Burning Bear Trail:

Feelin a bit sluggish tonight after only a 5.5 mile hike.  Must be the heat.  It was the first official outing of "The 100 mile challenge" with eleven of my hiking friends at ACAA.  A pit stop at the campground down the road allowed us to park and be on trail quickly.  Trail condition...dry, firm soil, and a few areas of loose rock at the far end.  A stream of mostly higher elevation runoff provided some of the best sounds in the mountains. We passed by a number of beaver ponds early in the day.  Trail then gains most of an estimated 800' elevation before we stopped.  Had lunch just beyond an abandon log cabin on a rise, at 2.6 miles from the TH.  Canopy was better than I expected at 80%.  According to fun Colorado hikes, this trail is considered "One of the most beautiful hikes in the Geneva Creek/Pike National Forest."  I can't argue that. 

Awesome Photos from Boulder Lake hike!

Over 100 pix were taken on my last hike to Boulder Lake.  Hope you find them as descriptive and compelling as I did.  I will share them with you soon.  My camera caught it's frame (breath) and is ready for another day in the back country.  Talk to you later tonight. 

Must Squeeze this in

The second of many hikes in the "100 Mile Challenge."  The hike of 5.5 miles on Burning Bear Trail is expected to be full of exciting scenery in Pile National Forest.  I will catch you all up tonight when I post my JE (journal entry).  Later, I will provide everyone details of the upcoming "Milestone Hike" planned for September.  Hope to see some of my hiking friends and meet a few newbies on that hike.  

Be a part of the Journey...really!

If you have not registered as a reader (follower) of this blog you may want to consider it after you read this post.  An important part of hiking is to enjoy the journey.  It's not about how many miles I walk, rather it's about how much I enjoyed the trip.  The fact that my body is challenged with fighting PD, in addition to the challenge of a hike, makes it important that I enjoy each day, each friendship, each hike to the fullest.  In a few weeks, I expect to be well on my way to completing 100 miles.  On Thursday, August 18th, there will be a "Milestone Hike" at Eldorado Canyon State Park, El Dorado Springs, Colorado. Located just South of Boulder, Colorado, this park is a favorite for hikers and rock climbers.  Ten readers of this blog will be able to join me for that hike.  Details of eligibility for the Milestone Hike are in my next post.   


 

Where are we?

As mentioned in the opening post, when on trail, it's good to STOP, and take notice of your surroundings.  Last Tuesday, I completed the first of many hikes in this 100 mile challenge.  The shear beauty of the Gore Range prompted me to do more miles than planned.  The result was worth it!  Much of that beauty was captured in photos.  The rest is captured in memory. This week, I hope to hear from readers who have visited this blog and those who will join me for the first time.  Give me your thoughts and questions on the hike last week.  Is there a hike you have done that others will enjoy?