Park County, Colorado

Construction of the Skagway Plant began in 1899 and was complete in 1901. In 1965, 15 days of rain brought floods washing out a lot of the pipeline and other infrastructure. Fixing the power plant didn’t make sense and funds weren’t in place. The land was reverted to the government. The hike b...

At about an hour's drive from Denver, Grays Peak (14,270 ft./4338m) and its sister mountain, Torreys Peak (14,267 ft./4337m), are two of the most popular 14ers in the state. Because of this, a wealth of information is available on the internet. Rather than go into all the details of the technical...

Janet's Cabin is located on the eastern slope of the Continental Divide at 11,610 ft, near Copper Mountain ski resort. This hut is one of the rare huts with not only a sauna but indoor bathrooms (composting pits)!  The cabin was built in 1990 and due to the location helicopters were required to b...

The Colorado Trail (CT) runs for 483 miles from Denver to Durango, crossing through eight mountain ranges and passing through six wilderness areas. There are great resources on completing a thru-hike of the CT; this post is about Segments 8-9 of the CT from Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass.These...

The range offers many remote lakes and peaks which hikers can access from various points of entry. Wheeler and Lost Lakes lie within the boundaries of the Eagle's Nest Wilderness Area.The Gore Trail begins on the north side of the CO-91 pedestrian bridge over I-70. You will follow the trail up al...

September is famous in Colorado for clear, deep blue skies,sublimely perfect temperatures, and gold-digging – of the leaf variety, thatis. On September 9, wildflower season was recently past and the best of theleaves were yet to come, but it was the perfect, clear and sunny day to checkout the hi...

The trek starts just outside of Leadville near Turquoise Lake at 9800 ft. The first day you'll travel 6.5 miles and gain 1700 ft. to Uncle Bud's Hut, which sits around 11,400 ft. The second day you'll ski 7.1 miles to Skinner Hut and gain 2100 ft, mostly in the last 3 miles after having dropped...

Getting there: The trail begins at Missouri Gulch TH. If you are a car camper or are trying to snag a sunrise summit, there are many many drive off sites in trees and near water before and after the trailhead. The road to get to the trailhead is not paved, but is well maintained - a super high cl...

Starting at the North Cottonwood trailhead just outside of Buena Vista, Colorado. This hike will take you 4.5 miles to the lake with about 2750 feet of elevation gain. The hike is mostly mellow and you'll likely see hikers heading up to Horn Fork basin to hike Mt. Harvard and Columbia. Campsites ...

Hope Pass is accessed from the Willis Gulch trailhead about 25 miles outside of Leadville, Colorado. To get to the trail head, follow Highway 24 East for about 16 miles until you arrive at the junction for Highway 82. Turn right and follow Highway 82 for about 8.3 miles. You will see a sign on th...

Colorado Trail: Mount Elbert Trailhead to Twin Lakes is a point-to-point trail that takes you by a lake located near Leadville, Colorado.

Herman Gulch is one of those special places that makes you fall in love with Colorado all over again. This spectacular wildflower hike that ends at an alpine lake will have your head swiveling from start to finish. Wildflower season is July and August, with peak season being mid-to-late July. Ple...

Lily Pad Lake is a well known destination just outside of Silverthorne and in the Eagle's Nest Wilderness. The trail may be heavily trafficked on the weekends, but solitude can still be found in the early mornings or during the weekdays. The trail starts at the Lily Pad Lake Trailhead, just to t...

When you begin the trail, make sure to choose the correct trailhead from the parking lot (located on the south side of the lot to the left, NOT behind the bathroom). From there, begin a moderate climb through a shaded fir forest to the tree line. Emerge in a meadow at a pond and the lower lake, ...

Fowler-Hilliard hut sits at 11,500 ft on a forested ridge of Resolution Mountain, with easy access to intermediate and expert backcountry skiing right out the door. This newer hut was built in 2010 after the original hut burned down from a lightning strike. The hut comes stocked with padded mattr...

Start out on the Shavano and Tabeguache Trailhead off of FR 252 outside of Poncha Springs, at about 9,700 feet, and begin your trek into the forest. In the first half of a mile there are a few trail marker signs that should be read carefully to insure the right path is followed, but these signs ...