the "road" i'm allowed to be on (thanks)

plans don’t always work out the way you plan, even for a planner by trade. i had planned to climb a couple unnamed peaks in boulder county west of lyons, starting with one just south of south saint vrain canyon which had a road most of the way and should have only taken a couple hours. six and a half hours later i’d be so grateful to see my black beauty and take off my wet boots. too late and too drained to even attempt the thought of tackling the second peak, although i do have time for a drive-by to grab some beta for when i come back. there are a couple of roads that might take me to a trailhead, per the map, but the drive-by squashed those options with “private road” signs dotting the trees. looks like it’ll have to be another bushwhack up a steep, loose, dangerous, difficult, and cold ravine just to get anywhere near the summit. hopefully the snow will melt by the time i’m back for this one. today, however, the snow was abundant and dragged me down so much. i found good parking just north of the peak and found the road i’d seen on the map that should take me within a mile of the peak. turns out this “road” hasn't seen a motorized vehicle in 100 years. a large painted rock greets you with a message to the effect of “no motorized vehicles, dangerous. hikers are chill”. awesome! these are my kind of land owners!! i wish everyone could be so accommodating to the lowly hiker. it was such a good feeling to know i was in a place where i’m allowed (supposed) to be. many times have i been on a trail where i’m unsure of who owns it, or the owner flat out doesn't want me there, or both. recently i've been able to stay on the right path, although the other folks on that path aren't hip to me and what i’m trying to do. if only…

the fine print below says hikers are badass, especially those named ethan,
and have unfettered access to all the wide open space they (he) can get his feet on

he just has to get up this "road"

the awesome 4wd road. i don't know what to call this.

this time i was on the right path AND the folks of this land were actually encouraging me to be there. i passed the painted rock and went up and over the rocks, and the pole and rebar that kept the wretched motorized vehicles out. the road takes off, up into the long gulch and immediately i am climbing up, over and through fallen trees. it would be this way for about a mile. there were interesting rock formations and a good deal of animal tracks. i’m pretty sure i saw bobcat and i’m near certain there was a moose up there hanging out. i found where (s)he was bedding down, saw moose turds, which look and tastes just like moose turds, and saw his/her tracks all up and down the gulch. kept a keen eye out but never saw ole bullwinkle.

fit for a moose

a giant ungulate

my new gps was loaded with a good map and fresh lithiums, but of course when i get into the field it decides to crap out. the map shows another “road” that veers left up to around 8,000’, but there is so much snow and thick timber that i’m not sure i’ll be able to find it. i do find a gulch that looks doable (almost anything is better than the “road”) and i think i actually identify it on the map. it’s very steep but at least there are fewer fallen trees and a clearer path. i gain the ridge of 8,140’s friend and follow it up, and then down, and then up again to reach the saddle of this friend and another.

devilishly chilly

the temps range between 30° and 40° F and maybe even got up to 50°. there was no wind, which was a blessing from the heavens, and the sun would peek out here and there to shine his brilliance upon me. there are no roads, no cabins or footprints, not a power line in sight. it feels very primitive and isolated. if i were hurt out here, it would be a good week, at least, before anyone found me, assuming my tracks melted away in 24 hours. my bum knee begins to hurt on certain steps. and by hurt, i mean i’m considering turning back. here i am, with the peak in sight and close to 4 hours into it, and my recovering leg is going to start causing trouble. well i wasn't about to let it. if worse came to worse, i’d pop some painkillers and keep on truckin’. thankfully it would never come to that. i hiked a little slower and more careful, and dropped down from the saddle into some drainage that meets up with the runoff from golden age, porphyry, fairview and more. from here i’d have to find the rocky spine leading to the summit. i found it and began to climb, and this is where the hike is officially designated “difficult”. the snow is getting very slushy. early in the day all i had to contend with was a 2 inch crust to break through with my microspikes. now that it’s later in the day and the melt is taking place, the 70 degree slope is even more treacherous. i scramble up cracks of 20 foot walls and squeeze through the tightest of spaces through the twisted and scraping branches.

climbing a crack

my leg is holding up and soon it looks like the summit is within site. i skirt around the north and up to find a snow capped peak with immaculate views all around. i can see the plains, longs and meeker, to coffintop and indian lookout, to fairview and friends, to the peak with private roads leading up, to another unnamed peak that, had it been summer and no bum knee, i would have made a bee-line for. it’ll have to wait.

the view from 8,140'

ethan allen; the man with the plan.

i don’t spend too much time on the summit. i’m worried about my knee and want to be sure i make it back in time for happy hour (i did). the trip back is great. i took a couple shortcuts and met back up with my tracks. i met up with a couple mule deer, but no moose. nor mountain lion. i was on the lookout all day for the big cat. no luck. the descent was quick, despite having to go up and over 8,140’s friends again. i was back at bb before i knew it though. all in all, a dangerous and difficult hike, especially for bum –leg–ethan.  ~4 miles RT, 1,780’ vertical gain, 6.5 hours, 37/87 of all ranked boulder county peaks, hills, mountains, ridge lines, and benchmarks climbed. i wish there weren't 14ers in the state so i could focus the year on boulder, but alas, there are 14ers and my attention must soon go to them. i’m so excited to do it all so that i can finally relax and sleep in.

hold on little one. things always turn around.

the heavens are silent

this is from may.

one of these days i’m going to take a weekend and not hike. just chillax at home. maybe vacuum. hit the mexi-joint. take a nap. watch a movie. sounds like a great night but i’m just obsessed with this whole hiking thing. currently it’s all boulder, all the time. i did as many foothills as i “legally” could, leaving 3 to figure out when i have the time. all that remains are 28 peaks on or near the continental divide. these are the big boys and they show no mercy. the few that i've done have been juggernaut days to say the least, and i've only done the easy ones! there are a few other easy ones i can do now, but they will come and go quickly. if the snow doesn't melt soon then my weekends will consist of ice ax and crampons, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. the two on this weekend’s agenda would not require such gear. coney island (11,580') and meadow mountain (11,632') are just a stone’s throw from the CD and south of longs peak. i walked right by meadow a few years ago before i started this conquest. now it beckons my return.

i left work and met the boys at TP’s for a few, then headed home to pack and finish the bizarro futuristic movie “brazil”. pretty trippy, not funny, sappy, dated, bad acting, decent special effects, not worth seeing. woke up nice and early, and made it to beaver reservoir between nederland and ward by 5:30 am.

now entering, colorado paradise

bb and the beav

first up would be the longer and tougher coney. the good news is that 95% of the bushwhacking in boco  is behind me. coney starts out north of the private reservoir at a spot that bb and i are familiar with. i parked and made haste on the old 4wd road. funny how so many hikes start out that way. i hate hiking over all the loose rock but anything’s better than fallen trees and snow. also the slope for about 75% of the way was very tame. a light rolling road through the forest for miles.

a ro-ad to the mountains

eventually the road turns into trail, which happened to be about where the snow on the ground started to become a problem. early morning wasn't so bad when the ground was somewhat frozen, but in the afternoon it was a post-holing sob. but that was later…i still had to climb the thing.

crunch, crunch, crunch

chomp, chomp, chomp

coney island can be seen up to the left,
even though the arrow says to go to the right

it was windy from the get-go and partly cloudy. the clouds were working overtime west of the divide as my mountains finally came into view. light snow started to blow and the trail turned to crap, with pools of water 20 and 30 feet long. ditching the trail into the forest meant going up to my knees in snow. i pressed on and crossed coney creek and the indian peaks wilderness boundary. the snow was deep and i lost the trail at times. my gps kept me on track up a gentle ridge that lead right up to the summit in maybe 1.5 miles. i put microspikes and balaklava on and put one foot in front of the other.

coney island and sawtooth sticking up from behind

hikerE

the views of sawtooth and audubon were diminishing as i straddled the narrow ridge and gained elevation. soon i was in the clouds on a flat plateau with the summit finally in view. i reached the top and was enveloped in a misty cottonball. the winds had thankfully subsided but the views were nil. a plastic summit register was about to blow away before i caught it and signed away. took some pictures and i was off.

easy walk up to coney

good place to search for ptarmigan

i sort of got lost down there once. in the end i found myself.

five hours up to hike 5.5 miles, 3 hours down. 8 hours and 11 miles; saw no one.

weeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

sawtooth in the middle, coney to the left, red deer to the right

drove 15 miles east to lyons for dinner at that margarita bar that had crap service last time. thought i’d give them another chance. and they succeeded, but only because i have a different server. tonight i’ll drive back to allenspark, up the notorious ski road, to the TH, and into my sleeping bag in the back of my car. might get some rain tonight. maybe some grauppel. i hear it’s all the rage these days. tomorrow, meadow mountain, chocolate malt at the meadow mountain café, lunch/dinner at el mirador, swap movies at blockbuster, start watching some of it, sleep. sleep. looking forward to it.

hiking around the trailhead

it's awesome the things you'll find
just by taking a stroll

later the next day…

now if only my luck with mountains extended to the ladies. i feel like i've never had much with them. being an open book now limits the pickin's even more. i've pretty much established that the mexican joint’s ladies are either all spoken for or fresh out of high school. there might be hope though. today i had another adventure in boulder, this time hiking the saint vrain mountain trail. or was is the meadow mountain trail? either way i slept in the back of bb and set off at the booty crack of dawn (4:45).

booty crack of dawn

it was in the low 30s and there was just enough light to go without my headlamp, but i was hoping to catch a glimpse of eyes; creatures on the prowl or resting in a pasture. no such luck of course. just wasted battery juice. the trail is very well maintained, with switchbacks and steps of boulder to give the weary hiker a break from the steep grade, and even handrails for balance. just kidding. through a couple miles of forest i gained elevation over fairly level terrain. the silence of the forest trail was broken by a heavy flowing creek that poured fresh snow melt off saint vrain and meadow mountains. the sky was awash in every brilliant shade of pink, peach and orange as the sun transitioned from a peep show to full on frontal. the wind began to pick up as the warm air settled.

be love

the full monty

all this, just as the long and steep switchbacks began the climb up to the meadow/st. vrain saddle, which is also when the snow on the trail started to appear. the trail would be going along, snow free, la-la-la-dee-da dee-da, then suddenly there would be a 4 foot wall of snow covering the trail for 20 feet. there was a very faint trail of a previous hiker but half the time it would fade to nothing on the snow. being early enough in the morning, the snow was nearly frozen solid, so post-holing wasn't an issue. i post-holed maybe 5 or 6 times to my ankle or calf on the way up; not a problem. staying on the trail was, however. it was slow going, climbing up and over so many snow berms, always spreading my weight out over my poles to avoid dropping through the snow and into the occasional stream under said snow.

stupid trail. this got really old, really fast.

i eventually made my way out of the trees and finally off the snow. leaving my microspikes on a rock, hoping they wouldn't get picked up by some idiot thinking they were dropped by someone, i turned right on the saddle, leaving the trail, and made a direct heading toward meadow over the rock and hearty yellow alpine plants. the tundra abruptly turns to talus for the remaining couple hundred feet of climbing. the wind comes and goes but i leave my hood up the entire time above tree line.

other worldly

i don't see any meadows yet

i push hard to the summit and am happy to see a big windbreak waiting for me, along with sick views of everything! there was a solar panel powering some antennae. i believe it was pointed toward twin sisters peaks. i spent a few minutes exploring the summit and taking awesome photos. i thought of that person i used to hike with. she would have liked it up here. and i would like to take the time to report an observation: i don’t understand two people who go to a restaurant, sit across from each other, say a few words, and spend the remainder of the time plugging away at their cell phones. why are these people even together? i’d be so much more engaging than a cell phone.

meadow mountain summit. longs & company to the rear.

southern view

pikes peak!!!

there was no register. it was good to know that the duration of the hike i was on completely legal land. roosevelt national forest, to indian peaks wilderness, to rocky mountain nation park. it doesn't get any better than that.

i flew down the talus slope, over the tundra, onto the snow fields, back on the trail, and sat on a rock.

i sat on a rock

a cute lady and her dog rolled on by. she asked if it was pretty snowy ahead. she lacked any spark or life in her, and i could only think back to the last time i met someone on the trail. i remember that spark like it was yesterday. how did i get so lucky to be sitting there alongside the CT, at just the most perfect moment? what a time to sit and purify my water. the stars were aligned and the heavens blasted forth their trumpet song. but that’s ancient history now. this lady and her barking dog continued on the snowy trail toward the mountains as i stopped for a quick rest. i run to the mountains to clear my mind, but there she is all about. the breeze over my skin and the frozen ground below, she lingers and i can’t escape. i don’t want to, but i need to. what choice do i have? for whatever reason, it ended. all of it ended, and that i can’t understand. i quickly made it back to the car and drove into town for a chocolate malt at, none other than, meadow mountain café. they were packed to the brim but were quick to get my malt. also ordered a cinnamon roll and it was nearly to die for.

after climbing meadow mountain, how could i not stop here??

i was back in northglenn by 1:00 pm; plenty of time to make happy hour. i don’t know what i can really say about my life right now, other than that i’m doing the best i can, making the best of it, and trying not to dwell on the past. (ha) i have these fantasies that i think could happen in the immediate and long term futures. hahahaha. i kid myself. i’m delusion to think i could find my way back to her on the trail. not unless the stars align and heavens blast forth their trumpet song again. could such an event happen twice in a lifetime? off to blockbuster.

the heavens are silent

the hope in hope

last night i visited my brother for steaks and treats. it was a good time as usual and i crashed on the floor. the spare room was occupied by jason and sara, while jason’s boy eric was on the couch. i was perfectly content being on the floor. i think of all the rotten spaces i’ve squeezed into for a night’s rest. most anything is better than the back of my car, although i can attest that 2 will fit snug. he wanted me to sleep in his camper that was parked on the main road, but my luck it would get plowed into by a drunkard. the carpet would do just fine.

my cell was dead so i relied on body and mind, which decided 4:26 was the right time to start the day. nice job body clock. i left littleton and took 93 into boulder, which was preparing for the day’s boulder-boulder festivities. cones and cops and eager participants started to litter the area. i sped off into lyons and then allenspark where i drove to my parking spot by memory. i’ve been here a few times, but most notably a year and a half ago when i got bb stuck in snow and had to have a gracious citizen of allenspark pull her out. today the dirt road is snow free and thankfully i’ll be parking prior to that dreadful bend in the road.

hitting the trail a little late today, aren’t we ethan? well yeah, i guess so. got to bed late and probably woke up later than normal. i’ll get ‘er done, i have no doubt. i’d have to head east into the gulch of rock creek. last time we met i do believe my foot, sock and boot got to know you real well, and then you proceeded to wage a full on deer tick assault against me. today your white waters were flowing hard and it appeared there was nowhere for me to cross. most trees that crossed the 6-8 foot wide creek were too small, old, slippery, or some combination of to attempt a crossing. i walked up and down the banks for a while but had no luck. i could go up ¼ mile through the thick brush along the creek banks until i hit the old road that should cross the creek, or i could suck it up and wade barefoot, which is what i did. the whole process took about 8 minutes. obviously the water was bitter cold. at one point my pant leg was coming down so i had to hustle across swift rapids, a foot deep. nothing crazy, but not how i like to start my hikes. 

the notorious rock creek

gotta do what i gotta do

i chose to tackle the more difficult of the two peaks first, which consisted of 3+ miles RT in steep (2,023’ vertical gain) forest that hasn’t seen fire in a millennia.

10,583' - one of only two "10ers" in boco

my gps batteries were dead. i have new ones but they are on my kitchen counter at home, so i had to rely on my map and compass skills, which haven’t failed me yet! this was pretty straightforward but i was blind in the thick of the forest. once in a while a few peaks would come into view and i’d do some triangulation. mostly i just followed my gut. it knew there was a brownie waiting for me on the summit and knew exactly how to find it. there were very few traces of game trail. i don’t blame the animals for not wanting to be there. it was probably in the top 5, or even 3, toughest bushwhacks i’ve encountered in boulder county. the distance, slope, dense timber, dead and alive, combined for a tough 5 hours. it pleases me to know, and pleased me during the hike to know, that this would be one of my last gnarly bushwhacks in boulder. most of the remaining have trails on the summit approach! 

finally, one of the last boulder bushwhacks. try navigating in this!

broken glass mason jar and usgs bench marker on 10,583'

i hiked the ridge, around the north set of rocks, up the north summit, down, then up to the true summit of 10,583’, where waiting for me was a broken glass mason jar and usgs bench marker. and some freaking incredible views all around! most of the mountains are starting to peel away their white coverings for a more hiker-friendly landscape. i’ll be there soon guys.

longs & co.

the boulder mountain group and front range beyond

there wasn’t much time to diddle-daddle if i was to continue on to meadow mountain (11,632’). i made a more direct approach back down to rock creek, this time down the steep west face of 10,583’, to the old rock creek road, which according to the map, eventually crosses that old, damned creek. it was tough going, through steep 2-3 feet patches of snow, but after about 45 minutes i made it back down and met up with the road. it took 15 minutes just to go the last 100 feet…that’s how steep and dense it was. once i got on that road i knew it would be smooth sailing to the car, and it was. 

late may. still some snow.

on the trail of life, i blaze my own

there were some folks camping near the creek, and some packing up as the 3-day weekend winded down. i crossed the spot where bb got stuck so long ago. it wasn’t that long ago. everything that happened before last july seems like an eternity ago. the woman that i waved at through her kitchen window, happened to the be the wife of the wrecker for allenspark, who was kind enough to spend about an hour working to get her unstuck. now i carry chains.

i was now nestled in the back of my black and beautiful pathfinder, contemplating my next move. i seemed to have run out of time to make a move on meadow mountain. it looks to be ~7 miles RT on the map and it was nearly noon. estimating around 1 mph means i’d miss happy hour. can’t miss happy so meadow would have to wait, which isn’t such a bad thing. i’ve had a buddy at work asking to hike with me but my hikes of late would have surely left his children fatherless. i couldn’t have that on my hands. since the path to meadow mountain runs entirely on the meadow mountain trail, this would be an ideal hike for my work compatriot. so i left with bb and visited my new favorite mountain eating establishment: the meadow mountain café in allenspark. today was a quick to-go item ala chocolate malt, hold the whip cream. i decided that i’d drive a little north of lyons to see where i could approach indian mountain. previously i had checked the area south to west but had no luck. the road ends at a gate and there is a very visible fence line as far as i could see. this time i’d check out south to east to north, which was mostly another fence line, although I did find one spot by a dumpster that i could see a break in the fence where it could be possible to slip through and dodge the house up on the cliff, then climb away. it would have to be done in the wee hours of the eve. i don’t know what other option i have.

avoiding boulder’s marathon mess, i hightailed it to i-25 and back home. waiting for me was an empty apartment, margaritas and food at the joint next door, and perhaps hope. i hope, that hope shows up soon.

hope