Mayhem Gulch Trail, part of the Clear Creek Canyon Park System

Mayhem Gulch, Clear Creek Canyon

About a year ago, I was driving up highway 6 in Clear Creek Canyon and noticed that the Open Space workers were building a parking lot for a new trailhead about 9 miles up the Canyon from Golden.  It wasn't completed and so I was not able to hike it back then, but I always remembered it was there and knew that Jefferson County Open Space was adding more trails in the Canyon, so I decided to head back this September to see if it was completed.  And it was!  Complete with a large parking lot across the road from the river, restrooms and trail maps that show this trail system meets up with the Centennial Cone Park trails in Golden Gate Canyon and there are numerous miles of trails for bikers and hikers here!

The Manitou Incline; Colorado Springs - One of the most intense trails I have hiked.

I have heard lots of things about The Incline, a 0.9 mile hike up the old cog railroad which gains 2100 feet in elevation; its hot, its steep, its hard, its crazy, its feels endless; and its all of those and more!  I kept thinking, how hard can it really be?  It's just under a mile to get to the top, I can do anything for a mile; but it was definitely an intense trail that was so steep in some places that it gave me vertigo to stop and look down and I am not afraid of heights.  The trail reminded me of a roller coaster, when you are looking over the top and you can't see the track in front of you just the track at the bottom because it's so steep; that's exactly what The Incline is like.  
The Incline is a favorite trail for fitness buffs who frequent the trail as part of an exercise regimen, some people will even run up the trail and back down it as well.  Most people however, take the 4 mile Barr trail down the mountain instead.  The entire trail provides amazing views of the foothills and as far into the distance as the eye can see and as weather permits.  

Cupid Mountain, 13,117 ft, Colorado's 555th highest peak

Views and wild daisies in bloom at elevation

 Hiked July 29th, at 27 weeks pregnant.  

One of my goals with pregnancy was to hike a peak at least once before the baby comes, and last week I decided that it was time to do one.  I chose Cupid Mountain, at 13,117 feet; which begins at the top of Loveland Pass on the Continental Divide.   The hike is around 3 miles round trip and you can make the hike into a loop by hiking to the top of the un-named 12,000 peak then turning right and hiking over to Cupid.  Many people curse Cupid as the "hump" on their way to hike Grizzly Peak, but it's actually a ranked peak, 555th highest in Colorado.  
This peak is an easy hike to the top; there are some steep sections, but I knew that I had cell signal the entire hike and there were plenty of people nearby if something happened but I felt confident in my pregnant body that I could do the trail just fine, and it was a beautiful day as I hiked up to the top.  I kept thinking that someday the baby will hear this story of it's mama hiking over 13,000 feet and I wondered if this kiddo will think its cool or weird; hopefully the former?  

Osprey Trail on the South End of Gross Reservoir, Boulder Colorado

Views from just up the hill at the start of hike

Hiked July 21, 2011, at 25.5 weeks pregnant


This summer I wanted to explore Gross Reservoir, an area in Coal Creek Canyon and West of Boulder; the reservoir is very scenic and there are several trails surrounding it.  A few weeks ago I hiked from the scenic overlook on the opposite side of the canyon down to the raging river, you can read my trip report here.  This hike I went to the southwest part of the reservoir to the Osprey Point boat launch and trailhead.  From there I took the 1.5 mile trail all the way until it dead ends at South Boulder Creek where the river meets the reservoir.  At the start of my hike, a two gals came over to ask me where the 'cliff jumping' was on the reservoir, unfortunately, I had no idea where people cliff jump from, but I would like to know so that I can go sometime.  However, the reservoir is part of the Denver Water supply and does not allow swimming, which makes the water even more tempting in my opinion. If you know where this cliff jumping occurs, please post a comment!  This is a great place to canoe or kayak as well as hike and picnic.  

Cataract Campground, White River National Forest - A Small Campground with great hikes nearby

Campground and site #1 with best views of surrounding mtns

Camped over Fourth of July weekend, 2011, 23 weeks pregnant.  


Even though pregnancy has slowed me down this summer, I was determined to camp at least once this season; even with the holidays crowds we hit the road to camp north of Silverthorne Colorado.  After looking into the Green Mountain Res area, I found a more secluded campground southwest of the reservoir which had lots of trails nearby and hoped we could find a site there.  We drove out Friday afternoon, arriving at the campground near 6pm and there was just one spot left!  We felt very fortunate to get a site, although it ended up being mosquito infested and made for a weekend of swatting bugs and spending more time in the camper than usual; but it was worth it!  

Lower Cataract Lake Loop/Creek, North of Silverthorne Colorado

Lower Cataract Lake, Colorado

Hiked July 2nd, 2011; 23 weeks pregnant. 

While I haven't posted many hikes this summer, it doesn't mean that I haven't been hiking!  In fact, I have several posts to catch up on and they are good ones! 

Over the weekend of the Fourth of July, Josh, the dogs and I decided to go camping.  I wanted to camp at least once while pregnant this summer.  We decided to head North of Silverthorne Colorado to the Green Mountain Reservoir area; we didn't exactly know where we wanted to camp, but I wanted to check out the Lower Cataract Lake area, which is just southwest of the Res.  We drove up the bumpy dirt road 3 miles to the Cataract Campground and hiked just up the road at the Cataract Creek/Lake Trailhead.   Josh and I hiked the loop which is moderate/easy and approximately 2+ miles around the loop; located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, White River National Forest. 

Warren Gulch Trailhead, for hikers and bikers; Idaho Springs, CO

Hiked this trail June 30, 2011, at 22 weeks pregnant. 
Summer hiking this season has kept me closer to home and I have been exploring Clear Creek County trails which give me a little bit of a higher altitude hike, but without the crowds of Open Space trails.  There are numerous trails in Clear Creek County that can be found on their website here. 

I hiked Warren Gulch last week, and while the website gave good directions on how to get to the hike, they left out that there is no parking at the trailhead, the road is a dirt  single two track that continues up the Gulch with no place to turn around if another car comes, or if you want to turn back.  However, once I found the trail and parked, I did end up having a great hike.  It was just a little dicey to get there.  

Gross Reservoir - Boulder Colorado, 30 minutes from Golden and lots of hiking trails!

View from a field along the trail

The summer weather has been beautiful lately, and I wanted to get into the foothills for a hike while all the wildflowers were still in bloom.   Colorado has some of the best wildflowers and I enjoy photographing them and love looking at them lining the trail. 
I decided to hike at Gross Reservoir a place Josh and I found years ago while taking a motorcycle ride one day in the mountains.   Last summer, I spent most of my time hiking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness (use the search tool to the right on blog to find many trails in the Indian Peaks) and passed the turnoff to Gross Dam Reservoir numerous along the way.   This summer, with the limitations of being pregnant, I decided to explore the numerous trails around the dam west of Boulder.   The trails aren't very popular during the week and its a great place to get a taste of high country hiking but staying closer to home.  Gross Dam Reservoir in Boulder County in Coal Creek Canyon off of Hwy 72. 

Upper White Ranch Park, great for hiking, camping, trail riding and more!

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The hot weather and my new found energy during pregnancy helped me to get out of the house yesterday and take a hike at White Ranch Open Space Park.  This is a trail system which I have frequented before, and it doesn't disappoint, especially in the spring/summertime with fields of blooming flowers, green mountains and great views! 
I managed to get out the door by 9am and made it to the trailhead just after 9:30am, I was surprised to see so many cars at the trailhead on a Tuesday morning, but somehow I didn't see anyone during my hike on the trail.  White Ranch is part of the Jefferson County Open Space Trail System and provides trail maps at the main parking lot; I grabbed a map and started out on the trail with both dogs.  We hiked the .25 miles to the restrooms and then started off on the Rawhide trail going north, I took this trail 2.2 miles until it intersected with the Waterhole Trail for .6 miles then back to Rawhide for the approx 1.6 miles back to the parking lot.  The round trip loop was 4.4 miles according to the park maps. 

Fillius Park in Bergen Park-Evergreen; Denver Mountain Parks Trail

It has been way to long since I hiked and posted; being pregnant and trying to get our house ready for baby plus my lack of energy has really made it harder for me to get outside as much as I'd like.  However, I did manage to hike in Bergen Park about 2 weeks ago and I am finally getting around to posting about it now. 
I had passed Fillius Park many, many times while driving into Evergreen for other hiking trails and always thought it was just a park, not a park with trails.   But for some reason, I decided to stop there and see if I could find a place to hike.   When I arrived on an overcast Wednesday morning, there were 2 other cars in the parking lot and I didn't see any people in the park area, with picnic tables and handmade rock shelter.  So, I assumed there was a trail nearby, I  just had to find it.  Directly across the street from the parking lot I noticed a trail with a small Denver Mountain Parks sign; there is no trail map, so I had no idea how far the trail was, but just started hiking and to my surprise had a great day walking along the ridge-back mountain and along the trails. 

White Ranch Open Space - A cloudy day hike after the rain

Signs of spring blooming on along

It's been way too long since I have hiked or blogged; I haven't had much energy this winter/spring.  I am happy to announce that my husband and I are welcoming our first child next fall and I am 3 months pregnant.  Now that my first trimester is coming to an end I am starting to have more energy and I want to enjoy these last few months hiking solo; but even this short 3.4 mile, out-and-back, hike with Josh and the dogs at White Ranch took a lot of out of me.  We took the Belcher Hill trail to Whippletree Trail and continued on the Whippletree trail for .6 miles to the next trail intersection; there we turned around and walked back for a 3.4 mile hike.  It was a cloudy spring day on Wednesday afternoon and signs of spring were coming up everywhere. 

Matthews Winters Park and Open Space - A sunny spring hike!

Happy Rock dog on the Red Rocks trail

It was beautiful weather on Tuesday afternoon as I set out to hike at Matthews Winters Park.  This is usually a very popular trailhead with both bikers and hikers, so I prefer to hike here during the week when its less crowded. 
Distance:  There are many miles of trails starting from this trailhead; but the main trail is a 4.2 mile loop that can be completed in about 4 hours, or less.   The trail loop starts with the .3 mile 'Village Walk' trail, which continues to the Red Rocks trail for .8 miles.  Next there is an intersection where the loop starts and ends; take either path for a 2 mile loop, and then follow the path you came back to the parking lot.
Difficulty: Easy for about 1 mile, then moderate as the trail gains elevation. 
Specs:  There are picnic tables, grills, and restrooms  (pit toilets) at the trailhead, and along the river.  There is ample parking during the week, but the weekends often find crowding.  Overflow parking across the street.  Dogs need to be leashed per Open Space rules. 

Clear Creek Park in Wheat Ridge, Colorado; A spring walk along the river

Clear Creek and one of the bridges crossing it

I haven't been up into the mountains as much this winter compared to last year; in 2010 at least once per week I was hitting the road for solo winter and spring hikes in Boulder or one of the many areas near Mt. Evans.  This winter, I have been opting for staying closer to the metro area, and walking or hiking at parks and trails which are much more accessible for many people.  Both hiking up a peak and walking down a popular trail have their advantages; but I must admit I enjoy hiking peaks much more. 
With that said, the smell of spring is definitely in the air along the Front Range and walking next to a babbling river with ducks, fish and dogs playing in the water reminds me of growing up in Michigan.  Spring there has the smell of thawing water and fresh grass; and walking next to Clear Creek yesterday I could smell the river and feel the sense of spring in the air.  However, with the dry conditions in Colorado, I am hoping that we get at least one more blast of snow or a lot of rain. 

NREL Trailhead on South Table Mountain, Golden Colorado

Belle looking for deer

I was prompted to hike at the NREL trailhead after a reader posted a comment asking about the mileage of the trail system there.  Since this trail is near to my house, I decided to head on over for a hike and find out; plus I was eager to see if the dusting of snow we received helped the foliage start to bloom.  I didn't see any flowers, or even cactus flowers, but there was a tiny tint of green on the mountainside, unfortunately if we don't get some rain or snow soon, this spring and summer are going to be very dry. 

If you haven't hiked this trailhead, its definitely one to check out; its close to the metro area, great for trail running, easy to moderate mountain biking, or just a great hike with views of the city, front range, and often you will see lots of deer that frequent the area.  Plus, there is always something interesting going on at NREL; which is heavily patrolled especially on top of Table Mountain.  (this does not interfere with your hike, there is a fence and boundary)

Flatiron Vista, Boulder Colorado; large trail system creates short or very long hikes

Views of the Flatiron Mountains

It was a cloudy day in Golden when I decided that I needed to end work for the day and get outside for a little hike.  I grabbed the dogs and my supplies quickly and unfortunately, hastily (I forgot food) then we jumped into the car and drove up Hwy 93 toward Boulder. 
I had a hike in mind, the Flatirons Vista, it's a trailhead that I have been to many times, but not recently.   The trailhead has been re-done with a nicer bathroom, different trail map and gate system, and a larger parking lot which can accommodate trailers for horse trailer parking. 
Several years ago, Josh and I hiked here with Rock, we had planned on a 2-3 hour hike, but somehow it turned into at least double that when we crossed the river on the backside of the trail just below the mountains; but there was no place to re-cross the river and loop around.  We were pretty far out, and just kept assuming the trail would loop back across the river.  We ended up hiking for hours and eventually had to follow the river out the Hwy 93, then walk back along the meadows near the highway.  Needless to say, we were pretty tired and annoyed that we missed the 4:30 closing of Coors that we had planned, but it was an adventure that we still talk about. 

ROAD TRIP: Hiking in Kauai; Kuilau Trailhead 2.1 Miles; an easy day hike from Lihue



Views of the foliage and mountains along the trail

 As much as I love to hike and travel, I don't have unlimited money or time to do so as much as I'd ultimately like to.  And I began to consider having guest bloggers who can write about hikes and trails in an area they have been; so that more content can be added to my blog, and maybe by chance, you are going to one of these places and want to know where to hike. 

Recently, my parents spent two weeks traveling around Hawaii, (lucky!) since my father is an avid hiker, I asked him to review some trails that he visited.  Unfortunately, he pulled a muscle in his leg and only hiked once; on Kauai.  Here is his trail report and the two photos he took on this hike. 

The Dome Trail to Mount Morrison; Red Rocks Park, 7,877 feet

Views of Red Rocks from early in the trail

Mount Morrison is one of the most prominent peaks in the Denver metro area, and its situated directly behind Red Rocks Amphitheatre with it's amazing and unique red rock formations.  For many years, access to the top of the mountain was closed, but in recent years the fences have been taken down and hikers can stand on top of the summit taking in the amazing views of Denver and the areas to the south.   
There are several routes to the summit, including the southern route which I hiked last April with the dogs; all of the trails to reach the peak are rated a Class 2 on Summit Post, another great resource for hiking in Colorado. 
If look up at Mount Morrison, near the summit, you can see the large boulders and rock formations called The Dome a large rock outcropping.  These rocks make for a Class 2 hike near the peak, which means using your hands and scrambling a little bit to get over the large rock formations and up the steep incline. 

ROAD TRIP: Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge; Melbourne Beach, Florida

Pelican Island; the first wildlife refuge in the United States

My grandparents have been spending their winters in Melbourne Beach, Florida; a barrier island off the eastern coast of Florida, since the 1980s.  The area was suggested to them by my other grandmother, Mary, who lived in Melbourne Beach and ran a small motel when my mom was a child.  And as a kid, my family would come down to Florida most winters to get away from the freezing cold in Michigan, but since Josh and I moved to Colorado 8 years ago, we haven't visited the Sunshine State. 
One of the first things that I noticed about Melbourne Beach, that probably wouldn't have occurred to me in my youth, is that the island has numerous parks and trails for hiking, biking and wildlife viewing.  So, I was really glad that my Aunt Chris and Uncle Rob asked if Josh and I wanted to go check out Pelican Island and take a hike, or we could go to Ron Jon's Surf Shop, they added.  Josh and I both echoed 'hike' and we were on our way.  

Apex Trail; a great place to hike or bike near the metro area

Start of Apex Trail

Apex Park is one of the more popular trails in Jefferson County Open Space; the park is open to hiking, biking and equestrian riding.  If you avoid Apex because of the crowds you are not alone, because of the crowding and different speeds in which people use the trail; Jeffco put in place an odd-day directional traffic for bikers in several areas along the trails.   They also created a new trail along the front/east side of the mountain.  You can check out the new changes here.  I have hiked at Apex several times since the changes, and it makes the hiking experience a lot more fun, and much safer too!

Fairmount Trail from Golden to Arvada; a great way to commute on foot!

Muddy and flat gravel trail, but it wasn't icy

After starting a hike at Mount Galbraith only to turn around shortly after icy trail conditions stopped me in my tracks.  Since the dogs and I hiked only a short time on the Cedar Gulch Trail, I decided to find another place to hike nearby. 

The dogs and I got back to the car and drove out of the canyon; I decided to turn left or north toward Boulder on 93.  Then I made a right turn at the light 58th street and started hunting for a trail.  I passed an entrance to one of the neighborhoods and noticed a trail, but decided to keep going on 58th.  After a couple of minutes I came across a trail directly across the road; I made a U-turn and parked in a small dirt space beside the road.  Again, I heard the happy whines of two doggies ready to get outside and hike, although this trail is more of a stroll than a mountainous hike, but it wasn't icy and that was good enough for me!  

Mount Galbraith Park, Jefferson County Open Space; A short hike on an icy trail

Icy trail at Mount Galbraith

One of my favorite Jefferson County Open Space Parks is Mount Galbraith for several reasons; great views, this is a hiker only trail so it's less crowded without bikers/equestrian riders, and I always find an abundance of wildflowers here in the spring to photograph.  Plus, Mount Galbraith is one of the first trails my husband and I hiked when we first moved to Colorado over 8 years ago and whenever I step on the trail I think of how excited I was when we first did this so many years ago. 
It had been a long time since I did the 4.2 mile loop here and I was excited to hit the trail, but it didn't take long to realize that the trail was really icy and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to hike the loop with the slick conditions, but I kept pushing forward.  After about 400 yards up the mountain I came across a group of hikers who were coming down; they all had crampons and hiking poles in both hands.  They said it was really icy the farther up the trail went, and crampons were a needed; they also questioned if my dogs could handle the hike, which I thought was odd.  The dogs are way better on the ice than I am, and surely they both could hike days longer than me. 

Belmar Park, Lakewood Colorado; A great place to walk the dogs!

One of the lakes at Belmar Park

The warm weather this week has made it almost irresistible to not go outside and enjoy it!  But with severe cold temps, a significant amount of snow and now bright sun during the day and cold temperatures at night make for some muddy and icy trail conditions.  To keep yourself safe from falls on the ice, it's a great time to explore your local parks and trails in the metro area.  Belmar Park offers over 4 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and equestrian riders that wind around Kountze Lake over several hundred acres of land between Alameda and Mississippi near Wadsworth St. 

Paracord Survival Belts at Hip-Threads.com

Paracord survival belt, find them for sale here.

While I started this blog to be about hiking, I wanted it to encompass everything about hiking, including gear.  One thing that I am very passionate about is supporting independent artists and small businesses providing great products  made locally rather than running to get the cheapest item at Walmart.  Over the years I have shared my favorite gear that I take when I hike, including handmade items for the trail made locally or by myself.  Now, I am very excited to offer these survival belts on my website; they are made by a small company in Kalispell, Montana and are both useful and stylish; very Colorado!  The belts are made from 80+ yards of woven paracord that can unravel in seconds for use in any survival situation; you can also use the metal pieces of the belt.  Now, maybe you are like me and are thinking; 'if I use the belt once then its unraveled and gone.'  Fortunately, Survivor Geek will remake the belt at no charge if you share your story with them; and if you want to take it apart 'just because,' then they will remake it for half the amount of the belt. 

Road Trip: Bahia Honda State Park; one of the best beaches in the United States

When we knew we were visiting the Keys, I had to find the best beach for us to do some snorkeling.  Bahia Honda State Park boasts one of the best beaches in the country; and has miles of sandy beach (don't be shy with the sea wall) and teal blue water for miles.   Josh and I only had 4 days in the Keys, so we spent every minute doing something fun; and one whole day was dedicated to swimming and hiking in two of the Keys State Parks located near to our resort.  After spending the morning and afternoon nature viewing and hiking in Long Key State Park, we were eager to cool off with a swim and we drove the 30 miles (which takes 45 minutes on the 2 lane road) to Bahia Honda State Park. 

Camping on the Coast; Long Key State Park, Florida Keys

Raised campsites along boardwalk near Golden Orb Trail

I had the pleasure to visit the Florida Keys last week and get out of the miserable cold that blasted into Colorado, while Josh and I were there, we visited two State Parks for hiking and snorkeling.  Both of these parks offered camping, which we were excited to check out for a future road trip with our little Chalet. 
Long Key State Park has two separate camping areas; one specifically for tent camping that has raised decking to deter snakes from coming into the campsite.  These sites are widely spaced; there is a shower and water and a grill nearby along the boardwalk, and the sites are within a few yards of the beach but there is a lot of foliage that obstructs the view. 

Road Trip; Long Key State Park, Florida Keys

Views on the small beach in Long Key State Park

While Colorado reached nearly record low temperatures and a -45 wind chill; I had the pleasure of being in the Florida Keys.  The freezing weather just happened to come when we were enjoying our planned trip in the 80 degree sunshine, and it made the warmth that much better. 

The Florida Keys offer numerous state parks with hiking paths, camping, beaches, snorkeling, kayaking, paved biking trails, picnic areas and much more.  Long Key SP just happened to be 3/4 of a mile from our hotel, so we decided to check it out and we were so glad we did!  The SP has only a couple of miles of hiking trails, but they continue through three different plant communities that are very unique and so different from Colorado that we spent lots of time enjoying the animals, foliage, and water. 

Hildebrand Ranch Park - a new park in Jefferson County Open Space

Looking up at a really cool entwined tree

Jefferson County has been busy in the last two years creating new trails and parks for residents; North Table Mountain has a new trailhead and facilities, Clear Creek Canyon is being developed and Hildebrand Ranch has been created.   Hildebrand Ranch is an Open Space Park for bikes, hikers, and equestrian riders in South Jefferson County between Chatfield Reservoir and Deer Creek Canyon Park.  The land was acquired by Jefferson County in 2001 and began creating the park shortly after, the parking lot is new and very nice well maintained with a brick parking lot instead of concrete; there is a port-o-pot, and good trail maps. 

It didn't take me long to decide what trail to hike yesterday morning, I knew I had to hike somewhere south of the metro area because I needed to stop by a friends house in the area.  I jumped on the Jefferson County website to check out their park map and noticed this new park between Deer Creek and South Valley; it stood out to me because I didn't recall it being there last year.  After asking my friend Laura who lives in the area, I found out that the trailhead was new, and she had noticed the parking lot being built recently. 

New Years Resolution to loose weight? Take a Hike; here's a list of trails for you.

Royal Arch, Boulder.  A great hike for any season!

Did you make a New Years Resolution to loose weight or become more healthy and active?  It's already 3 weeks into January, are you keeping up with your resolution?  I sure haven't been very good at it this year.  I thought you might need some inspiration as well;  so here is a list of trails in the Front Range area that are great to hike in the winter; on many of these trails you can accomplish hiking to a peak, an arch, a rim and lots more.  Not only is hiking a great outdoor activity, it gets your heart pumping and makes you feel great; plus you get the change to see amazing Colorado scenery, especially in the winter.

Here is a list of some of my favorite places to hike that are great during any season, but the winter season offers less crowded trails and a spectacular winter wonderland after a newly fallen snow; or this being Colorado it will often provide you with a sunny day in the 60s.  The Front Range offers numerous place to hike year round, but I am the kind of person who would rather hike to a peak, point of interest, or at best I'd prefer to hike a loop trail rather than an out and back.  One of my favorite mountains on the Front Range is Bear Peak which is west of Boulder.  Standing on the summit provides you with incredible views of the Continental Divide Mountains to the west, Indian Peaks Wilderness, Rocky Mountain National Park, and James Peak

Green Mountain Summit, 6,800ft - And a pack of coyotes

Bright Blue Colorado Sky; photo on etsy

On Friday, I really needed to get outside and hike; I had been cooped up in the house all week working on a new line of hats and hiking belts for my website, but what I really needed was to get outside and try them out.  
It was a balmy day in January, but very windy, so I decided that I'd stay close to home and head over to Green Mountain.  North Green Mountain is visible from my front deck, and I can see numerous trails on the north side of the mountain, but I haven't driven through the neighborhoods to locate those trails on the mountainside before.  I decided Friday was the day, and I drove south across 6th Ave, and up into the neighborhoods on the North side of Green Mountain in search of the access to the Open Space. 
After driving around for just a short time, my trail finding skills proved successful, I found the neighborhood access which connects with all of the trails visible on the north side of the mountain; stepped out of the car into the wind and decided that I'd hike to the top today! 

Snowshowing at Herman's Gulch, Silver Plume, Colorado

Views of I-70 below, looking west

All last week, I had been planning our next snowshoeing hike; the weather is supposed to get bad today, Sunday, so we had to hike on Saturday.   Then Saturday morning came and instead of getting up early and getting our day started, we managed to sleep in past 9am, and then made a leisurely breakfast, making it out the door by 12 noon!  I still wanted to snowshoe, even though it was nearly 60 degrees in Golden and we could have hiked on a beautiful January day.  The weather was still warm and nice in the mountains, said our SUV's gauge, until we hit Georgetown, the sun was hidden by ominous clouds, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees; it's snowshoe time!