October 27th - The Eldo Lollipop

A buddy of mine was in the Alps for six weeks this Fall. Lucky him! Gorgeous scenery, huts that served wine, beer, cheese and sausage and walking through historical areas. Not a bad way to spend some time!

Kevin has become a good friend of mine over the past year. Similar interests and outlook on life, similar backgrounds and hell..he's just a good guy!

When he came back from Europe, he shot me an e-mail. Kevin asked "Are you up for a casual hike?"

His idea of a casual hike was the Eldo Lollipop. Fifteen miles and almost 4000' elev gain in a day. A casual hike indeed!

We met early, took our time having coffee at Caffe' Sole' and caught up. We then left for our hike.

The day was a bit cold, damp and foggy. Reminded me of a New England hiking day.

It was still striking, though. Eldorado Canyon is known as a climbing mecca. But there are hiking trails as well.

With the fog and the rock formations, some interesting views can be found.

The funny part of the day? Even with a leisurely lunch break, discussing the World Series with people we met along the trail (Go Sox!), and the general lollygag feel of the hike, we still did this hike in 5 hrs! That's three miles an hour over much up and down terrain without feeling tired. I'm allowed a little bit of gloating. :)

We made it in time for an early dinner at the Southern Sun brew-pub. Since the place was somewhat busy, we were placed at the community table. By the end of our time at the Sun, Kevin managed to get the number of a young lady. Me? I spent a little too much money on Java Porter! ;-)

Another great day!

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October 26th - Triple Crown Shenanigans

My buddy d-low had his dad in town. So on Friday night, he had some of us over for a few beers, some good conversation and of course a chance to meet his pops.

There was a good turnout. A mixture of hiker trash and Boulder friends. There are more and more hiker trash friends in the Denver/Boulder area, so this distinction is passing with every year. J

The night was enjoyable. Great to meet d-low’s Dad and to spend time with friends.

Lisa aka Love Barge also made a surprise appearance. In true Love Barge fashion, she showed up in a penguin costome!

A personal highlight though was presenting d-low his Triple Crown plaque. Many miles (and few trail town beers!) were walked to earn this plaque.

With our Triple Crown plaques. Very appropriate that beer is in the background! :)

This award is presented by ALDHA West. Our good friend Yogi was nice enough to sponsor us. As a small thank you, d-low and I posed for photos to send to Yogi.

The plaque was nice. But the real reward was the journey. A journey where we spent time immersed in the wilderness. A journey where every day was something new. A journey that was shared with good friends along the way.

Wendy and LB. The costumes have nothing to do with the Triple Crown, but it is a funny pic....

October 25th - Ridiculous Pumpkin Haul

Almost every month this year, I have been doing a full moon hike.

Walking along by the light of the full moon is simply magical.

A headlamp is not needed. The mountains have a silver glow to them. The familiar trail takes on a mysterious and deeper quality.

I also like to do "theme Hikes". Last month we fondued by the full moon.

This month was no exception. We did a hike called the Ridiculous Pumpkin Haul. Take a large orange gourd, hike to the top of local summit, carve said orange gourd and light up for the whole world to see. It is a tradition that has been going strong since 2001. (Alas, I did not do it last year, I was kind of busy...)

The RPH was extra special this year. Besides a a full moon and the pumpkins, we carved the pumpkins at an actual bat cave!

What could be cooler: A full moon, a bat cave and Jack O' Lanterns all just before Halloween??!?!

So we met for 6:30 and made our way up the trail.

The night was unusually warm. The sky was clear. The moon looked very large since it was closest to the Earth it has been this year. Our friend Nahum also pointed out a very faint comet. (Having an astronomer along for a night hike is very nice!)

We then made the last scramble, went into the cave and carved pumpkins! Cocoa (with some schnapps), some cookies and chocolate made the festive atmosphere complete.

Deb carving her super secret pumpkin

The pumpkins were lit...and my friend Deb surprised me with a pumpkin that was a bit, er, freaky to me. :O

The pumpkins are lit!

The scariest pumpkin of all! :)

All in all, a wonderful evening.

All the photos

October 20th and 21st - The Baby Brigade and some winter camping

October 20th and 21st - The Baby Brigade and Winter Car Camping

A very mixed weekend in terms of experiences.

The weekend started off with a short hike of 2-3 miles on Anemone Hill. It was another morning spent hanging with what I call the Baby Brigade.

A few of my friends now have children. But having children does not preclude them participating in outdoor activities. The activities may be shorter and less "burly", but my friends are instilling their love and appreciation of the outdoors into their children as well.

I often tag along on these hikes. It gives me a chance to catch up with my friends while doing something we all love. It also gives me a chance to play surrogate uncle to Avery. He knows me as "Uncle Mags".


It was nice and late autumn day. The views towards the snow covered divide showed how winter is rapidly approachinng the foot hills. Best of all, it was delightful to see Gretchen and Avery laughing and enjoying their first hikes.


The outdoors is enjoyable...but to experience the joys of the outdoors through the eyes of children is also an experience.

Afterwards we had a late lunch of an overstuffed burrito at Illegal Pete's. Mmm..good

Later that day, I drove by to pick up my friend Amanda for some car camping in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Now, backpacking is my first love in the outdoors. Life brought down to its essentials. All I need is carried on my back.

But sometimes car camping has its own appeal. Roughing it smoothly, if you will. A chance to make some good food, sit by the campfire and have some hot chocolate with a dollop of something extra. All spent in a beautiful setting.

A view towards Twin Sisters from our campsite

Amanda wanted to try some cold weather camping to test out the gear without having to schlep it on her back. The predicted snow worried her a little bit..but I encouraged to come with these magic words: MINUS 20F SLEEPING BAG! Toasty goodness in one synthetic fill and nylon shell package.

We arrived at the park, made camp and started dinner. Beef stew sauteed in wine, some fresh bread and apple cobbler for dessert. We ate well! Warmed up by the campfire. Just as we were ready for bed, the snow started coming down.


The sound of the snow gently hitting the tent put us to sleep.

We woke up at 7am or so. Decided it was too cold and went back to sleep. At 8am or so, we decided it was finally to roll out of bed. The falling snow convinced us to grab breakfast in town rather than cook breakfast at the campsite. Another advantage to car camping: You can change plans easily!

We still wanted to get a hike in, so we did the lower elevation Homestead Meadows Trail area. This area is the site of old homesteads and is of hisorical interest. The last leaves of the aspen trees, the snow and the streams made for nice hike. By the time we made it back to my truck, the snow had mainly melted.


The weekend was wonderful! I was able to spend it friends both old and new. I was able to enjoy all the good things in life: Time spent in a beautiful place, good food and time spent with people I care about.

Life is still good.

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October 13th-14th : The Gray Chill of Autumn

Mid-October is when the late Fall turns into early Winter.

The days become overcast at times, the snow starts to appear.

It is a time when my thoughts start to turn to backcountry skiing and it is approaching and "in between time". Too much snow for enjoyable hiking; not quite enough for skiing.

But there is still joy and beauty to have no matter what the weather is like.

On Saturday, Oct 13th my friend Amanda invited me to come along for a hike
with her friends from New York. Bea and Chris were about to do the Denver Marathon and wanted a short hike to see a bit of the Colorado high country. Chris has done over 100 marathons it seems!

The chosen destination was Diamond Lake. Diamond Lake is one of those hikes that has good views, is not too long and is nestled up against the divide. It is an excellent hike for someone who has a little time to hike and does not want to spend a whole day doing it.

Diamond Lake is where my friends hiked with me before I took off for the divide again last year. This year, while overcast later in the day, did not have the cold and brutal weather of the previous year.

Instead, it was sunny day to start with some gray clouds moving in later in the day.

The hike was pleasant. Good conversation, nice views and a bit of longing to be on the divide again for me.

Diamond Lake

Afterwards, the four of us had a late lunch at the Kathmandu Restaurant in Ned. As we looked at the cold weather moving in, the hot cups of chai were especially welcome!

On Sunday Oct 14th, I awoke to the sound of rain on my roof. It was cold and the foothills were covered in clouds.

A reasonable person would have canceled the planned hike and gone to a coffee shop for a day. But I am not a reasonable person...I'm a thru-hiker! :)

A few intrepid souls met up at the designated meeting place. We all figured what is the point of having rain gear if you don't use it? Rather than the planned hike, we again went to a PLAN B.

My usual backup for rainy and cold hikes: Flagstaff Mountain.

A mainly wooded hike with good views into Gregory Canyon. The clouds, the fog and the snow towards the slightly higher elevations made for a magical-looking day.

It was not what I originally planned, but any day outside is enjoyed by me.

Looking into Gregory Canyon

The hiking in cold and wet weather worked up an appetite. One my favorite brunch places
suited the bill for a post-hike nosh. All in all, a nice way to end a Sunday adventure.

All the photos

October 6th -7th Autumnal Tints

...Nature, who is superior to all style and ages, is now, with pensive face, composing her poem Autumn, with which no work no will be to be compared. --Thoreau

After two rather mind-numbing weeks at work, I was ready for for a backpacking trip.

One last chance to go backpacking before the snow sets in, the weather gets too cold for three-season style backpacking and where I get to backpack during my favorite season: AUTUMN!

Fall backpacking is my favorite time to backpack for several reasons. The crowds are a bit less, the weather is crisp, the insects are gone and the air seems to have a clear quality that does not happen during other times of the year.

For my trip this weekend, I chose the beautiful and seldom visited Lost Creek Wilderness.

The scenery is a-typical of what people think of in terms of Colorado hiking rather than jagged peaks, there are hoodoos, red rocks and granite outcroppings. There are also wide open meadows. A bit reminiscent of Yosemite Valley.

Add in the fact that most of the LCW is at a lower elevation than typical Colorado high country, and it makes a great early season backpacking trip and an equally wondeful late season backpack as well.

My original plan was to do a 23 mile loop. The possibility of impending bad weathero on Sunday and the inexperience of my friend Anna, made me modify the loop into a "lollipop" of
~15 miles instead.

It worked out well, rather than worry about mileage, everyone enjoyed the trip. It was a classic Fall backpack.


The aspens were blazing yellow. Leaves carpeted the trail. The weather indeed had the cool, crisp feel to the air. The views were so clear. At night, we had a campfire. We talked, laughed and enjoyed the company. As mentioned, the LCW sees realtively little people.
On a gorgeous fall weekend, we saw FOUR people!!!!


The trip ended at a bar and grill not far from the trail head. An hour after ending the trip, the snow started coming down. Talk about great timing!

It was simply an incredible weekend that was among my favorite trips this year for many reasons that came all together.

More photos if anyone is curious.

September Sauntering

One of these days, I'll update this journal a bit more frequently. For now, I'll just be lazy

and update the journal in one fell swoop. :-)

September 15th - Gorge Lakes and Mt Ida, Rocky Mountain National Park

A mainly off trail jaunt from Milner Pass to Mt. Ida and down to the Gorge Lakes.

The day encompassed gorgeous fall weather, distant views, ripe huckleberries, long breaks at alpine lakes and wide open meadows. Continuing my theme of"Damn..cameras are causing my issues this year", I forgot my flash card at home. Doh!

So here are some pics I stole off the internet that should give an idea of the views I saw, but did not take pictures of. :)

Near Mt. Ida

My friend Mark and I ate many red huckleberries. Mmmm

Looking over Gorge Lakes valley

Sept 23rd - Crater Lake, James Peak Wilderness

A classic hike that combines easy hiking with nice views. The day was grey and overcast with a splash of color from the turning leaves. It was probably one of the last hikes I will do with my friend Nahum in the high country for a while.

Nahum and Patricia are moving to Blacksburg, Virginia. Nahum will be taking a tenured-track position as a physics professor at Virginia Tech.

I am happy for my friends. It is an opportunity for Nahum on a professional level. It is a chance for my very talented friend Patricia to design her own home (she has her masters in structural engineering) and for both of them to raise a family in an area that is frankly more affordable than Boulder (Needless to say, Patricia and Nahum's children will be wicked smaht!).

I'll miss my friends. As of this writing, Nahum had just spent two weeks in Israel visiting family. And now Patricia and Nahum are both in Virginia on a "working vacation" planning their new life. They'll be back in Colorado soon and will be leaving permanently in January.

I'll miss them. Nahum and I in particular have spent much time over the years exploring the Rockies, sharing long talks about history, a shared interest in skepticism about "woo woo" type beliefs popular in Boulder, and we both have strong opinions and do not mind sharing them. :)

In the mean time, I'll just enjoy the remaining time spent together with my two friends. And remember some of the great places where we've been.

Moody looking lake. This photo I took! :D

Sept 26th, First Flatiron Full Moon Fondue

The First Flatiron is a classic climb in the Chautauqua area of Boulder. Not being a climber, I have no desire to ascend to the top of this iconic Boulder landmark. What can I say, I have a healthy fear and respect for the law of gravity!

But, there is a trail that winds its way up just below the top of the First Flat. A trail that ends with awesome views of the Indian Peaks. A trail that ends at a place large enough to set up a place to make fondue!

Yes dear readers. I combined a few different things I love one night. Full moon hiking, being in Boulder and eating!

The moon was rather full and clear. It was just about the perfect night for hiking! The moon was so bright that a headlamp was not needed.

The group I "organized" (much like you can organize and herd cats!) ended up at this spot on warm night. A few us of then made double boilers with camp stoves. We then proceeded to dip everything under the sun (fruit, cheese, stray hikers who wandered by) in chocolate. A warm night, a full moon, some Bailey's and cocoa. Even a little wine. A perfect and memorable night.
It was a first though; people actually said "NO MORE CHOCOLATE!" When you can feed people so much food that they have to refuse chocolate, you know you are doing your heritage as a Magnanti proud! ;)

Sept 29th, Lumpy Ridge Lollygagging

I was going to a high elevation, exposed and gorgeous off-trail hike in the Flattop Mtn area of Rocky Mountain National Park. But, when we all arrived at the Bear Lake trail head (elev. over 9000'), it was snowing! The thought of going above tree line in the snow and fog did not appeal to me. Remember, I am a wimp! I have no desire to do something just for the sake of saying I did it.

So we did a plan B. The Lumpies!

There is an 11 mile route that is perfect for this kind of day. Sheltered from the wind, lower elevations and the aspen were just about at peak.

We were not disappointed in our choice of an alternate route. The woodland walk among the rock formations was superb. The rustling leaves along the trail were a perfect sound to accompany this walk. And we ended the day by walking along a wide open meadow that was bracketed by aspens starting to turn gold.

All in all, a rather rewarding day!


Sept 30th, Into the Abyss

The high country is starting to show signs of closing up. The mountains are getting coated with a dusting of snow. The air is getting crisp but quickly turning to cold.

Every weekend is getting closer to winter. Fall is ending up higher. Time to enjoy some last high country hikes before skis are waxed, avy shovels are packed and a thermos of hot chocolate is a near-mandatory piece of gear.

The high country hike chosen for Sunday was Abyss Lake. A high alpine lake at about 12600', it is nestled between the shoulders of Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans.

The hike did not disappoint. It was another classic fall day. Leaves carpeting the trail, views all the way south to the Spanish Peaks(!) and that embracing air that makes fall such an awesome season to hike.

There may be a few things in life more satisfying than sitting by the shores of an alpine lake on an Autumn day. But there are few things indeed.

Abyss Lake

More photos from September