loanshark
Active member
Our last hike on our visit was to be the best. I had done some reasearch on the Indian Peaks Wilderness area. After getting a glimpse of it from Bear peak I knew I wanted to give it a try. The area is in North Central Colorado. It is managed by the US Forest Service and The Nat. Park Service. The area has 7 peaks over 13000 feet, the highest being North Arapaho at 13,502. It is about a 40 minute drive west of Boulder. The drive is quite scenic. There is a 9 dollar fee to enter the park. We had heard that this area gets alot of traffic so we made sure we were there early. I was still on Eastern time so getting up was not an issue. Also, it is important to be headed down shortly after noon because of potential thunderstorms. The access road is pretty tree lined blocking any views. But just before reaching the trailhead parking lot we came to a lake with a view of what was to come. It was so panoramic it smacked you in the face. We were in awe. The sun was just coming up and there was a mist on the lake. In the background was a big section of the ridge. When leaving Denver the temp was about 80. The temp at the trailhead was 28. Time for gloves, hats and a fleece. We took a short path to the Pawnee Peak Trailhead. We knew we were not in New Hampshire when we saw the signs warning hikers about Mountain Lions. A had a little chuckle when I thought about another Mountain Lion Rumor Thread. The trail started out pretty flat. We were a bit cold so the pace was quick. We met 2 or 3 groups of hikers in the lot. They soon passed us because we made so many stops for pics. It was scenic right from the get go. A beautiful lake, streams with wildflowers and patches of snow from last winter. As we started to gain some elevation the switchbacks started. They continued all the way to Pawnee Pass. I was thinking of some of our White Mountain Trails that seem to go straight up and wished we could have introduced these trail builders to the Crawfords. The views became breathtaking. We took many photos of the same peaks but from different angles and with different lighting.
I think my favorite peak to photograph was Navajo.
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It didn't take long to break out above tree line. We were probably now at about 11,500 ft. I was worried about the thin air but to this point all was well. The trail crossed alot of tallus fields but the footing was good. It became pretty steep but the switchbacks took care of that issue. Soon we were at Pawnee pass and on the Divide. Pawnee Pass is at 12,550'. The views were great.
In all directions it was a maze of mountains.
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We took some time to soak it all in then turned for the final 400 feet to the summit. It went by quickly, but just when I thought we were there we realized it was a false summit. We had another 1/4 mile and we reached our goal. I felt a bit frustrated about not knowing what mountains I was looking at when we met 2 young guys and struck up a conversation. They were wearing helmets and carrying ice axes. I asked for some help Identifying the MTs and they obliged.
We were looking at Mts. Audibon, Toll and Long's on the north side.
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Long's Peak
With Shoshoni, Apache and Navajo on the south side. They asked us where we were from as they thought they recognized our accents. When we told them they said they went to Dartmouth. Well the Moosilauke stories started and it was like old home week. Nice boys and a small world. One told us he proposed to his wife on top of Navajo. I liked his style. What a great hike. It was the most scenic hike I ever been on. And to top it all off I got to spend my 30th anniversary at 12,950 ft. with my wife and son. Can't beat it. I was on top of the world.
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Here are the rest of the many photos we took.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/580832348pnlRFT?vhost=outdoors
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/580834113cMTZxN?vhost=outdoors
I think my favorite peak to photograph was Navajo.
It didn't take long to break out above tree line. We were probably now at about 11,500 ft. I was worried about the thin air but to this point all was well. The trail crossed alot of tallus fields but the footing was good. It became pretty steep but the switchbacks took care of that issue. Soon we were at Pawnee pass and on the Divide. Pawnee Pass is at 12,550'. The views were great.
In all directions it was a maze of mountains.
We took some time to soak it all in then turned for the final 400 feet to the summit. It went by quickly, but just when I thought we were there we realized it was a false summit. We had another 1/4 mile and we reached our goal. I felt a bit frustrated about not knowing what mountains I was looking at when we met 2 young guys and struck up a conversation. They were wearing helmets and carrying ice axes. I asked for some help Identifying the MTs and they obliged.
We were looking at Mts. Audibon, Toll and Long's on the north side.
Long's Peak
With Shoshoni, Apache and Navajo on the south side. They asked us where we were from as they thought they recognized our accents. When we told them they said they went to Dartmouth. Well the Moosilauke stories started and it was like old home week. Nice boys and a small world. One told us he proposed to his wife on top of Navajo. I liked his style. What a great hike. It was the most scenic hike I ever been on. And to top it all off I got to spend my 30th anniversary at 12,950 ft. with my wife and son. Can't beat it. I was on top of the world.
Here are the rest of the many photos we took.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/580832348pnlRFT?vhost=outdoors
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/580834113cMTZxN?vhost=outdoors
