Continental Divide - CO

One of the most incredible experiences that I wish that everyone could experience are the moments of standing on top of a mountain peak and taking in the incredible scenery around you after a hard trek up.

Beauty comes in many forms. The rays from a sun at just the right angle as they cross your lover's face. The bright colors and pleasing symmetry of flowers in bloom. A view of the sunset from the second floor of your apartment. The 360 degree view from the summit of a mountain. The first hours after a snowfall when the snow is still fresh on the tree branches and has not melted yet. Those one to two weeks in autumn when the leaves reach their peak bright red and yellow colors and you take a drive down that long winding road to see them in full color. The and pure glee coming from the innocence of a child. If you're one of the lucky ones you'll experience one of the greatest inner beauties that exist in this world. The state of being in love.

Today I speak of the beauty from the summit of a mountain.

Mount Elbert is the highest summit in Colorado. It is on my life goals list. I thought I may be able to tackle this one on this trip, but I underestimated the amount of snow CO gets! And so I made the wise choice to stick to a lower elevation that still had snow but not quite as much. There are some things that are not worth the risk and worth the wait for the right time. The previous days before, we had been doing a section on the trail that goes up to the infamous Long's Peak in CO. This trail's traffic had a very different set of hikers than the family crowds you'd find at the lakes in RMNP. There were quite a few serious solo mountaineers coming down and one of them we stopped and asked if they made it to the summit. The man, with a foreign accent and thus seemed to have possibly traveled quite far to make the summit, said no, it was not worth the risk. He turned around. The serious mountaineers with their ice axes...if they were forfeiting a summit attempt, maybe the highest peak in CO wasn't such a great idea and I was possibly getting  in over my head. So thus I am here at a different section on the Continental Divide trail. The beautiful Berthoud Pass. :)

You can pretty much pick any pass along the Continental Divide and hike in either direction along it. You're bound to enjoy any section you pick. I was delighted to get to hike in a different type of environment than usual. I haven't hiked in the snow much before. Heck, I haven't hiked above 7,0000 feet before! the snow does add another element of beauty to a hike and the surrounding views. It looked as if I was the first one there for the day. The map was covered in snow in the parking lot so I swiped it off to snap a picture.

The Continental Divide trail is one of the 3 great long distance trails in America. The other two being the Appalachian trail and Pacific Crest trail.

The snow was quite steep in some sections reaching knee level and sinking in. But all in all, it was not too bad. Gaitors were a definite necessity. There were no fresh tracks in the snow except what looked to be a few snowshoe hare tracks.

Breaking trail!

Thus I was breaking trail in the snow for the majority of the time and unable to see any trail markers. But I kept walking assuming I was on the trail. Eventually I got to a point where the trail direction was hard to decipher and I contemplated turning around and giving up. The wind was picking up in some spots and the snow getting deeper. It is always at these times that someone will come along just in time to offer help. Similar to my first night out on the Appalachian trail when I also contemplated turning around when 2 thru-hikers came around the corner and helped me out. Things always have a way of working out. I was standing near the top deciding what to do when a young man and his 3 dogs come in. "Am I on the Continental Divide trail?" I inquired. He replied that I was and that he's hiked this many times and I could follow his tracks. Awesome!

I kept at it until I hit the first peak, Russell Peak. Normally at this point I might have forfeited here due to inexperience. But I saw the young man summit and I thought well if he could do it, I certainly can too. It was pretty steep and slippery at some parts so it took a bit of time to get to the top of this peak. But it was well worth it. At an elevation of 12,280 feet, I could start to feel the effects of the change in elevation and thinner air here for the first time. I was grateful that another hiker came along and that I did not give up.

For a few minutes I stood at the top of the mountain and thought to myself I can't believe such beauty exists and I was so happy and grateful to be there.

Goodbye mountaintop...

The mountains are the disneyland of my heart.

Movie Recommendation:

Movie - Continental Divide


Music Recommendation:

Bob Dylan kick

http://youtu.be/xCipKmyngLY

http://youtu.be/n42umTaVbjU 

Dream Lake - Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

Location: Rocky Mountain National Park
Trail Destination: Dream Lake
Distance: 2.2 miles
Elevation gain: 430 ft
Difficulty: Family Friendly

Many people have dreams of varying degrees. I have always yearned to see the Rocky Mountains since the time I learned they existed. Things and timing fell into place where I got the opportunity to do so this fall. Unexpected happenings always occur though. This year we had the government shutdown that occurred just about the time I had planned my trip and all parks were closed! Can you believe such a thing could happen and possibly derail a person's dream? Some people believe in signs. If things fall into place that blockade you from doing something, or seem to be a sign that it is not the right route to take, it may persuade you to think twice about your course of actions or to give up entirely on whatever you were about to do. Does the world propel us to our determined destinies in ways that we will never know? I had planned to visit a friend out in CO and the shutdown made me have doubts about the visit, as well as various other happenings out there such as the major flooding that took place just weeks prior. Was the world telling me not to go? But I believe, if you truly want something in your heart, it is something that you yourself will make happen and not let outside controls determine.

So I ventured on with the intentions of making the best of the trip despite the shutdown and the floods. As luck would have it, the parks reopened during my trip and we were able to make a visit to my dream, the Rockies. Is that a sign, that things worked out? What ordinarily is only a 45 minute drive, was still a 3 hour drive due to floods, but we made it work.
Rocky Mountain National Park was every bit as beautiful as I imagined it to be. It was even more so, with the added bonus of the bountiful snow all around. When we looked at the map and I saw that there was a lake called Dream Lake, I knew that's where I wanted to see. Dream Lake encompassed all that I had hoped for.

The guy that made my dream come true!

The hike itself is also very beautiful with nice open views along the way. I was in awe. As my first mid-western visit, everything awed me. :)

If you're looking for a nice easy hike with great views with your family or loved ones, definitely add this one on to your list when visiting rmnp.

Link:
http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/things-do/hiking/dream-lake

Music recommendation: Peggy Seeger

 "The dream that all could live as lovers do. A dream coming nearer, though it always seems so far. But to die before we see that dream come true. Only that could break my heart."

Soapstone Prairie

Colorado has many beautiful places. Traveling to various parts, you'll encounter knee deep snow or no snow at all. The windy chill of an open space at the top of a mountain, the desolated open space of a prairie road, the familiar smog of a city. Each season will offer a different beauty. Flowers or snow or colorful leaves.

We did some hikes closer to town this time. I really liked the one at a place called Soapstone Prairie because there were few other hikers and offered solitude. One of the biggest contrasts between the east and west are the dense forests versus the wide open spaces. I wouldn't say one is better than the other. Each has their pluses.

This one is a hike close to Fort Collins, though not at the prairie.

Link: http://www.fcgov.com/naturalareas/finder/soapstone

Music Recommendation - Townes Van Zandt

                                                                    Blackbird

Highpoint - Mount Mansfield, Vermont

Location: Mount Mansfield
Elevation: 4,393 ft
Distance: 6.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,600 ft
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

I was lucky enough to get in an unexpected hike and check another highpoint off my list!

Because this was an unexpected visit, I did not get to choose the best weather day to do this hike. But I wanted to make the most of it and didn't want to miss the opportunity to get this peak.

There are a few routes to summit this mountain. The Long Path goes through here and is a pretty popular choice. I chose to go up the Sunset ridge trail. This trail has a lot of open viewpoints and would be the best option on a nice clear day. On the day I had made the summit, it had rained the previous night, and the clouds still lingered on for quite a bit. The beginning of the hike had intermittent spurts of drizzle and as I ascended more the rain dispersed, but everything was shrouded in clouds! If you have never hiked in clouds before, it is a good experience to have. To drive on a road and see a mountaintop enveloped in clouds and then be there in that cloud a few hours later.

 One of the beauties of this visit was that it was in the beginning stages of fall foliage. There would be occasional bursts of beautiful bright reds bursting from the greens and mellow yellows of a bunch of trees.

The hike begins from the Underhill State Park parking lot. There is a $3 fee per person, as well as restrooms. Here you will connect with the Blue-marked Sunset Ridge trail via the Eagle Cut Trail. It is a moderate ascent, but not too bad. There were about 2 spots that involved a bit of a rock scramble up. Eventually the trail opens up onto open rocks, offering grand views (when there are no clouds). Once I reached the intersection of the trail with the Laura Cowles trail at the top, it became extremely windy and created quite a windchill temperature wise. A few seconds of bare skin in the wind are really not a good combo. Good thing I bought my thermals with me!

And the highpoint, the CHIN

BRRRR.....couldn't stay at the top long. I had been hoping the clouds would clear, but no luck! Alas, I descended back down the way I came up. The rains from the night before and earlier that morning had turned everything to ice on top of the mountain.

On the way down, I decided to take the side trail they have that goes out to Cantilever Rock. The clouds had cleared here to get a nice view.

After resting here for a few minutes, shortly after starting out on the trail, I heard a distinct growl come from just off the trail near some rock crevices. My heart leaped high and legs jellied and profanities rolled off the tongue to say the least lol. I glanced behind me quickly and didn't see anything in plain sight and hiked quickly away, hoping the animal that growled would not follow me. And it did not. Thankfully.

I arrived safely back at the car, glad to have finished this summit.

I wanted to include a photo from my night at the Dry River Campground the previous night. I would highly recommend this campground if you're in the area and looking for a night out. It had rained off and on and after dinner this beautiful rainbow suddenly appeared. It really brightened my night!! Nature can sometimes devastate, but it also rewards. Just like life in general.

Best view in town....who needs an expensive hotel?! :)

Links: http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/underhill.htm
http://www.summitpost.org/sunset-ridge-trail/394696

Quote for this hike:

"Happiness is good health and a bad memory." -From the Vermont local paper.

Hunter Mountain - Catskills

Location: Hunter Mtn (4,040 ft) in the Catskills of NY
Mileage: 4.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,210 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Type: Out and Back

The previous night I stayed at the Devil's Tombstone Campground. It has running water and an outhouse, but no other amenities if you're looking for a shower. It gets the job done for a place to crash for the night with your tent.

I hadn't decided on a hike to do the next day. It had rained quite a bit during the night and the morning was still quite foggy with mist. Not having a map or cell phone reception I drove along on the road to the first trail head I came upon. This turned out to be Hunter Mountain via the Becker Hollow trail. There was one person in the lot so I inquired the distance for the hike. "It's 2.3 miles to the summit," he said. Sounds good to me! Nice and short. "But it is steep he warned." Ah, can't be that bad I thought. It turns out it is about 2,000 feet in elevation gain over 2 miles. It took me about 2 hours to get up to the top and an hour to come down. Whew!

The trail starts out flat for a bit. It is very deceiving. It will then start to gradually climb and as it gets closer to the top it becomes steeper and steeper. It is an unrelenting climb, and seems to be never ending.

The weather wasn't too bad at the start of the hike. Looking out along side the trail you can see the mountain across the way as you're climbing up to match it's height. The mountain (not sure which one it is that is in view) looked so tall from where I stood that I couldn't imagine reaching it's height and looking out across and being level with it eye to eye. As I ascended more and more, it became as if I was walking into a rain cloud. I could no longer see across the way and it rained on and off through the openings of the trees. It made for a slower climb, once the rocks became more slick with rain towards the top.

The summit of this mountain has a tower that will offer great views on clear days. There is also a ranger station with a fireplace and bunk beds. I was the first to summit the mountain for the day and sign into the log book. At the top were 4 other people who had camped out the previous night. One of them graciously offered me some water without me asking. He somehow knew I had been low, as I had been rationing it towards the top. Unfortunately, because the mountain seemed to be in a cloud at the moment, I did not see the views from the tower, but my goal for the day had just been to summit. The views begin to look the same after awhile and I was lucky enough to see many the previous day. Sometimes the goal of a hike is the summit view and sometimes the goal is the journey and sometimes it is both. It is enjoyable either way.

Summit

Foggy Tower Scene

Once you turn onto this summit, a resounding peace automatically consumes the soul. Before reaching the tower, you are greeted with a forest of conifers that is a delight to walk through. It becomes a different world, after the difficult climb up. It is these moments of a hike that you remember why you do it, why you hike. You forget the difficult parts in that moment and savor the outcome.

Not every hike should be hiked in the most perfect of weathers. Sometimes it's good to experience a cloud or two. There is beauty in every angle.

When I reached the start of the trail again and got back to my car, the weather was crystal clear. It is funny how things change so quickly and how the weather on a mountain can be so drastically different.

I would like to add in some reviews on my camp out as well seeing as it was the first rain night test! I will save this for my next post as it is almost bedtime.



Link: http://www.summitpost.org/becker-hollow/202570