I prefer hiking Colorado’s thirteeners (13,000-foot-peaks) to its fourteeners, because they’re less crowded with peak baggers, yet equally beautiful and often just as challenging. The Herman Gulch trail to The Citadel kicked my butt, and I loved every moment. I was surprised to discover such a wild and untamed jewel so close to I-70.

Many hikers stop at Herman Lake, below Pettingell Peak. But after that it keeps getting better, as the jagged towers of The Citadel appear. The eight-mile round-trip hike took longer than my husband Dale and I anticipated, so I only made it to a patch of high rock just below the twin summits. Even from there, I had a stunning view of the Continental Divide. I plan to return to conquer both peaks.

It’s easy to drive to the Herman Gulch Trail from the Denver area. Take I-70 West and get off at exit 218, the next exit after Bakerville. Bear right on the .1 mile service road, which dead-ends at the trailhead. Here’s what you’ll see when you hit the trail:

Do you have a thing for waterfalls? If you’ve read my memoir, you know that my favorite hikes embrace “many waters and signs of water.” Bridal Veil Falls fits that description, and it’s as romantic a sight as the name promises. It’s more like many veils, trailing one into another. My husband and I enjoyed a picnic there last September. It was really just lunch pulled out of our backpacks, but the setting made it a picnic, a glorious feast for the eyes and ears. We needed real grub for our mouths, too - the hike is relatively easy, but it is six miles round-trip.

Bridal Veil Falls is just outside Estes Park in northeast Rocky Mountain National Park. Don’t worry, you don’t have to pay a fee. From Estes Park, head north on Devils Gulch Road for four miles, then bear left on McGraw Ranch Road for 2.1 miles to the Cow Creek Trailhead. I suggest going early, because parking is very limited and fills early. Take the Cow Creek Trail, which starts as a gravel road through the ranch’s research facility, empties into a meadow, then narrows into a single track that loosely follows the creek. Most of the hike is low and rolling, leading to a steep uphill push to the falls. When you think you’ve reached the falls, don’t stop - that’s only the beginning, as you’ll see in this video:

When I don’t have time for a long drive or stamina for an all-day hike, but I still want to get away somewhere pretty and enjoy a little workout, I almost always end up on a trail in Boulder. The three-mile Mount Sanitas Loop is close to downtown, but its lovely views encompass plains, foothills, and a glimpse of the snow-capped giants of the Rocky Mountains. It’s a pleasant, if hot and breathless, way to get up-close and personal with rock and sky, and watch civilization become far and wee.

It’s easy to find the Mount Sanitas trail: in Boulder, take Broadway to Mapleton Road and turn west. The trailhead is a few blocks up, just past the Mapleton Medical Center. You’ll pass the trailhead and roadside parking on the right. But I recommend parking in the lot at the Centennial trailhead, just a stone’s throw up the road on the left. From there, a dirt path takes you back to the Mount Sanitas trailhead, as you’ll see at the beginning of this video of the hike my husband Dale and I did this summer:

A couple of weeks ago, my husband Dale and I went on my favorite Colorado hike. It’s an 8.4 mile roundtrip up the South Boulder Creek Trail to the creek’s headwaters at Rogers Pass Lake, and then on over a small saddle to Heart Lake. Thanks to record snowfall this past winter, this summer’s wildflowers have been more plentiful than ever - and in the James Peak Wilderness that’s saying something. In fact, this hike has all my favorite features: lively streams and waterfalls, prolific flowers, an uphill workout that’s not a painful trudge, a combination of shady trails and sunny meadows, craggy mountains circling glacial blue lakes, and nary a view of town or road.

The trail starts at the East Portal of The Moffat Tunnel at about 9,211 feet and climbs to 11,310 feet. To reach the trailhead, take Rollins Pass Road west from highway 72 at Rollinsville. The 8.2-mile dirt road dead-ends at the tunnel. Check out this two-and-a-half-minute video to see why it’s worth the trip:

Hiking to Heart Lake - James Peak Wilderness, near Rollinsville, Colorado from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

I don’t feel like I’ve had a day off unless I get out in the sun and do something. Sometimes I almost work harder on my days off - skiing, hiking, biking, gardening - than I do on workdays, when I spend most of the day sitting at a keyboard. Playing outside relaxes me, even more than meditation or yoga - talk about hard work!

Playing outside relaxes me, even more than meditation or yoga - talk about hard work!

In spring, I garden, and in summer, I hike. Both are simple ways to honor the adventurer in me, in between big-ticket challenges. On those spring days when the garden doesn’t need me, I do easy hikes, to ramp up to my summer push into the high country. Early in the season, I’m still a bit lazy, not yet ready to rise at dawn to reach the top of a mountain before afternoon storms turn me into a small but effective lightning rod. So, in May, I tend to keep my hikes close to town and no-brainer.

(more…)

I’ve had such a busy summer, I’ve grown adept at finding hikes that get me out of Denver without taking all day. It was the name of this little trail in Centennial Cone Park that grabbed me: Mayhem Gulch. The name is misleading; the trail is reasonably tame, despite an uphill slog at the start. My husband, Dale, and I walked the 4.5 mile loop. If you go on a weekend, be aware of one unusual rule: on Saturday and Sunday, the park is restricted to mountain bikers on even days and hikers on odd days. The trail starts next to the highway between Golden and Black Hawk, but as you’ll see in this video, the backside offers a respite that will take your city blues away.

Hiking Mayhem Gulch - Centennial Cone Park, near Golden, Colorado from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

The summer hiking season is winding down, but it’s still easy to enjoy some great trails well into fall. If you live or travel in the Denver area, you might want to consider one of the hikes I’ve done lately in Colorado’s high country.

When I’m not interested in researching new options, but simply looking for a no-brainer that will deliver a gorgeous day hike, I head to Brainard Lake Recreation Area near the tiny town of Ward. There’s a $9 entry fee, but considering the many trails my husband Dale and I enjoy for free, we don’t mind paying now and then. Below is a look at what our nine bucks bought us on the five-mile round trip walk to Blue Lake:

Hiking to Blue Lake from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

A friend and I wanted to go on a hike, but we were limited on time, so we chose one of my favorite short trails in nearby Boulder, Colorado. For me, the sight and sound of running water along a trail washes away stress like a glass of water quenches thirst. The Anne U. White Trail follows Fourmile Canyon Creek, where the water level can be hit or miss: a friendly gusher in wet years, or a mere trickle in dry years. This time it was a hit. We crossed the rushing creek nearly two-dozen times, and stopped to admire many small waterfalls. This easy, three-mile hike is tucked away in a convenient residential area, yet the canyon walls give it the feeling of a secluded getaway. Here’s a two-minute peek at what you might see if you go:

Hiking Anne U. White Trail: Fourmile Canyon Creek, Boulder, Colorado from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

Because I’ve been busy working on a writing residency, I’ve kept my recent hikes simple and close to home. If you like to see wildlife, Rabbit Mountain near Lyons, Colorado is a fun choice. The chatty prairie dog town at the trailhead might tempt you to hang out there all day and skip the hike… but keep walking. On a clear day, the 4-mile lollipop loop known as Eagle Wind Trail offers panoramic views of the Continental Divide and the prairie. I recommend you go early, because there’s a good chance of seeing white tail deer. Here’s a video of my recent hike:

Eagle Wind Trail - Rabbit Mountain, near Lyons, CO from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.

One of my favorite things about Denver is that I don’t have to travel far to get away from the city. I recently drove 45 minutes to the South Mesa Trailhead near Eldorado Springs and South Boulder, where I hiked the Big Bluestem Loop. This relatively easy trail meanders below the spectacular foothill formations known as The Flatirons and Devil’s Thumb. It’s about 4.2 miles roundtrip. I experimented with a combination of video and photos to create the following vicarious hiking montage for you. So, come join me for a little walk…

HIKING BIG BLUESTEM LOOP - Boulder, Colorado’s South Mesa Trail from Cara Lopez Lee on Vimeo.