La Plata Peak

Working towards my goal to climb fourteen 14ers, La Plata Peak recently became #13 (also my first solo 14er of the season). I left Denver at 2am on Thursday, driving 2.5 hours southwest to the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. The trailhead for the northwest ridge route is located along Independence Pass near Twin Lakes (just before Aspen). This Class 2 hike has a total gain of 4,500' over 9.5 miles. Though the approach from the southwest ridge is easier, trailhead access is limited to 4WD vehicles.

I set off from the parking area (elevation 10,000') at 5am--third car in the small lot. After 1/4 mile walk on a dirt road, the trail begins in the woods. Crossing a number of bridges early on, it is easy to miss a turn in the dark. Log and stone steps slightly ease the steep ascent through the forest, as the trail quickly rises above the valley floor and South Fork Lake Creek.

At daybreak, I reached a level clearing in the La Plata Gulch with a pristine view of 13er, Sayres Benchmark.

Above 11,000', the trail begins to climb steeply up a gully with a series of tight switchbacks. A 6'x6' boulder marks a small, level area that many pikas call home. Another steep pitch then leads to the northwest ridge at 12,750'--1.25 miles from the summit.

The trek becomes significantly more challenging once on the ridge (the first half apparently considered to be easy). The remainder of the trail weaves through the rocks on or just below the ridge crest.

At the base of a buttress, the trail turns right and climbs around to the west side of the ridge. This is the most confusing part of the hike because the talus makes route finding difficult. I spent a large chunk of time navigating this section, following sporadic rock cairns as I rock hopped across boulders and scree. 

The trail becomes more defined near 13,800' as it steeply ascends the right edge of the ridge. This final push leads to the peak at 14,336'.

That morning, I was the second person to summit La Plata via the northwest ridge. The absence of wind allowed for a lengthy rest to take in the views. I had the summit to myself for the entire 20-minute break!

On the downhill journey, I passed several groups making the ascent. 

The air heated up just as quickly as the clouds rolled in. 

I returned to a full parking lot at 12pm, clocking seven hours roundtrip. Despite the tricky boulder fields near the top, I appreciated the variety of scenery offered on this hike from start to finish; everything from aspen groves and pine forests to peaceful streams and alpine lakes. Favorite 14er this year!

Mt. Flora + the Perseids

I joined Anna and Alex to hike Mt. Flora on a Saturday morning in early August. This 13er features airy alpine travel and diverse tundra ecology with an elevation gain of 1,825' over 6.5 miles. Located an hour west of Denver, the trail begins on a service road that winds steeply over Berthoud Pass. The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) splits left off the road and narrows through treeline.

From here, the trail moderates northeast across broad, verdant slopes. It rises steadily to a saddle below Colorado Mines Peak (12,493') with good views down the Blue Creek drainage.

The route levels across the saddle before climbing steeply up the far side of the mountain.

Travel eases to a false summit and levels again for half a mile above the Mad Creek drainage.

At 13,132', the large flat summit has several rock shelters that protect against strong winds. Views to the north include the brilliant turquoise hue of Ethel Lake.

The CDT continues toward Breckenridge Peak, but our trio turned back to complete the three-hour hike.

Afterwards, we met Anna and Alex's friends at the Winter Park Beer Festival. This annual event in downtown Hideaway Park offers great live music and samples from 40+ micro brewers. Unfortunately, none of the beers there counted towards my Colorado brewery count (which requires physically going to the site of brewing). Still, the beer was good, the weather was perfect, and the crowd size was just right.

The following weekend, I joined my friends for a Wyoming camping trip to watch the meteor shower. Three hours north of Denver, North Fork campground is located in the Snowy Range of Medicine Bow National Forest. It contains 60 sites along the banks of the North Fork Little Laramie River.

Sarah and I drove up Friday afternoon with her pups, Alice and Shea. Joined by the rest of the crew, we set up camp and shared deliciously vegan fajitas around the campfire.

The next day, Nick cooked us pancakes before hitting the trail. At 9,240' the trailhead leaves the campground and follows the winding river through the forest for about 4.5 miles. Early into the hike, I spotted a moose standing farther up along the trail. Initially reacting with caution, we eventually continued on as the animal--startled by our group of nine humans and four dogs--took off into the trees.



After getting a late start, we turned back early due to the intense midday sun and heat (low 80s). We did, however, take a dip in the icy river!

The rest of the lazy afternoon was spent lounging around the campsite, reading, playing cards, and cooking dinner--veggie burgers with grilled vegetables.

That night, we layered up to watch the meteor shower. The Perseid meteor shower occurs every August when the Earth passes through a stream of dust from the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The meteor shower consists of pieces of comet debris that heat up as they enter the atmosphere and burn up in a bright burst of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky (shooting stars). The Perseids is so named because meteors appear to fall from the constellation Perseus.

Clear skies and a new moon created ideal viewing conditions. Besides the meteors, several planets could also be seen, including Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. One of the most exciting parts for me was the ability to view the sweeping band of the Milky Way Galaxy.

A lack of equipment has previously kept me away from the camping scene, but I was fortunately able to share gear with my friends for this trip. The outdoor activity comes with its challenges (always being dirty, getting little sleep, extreme temperature fluctuations), but it's a small price to pay for the chance to drop off the grid, unplug, and connect with nature. I also love stargazing--and s'mores. I am eager to make the effort to camp in Oregon!

Mt. Sanitas + VegFest

August arrived with the annual "summer is flying by" notion. It also delivered a reprieve from the recent heat wave with cooler temperatures and light rains.

At the end of July, my friends and I went to Broomfield for VegFest--an annual fair that promotes a plant-based/vegan lifestyle. The event features the following: speakers who cover health, compassion, and environmental issues; chef demonstrations; food sampling; commercial and non-profit exhibitors. It was exciting to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals that all share a common passion.



















I was eager to listen to one of my plant-based heroes speak regarding his renowned research on the prevention and reversal of heart disease through diet. Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is one of the pioneers in whole foods plant-based nutrition.



















One of my new favorite spots in town for plant-based goodness? Vital Root in the Highlands.

That same weekend was the annual summer art festival at Cheesman Park. I almost walked away without doing damage until the map art of local artist, Brian Billow, caught my eye. He made an offer too good to pass up on a slightly damaged reproduction of a stunning, tree-lined lake.

Across town, the Pirates smashed the Rockies at Coors Field.

On a cool Sunday afternoon, my friends and I went river tubing on Clear Creek in Golden. The icy river was not quite high enough or warm enough to entice me for a second round of floating, but it was still a good time. It also happened to be the Buffalo Bill Days celebration in Golden--a weekend full of events and activities, including a rubber duck race on the river that launched just as we finished our float trip.

The following Sunday afternoon--this one much hotter--my friend, Steven, and I hiked up Mt. Sanitas in Boulder. This popular Flatiron hike is a 3.2-mile loop via Mt. Sanitas Trail and Sanitas Valley Trail. A gain of 1,256' makes for a solid workout with rewarding Front Range views.

A slow period at the pharmacy allowed for not only exploring, but also prepping for my upcoming move to Portland (the details of which are endless). The sheer amount of change at once is stressful, and I will deeply miss Colorado, but I am ready for a new chapter.