I did it!

I finally attempted the infamous incline, and succeeded. It took me 1 hour 17 minutes. That included many breaks. It was very hard, especially the first 2/3 of the climb. But by the time you get that far and look down, it's much easier to climb up, then back down. We took the Barr Trail back down. It feels great to accomplish my goal, next year I will decrease my time and attempt Pikes Peak.

Happy Hiking,
Cindy

The Top of the Peak

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Well, they made it. My husband and son hiked to the top of Pikes Peak. Of course they hiked up the West side of the mountain, a 6 mile hike up to the top of the peak. Not as long as hiking on the Barr Trail, but still a great accomplishment. They took the Crags trail starting just past the town of Divide. It was a 4 hour and 10 minute hike with an elevation gain of 4150 feet. Yes, the elevation was difficult, however they claim the actual hike was not that bad. Oh yeah, I had to drive up to the top of the peak to pick them up. I'm not sure which is harder, at least for someone who is afraid of driving over the side of a mountain. Here are a few pictures to enjoy.

Happy Hiking,

Cindy

St. Mary's Falls

Saturday, August 22, 2009

On our hike today we were joined by my sister-in-law from Missouri. Our hike took us to St. Mary's Falls. It was a moderate hike 6 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1500 feet.

My husband and son ventured further on the trail to the top of the falls. On their way down, the boys decided to take a short cut, straight down the rocks running along the waterfall. Big Mistake! This was a very difficult route as you can see from the picture. Near the end of the route, my son lost control and came running down the rocks straight into me. I responded just like any mom would, I grabbed his leg hoping to slow him down. Of course, we both ended up on the ground. A few scrapes for him & a sore and swollen elbow for me. Somehow it all became my fault for grabbing ahold. Who decided to come down the rocks and not the trail?

In the end we had a great time hiking and enjoying the waterfall. and views.

Happy Hiking,

Cindy

Palmer Lake Reservoirs

Are You Sure This Is The Trail?









A few weeks ago we hiked to the Palmer Lake Reservoirs. We hiked the Ice Cave Creek loop which was about a 4 mile easy to moderate hike.


Once you reach the lower reservoir, you hike along the creek on a trail which is not maintained.

I asked many times while climbing up rocks, "Are you sure this is the trail?"



Well it was. We didn't climb all the way to Cap Rock, we will save that for next time. On the way down we reached the second reservoir. There were a few fisherman. The water was not as clear as the Stanley Reservoir, but it was still a beautiful view.




Happy Hiking,

Cindy

Red Rock Canyon Open Space

August 8, 2009

School started Monday, so we were not able to find time to hike this past weekend. However, a few week ago we went for a short family hike in the Red Rock Canyon Open Space. We hiked about 3 miles including the Quarry. This area was purchased in 2003 by the City of Colorado Springs. It's history includes use as a stone quarry and a landfill. I love the results found in the rock formations.

There are several trails in the area and I would consider all to be easy hikes. As the name indicates, you will see many red rock formations and also a nice view of Garden of the Gods in the distance.

On the way home we stopped in Manitou Springs for lunch and a trip to the outdoor penny arcade. Here are a few pictures of some old arcade games. What a great way to spend time with the family.

Happy Hiking,

Cindy

Estes Park

Thursday, July 30, 2009


Well, it's not Colorado Springs, but close enough. Today we went hiking in Estes Park, CO. It was unusually cold, about 47 degrees and cloudy. We entered the park through the Beaver Meadows entrance and began hiking on the Glacier Gorge Trail head. It is a very nice, easy, and well-maintained trail. The entire family hiked to Alberta Falls. As you can tell from the picture, it was very cloudy and hazy. We climbed up some rocks to try to get to the top of the falls. It would have been a much nicer view on a sunny day. The boys hiked to The Loch, Lake Haiyaha, Nymph Lake and back to meet us at Bear Lake. They even found some snow.

On Friday, we had much better weather. Sunny and about 50 degrees. What a difference the sun makes. Today we took a tour of some waterfalls. A total of 3 waterfalls and 6 miles of hiking. Again very nice, easy, well-maintained trails. We entered the Rocky Mountain National Park through the Wild Basin entrance and began our hike on the Wild Basin tail head. You really need to get here early for a parking spot close to the trail head. There is no bus service in this part of the park. It was a short hike to Copeland Falls.

Next up, Calypso Cascasdes. Very impressive.













And finally, Ouzel Falls. This was well worth the extra hike and, according to my boys, worth getting up at 6:30 am. We tried to climb as close to the top as possible.















Next visit, I would like to stay in Estes Park and visit more waterfalls and lakes.


Happy Hiking,

Cindy

The Incline

Sunday, July 19, 2009







My husband, 2 teenage boys, and one of their friends hiked the infamous incline today. It is a 1 mile climb (5000 steps) up the abandoned roadbed to the former Mount Manitou Scenic Incline Railway, which was a cable car that went up the eastern face of Rocky Mountain. The steepest section is at a grade of 68% with the average grade just over 40%. They did indeed break the law by trespassing on private property. Of course, the parking lot is always full of others looking for a great workout. They walked up and completed in about 1 hour and 5 minutes, which included a few breaks along the way. A mild thunderstorm helped cool them off. Next time. I will join them and prove that I can also complete the incline.






Happy Hiking,
Cindy