Abyss Lake Trail

     On Memorial Day, Nick, our friend Chuck, and I set out early up Guanella Pass. Our goal was to climb Square Top Mountain. However, upon our arrival at the trailhead, we encountered extremely gusty and chilly winds. It was so windy, in fact, that we could barely shut the car doors. It took us all of thirty seconds to decide we did not want to hike above treeline all day in those conditions. So, we headed about ten miles down the road towards Grant to our old favorite Abyss Lake Trail. We have been there twice before, once with Chuck, and both times during Fall. This is one of my favorites because of it's gradual nature and because of the breathtaking vistas of Mt Bierstadt, the Sawtooth, and Mt Evans. We were very relieved to find the trees protected us quite a bit from the wind once we reached the trailhead. We made it about four miles up the trail to where the trees start to thin out and the trail opens up a bit. The unwelcomed cold wind returned, and we found ourselves surrounded by tons of freshly fallen trees. The further we climbed up the trail, the more frequent and more difficult the fallen tree crossings became. Happy with our trek so far, the three of us ate lunch on a rock, and then, returned to the trailhead. After we got back to Denver, we ate lunch at Park Burger, where I enjoyed a milkshake, a jalapeno cheeseburger, and some sweet potato fries. Overall, despite the insane gusts, it was another gorgeous day.

Abyss Lake Trail

      On Saturday, Nick and I went hiking with a group of friends in Mt Evans Wilderness. We hiked along Scott Gomer creek towards Abyss Lake. However, Abyss lake was 8.8 miles away, so we did not make it the entire way. Abyss Lake sits right below The Sawtooth, with Mt Bierstadt on the left and Mt Evans on the right. The Aspen were bright shades of yellow. The weather was pleasantly warm, and it was partly cloudy. It was a perfect day. 

      On the way back, we encountered a couple horseback riders. One of them looked pretty familiar and ended up being my Mom. Talk about a small world. I have run into friends a couple times on trails, but never my own mother. Pretty funny.

Fall Colors

Who said Fall is better on the East Coast?

Blue and Gold - Mt Evans Wilderness

     Last weekend, Nick and I went for a hike in the Mt Evans wilderness. We weren't really planning on a fall foliage hike, but that is certainly what we got. The weather was warm with a nice breeze and not a cloud in the sky. The aspen were changing in full force, and it made for some stunning views.