Traffic caused some delay till the van reached Highway 285. We made good time from that point all the way to Crow Hill, East of Bailey.
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| Mother Nature's best effort.. |
The TH is spacious. There are no facilities but locating a tree, underbrush, or log is not a problem.
Trail from beginning (9.070') to saddle (10,700'), has all the elements a hiker could ask for.
A few yards beyond the parking lot, we cross the Elk Creek drainage. The stream will remain on our left for at least the first mile of our ascent. A continuous moderate grade totaling 1,630' gain over a three-mile stretch may sound like a big deal...It's not. Trail is well worn yet it feels anything but a popular trail.
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| Looking down trail, as we gain elevation. |
Views are non-stop to the east and south as we climb. Today, there are no shortages of color or scenery.
This has been an exceptional year for Aspen in Colorado, as shown by the images in this piece.
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| Overwhelming color. |
Fewer than five lazy switchbacks made the climb seem less strenuous as we transitioned from a loose assembly of canopy overhead to a more dense cover as we got closer to the saddle.
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| Is that Harold, or an Aspen on trail? |
The day was as close to perfect as one could want for a hike. Temperatures in the seventies, plus a light breeze made it feel a bit like fall.
The elements of a good weather day were typical for this time of year, as some learned. Those who began with an extra layer at the trailhead, soon shed it in order to remain comfortable.
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| Luisa |
Winds mustered enough force to sever millions of leaves high above trail. At times, it seemed as if the sky had opened and out came a sea of golden droplets. They tossed and turned and fluttered to the ground where they made a kind of mosaic of colors across the landscape.
It was Luisa, who described the day best. "The hike today for me was spectacular and beautiful. Being able to walk is a blessing. Being able to hike in a perfect weather day with Aspen in fall splendor, and with a great group of people...it was divine."
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| Ground cover. |
There were sections of trail, where it felt like the leaves provided a natural carpet-like soft cushion, beneath our boots.
I lost count of how many times a stop on trail was made to look up and down trail, across the drainage, or up the slope, to soak up the smells, the sounds, and the beauty of the moment.
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| Red Aspen |
As for the camera lens, if it could breath, it was totally out of breath today, although I never broke a sweat.
The lucky dozen HCH members who made the trip, were thrilled at what they had experienced. Gary (G1) Merical, was first to respond. My guess is everybody on trail today would agree. "It doesn't get any better than this," he said.
On the descent, we stopped at a clearing for a group photo. It would be one of those spots you dream about finding. The one where you have a 180 degree or better view. All of it majestic mountains and valleys of Colorado.
The Aspen show in Colorado this year is much like changes to foliage in the Alleghenies, Adirondacks, Green, Catskills, Poconos, Blue Ridge, White, and Great Smokey's on the East coast offer hikers. Fall in the east is special in terms of how the mountain pallets of green tones transition to red, orange, yellow, and brown. But, Colorado is the place to be.
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| All eyes are fixed on the expansive view. Total miles = 6.6 Total elevation gain = 1,360' |
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| Awesome! |
Awesome!
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