Fall time here in Colorado is by far my favorite season. The air is cooling, the sun is shining, and while other parts of the country are slipping into the recesses of winter, the Indian Summers on Colorado's Front Range stretch on and on like ancient herds of buffalo on the great plains. So what do you do about the amazing climate? PLAY!!! Here is a little taste of the last month.
Lion's Gulch near Estes Park! There's an old homestead from the early 1900's that still has a few dilapidated buildings, and on a nice Friday afternoon, with the sun shining, it's a great place to get away from the crowds and let the dogs roam leash free!
2nd annual Kelly Lake trip! This year we had 11 people for the 3 days and 2 nights of adventure, fishing, drinking, and back country cooking! We ate and ate and ate, everything in sight, except the cunning trout that call Kelly Lake home. Those wily bastards are easy to spot through the glass like water, but smarter than you'd think. We had an amazing time though, the weather was great, and I'm looking forward to next years trip up there!
(Jack may have had one too many....)
Mt Alice, Rocky Mountain National Park! This 13 thousand foot peak near the park's southern boundary has had my eye for a while, and with a small blurb in a Backpacker magazine this year I figured it was time I tackled the beast. Although only in the low 13 thousand foot range, Mt Alice is about 20 miles round trip from the trail head, requiring most to overnight in the park. Being a dirtbag and not wanting to pay for a Park entrance fee or a back country camping permit I opted to run it, and finish it in one day! I invited my friend Josh, an ultra runner, to join me and off we set on a warm late summer morning at 2:00 am.
With nothing but camelbaks and some running shoes, we crushed the first few miles in the dark, and by the time the sun was rising in the east, we were high enough on the flanks of Mt Alice to be a part of the mountain's glorious alpenglow! We scaled over ice fields, steep talus and treacherous waterfalls before finally making it to Grand/Boulder pass and the Continental Divide. From there the route meanders up a gentle slope to Alice's rocky summit. An energy bar and some hummus wrap later, we descended off the north side and down some sketchy rock fields. Eventually the terrain eased off and we were able to pick up the pace again past countless waterfalls and cleaving glaciers. The area is phenomenal, dotted with pristine azure mountain lakes, abundant wildlife, and most importantly, not a person in sight! What a treat, who knew the Park could be so perfectly lonesome!
We cruised back down the home stretch, making our first self supported full mountain running adventure in under 10 hours. It was amazing, and doing it in one day saved us the hassle of both permits and packs loaded with camping equipment. Tired but elated, we hopped in the car and sped off for food and relaxation at lower elevations!
Stay tuned for Part II, fall is just getting started!
