July 25th to July 28th - Avalanche Creek Basin Backpack

My good friend Nahum continues to be in town for the month of July. As part of his being in town (Aspen actually), Nahum wanted to do at least two social backpacks: Little mileage in, the emphasis on camping rather than hiking, day hikes from base camp. I prefer a more traditional backpacking trip, but spending time with a good friend trumps taking off into the woods by myself and being anti-social.

For this trip, Nahum's lovely wife Patricia would be joining him for the weekend. As they have not seen each other in three weeks, this trip would be a much needed reunion for two people who have been wed less than a year.

My friend Julia and I picked Patricia up in Boulder. We then drove up to Aspen to spend the night in the apartment Nahum rented (courtesy of our tax dollars via grant money. These professors sure have it tough! ). The happy couple was reunited and we spent a little time walking around Aspen.

I must say, Aspen is a town that is bit out of my price range for the most part. One painting in a gallery caught my eye...if only I had $55k to spend! I could afford the Ben and Jerry's ice cream cone however at $3.50. This luxury is tastier than the painting...and a bit more in my price range.

Julia and I made an excuse to spend some more time in downtown Aspen for the evening. A chance to give Patricia and Nahum needed couple time. It was nice to walk around and take in the sights and people watch. I do not think Aspen will be my home anytime soon pretty as it may be. Aspen is a place to see AND be seen. Not quite me to say the least.

After the cultural time in Aspen, we drove the following morning to the trailhead and met our other friends.

The trail meandered along a creek. With the sticky, hot and humid weather (and less than 9k feet), I joked that the Aravs brought the Virginia weather with them!

The hike itself was pleasant. The highlight for the day was the several meadows we passed through. Wildflowers abounded!

We made it to the destination for the evening (Duley Park) and proceeded to make camp.

Naps were taken, dinners were cooked and wine was drank.

At the fire, Patricia proposed a toast. She thanked everyone for joining her and Nahum on the trip, said how great it was see to everyone again and said in February there will be a little Arav joining the family. Mazel tov!

Nahum and Patricia minutes after announcing that a child is on the way

There was much rejoicing. The wine continued to flow freely and the evening sky with bright stars above proved to be the perfect accompaniment to the way we all felt.

The following morning, we woke up and a few us made the plan for the day: Avalanche Lake. At 10 miles or so r/t and 2000' elev gain, I spun it as as a good, solid, day hike. And it was.

The meadows, the wildflowers and the views towards the nearby mountains were all an appetizer for the main course: Avalanche Lake.

Avalanche Lake was simply stunning. Turquoise waters. Fourteen thousand foot peaks surrounding it. And we had it all to ourselves. The warm sun, the beautiful terrain (and perhaps a little wine the previous night) all contributed to a welcoming environment for a high alpine nap.

We hiked back to the campsite, started another campfire and enjoyed our last night in the backcountry.

The following morning we hiked out, drove to town for some awesome Mexican food and had another great weekend with some dear friends.

I need my solo trips. But I also need to spend time with friends, too. And what better way to see my friends than in the wilderness?

All the photos

If I ever did the Match.com thing...

Unlike many of my peers, I have yet to try the world of Match.com or similar.

A "professional" (what the hell does that mean anyway?!?!?) 30-something who has not tried THE SITE is somewhat of a rarity in the Boulder Bubble.

But I have run into this great scenario found at xkcd during my own dating life at times:




Walking for months at a time tends to skew what is viewed as a short hike. :)

Of course, this other strip ends to sounds too close to reality for someone who journals online about the outdoors.... ;)


(My buddy Skittles told me about this site last week. Great site if you are a bit geeky, cynical and enjoy off-centered humor. The folks over at Whiteblaze.net just mentioned it too. Many of us slightly geeky, cynical and off-centered folk among the hiker trash. :D )

July 23rd - Lost Lake Dusk Hike

In order to beat the heat that has plagued Boulder lately (100 degrees!) a few of us a disk a dusk hike to Lost Lake.

At only 3 miles r/t, it is the perfect after work stroll.

The highlight of the hike was seeing a moose cow with her calves..five minutes into the hike!



After this event, we made our way to the lake where we enjoyed the views, relaxed and cooled off a bit. A wonderful way to spend an evening...and much cooler than Boulder!

July 19th - The Four Tops, Rocky Mtn National Park

Saturday saw me re-visiting an old favorite of mine: Flat Top Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Flat Top contains many aspects of the Colorado Rockies in one hike: Aspen and pines (sadly succumbing to pine bark beetle), a large sub-alpine lake, permanent snow fields and magnificent above treeline views on the Continental Divide.

This hike starts at the very popular and crowded Bear Lake trailhead.

Once up the trail, the crowds mainly vanish.

Elaine (cool gaiters and sandals!) and Mickey

The original plan was to shwack up Chaos Canyon and then up to Flattop. A combo of boot problems my friend Elaine had and large snow levels, made us decide to go up via trail to Flat Top instead, then to proceed for the rest of the hike as planned.

The revised plan was to get to Flat Top and the go to Notchtop (or rather on top of it), Knobtop and then Gable Top (The Four Tops! :) ) then continue off trail to down to Tourmaline Gorge down to Odessa Lake and then back on trail to Bear Lake.

The hike up Flat Top went quickly. The views of course were phenomenal on this clear day. Once we walked away from the summit area, the crowds were non-existent.


We continued on to all the tops and started our steep hike down Tourmaline Gorge.

The gorge is very dramatic, but steep! Elaine, having only Chaco sandals, picked her way down. Luckily, I was able to lend her my poles. What a trooper she was!


About halfway down the gorge, we reached the small, but pretty Tourmaline Lake. Its inaccessibility added to the beauty of the lake in my opinion. Hundreds of people go to the popular sites of Longs Peak, Flattop and other places in the park in a day. Perhaps a handful of people see this lake in week or even a season. On a sunny July day we had the lake to ourselves.



Off-trail travel can be difficult at times, but the rewards are worth every step: Isolated vistas and places that only a few people see. Something truly off the beaten path..for there is no defined path at all! Simply awesome.

After some more off trail hiking (following the creek) we found our way back to trail and enjoyed the view from Odessa Lake.


Odessa Lake has one of my favorite views in park. Surrounded by the steep mountains with Little Matterhorn forming a dramatic background, it is the perfect place to relax, contemplate the hike we just had and to get read for 4 miles or so back to Bear Lake.

After four miles of rolling terrain, we arrived back at the still crowded trailhead. After so many hours of solitude, seeing all the people was jarring. Again makes me realize how almost all national park use is concentrated into a few small areas. And by walking a small ways off, a sense of wild can be easily found.

Another satisfying day of enjoying my adopted home.

All the photos

July 12th and 13th - Mummy Mountain Range backpack

After the enjoyable, but hectic , backpack of last weekend I wanted a more traditional backpacking trip: A long hike in and out, relatively few people, an emphasis on hiking and not camping.

D-low and I pored over the maps one weeknight (after having a couple of cold ones). We spied a loop that looked promising. It would involve alpine lakes, some off trail hiking and scaling a 13er: The Mummy Range of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Along with Ian "Skittles" Reese (another thru-hiker buddy in Boulder), we left Friday night to camp out near the park.

On Saturday morning, we pulled into our trail head only to find it full. After some quick map consultation, we decided to make the hike a little bit longer and start at the Lumpy Ridge trail head with its easy trail access and more ample parking.

The start of the trip was pleasant. After a quick break at Gem Lake, we left the main part of the park and walked into Forest Service land. The trail in that park went through some shaded areas and had a series of ups and downs. The ranger in the back country office said it was "not recommended" because of the ups and downs. For us, it was just a quiet walk through forest.

Gem Lake

After joining the main trail again, we noticed more people. However, our final destination for the evening, Lost Lake, had no one. It was a pretty sub-alpine lake with views towards where we would be hiking the coming day. Quiet, peaceful and beautiful. All the perfect ingredients for a backcountry campsite.


The following morning, we walked up the ridge and made our way to Mummy Mountain.

The day was perfect with no clouds in the sky. The wildflowers were exploding. And the views were phenomenal. We did not see a soul.

At the summit, we could see our route for the rest of the day..along with ideas for future hikes. The distinct summits of Ypsilon and Fairchild beckoned. The lakes below looked inviting. And we were the first people on the summit in a few days. The Mummy Range is not visited often. It is a bit off the beaten path, but the rewards are high for those who chose to go there.


We made our way off the mountain and encountered trail again. After a few miles, we again made our way back to the Lumpy Ridge area and enjoyed a change of scenery. We went from tundra to deep forest to meadows. What a variety in the weekend! The meadow part proved to be a great way to wind down the hike.

Twin Owls climbing area in the Lumpy Ridge

Skittles, d-low and I made it back to the car at 6pm. A civilized time to end a backpacking trip. It was still warm out, but the nearby shade was welcome. So was the cooler of beer I had stashed in the trunk. Simple pleasures...but enjoyable ones: A cold beer, shade, funny conversation and a relaxing pause before heading out. After a little bit, we drove off to go back to Boulder via Lyons. We had a mandatory pitstop at Oskar Blues. A great way to end the weekend.

Hiker trash!

There will be more backpacking trips this summer. I can only hope they are all as perfect as this one.

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July 4th Weekend - Lake Constantine, Holy Cross Wilderness

The weekend of July 4th, saw my good friend Nahum back in town for the month of July.

Nahum is one of my closer friends. Someone who've I known for a few years. We've established a strong friendship through many times shared in the outdoors, discussions about military history (esp. World War II!) and a share interest in skepticism towards many New Age beliefs. And being a friend with an astronomer is VERY handy on night hikes. :) I was also honored to take part in Patricia and Nahum's wedding last year.

As part of being back in town, Nahum wanted to do a couple of "social backpacks". More like camping trips than a traditional backpack. The trip featured a short hike in to base camp, plenty of wine to share, a campfire, great hikes with awesome scenery and even better company. A wonderful way to spend the weekend and to catch up with friends.

Nahum on the trail

We started the hike at the Fall Creek Trailhead. This area is a launching point for Mount of the Holy Cross. Like all 14ers, the trailhead can be crowded. Luckily, our hike took us away from this popular trail and lead to quieter areas.

The lovely Ms. Wendy G at the trailhead

The hike was mellow. Easy grades that lead to the payoff of the first day: Lake Constantine. A gorgeous sub-alpine lake with an impressive ridge for a background. This area would be base camp for the weekend.

After making camp and taking a walk around the lake, dinner was prepared. We enjoy the simple meals in the wonderful setting.

There were no fireworks that night, but we did have something better: a campfire!
There is something elemental about sitting around the campfire - the conversation (and wine) flows, the setting is relaxing and hours can go by quickly and effortlessly.


The following day we hiked up to lower and upper Tuhare Lakes. The lakes were enclosed in a cirque with enticing views. The snow covered peaks formed the perfect backdrop. A nap was the perfect accompaniment for the afternoon.

Lower Tuhare Lake

After camping out that night, we decided to go to Fall Creek Pass and do an assessment of the weather once at the pass. The clouds forming quickly made us decide to go to the pass and soak up the views. The ridge would have to wait for another day. Looking from the pass, I saw another set of mountains and a lake covered valley that I will have to see another day.

Levon at Fall Creek Pass

While at the pass, we saw a very friendly marmot who scampered very close to us. We could almost reach out and pet it!



The weather eventually started to move in. Luckily we made it below treeline well before the thunder, lightening and hail started. We made it back to the vehicles, enjoyed a steak dinner in a nearby town and had another memorable weekend in the back country.

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