Winter Park, Colorado

Guanella Pass, which connects the charming and historic town of Georgetown in the north to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Grant to the south, is a recreational outdoorsman’s dream. Volumes could be written on what this 22-mile scenic byway has to offer. Silver Dollar Lake Trail is just one tiny po...

How you get to Morgan Peak and the other 13ers in the area depends on if you have a 4-wheel drive with good clearance or not. If so, drive the rough Santa Fe road from the small town of Montezuma (just outside Keystone). The road is also known as Forest Service 264 and is a left at the stop sign ...

Note: This is NOT the Beaver Brook Trail in Genesee Park/Lookout Mountain! If you enjoy the scenery and ambiance of Evergreen, but Evergreen Lake has become too crowded for your tastes, Beaver Brook Watershed (owned by the City of Golden) is an excellent alternative. It’s a small, secluded area a...

While most people go snowshoeing near the Bear Lake or Glacier Gorge area in RMNP, Wild Basin is a much less trafficked option. The entrance station isn't manned in the winter, so you'll get in for free, as well! You can put the Wild Basin Trailhead into your GPS, but you'll have to park at the w...

The peacock pool is a cool little tarn below the outlet to Chasm Lake. Please note that this adventure is best done in the winter/spring when snow is present to prevent erosion in the sensitive area. That is how the description will be written, assuming winter conditions. The approach is the sa...

To catch the sunrise, begin at the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. From the trailhead, veer right around bear lake and continue along the Odessa Lake/Flattop Mountain trail. This will begin to ascend on your right.After approximately 1 mile, the Flattop Mountain Trail will sp...

Snowshoeing to Emerald Lake was completely different from hiking the trail during summer. Instead of hiking around Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake, I was able to go straight across them (check the ice to make sure it's thick enough to support your weight). Rocky Mountain National Park's...

From Jefferson follow 35 north to 54 and drive up 54 as far as possible ending a few miles before Georgia pass.  Depending on the snowpack and drifts on the unplowed road, you could hike as few as 5 miles round trip or as many as 10. If the snow blocks you from driving past Michigan Creek Campgro...

There are a couple routes to Section Hut on Boreas Pass, but the best adds trekking through the forest on Baker's Tank trail. Starting at 10,350' at the TH, look for a trail in the woods that starts climbing relatively quickly. Follow this for about 2.5 miles to the junction with the road and B...

Your journey to the deepest powder in Breckenridge begins at the Breckconnect Gondola. If it snowed more than half a foot or it is the weekend you will want to arrive by 8:30 am to secure parking in one of the Gondola Lots.Ride the gondola up to Peak 8. On your way up you will pass over the Cucu...

For the extra-adventurous (my friends call me crazy for this), I recommend experiencing Rocky Mountain National Park in the off-season, when nobody else is there. Dead winter.Of course, you'll want to be uber prepared if you choose to take on this adventure, as the mountains are very unforgiving,...

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...

I recently spent the weekend in Breckenridge, and not being from the area, there was one hike that was on my bucket list: Mohawk Lakes. It didn’t disappoint! In late September, the Breckenridge area is full of gorgeous golden aspen trees, providing spectacular long-range views. In summer, abundan...

Located at 11,360' and owned by the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, Francies Cabin was built in memory of Frances Lockwood Bailey in 1994 and is located just a short distance (5 mile drive, 1.05 mile hike) from town of Breckenridge, Colorado. It has a summer and winter capacity of 20 peop...

The Minturn Mile is best accessed after spending the day at Vail, but can be done so with skins and skis from the base.  This description will assume you have access to the lifts at Vail by parking at one of the many resort/town parking areas.  From either the top of Game Creek Express or Wildwoo...

If you were driving down highway 91 towards Leadville and blinked at just the right moment, you'd drive right past this hidden gem of an area. Located just over 6 miles South of Copper Mountain ski resort on the East side of highway 91, the parking lot for the Mayflower Gulch trail head offers pl...