Hiking 2007

Hiking 2007

When summer comes to Florida with its three H's (heat, humidity and hurricanes), it is time for us to leave Naples with our truck and travel trailer and head for the gorgeous high country of Colorado. We have stayed in campgrounds in the Arkansas River Valley where the altitude ranges from 7,000 feet in Salida to over 10,000 feet in Leadville! So, for people like us coming from essentially sea level (our house is 13 feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico), we spend the first week getting used to the altitude on trails in the immediate area. Then we drive to trailheads at higher altitudes and start our more strenuous hikes from there.

Highway 82 from Twin Lakes to Aspen goes over Independence Pass (12,124 feet I think). There is a trailhead close by that runs along the Roaring Fork River and heads up Lost Man's Trail to Lost Man's Lake after passing by Independence Lake. The trailhead starts at less than 12,000 feet and when one reaches the saddle overlooking Lost Man's lake, you are at 12,800 feet. Now a 800 to 900 foot gain in elevation doesn't sound like much but the thin air up there makes it a struggle for flat-landers like us! But we truly enjoy every gasping minute of the hike because of the magnificent scenery all the way. Some hikes take you through forests where all you can see are trees. But this one is through an open valley and once you get above the treeline, the views of the different mountain ranges (Sawatch, etc.) are stunning. We did this hike last week when the temperature at the trailhead was about 45 degrees (the huffing and puffing keeps one warm though)!

It was difficult keeping up with this little mountain goat!

Wherever there's a female mountain goat, there's bound to be an old billy goat too!

Cottonwood Pass (12,126 feet) has a couple of great hikes starting from the pass too. They follow the ColoradoTrail, which means a lot of up and down but with more rewarding views. It was obviously a bit warmer the day we started this hike from the pass.