Eric SchuetteExplorer

The normal route from the east side is via the Hessie trailhead outside Nederland Colorado. From the west it is most often accessed via the short trail from Rollins pass, which is open in the summer. As noted above, it is also a lake and area ripe for creating your own adventure. The description will be based on the normal route but feel free to use your imagination and combine off-trail advent...

The trail begins at the 4th of July trailhead, which is located near the Eldora ski area and can be crowded during the summer and weekends. The road is rough in places but passable by any car when dry. From the parking area begin hiking the Arapaho pass trail, which will gently gain elevation through forests with occasional glimpses across the valley. Just after a mile into the hike there will ...

To begin, park in the large parking lot (it is usually plowed all winter except right after a large storm). The parking lot can be reached via highway 91, approximately 6 miles south of Copper Mountain and will be on the east (left if coming from the north) side of the road. Begin up the obvious trail that follows a 4x4 road but will be covered in ski/snowshoe tracks.Continue up the road for a ...

Over a mile of the Uncompahgre Gorge is farmed for ice every year and they have gotten very good at it!! The ice park begins at the southern edge of town and continues south through the gorge for approximately 1 mile. The ice park is typically open from mid December-late March.If you enjoy getting your crampons and ice tools out every winter then you will love the Ouray Ice Park! Some areas can...

Twining Peak is a ranked 13er located 2 miles north of Independence Pass. The hike involves around 1700 feet of elevation and is mostly off-trail with some class 2 scrambling (class 3 can be had if you look hard enough). Independence Pass is a prominent and popular pass on Highway 82 between Twin lakes and Aspen.You can also access this peak from the Linkins Lake trailhead (just west of the pas...

How you get to Morgan Peak and the other 13ers in the area depends on if you have a 4-wheel drive with good clearance or not. If so, drive the rough Santa Fe road from the small town of Montezuma (just outside Keystone). The road is also known as Forest Service 264 and is a left at the stop sign in town. If you do not have a 4-wheel drive, you can walk the road or once above the town and privat...

From the parking lot walk across the road to the small sign indicating which way the trail begins through the bushes. The beginning of the trail heads through the birch forest and can be boggy in places. In the winter the trail can be hard to follow at times but on average stay to the right and you should be able to follow the path. After 10-15 minutes you will likely start clearing the trees a...

Getting There The trailhead can be reached from Boulder by driving west through Boulder Canyon on Highway 42 to Nederland, then going north on the Peak-to-Peak Highway 72 to the town of Ward. From there, a National Forest Sign on the west side of the highway provides directions to the ranger station, which is five miles west on a paved park road. A five-day park pass costs $8; a seasonal pass i...

Park at the pull out just west of independence pass. From there, begin on the Linkin's Lake Trail. The trail is generally easy to follow (although it can be muddy as it is a wet area) and climbs 900 feet in the 1.8 miles to independence lake. From Independence lake it is about 0.5 miles and 400 feet of incline to the pass. The trail stays to the west of the lake although there is a use trail th...

To catch the sunrise, begin at the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. From the trailhead, veer right around bear lake and continue along the Odessa Lake/Flattop Mountain trail. This will begin to ascend on your right.After approximately 1 mile, the Flattop Mountain Trail will split off the main trail on the left. Caution, in the winter the sign can be almost buried in snow, so...

Skagsanden is one the small and beautiful beaches that seem to be everywhere in the Lofoten area of Norway. Skagsanden is only a few yards from the parking lot, which makes access very easy. Skasgaden is perhaps best known for the intricate patterns in the sand where a small stream flows into the ocean. One could spend hours walking and seeing new patterns/angles the entire time. The rest of th...

Uttakliev is another one of the beautiful and scenic beaches in the Lofoten area of Norway. Uttakliev is known amongst photographers as a beautiful beach, especially the rockier section (where the famous 'eye' can be found). However, anyone can have a great time walking along the sand or rockier areas with small tide pools and interesting rocks. The beach is surrounded by mountains in every dir...

The hike begins at the East Portal Trailhead outside Rollinsville. Start hiking along the South Boulder trail to the right (north) of the very obvious Moffat Rail tunnel. The trail begins with moderate grades past the Forest Lakes cutoff just 1.25 miles from the trailhead. Continue hiking straight towards Rogers Pass. Do the same at the Cataract Lakes cutoff 1.85 miles past the trailhead. Afte...

Begin the hike at the Bear Lake trailhead, this will be the same for any season you chose to hike to the lake. From the Bear Lake trailhead follow the Dream Lake trail for ~1.05 miles to just before Dream Lake itself. The trail is very easy to follow up to this point in all seasons. In winter the trail stays very packed down expect for right after a large storm. If you are not hiking early, exp...

Lilly Lake is known as a very popular, easy hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Lilly Lake itself is very pretty and also has some good fishing and walking opportunities.Rock rises up nearby the northwest area of the lake, and offers some of the most fun rock climbing in the area. There are numerous bolted routes available, which means there is something for every level of climber. Several of...

Begin the hike by following the Bear Lake trail and after ~.45 miles take the trail to the right towards Odessa Lake and Flattop Mountain. Continue along the trail as it climbs above Bear Lake to the split with the Flattop Mountain trail at approximately 1 mile. The trail continues toward Odessa Lake and will climb through forests and meadows along the way. Travel moderates to the Sourdough Cam...

To get there from downtown Boulder, head west on CO 119 and almost 4.5 miles after you have left Boulder, turn right onto Sugarloaf Road. 4 miles after the turn from CO 119, turn right onto Sugarloaf Mountain road (located at the top of the road). If the road starts descending, you've gone too far. Take the dirt Sugarloaf Mountain Road 1 mile to the large parking area for the Switzerland Trail....

Start at the Monarch Lake trailhead (where there is a $5 parking fee unless you have one of the national lands passes) and follow the cascade creek trail around the north side of the lake. After about 1.5 miles the trail splits with the Arapaho pass trail, follow the cascade trail to the left as it rises through the forest. The trail continues to rise steadily in places and moderate in others u...

This 20-foot pool is surrounded by beautiful peaks, and is only a short distance from the parking area. Keep in mind this spot is popular on the weekends.

Kootenai Falls is accessed via short dirt trail from the parking lot on Highway Two between Troy and Libby. In the summer the parking lot is often full and even has some vendors selling objects and food. The trail is easy to follow and winds through the forest before descending towards the river, with numerous viewpoints and benches along the way. You will also cross a pedestrian walkway over...

To do the entire 26-mile float, put in at the Loma River access, several miles west of Fruita and just a short drive from I-70. From the Loma access there is no other easy access point until 26 miles later, at Westwater in Utah.Once on the water you will be able to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery around you. This is because during most water levels it is a very tame float throughout with ...

If you are new to the area a stop by the visitor center can helpful to get a map of the trails and roads in the area as well as obtaining a climbing permit (one is needed to climb and is free).Once you have entered the area there are multiple trails and pull outs that you can explore. Many of the trails are paved and most of the year easy to follow. During the summer expect crowds during the da...

The Black lake hike begins at the very popular Glacier Gorge trailhead along Bear Lake road in Rocky Mountain National Park. During the summer and weekends, the park shuttle may be the best parking option as the lot is often full by 7am and can be difficult to find a spot throughout the day. From the Glacier Gorge lot head down the trail and follow signs to Mills Lake. There are several junct...

Pawnee Campground has 47 sites for suited for tents, RVs, or trailers with eight that are walk in and tent only. These can fill up quick so get there early if you don't have a reservation, which can be tough to come by but will be well worth it.Brainard Lake has been one of the most popular hiking destinations in the front range for but more recently has become more popular as a camping destina...