Rocks favorite Colorado hiking trails

It's been an outrageous amount of time since I updated this blog and I miss it!  In the last two years, I've spent some time hiking Front Range trails, mostly trails already on this blog, with a toddler.  So, that actually means, I walk about a mile, it takes a very long time, and I don't get to properly document the trail.  

Now that Magnolia is older, and she is in school a few days per week, I am looking forward to getting back to solo hiking a few times per month.  But recently, my favorite hiking buddy, our dog Roxanne (Rock), passed away.  She was 16 years old and left us just this past Monday the 12th of May.  My heart is broken and its hard to hike on without her.  She made each trail more fun with her excitement, and she was one of those dogs that always stayed near my side, no matter what.  Rock probably liked to hike more than me, so here are a few of her favorite trails.   The next time you hike one of these trails, think of her, her spirit lives on in the mountains. 

These are in no particular order. Please click on the link to get to the trail info. 

Bear Peak, Boulder

1.  Apex; Golden, Colorado.  This was the first trail Rock ever hiked, and she was instantly in love.  When we lived in Michigan, Rock was just allowed to go out at night to roam the wilderness wild and free.  She would leave around midnight and bark to come in at 8am, then she'd eat and fall asleep only to do it again the next night.  But living in Colorado, she didn't have that freedom.  When we first arrived, Josh and I went apartment hunting and our friend took Rock to Apex to hike and said that she loved it!  We took her back for our first hike the next day, and it was obvious that she knew where we were going, and she yelped and whined with excitement until we got on the trail.  She was now a Colorado dog, and she loved it. 

2.  Bear Peak; Boulder, Colorado.  I actually wanted to write this about Eldorado Springs, but realized I don't have a trail report there, so that is one for this summer with my daughter.  Rock loved to hike in Boulder, her second hike was in Eldorado Springs, and we came across a huge herd of elk in the winter.  Rock was so excited by seeing such a huge herd of elk, running, and she broke free to chase after them.  We got her back quickly enough, but anytime we pull into a Boulder trail, I swear she is sniffing for those elk.  When we hiked Bear Peak in early spring, it was a long hike to the top, in the snow, but with my hiking buddies, we had a great time.  The dogs couldn't make it to the very tip of the peak because it's steep, but they waited impatiently below for me. 

Mt. Cupid

3. Mount Galbraith, West Golden.  I've hiked this trail numerous times, significantly more than documented, and it's usually not packed (although weekends during summer it does get busy).  It's close to the city, but gives a big mountain feel, I think.  The trail runs along the edge of the mountainside, and offers views the entire trail.  Eventually if you hike the entire loop, you hike through pine forests and have views of the Continental Divide.  Roxanne loved this trail, we always saw wildlife here and she loved smelling down into the valleys or spotting deer grazing on the mountainsides.  I love the trail because there are pretty wildflowers and great views. 

4.  Cupid Mountain, Continental Divide, Colorado.  Not even three years ago, when Roxanner was 13 years old and I was 27 weeks pregnant, we got out to hike a 'big' mountain, one of my last during pregnancy.  Rock hiked pretty slow and at elevation, I was not supposed to breathe too heavily, so we were a good match.  Cupid Mountain is a small hump that is usually just a pass through for most hikers going onto bigger peaks, but not us on that day.  It was perfect, full of wildflowers and views for miles and miles.  We had a great time together, just Rock and I.  It was one of the last hikes that she and I did together, just the two of us. 

5.  Any 14er, but for this purpose, we'll choose Gray's Peak.  Rock always knew when we were embarking on a camping trip, or a big hiking trip.  We would set our gear out and she'd just know.  Often she would sit by the door with excitement, even if we were packing for a trip a day or two in advance.  Gray's Peak was hiked in 2007 by ourselves and some friends.  Rock was happy to run back and forth between the groups, checking on us, and making sure everyone was ok.  She always wanted us to hike together, even though on 14ers, I usually hike much faster than Josh.  It made her nervous, as dog duty means to keep the pack together.  She always hiked with one of us, then ran ahead (or back) to check on the other.  She was such a good dog.  The best.  One of those, 'once in a lifetime' great pets, that we will always remember. 

RIP Rock-dog 1998-2014, Rock, Roxanne, Roxanner, we will always miss you and never forget you.