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Finding a camp site in the Poudre Canyon on Friday night
I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but after we passed our climbing destination for the following day we drove through every campground on the map, all full. Then Ann remembered, “Hey, I used to find a free spot to camp every night last summer.” She pulled out our map book and found some nearby forest…
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Long’s Peak
Alan, Michael, and I leave Fort Collins at 2 am for an attempt on Long’s Peak. By 3:15 we’re on the trail, moving by the light of headlamps through the incredibly still, dark, cool morning air. It’s still dark when we reach timberline, and the lights of the front range sprawl are a glowing orange…
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Greyrock
We felt we were long overdue for an overnight, and a climbing outing. The fact that we see the 700-foot granite face of Greyrock when we look out our window must have influenced both of us, because we both suggested it as a destination for the weekend at the same time. We didn’t really consider…
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Wedding Ring Recovery & Hiking Alone
Ann went back to Jackwhacker Gulch today with our friend Alan while I was at work, and, miraculously, recovered her lost engagement ring! The lighter wedding band was nowhere to be found, though. Unbenknownst to us, both my dad and Alan were concerned about Ann going after her rings alone. I hadn’t even thought about…
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Decatur and Revenue Summits
For my birthday hike we head up Guanella Pass Road to Geneva Creek Road, just west of Mt. Evans. Our map makes this out to be an improved dirt road to the Shelf Lake trailhead, but the road is really pretty rough from the start. We take the Subaru in a few miles, then park…
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Vedauwoo – Valley Massif
I can’t resist this area of Vedauwoo. This time our friend Eryka comes along, and we hike into Valley Massif from the west instead of east. The flowers have totally changed, from pasque flowers and paintbrush to evening primrose, harebell, yarrow, and many I don’t know. The mosquitos are out in force now, and poor…
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Lake Agnes & Mount Richtofen
We get going early up to Cameron Pass for a hike that my dad took me on many times as a kid, past Lake Agnes and up Mount Richtofen. The early start pays off when we arrive at a nearly empty parking area that is just like I remember it, atop a dirt road that’s…
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Boat Ride & BBQ on Horsetooth Reservoir
Our friends Tracy and Kevin take Ann out in their fast boat on Horsetooth Reservoir. I join them after work for one ride. This isn’t our usual form of recreation, but I must admit it is fun to go this fast on the water. I don’t know if I’ve been in a car that accellerates…
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The Ironclads
At last the sky was clear at dawn, so we packed up to check out Poacher’s Rock at the Ironclads. We were actually thankful that the road was a little too rough for the Subaru, requiring us to hike two thirds of a mile in to the rocks. Poacher’s Rock is the site of 11…
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Vedauwoo Cold and Rainy
We were planning on two or three days of hiking and climbing in Vedauwoo, so we didn’t hurry there on Saturday. We arrived after noon and I took off to scout out climbing within hiking distance. I ended up scouting for a couple of hours, enchanted as always with this place, always drawn to look…