CMC/AMC Members hike Green Mountain

First light over Boulder.

As I entered Highway 36 to take me into Boulder, the rising sun cast a pinkish purple glow on the flatirons in front of me and the perfectly clear sky rose up above me. It was the ideal day for a hike.

I've worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) for over 3 years and after moving to Colorado this summer, I have been able to keep my position at the club, even though our work is focused in the Northeast. One of my favorite aspects of the job was getting out on the trail so I thought I'd check out the depth of the AMC membership in Colorado and see if I couldn't pull together a hike.

The group was well informed by CMC hike leader/Geologist, Peter Laux.

Turns out, there are quite a few of us! And quite a few were interested in going on a hike with me! Being so new to the area, I solicited the help of David Weinstein from the Outdoor Industry Association; a Boulder native. We went back and forth on dates and routes and decided on a fall hike to Green Mountain in Boulder Mountain Park, a 6 mile round trip trek with stunning views of the plains to the east and the Rockies to the west.

We made a number of stops during the climb so Peter could point out various landscape features .

I arrived at the trail head early and was surprised to see that three participants were already there, ready to go. By 8:00 AM nearly everyone had arrived so we then went around and introduced ourselves and talked about our connection to AMC. It was fun discover that some people had connections from many years ago.

We were also joined by Peter Laux of the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) as our group was large enough to require another certified leader. Unfortunately we had a few people that couldn't make it at the last minute, but with a total of ten, we started out on the Gregory Canyon trail.

Views like this were common all day.

The trail quickly climbs as it ascends through the canyon. The first part of the hike the sun was at our backs and after a chilly start, it felt great. We chatted about our time on the east coast, what brought us west, and what our favorite trails are. As the trail continues, views of the plains are visible through the trees and as you get even higher, the snow covered peaks of the Rockies become visible.

Snow-capped peaks of the Rockies.

Peter has great knowledge of the geology of the area and shared with us many interesting facts about the rock under our feet. We meandered through a wooded area for awhile before turning onto the Ranger Trail. The last part of the Ranger Trail is a climb with many switchbacks and large boulders.

 Front row (L to R) Chia, Megan, David, and Laura; Back row (L to R) Paul, Curt, Peter, Chris, and Jeff

But the group was chatty and spirits were high. The final ascent is .2 miles straight up the Green Mountain West Ridge trail to the summit at 8,144 feet. The summit happily appeared fairly quickly and we all took off our packs and took in the sunshine and the views. What a great reward to a nearly 2,500 foot climb! After some rest, some snacks, and a group photo, we headed back down, opting to go the same way that we came up.

Return to the trail head.

Over all, I think the group had a really great time and the hike was a complete success. I will definitely plan more AMC/CO events in the future and in the meantime, I hope the participants reach out to each other and plan their own hikes. It's always neat to connect with people that you share passions and ideas with and I think everyone found that to be true on this day.