French Pass Hike

This the first week of Autumn, low temperatures in the back country have dropped considerably.  Although the sun still blasts the mountains with warmth, its impact on hikers is tempered by steady fall winds.

There was no hike scheduled for the High Country Hiker group this week.  For those members who did check this blog for hiking information, they would find a preview of this hike.  Three hikers...Gary1 and 2, plus hike leader, Ed, would be all who made the trip today.

We followed Rt. 285 out of Denver to the town of Jefferson, then County Road # 35 to Road # 54, to a pull off just before the dirt road crosses French Creek.  There is no defined TH and the trail marker for trail # 651 is nestled in the trees at the left side of the pull off.  See Trails Illustrated topo map by National Geographic #109, (Breckenridge/Tennessee Pass), for details.
 

Preview - French Pass Hike

ACAA did not schedule a hike today.  If you are interested in hiking this week, Ed will be leading a hike this Thursday, September 26th.  Because this hike will not be sponsored by ACAA, those who do participate should be willing and able to drive their vehicle to the TH.

Type of Hike = O & B (Out & Back)
Estimated mileage = 6.6 RT
TH Elevation = 10,600'
Highest Elevation = 12,046'
Difficulty = Moderate

Pack rain gear, water, and lunch. Interested High Country Hiker members should meet at the intersection of Quincy and Parker Rd., in the parking lot of Furniture Row.  We will leave for the TH at 7 a.m. sharp.

Deer Creek Basin Hike

After a quick pit stop at the Conoco Plaza, on I 70, we drove through Keystone and the old mining town of Montezuma, arriving at Deer Creek Basin about 9:20.  There was a definite chill in the air as we cinched down our day packs and prepared for the day.  After the safety briefing from Ed, we were on trail at 9:30.

The entire trail is actually a 4WD jeep road that parallels Deer Creek as it snakes into the basin.  Old mining claims are kept alive by listing a number of them on Trails Illustrated topo map # 104.  Local mines include Mozart, Superior, Bell, Bullion, Climax, Upper and Lower Chatauqua, Mohawk, Star of the West, Arabella, and Lower and Upper Radical, all of them in Deer Creek Basin.

Deer Creek.

Living with Parkinsons - Part 3 of 3

Living with a disease that has no cure can be daunting.  Diagnosed in 2004, I decided to first come to terms with the fact that it would be something I would have to deal with the rest of my  life.  Soon after I made a few key decisions.

First, I would learn what I could about the disease.  At the time we were living in Pennsylvania where specialists were leaving due to high insurance rates.  I was being seen by a Neurologist at the highly touted Hershey Medical Center.  The issue was doctor turnover.  I saw three different neurologists in less than three years.   It led me to check other areas for quality health care, i.e. Philadelphia, Baltimore.  That search led me to Denver Colorado.

I had decided to retire at age 60 in 2007.  Health care was paramount in terms of where I could find the best overall health care.  It all came together when my wife and I decided to relocate to Denver to be close to our grandsons.  My research found the Denver metro area provided a number of world class facilities.

Matthews/Winters Park

The scheduled hike for High Country Hikers was cancelled today, so Ed and I agreed to get outside ourselves.

The sky was totally overcast plus thunder showers were forecast for the afternoon.  In addition, as we pulled onto Parker Road, it was obvious morning commuter traffic was particularly heavy.  We decided to take Hampden Avenue out of town.  As it turned out, it was the one option that allowed traffic to continue moving all the way to the foothills.

Options where to hike ranged from Royal Mountain outside Frisco, to French Pass outside Breckenridge, to South Chicago Creek in the Mt. Evans Wilderness.  We decided to remain closer to the city due to the inclement weather.  We turned off I-70 to first check out Apex Trail at Heritage Square.  A Jefferson County Public Works crew chief was on site and informed us a flash flood overnight had wiped out a section of trail, closing the area to hikers.

Aurora Hiking Group Patch

Patch design is based on input provided by group members.  An electronic version of the patch was developed by the City of Aurora graphics department.   

The group of over age 50 men and women is based at the Aurora Center for Active Adults, located at 6th Avenue and Del Mar.

The 3 1/2" diameter cotton stitched patch has a forest green background representing the many forest areas this group hikes throughout the front range.  The patch has an outer band with a solid black perimeter.  Inside the band on the top half of the arc is the name of the group, also in black.  The bottom of the arc lists the groups' base, Aurora, Colorado.  These letters are stitched in gold much like the Aurora City logo.

Between the top and bottom arcs at the left side of the patch is a generic day pack.  At the right side is a pair of crossed trekking poles.  The outer band is separated from the core of the patch by another solid line of black stitching.

The core of the patch represents what the group is all about.  A generic hiker is standing beside an alpine lake because many times the hike destination is a lake.   In the background is a series of spruce and pine trees followed by a number of high mountain peaks and snow-capped summits.  The sky is clear blue, representing what HCH members experience most days on trail.

Patches are available to core members.  A core member is someone who has hiked with the group a minimum of three hikes.

Cost = $9.00 each

Patches may be obtained from the writer on regularly scheduled hikes.  Or contact me at: garyalleman@gmail.com or call (303) 617-9479 to arrange payment and delivery.

Living with PD - A Series

Part 2 of 3 - Daily Tasks

The pace of conducting routine daily activities, i.e. brushing teeth, dressing, preparing meals, taking meds., and bathing, has slowed since being diagnosed with Parkinson Disease in 2004.

In part two of this series, I will explain the barriers incurred while conducting normal daily tasks, and how those barriers must be challenged and broken down if possible.  Hopefully, the level of detail used to describe the challenges will be both informative and helpful.

This series may not uncover anything new to the reader.  It may, however, serve to inform care givers of what to expect.  For those who live with PD, the information shared in this series may be ahead or behind where you in terms of the progression of PD in your body.

Regardless of where you are in the progression, how you deal with these issues as the disease progresses will be important to attaining the best possible level of quality of life.

Comments and questions regarding this series are welcome.  Post them in the 'Comments' box at the bottom of this article.

Mohawk Lakes/Continental Falls Hike

This is one of my 'Top 10' all-time favorite day hikes.  Why? Because it offers sweeping vistas, historic ruins, rugged peaks, wildlife, wildflowers, waterfalls and dozens of photo ops.

The van left ACAA at 7:00 a.m., but the early start didn't lessen traffic on I-70 westbound.  Prime time commuters moved at a snails pace until we were beyond the Sheridan Road exit.  After a pit stop in Frisco, it was on through Breckenridge to Spruce Creek Road and TH (10,390') of the same name.

Before setting foot on trail, Ed gave the group of 10 instructions to inform him if anyone needs to separate from the group for any reason during the day.  Then we were on trail for the 7 mi. RT, O&B trek.

Trail bed is soaked indicating hard rains in the area recently.  Trail climbs gradually through aspen, engelman spruce, and lodgepole pine forests before crossing Spruce Creek on a log bridge.  Trail continues to climb before opening into a large marshy meadow with great views of Mt. Helen (13,164').

Preview: Mowhawk Lakes/Continental Falls Hike

High Country Hikers
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Bus leaves ACAA at 7:00 a.m. sharp.
(new time for balance of the year)

The trails and destinations selected for the group this year have been both exciting and challenging.  If you know anything about this area, you know it's scenic, colorful, and rugged.

We will be traveling to Breckenridge, and the Mohawk Lake Trail/TH (10,350' el.).  Temperatures are expected to be considerably cooler compared to the city.  Plus there will be close to 100% canopy on this hike.  You might consider packing a light fleece or outer shell for the morning.

Lower Mohawk Lake

Elevation gain of 1,750'.  Mileage = 6 mi. RT to lower Mohawk Lake (11,800' el.), 6.8 mi. RT to upper Mohawk Lake (12,100' el.).  The falls spill from lower Mohawk Lake.

Trail climbs steadily at first, then gets steeper as we near the lakes.  Expect to see lots of wildflowers, and exceptional views.  The payoff will be the falls.  My last time here was in July 2009.  An excerpt from my journal reads: "The roar of the falls can be heard above the wind in the trees.  We are close to treeline.  The slopes are loaded with wildflowers.  Continental Falls is roaring in front of me.  I find a spot at waters edge for lunch.  I'm thinking, It can't get any better than this." 



See you on Tuesday.