1) Mesa Trail, NCAR trailhead, Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, January 6, 2019 - Todd and Alan decided to kick off the 2019 hiking season quickly by getting together for a short hike on the first possible weekend into the New Year. We headed up to NCAR and then hiked the NCAR trail over to the Mesa Trail. From there we turned north and slipped our way north on the shady and icy trail for a mile or so. Since we were on a tight time schedule we turned around relatively quickly but it was still nice to get out for a bit to enjoy the nice afternoon weather. 3 miles out and back with 500 feet of elevation gain.
2) Coulson Gulch Trail, Button Rock Preserve, Johnny Park, Pinewood Springs, CO, January 22, 2019 - Despite it being a cold January day, Todd and Alan got together for a hike near Todd's house in Pinewood Springs. We drove into the nearby Johnny Park area and then headed out onto the icy trails to hike the Coulson Gulch trail down to the Button Rock Preserve. A partly cloudy day meant we were constantly shifting between the warmth of the sun and the chilliness of the shade: Zip up the jacket, pull on the hat and tug on the gloves. No wait, yank off the hat, tuck the gloves into the pockets and unzip the coat. Rinse. Repeat. We also switched between decending downhill and then climbing over ridges. More swapping between hot and cold. All through a frosted forest with pine trees covered in a dusting of fresh snow. Finally, we took a break on the shoulder of Cook Mountain and enjoyed a stunning vista out over Buttonrock Reservior. The return trip was the same - a beautiful snowy landscape, a slick frozen trail and lot of outfit flip-flopping. A great way for two retirees to spend a "work" day. 5.5 miles out and back with 1,300 feet of elevation gain.
3) Mount Sanitas, Boulder County Open Space & Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, January 31, 2019 - Todd, Lyle and Alan kicked off the annual spring training hikes of the peaks around Boulder with the traditional first hike - starting at Settler's Park, going up and over the Red Rocks ridge there, then over to Dakota Ridge and finally up the east face of Mt Sanitas to the summit. After enjoying the views from the top looking out over snow covered Boulder we took the long drop down the south ridge, and back through Settler's Park to the starting point. A snow storm earlier in the week, combined with a warm sunny day, meant we encountered everything from snotty mud, to dry trail, to packed snow, to glassy ice. The scenery was nice but mainly it was just a good time to knock the winter rust off the legs by climbing up a steep mountainside. 4.5 miles with 1,500 feet of elevation gain.
4) Mount Sanitas, Boulder County Open Space & Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, February 14, 2019 - Lyle and Alan decided to return to Mt Sanitas for a second time in a row just to get a little extra elevation training before moving on to the other four Boulder peaks. The day was overcast but it was cool and dry so great conditions for a hike. We once again started at Settler's Park but this time we went the reverse direction from our last visit. We went around the west end of the Red Rocks in Settler's Park on Anemone Trail. Once over to Mt Sanitas we went up the south ridge to the top and decended via the east face. We circled back via the Dakota Valley trail and then went up and over Red Rocks trail to return to the Settler's Park trailhead. Another good warm-up for this spring's hiking! 4.2 miles with 1,500 of elevation gain.
5) Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder City Open Space & Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, March 3, 2019 - We earned our hiking stripes today! Desiree, Lyle and Alan met at Eben G. Fine park in Boulder to hike Flagstaff Mountain. An overnight spring storm dropped 6" of fresh snow on the ground and then the temperature dropped down into the single digits. It had warmed up into the low teens by the time we started hiking but the skies were darkening so more snow was on the way! We headed up the north ridge of Flagstaff but the trail gradually circles the mountain so we were on the east face about 1/3 of the way up and then all the way around on the south side by the time the trail crests the top. From the middle to the top we were the first hikers up so we were breaking trail through the fluffy white stuff. The views were sublime! The incoming snow storm gave the world a foggy feel since we were hiking in the clouds. All the trees were frosted with ice crystals and captures snow flakes. It was beautiful! However, did I mention that it was cold? Brrrr... Frozen noses, frozen fingers and (for me) a frozen beard. It was a memorable hike and probably will be the best of this year's spring training hikes! 5.6 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation gain.
6) Miller Rock, Ceran-St. Vrain trailhead, Jamestown, CO, March 9, 2019 - Jonna's brother Jamie is visiting so Lyle, Todd and I wanted to bring him snoeshoeing. Unfortunately, crazy winds blew that plan away so we retreated to the Ceran-St. Vrain trailhead where we found more peaceful weather. Sadly, we also found a packed down trail so we abandoned the snowshoes and hiked instead. Perfect blue skies, bright green trees and white snow provided a colorful landscape for our hike. We hiked to the end of the Ceran St. Vrain trail and then went up the National Forest System Road 252 to Miller Rock. There we had stunning views of Longs Peak/Mt. Meeker, Estes Cone, Twin Sisters and the thick pine forests around Allens Park. It wasn't the alpine adventure we'd planned but was a nice hike capped with excellent mountain views. 6.3 miles out and back with 1,100 feet of elevation gain.
7) Green Mountain, Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, March 17, 2019 - It may be beer and green clothes for most folks but for us this weekend means the annual Hikin' 'O The Green - the third of the spring training hikes. This year it was Lyle, Alan and a whole bunch of snow that showed up for the hike. (A snow storm dumped over a foot of snow on the Front Range just a few days ago and the trails we hiked today were still covered. Surprisingly, this made for a really nice hike since in past years we had to cope with a lot of black ice on the trails but the packed snow was much better for traction! We once again started at the Gregory Canyon trailhead and made the big climb up Saddlerock trail to Greenman Trail, then took that up to the summit. The views over Boulder were nice but the views west onto the snow covered Continental Divide were even better. After a short break to enjoy the scenery we came down the back way via the Ranger and Gregory Canyon trails. It was a really beautiful hike thanks to all the snow and to the perfect hiking weather. 5.2 miles with 2,500 feet of elevation gain.
8) Preikestolen, Oanes, Norway, June 11, 2019 - We haven’t done as much hiking this year as in years past (file that under the “Getting old sucks” section of our story) but we still decided we couldn’t miss seeing Preikestolen (aka Pulpit Rock) while in the Stavanger area so we camped nearby, woke up early and got into the parking lot before 7am. The trail is well maintained but rocky and steep. We made it to the top before the hoards of bus tours arrived so we could enjoy the view with maybe a dozen other hikers - and wow, what a view! The Preikestolen is a big, sheer cliff that sits 1,000 vertical feet above Lysefjord. Spectacular! If we are only going to do a few hikes this year you can’t beat this one for scenic views. 5.5 miles with a climb of 1300 feet.
9) Marmorslottet (The Marble Castle), Saltfjellet-Svaritisen National Park, Mo I Rana, Norway, June 21, 2019 - Despite it being rainy all day we were able to find time today to take our second hike of our 2019 summer vacation! We had seen a cool photo in a travel brochure and after exercising our goggle-fu figured out it was the Marmorslottet, aka the Marble Castle. The trailhead is way down a dirt road and there were only two cars in the parking lot so we basically had the trail to ourselves. It was wet and muddy and slippery but there are boardwalk sections over the worst of the mud. The real challenge was the drop down into a slot canyon at the end - slick tree roots, polished rock and slimy mud. It was all worth it though! The Marmorslottet is a slot canyon but through a 50 foot wide vein of light grey marble. The glacial water flowing through is baby blue so the color contrast is ethereal. Add to that the fantastical shapes that the grit filled, rushing creek has created in the soft marble and it is quite the sight to behold. This is what getting out into nature to explore while traveling is all about! 2 miles out and back with an elevation gain of 300 feet.
10) Myken, Norway, June 23, 2019 - We had a free afternoon day on Myken so we asked our friend Arin to lead us on a hike around the island. It was wonderful. Myken is mainly a moss covered boulder out in the Norwegian Sea so hiking it means you are always within a stones throw of the water - waves crashing up in to the rocky shoreline. Cormorants and seagulls wheel by overhead, little vole-like rodents scamper through the spongey moss and clouds blow past the island driven by a northerly wind. The trails that lead to the southern point (and the light signal mounted there) wind over outcroppings and into crevasses so it is a technical hike at times. When we got out to the southern most point the wind and a light rain were blowing through but by the time we got back to the little village on the north end it was bright and sunny. A great excursion to see the island! A wandering 2.7 mile loop with a undulating 550 feet of elevation gain.
11) Fell Kiilopää, Urho Kekkonen National Park, Kiilopää, Finland, July 2, 2019 - The weather rather surprisingly gifted us with a chance to do another hike while on our vacation and this one in Finland. We were driving south through steady rain and, as we were going past Urho Kekkonen National Park, the weather started to clear. On a lark we detoured to a little parking area called Kiilopää and found a trail going into the national park and to the top of Fell Kiilopää (1,800 feet above sea level). All of northern Finland is just rolling hills with a mix of tundra and pine forest. As a result there were no switchbacks just a boardwalk over the swampy bits at the bottom and then an arrow straight trail (with a short staircase at one steep bit) up the side. The view at the top is more sublime than stunning. Just the forested undulations in all directions going eastward all the way to the Russian border, westward all the way to the Swedish border and (barely over the horizon) northward to the Norwegian border. The clouds were even beginning to break up so we could see a little blue sky to the south. A nice hike that gave us a little taste (and view) of the northern Finnish landscape. 2.7 miles with a steady climb of 700 feet.
12) Särkinen pond trail, Lake Oulujärvi, Manamansalo Island, Finland, July 6, 2019 - While visiting Oulu we checked in with the tourist information center and they recommended we take a look at the Lake Oulujärvi area and specifically the island of Manamansalo. We got a spot in the campground on the island and we went for a short hike to check the area. The trails here are primarily cross-country ski trails in the winter but can be hiked/biked in the summer. We did the Särkinen pond loop and it was quite lovely. A dry forest with tall pine trees. The ground was covered with lichen and mushrooms and the peaceful pond reflected the trees and the sky. A short 2 mile loop with a mellow 120 feet of elevation gain.
13) Makkaraniemi Trail, Lake Oulujärvi, Manamansalo Island, Finland, July 7, 2019 - We enjoyed our short hike on Manamansalo enough that we did another one in the morning before we packed up the camper to leave. For this one we did a hike along the north shore of the island on the Makkaraniemi Trail with views out over Lake Oulujärvi. The Makkaraniemi point has a marshy area that was full of bird life. We even spotted a geocache hidden alongside the trail so we could log our visit. Another nice hike to add to our 2019 summer vacation. 5.3 miles with a rolling 150 feet of elevation gain.
14) The Stone Castle of Pirunvuori (Devil’s Mountain), Sastamala, Finland, July 13, 2019 - We found another hike we could do while on our 2019 summer vacation! On a lark we found a campground next to a ski resort. In the summer the cross-country ski trails are hiking trails so we decided to check out the one called Pirunvuori (since that translates to “Devil’s Mountain” it piqued our curiosity.) Doubly so when we saw it also went past “The Stone Castle”, whatever that was. The trail was a well maintained double track through the a terrain labelled as heath. Basically, a dry mixed forest with lots of moss and lichens and a landscape covered with ice age boulders. The trail lead to a small cave with great folklore attached to it - basically the devil lived here in the past breaking off parts of the mountain and hurling it at the nearby villages. The villagers eventually built a church and the ringing of the church bells eventually drove the Devil away. However, you can supposedly ask questions of the Devil by yelling into the mouth of the cave. On the way back down we stopped at the Stone Castle and found it was the Finnish artist Emil Danielsson’s art studio that he had built in 1906 using the local ice age boulders. It is three stories high, very rustic and quite lovely. We also passed a children’s play area built in the shape of a giant tree stump and manned by “fairies” who do forest based activities with any kids who visit. So a lot to see on what was just a random idea to hike a trail while we were in the area. Perfect weather, some interesting sites, a scenic forest - what more could you want from a hike? A mellow 2 mile out and back with a climb up a 300 foot high hill.
15) Tulliniemi Trail, Hanko, Finland, July 22, 2019 - Since we happened to be camping on the Hanko peninsula and since there is a trail nearby that goes to the southern-most point of Finland we decided to do another hike while on our summer vacation. This wasn’t the most scenic hike - half of it runs along the fence of a big port warehouse/industrial area - but it made up for that with history and a few coastal viewpoints. The Tulliniemi peninsula has been a key port and a key defensive location for many centuries. There are still ruins of fortifications with roots in the Swedish military but the most prominent sights along the trail now are wooden barracks built by the Russians in the 1930s, then used by the Germans in the 1940s and finally turned into a POW camp after WWII. There were also Russian gun emplacements from the period between the the Finnish-Russian wars. From a scenery standpoint there is an archipelago of islands just off shore that has been turned into a nature preserve since this is a major bird migration corridor. There were ducks, geese, cranes, cormorants, and dozens of other birds I can’t name. Finally, there is just the marker stating this is the southern-most point of Finland. We didn’t start our trip through the country at the absolute northern-most point but we weren’t far away and now we have hit the opposite side. For me, at least, it felt like an achievement. 4.8 miles out and back but relatively flat with just 100 feet of elevation gain.
16) Long Lake, Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Ward, CO, August 20, 2019 - Jonna and I took advantage of a free Tuesday afternoon to go out for a stroll in the mountains to catch the last of the summer's wild flowers. We chose the Long Lake loop at Brainard hoping it was high enough in elevation to still have some wild flowers in bloom. It wasn't as colorful as it probably was in the middle of the summer but we still found a few clusters of colorful blossoms. However, it was also nice just to be back hiking in the Rockies with the spectacular mountain views, the big blue sky and the peaceful forests. 3 miles with 125 feet of elevation gain.
17) Caribou Ranch Open Space, Boulder County Open Space Parks, Nederland, CO, August 27, 2019 - Jonna's cousin Heath, his wife Abby and his three kids Brenna, Hudson and Callen all came to visit us as part of their 2019 summer vacation. We took them hiking at one of our favorite local trails - the loop at Caribou Ranch. Everyone enjoyed seeing the old ranch house, the watering pond, the creek, the Bluebird Mine and the Rocky Mountains! The kids were troopers hiking the entire thing (and Heath and Abby get major props for carrying a sleeping Callen for the second half of the hike!). It was a real treasure for us to get to spend time with them all! 4.2 miles with 250 feet of elevation gain.
18) East Magnolia Trail System, Nederland, CO, September 22, 2019 - After a month of not hiking we got together with our friend Desiree to do a hike with her to celebrate her upcoming birthday. It was a little early for the aspen leaves but we headed to one of our favorite Fall hiking spots anyway. There were a few yellow aspen leaves already but the real Fall highlight were the rosehips that were bright red and so plentiful they were weighing the branches down. The junipers were equally bountiful with purple berries constranted against the green needles. We had a perfect hiking day with a clear blue sky which highlighted the yellow-green of the aspens and the grey-white of the mountain peaks. A nice pre-birthday outing for our friend and a great chance for us all to relax and catch up on life. 3.7 miles with 500 feet of elevation change.
19) Lake Isabelle, Brainard Lake Recreation Area, Ward, CO, September 29, 2019 - Alan's fantastic cousins Michelle, Heather and Rusty came out to Colorado for a Cousin's Weekend and we so we headed out Saturday morning to enjoy the stunning Colorado Fall scenery. We went into the Brainard Lake Recreation Area and started our hike from the Long Lake trailhead. We went around the south shore of Long Lake on the Jean Lunning trail and then continued on west to the Lake Isabelle. Both the weather and Fall colors were perfect. There was fresh snow on the mountains from an overnight storm, the aspen leaves were shining yellow, gold and orange. South Saint Vrain Creek was a musical burble along side the trail with trout jumping and rolling in the cascades. And best of all was getting to share it with family whom I love so much! Perfect! A little over 5 miles with a 400 foot climb.
20) Bear Peak, Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO, October 14, 2019 - After a foot injury (pardon the pun) broke my normal spring training hike schedule it was great today to get back up to the top of a mountain. Even better because it was with good friends Todd and Desiree. Doing a big hike with no recent conditioning made for a challenging hike but the views from on top of Bear Peak were worth the limping and sore knee at the end of the trail. We had perfect weather - a little Fall coolness in the air but bright sunshine to make all the yellows, browns, golds and green sparkle. The sky was bright blue and the peaks of the Divide shone in grey and white to the west. Really lovely! Going up Bear Canyon and coming down Fern Canyon meant an 8.8 mile loop with 2,700 feet of elevation gain.
21) Mud Lake, Boulder County Parks & Open Space, Nederland, CO, October 27, 2019 - With a multi-day snow storm just rolling in, the temperature starting to plummet and a light, fluffy snow coating everything we decided to get out to stretch our legs for a bit before things got too messy to venture out of the house. We layered up, strapped on the micro-spikes and walked the trails at nearby Mud Lake. We hiked both the Tungsten Loop and the attached Kinnickinnick Loop so almost all the trails in the little park. It was chilly but good gear and keeping moving kept our body temperature warm. The landscape was beautiful: The snow was so light it looked like fur covering the individual pine needles and bare aspen branches. Fields of dry grass looked like dandelions with poofy white crowns delicated balanced on top of each blade of grass. Mud Lake itself was frozen over and mostly coated with a blanket of fresh white snow. It was well worth getting out in the weather to take in such beauty! 2.2 miles with a mild 250 feet of elevation change.
22) Blue Grouse & Mule Deer trails, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Golden, CO, November 19, 2019 - After various trips prevented us from hiking together for the entire summer Lyle and Alan finally found time for a Monday afternoon hike. We headed to Golden Gate Canyon State Park and somewhat randomly decided to try the Blue Grouse trailhead. From there we hiked up the side of Thorodin Mountain to Mule Deer trai land then continued upwards on that to the ridgeline that looks out over the entire canyon. The setting sun gave us a nice "golden hour" and some nice colors in the clouds. It wasn't a standout hike in either distance or difficulty but it was really nice just to be out hiking together again. 3.3 miles with 700 feet of elevation gain.
23) Big Elk Meadows, Pinewood Springs, CO, November 25, 2019 - Todd, Rusty the pup and Alan headed out today into a snow storm to just do some off-trail exploring in the Roosevelt National Forest area known as Big Elk Meadows. The Big Elk fire burned this area back in 2002 so the mountainsides are now mostly treeless meadows. This makes for scenic hiking since you always have sweeping panoramas once you gain a little altitude. Todd was scouting for possible mountain bike routes through this area but the rough terrain we wandered through meant we were mostly unsuccessful with that goal. However, we did explore a few new ridges and canyons so it made for great hiking. The low flying clouds and gently falling snow added a nice wintery feel to the whole hike. 4.9 miles with 1,100 feet of elevation gain.
If you enjoyed these you may also enjoy checking out some photos from our 2018 hikes.
