Saturday in the mountains

This is one of my favorite routes when I want to go to the mountains without driving too far. Taking Squaw Pass Road all the way from Evergreen to Echo Lake will refresh you and recharge your batteries.

 

Burning Bear Trail

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.

 

Easy morning

The heat dome that brought us days of toasty temperatures finally gave us a break this Tuesday. The morning temperature was just below 60°F, and the forecast promised a pleasant, even cool, day ahead. In fact, the overnight low was well below average and even set a record low for the date. It was a welcome change, even if it would last only a couple of days. And I knew the perfect place to spend a few hours outdoors - wandering along the creek at Lair O' the Bear Park.

 

What do we do...

What do we do with the drunken sailor?
What do we do with the drunken sailor?
What do we do with the drunken sailor?

Early in the morning!

Way hay and up she rises, 

Way hay and up she rises, 

Way hay and up she rises, 

Early in the morning!

Oops, wrong start! Let's try it again... 

What do we do when we have a day off and it happens to be a Tuesday? Obviously... we wake up early, have a quick breakfast, and drive forty minutes through the morning traffic to reach a trailhead. Not just any trailhead, but the Morrison trailhead of Mount Falcon Park. I hiked this trail a couple of years ago and decided it was time to do it again. Right from the start, the views were stunning, and I had a really good feeling about the day ahead.

 

Bright morning on Barr Lake

What happens when you arrive somewhere before sunrise? Well... you wait... because without light, there is no photography :) But sometimes you can find something else to do while waiting. Perhaps have a bite to eat and fuel yourself for the hike ahead...

 

Two Days, Two Weathers…

It was a surprisingly warm Thursday, so I drove up to the mountains to spend some time in the woods. Before starting my hike, I stopped at the Buffalo Overlook to see if the bison were around. And they were :)

 

Birds, Mountains, Lake...

Early Sunday morning, I left my car in the parking lot and walked toward the lake. Just a few yards down the trail, I was greeted by a small group of house sparrows wandering about. The tiny birds were perched in the middle of a large bush, chatting to one another. It was such a pleasant encounter, they instantly lifted my mood.

 

What a view...

I have no idea what this Northern Harrier saw while soaring high in the sky, but the view across the lake was simply amazing...

 

Bright yellow...

The days are colder now, and we’re waiting for the first real snow. The leaves are gone, the branches are bare, and everything looks a little faded and dull. But, believe it or not, just a couple of months ago the world looked completely different - bright, golden, glowing yellow. I still remember that vibrant day when we drove up into the mountains to see the fall foliage at its peak. We started on Squaw Pass Road and headed toward Echo Lake - Beautiful Sunday high in the mountains.

 

Everybody is flying, swimming or perching ;)

Barr Lake is one of my favorite places to spend a few hours walking around the water and enjoying the fresh air and abundant wildlife. The lake is famous for being a winter home for bald eagles (don’t believe me? check it out - Bald Eagles on Barr Lake), but in November you can find all kinds of birds here - waterfowl, raptors, and everything in between. So, walking along the trail, we hoped to see them all…

 

Beautiful Sunday high in the mountains

I can’t believe it’s already November. It feels like just last week we were driving up into the mountains to chase the fall colors, and yet, somehow, a whole month has slipped by. Still, that Sunday stays vivid in my memory - chilly, crisp, sunlit, and painted in gold.

 

Beautiful Morning, Reflections, and Fall Colors

Another Saturday, another trip to Pine Valley Ranch Park. The night before was windy, so I didn’t expect to see any reflections in the lake, but to my surprise, the air was still and all the beauty was perfectly doubled. No complaints here! I grabbed a few shots, trying to capture the mountain slopes, evergreens, blue sky, and those stunning clouds.

 

Mountains Dressed in Gold

When I returned to the car after hiking around Beaver Brook Reservoir (click here - Beautiful morning... fall morning...), I realized I wasn’t ready to go home yet. So I decided to drive up Squaw Pass Road and take in some fall colors... those beautiful mountain colors.

 

Beautiful morning... fall morning...

Fall is here! Not just because it’s September 27th and the season officially started a week ago… but because the Colorado colors have finally arrived. It was a bit late this year, and for a while it felt like we wouldn’t see much of those bright hues. But we were wrong and now they’re HERE! 

Early Saturday morning, I headed out… though I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going :) I took I-70, turned toward Evergreen, and before reaching the town I veered off onto one of my favorite mountain highways - Squaw Pass Road. Soon I pulled into a small parking lot and decided to hike up to Beaver Brook Reservoir, a little man-made lake not far from the road. The sun was just peeking over the tree line, and as I was getting ready to start, the first rays lit up an aspen across the lot. I took it as a good sign ;)

 

It's here! Maybe fall is coming ;)

Today we woke up early and just couldn’t stay home. The foliage downhill is only starting to change… and we hoped to see more of it up in the mountains. So, without much thinking, we drove up to Central City to check if we were right... and… we were!

 

Maxwell Falls - Third Time’s the Charm?

Maxwell Falls is a popular destination, and for good reason - it’s close to Denver and offers some beautiful scenery. Spring and early summer are definitely the best times to enjoy waterfalls, but after a few recent rains, I hoped early August might still be a good bet. This was my third visit (click here to see the first one - Maxwell Falls hike on Saturday), but this time I started from the Conifer trailhead.

 

Fast falling water... waterfall!

With the really hot days here in Denver, everyone is looking for a way to escape it... at least on the weekends. So, a couple of weeks ago, we decided to do the same and searched for a place to go. The Lost Lake hike came to mind, and we settled on it. I did this hike a few years ago (click here to see it - Lost Lake hike) and really liked it. I didn't remember it being especially hard, but this time we decided to do only a part of it.  The goal was just to get to the waterfalls and relax there for a while...

 

Pine Valley Ranch Park hike... the second part...

The first half of the hike was easy (you can check it out here to refresh your memory - Pine Valley Ranch Park hike... the beginning). Walking along a flat trail beside the stream was pure bliss. But soon I asked myself: Am I really ready to head back home? And the answer was simple - nope. So instead of returning to the trailhead, I turned right onto a winding trail that disappeared into the trees, luring me toward some kind of adventure. (Right - no, I didn’t look at the map and had no idea where this trail might lead me.)

 

Pine Valley Ranch Park hike... the beginning

I am always looking for some places to escape the summer heat, and sometimes I find some real gems... Like Pine Valley Ranch Park, which I found and explored last week. The trail starts with a crossing of the North Fork South Platte River, and the bridge doesn't make my heart beat faster...

 

Sunday, Mountains, Clouds, Sun, and Rain..

Saturday night, we checked the forecast for Sunday and quickly realized we had to go somewhere. The choice was clear, either stay in Denver and roast, or escape to the mountains and stay unroasted and (relatively) cool. Unsurprisingly, we were ready for a quick getaway. After all, who enjoys being seared by the blazing sun?

We considered a few spots and settled on a short hike at Kenosha Pass. Not too far, but far enough. Not too high, so we could stay below the tree line, but high enough to enjoy cooler temperatures. So the next morning, after an hour drive, we arrived, unloaded, and took in the scenery. The high-altitude meadows and mountain ranges looked amazing… but the sky stole the show - it was CLOUDY!