for the first and 600 ft for the second).
If you enjoyed these you may also enjoy checking out some photos from our 2011 hikes.
