This hike had been on my list to do for quite a while. So that morning I
woke up and knew I wanted to do it now. I didn't think twice, grabbed
my backpack, threw it in the trunk, and headed toward Grant. It was a
beautiful morning with almost no traffic, so after an hour or so I
turned onto Guanella Pass Road and soon pulled into the parking lot near
the trailhead. Well... 8 a.m. in the mountains meant 49°F and... it was
chilly! But the views of the distant ridges were simply outstanding! So
I didn't think about the temperature for long, grabbed my gear, and
headed toward the trail.
I was walking along the trail for a while and thought that the best word
to describe it would be cozy. Wide enough and surrounded by pine trees.
Plenty of shade and... cozy. :)
The trail follows Burning Bear Creek for most of the way. From time to
time, you can step off the path and enjoy the sound of water running
over the rocky creek bed.
Everything was so quiet in the morning, so serene and relaxing. Fast-moving water, green meadows, and distant mountains... The perfect place to leave all thoughts behind and simply enjoy nature.
Early August is the right time for forest squirrels to collect pine
cones and hide them in their caches for the long winter months. Well, I
saw a lot of squirrels, but they were so fast! Not like their city
relatives, who are fat and slow... These little rodents were as swift as
the wind, and even my camera was unable to capture them. I took a
couple of dozen photos, but all of them turned out blurry. Well,
honestly, it reflected the speed at which they were moving pretty well.
:)
I continued hiking and really enjoyed the views. So relaxing...
Some 30 minutes later, the trail emerged from the woods and crossed a
large meadow. And you know what? The air was warm and pleasant! At this
point I was glad I had decided to wear only a long-sleeved T-shirt. Now
it felt just perfect!
I crossed the meadow and continued along the trail. The pine trees surrounding it looked so fresh and lush!
More squirrels crossed my path and, again, they moved so swiftly!
This one paused for maybe half a second before disappearing with a pine
cone in its mouth. At this point I gave up my attempts to capture them
without blur. ;)
The trail became steeper, and after crossing another meadow, a small one
this time, I entered a stretch where the woods closed in around me...
Just look how dense the forest is here. You can barely see through it...
The first sign of the coming fall. Some leaves had already turned red...
The creek here was narrow and mostly ran over mossy rocks. Such a nice thing to be around...
On my way back to the trail I bumped into this old cabin - or, better to
say, whatever was left of it. Definitely more than a hundred years old
and still providing some shelter to hikers caught by bad weather. I can
only imagine how difficult life must have been here, at almost 10,000
feet and deep in the woods.
I wandered off the trail again and sat for a few minutes, simply watching the water slowly moving in front of me...
When I continued, I realized that I was on the last stretch to the
summit. The trail no longer followed the creek and became really steep.
How steep? Well, I only know that my heart rate jumped to 170–180 beats
per minute while I was climbing there. And I was out of breath. :)
When I reached the summit, I was disappointed because I had hoped to
find an open space with views of the mountains in the distance. Instead,
I was in the middle of a dense forest, tired and ready to turn back. I
sat on a dry pine log, looking at the map of the area etched into the
trunk just a step away...
After finishing my snack, I decided to turn back. But before I left, I
returned to the map and... am I the only one who sees a bear here?
On my way down I stopped again to spend a few quiet minutes sitting and
watching the running water. What a nice and soothing sound... What a
moment of relaxation, when time simply stops and ceases to exist...
Well, walking downhill is always easier, so soon I was back in the area
where the pines were so crowded that I didn't want to leave the trail,
afraid I wouldn't be able to make my way through the woods.
Well, more than three hours had passed since I started on the trail, and
the temperature had climbed to a good 80°F. It felt toasty. But the
clouds in the sky looked simply amazing! And the trail provided
plenty of shade... So it wasn't bad at all!
Out of the woods I paused looking at the same landscape I started this hike and... it looked different!
I stopped for a minute to think about what I liked most about this trail
and... obviously, it was this nice spot next to the creek where I had
simply sat and enjoyed being in the middle of nowhere, lost in simple
thoughts...
What can I say? It was a nice hike, not the easiest one - almost 8
miles, close to 3,000 feet of elevation gain, and about 3.5 hours on the
trail. Which is interesting, because you start at 9,600 feet and the
highest point is around 10,700... where did those extra 600 feet come
from? :) It is very shady, which makes it perfect for hot summer days.
It is a very nice and pleasant hike for sure, but it is one of those
trails you enjoy while you're on the trail, yet it looks a bit dull in
photographs. So... go and try it yourself, and you won't be
disappointed!
Photos taken on August 08, 2026.
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