Roberta Farrington
It's been a cold and snowy winter so far, but that doesn't keep CMCers from exploring trails! Here are three trip reports from recent snowshoeing or winter hiking trips. These trip reports provided photos, details about the route, feedback on gear, and reminders of the joy of being in community with others. You can learn more about how to leave a quality trip report from a previous blog post.
Winter Day Hike - Chair Rocks via Colorado Trail
January 14, 2023
Leader: Glenn Barr
A fun winter hike with super scenery, energetic hiking friends, and of course some ice, snow, and mud along the way. Just about 10-miles round trip and few hikers along the way. A very quiet hike (where were the birds?). Lots of TH parking early in the morning - but less than half full on our return.
Read the full Trip Report here.
Intermediate Snowshoe - Niwot Ridge and Niwot Mountain
January 12, 2023
Leader: Jim Guerra
This was one of the best winter hikes I've been on in quite some time, made more enjoyable by a great group of people. Our leader, Jim, did an exceptional job of guiding us, especially over some tricky winter terrain, keeping us together, motivated, and safe throughout the entire hike. A special thank you to the few in the front that did most of the trail breaking! The conditions we encountered certainly challenged us at times, but that just added to the fun. We utilized almost the full complement of winter gear, except an ice axe. Overall about 7.5 miles, ~1300 feet elevation gain, and total time of about 7 hours in the field. The most difficult section was above treeline on the ridge, with the wind forcing us to move off of our intended route across the summit of Niwot Mountain, and instead making our way down to the Left Hand Reservoir. The views were spectacular and well worth the effort. Overall, I consider this a very successful hike.
Read the full Trip Report here.
Hiking - Walker Ranch
January 5, 2023
Leader: Robbie Monsma
We all decided this is an excellent winter trail due to the beauty created by the snowy conditions. Fabulous long views made prettier by the snowy accents on mountain ridges. Debated whether to snowshoe or spike. We decided to spike because the trail is popular and so we assumed it would be tamped down. Spikes were a good choice because the trail had lots of ice and frequent bare spots.Excellent, beautiful day, starting at 27 degrees and ending at 50.
Read the full Trip Report here.
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