Find Joy on the Trails, Tread Lightly and Use Caution

Joy on the Trails is a blog series detailing all the incredible hiking trails within an hour of Denver. All the trails featured are accessible to anyone whether you’re new to hiking, or just wanting to get out without driving for hours into the mountains. I hope you uncover your own joy of hiking and I hope you’re inspired to try a few of my favorite trails. And if you’re so inclined, join me sometime… I’m out there a lot!

How to hike during a pandemic

In a million years I never thought I’d type those words! But here we are… asked to stay home for the good of our community. Here’s what you need to know about getting out and hiking.

As of now (end of March), Jefferson County Parks has not closed their trail system. According to their web site, they request people use extreme caution when using the bathrooms, and maintain distance while hiking. But here’s the thing… we ain’t got much else to do right now, y’all! So the trails are super crowded.

Plan to go super early in the day (brrrr) or later in the afternoon/evening. This is when the trails will be least crowded. Go pee at home so you don’t have to use the bathrooms. Bring snacks and enjoy a spot just off the trail for a break. Step aside when people are passing - and for the love of all that’s holy, say hello and smile! This isn’t end of days, my friends and it’s so important to treat each other with humanity.

Also, it’s mud season which means there will be sloppy spots on the trails. Check out the Jeffco Parks website HERE for trail closures before you leave. They make changes daily based on trail conditions. The rule is: walk THROUGH the mud. I know this sucks and your shoes will get muddy, but it is very important not to widen the trail by walking around the mud. 

And a final note. Do NOT leave the county and start heading for the high country. We are asked to stay away from mountain towns because their hospital systems can not handle an outbreak of this virus. I’m just as stir crazy as you are, and a weekend in a little VRBO sounds amazing, but now is definitely not the time.

Hang in there… enjoy the outdoors for your mental and physical health. This too will end and we’ll be back on the trails hiking together soon.

Winter Park Resort: 66 Miles from Denver

Welll - seeing as though most things are closed this week and into the foreseeable future - mark "Winter Park" as a place to visit soon! OR - if you want - they are allowing some uphill access on limited terrain - I guess if you are that into getting a workout!

Winter park was one of my first ski resorts visited when I moved here 10 years ago - WOW - ten years! I went up with friends in March - and didn't ski - just watched from the bar/logde and listened to music! Did we go because it's the closest "major mountain destination to Denver?" Nope - passes were a bit different back then - and I think it all depended on that!

Nobody really liked "stats" class in college - but these stats will make any mountain lover smile!

• WP is CO's longest continually operated ski resort - it has an 80 year history!

• Over 300 inches of snow each year!

• Base elev is 9,000 - Summit elev is 12,060!

• 1,246 hectares - or in English - 3,081 total skiable acreage on 166 trails + even more off trail sking and "glade skiing"

• They make their own snow - when needed - which the promise to open by Thanksgiving each year!

• 8% of trails belong to beginners, 3% are "expert only".. and 52% are "most-difficult" - that laves 18% intermediate + 19% Advanced!

One of the nicest things about Winter Park is getting there on the "WINTER PARK EXPRESS"! It is a train directly from Denver's Union Station. You can plan a day trip or weekend trip as typically the train runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Snack and Beverages are available - AND you don't have to sit in ski traffic - you can rest up for your mountain adventures - or rest up for a Sunday Funday back in Denver!

In all of my "Miles From Denver" blogs... I always try to find things to do in WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER + FALL.... Winter Park lays them out perfectly here. 

WINTER - Whatever you want to do, try, explore, or discover next, you’ll find it at Winter Park Resort. With seven distinct ski and ride territories delivering on-mountain excitement for all levels, and a village and surrounding area full of countless off-mountain activities, Winter Park Resort is quite simply the hub of winter adventure in Colorado. Always offering more than you imagined.

SPRING - Sun, snow, suds, and shows. Spring skiing is a combo of great snow conditions, beautiful blue skies, and a great line-up of activities. Let us help you craft a trip that makes the most of your visit.

SUMMER - Now offering a wide variety of day passes so you can choose your adventure. Or, upgrade to a season pass and enjoy unlimited fun all summer long.

FALL - Fall is the golden hour of the Rockies—short, sweet, and oh so beautiful. Don’t miss out on beautiful colors, refreshing temps, and plenty of sunshine.

Joy on the Trails at Centennial Cone

Joy on the Trails is a blog series detailing all the incredible hiking trails within an hour of Denver. All the trails featured are accessible to anyone new to hiking, or just wanting to get out without driving for hours into the mountains. I hope you uncover your own joy of hiking and I hope you’re inspired to try a few of my favorite trails. And if you’re so inclined, join me sometime… I’m out there a lot!

A few trail options… hard and super duper hard!

Ready for a good workout and a decent up hill climb? Head out to Centennial Conefor a nice bun burner!  This trail has a two mile incline right out of the parking lot, and then flattens and heads back down hill.  The Mayhem Gultch trail is a “balloon” configuration meaning it has a spur, followed by a loop, then you come back down the spur.

My favorite part of Centennial Cone is that they close a majority of the park for elk birthing in the Spring, so until the end of June, the north end of the park is off limits. Cool right?

Some notes about this park… on the weekends, they alternate days for bikes and hikers.  On even weekend days, only bikes are allowed. On odd weekend days, only hikers are allowed.  This mixed-use design allows for easier flow of traffic, less stopping, and fewer accidents. Check the web site for all the details before heading out.

In the summer months after calving season, this park offers a truly back country experience.  The loop into the back country is 12 miles! There is no overnight camping, so if you head out on this trail into the back country, be prepared with a LOT of water, food and emergency provisions. This hike isn’t for beginners.

The last time I did Centennial Cone was with my family and we stopped for lunch and enjoyed a spectacular view of the Divide.  Some people gauge a hike by how quickly they get done… I like to measure a hike by how desperately I don’t want it to end. This one will make you want to linger.

GPS Locator: 32447 US Highway 6, Golden, CO 80403

Managed by: Jefferson County Open Space

Come hiking with me!

If you want more information on this or other trails in the area, please don’t hesitate to reach out!  Just like the homes I sell, I can even show it to you in person! And learn more about my Realtor life here.

Find Joy on the Trails!

Joy on the Trails is a blog series detailing all the incredible hiking trails within an hour of Denver. All the trails featured are accessible to anyone whether you’re new to hiking, or just wanting to get out without driving for hours into the mountains. I hope you uncover your own joy of hiking and I hope you’re inspired to try a few of my favorite trails. And if you’re so inclined, join me sometime… I’m out there a lot!

Another way to practice “Social Distancing”

I don’t know about you, but I need a break from the crazy this week. There has been a lot of focus on health and safety, and I want to just bring a bit of focus to mental health as well. As our systems and routines are upended, remember to take a moment to be kind to yourself .

Get outside! Social distancing doesn’t mean you have to be holed up in your house, and in fact, it’s so great for your respiratory and cardiovascular system to exercise outdoors. Grab some snacks and a full water bladder or bottle and head out to any of the local trails for some fresh air and sunshine.

We’re heading in to mud season so wear shoes that can get dirty, and wear lots of layers because Colorado sends us all kinds of weather curve balls in March.

Please don’t hesitate to call or message me if you’d like some ideas, or scroll this blog for plenty of fun suggestions. Be good to yourselves, get outside - especially if you have kids!

Breathe in the fresh air, explore a new area, and finish rejuvenated and ready to offer your best to your community. Stay healthy my friends!

Joy

Come hiking with me!

If you want more information on trails in the area, please don’t hesitate to reach out!  Just like the homes I sell, I can even show it to you in person! And learn more about my Realtor life here.

Find Joy on the Trails at Corwina Park

Joy on the Trails is a blog series detailing all the incredible hiking trails within an hour of Denver. All the trails featured are accessible to anyone new to hiking, or just wanting to get out without driving for hours into the mountains. I hope you uncover your own joy of hiking and I hope you’re inspired to try a few of my favorite trails. And if you’re so inclined, join me sometime… I’m out there a lot!

A cool wildlife story and a very cool trail

This little known and rarely used gem is one of my favorites any time of year. The trailhead for Corwina Park is off Highway 74 just before you get to the “town” of Kittridge, CO.  And the reason I put town in parentheses is because if you blink when you’re driving through, you will definitely miss it. BUT, it does have three places where you can grab a beer… so there’s that.

You’ll plug the address below into your map and it will take you to a little bridge. You’ll think you’re pulling in to someone’s driveway, but you’ll see there is a small parking area just across the bridge. 

This is an out-and-back trail which means you’ll do about 1.5 miles up, enjoy the amazing view, and then scoot back down the same way.  The trail follows a lovely mountain creek for most of the way, and wildlife sightseeing is fabulous!

So here’s a wildlife story that may freak you out:  I was hiking this trail with a number of moms with babies on their backs or in front carriers. We got to the top and one of the moms pulled me aside to tell me that her little one had been giggling and saying “Titty! Titty!” on the way up. Yes, we all had breast feeding on our minds, but I suspected the baby was not asking for her boob, but had maybe seen a kitty. A cat. A large cat. A mountain lion.

I confirmed that indeed her kiddo knew what a cat was, so when we got to the spot on the way down, she started up again with the tiity yelling. Oh my!  I stopped and scanned the area because I was sure a mountain lion was near by. But of course I couldn’t see anything. Mountain lions are incredibly shy and evasive, and are rarely spotted.  In fact I once read that in the high country in Colorado, just about one in ten times you are hiking you’ve been spotted by a mountain lion. 

For me, this is incredible and amazing and wonderful and part of the experience of being out on the trails. I embrace the natural world around me, and hope that my presence isn’t hard on it or invasive. I try to tread lightly and always keep my senses alert to nature’s bounty.

GPS Locator: 25338 Bear Creek Rd, Evergreen, CO 80439

Managed by: Denver Mountain Parks

Come hiking with me!

If you want more information on this or other trails in the area, please don’t hesitate to reach out!  Just like the homes I sell, I can even show it to you in person! And learn more about my Realtor life here.