Tips & Hints - After Work Hikes

One of the great joys of the summer is that it stays light out long enough to get in an after-work hike. Thanks to the excellent work of Jefferson County Open Space and Denver Mountain Parks, those of us on the Front Range have a plethora of options to choose from. Here are a few of my very favorite after-work hikes:

Mt. Falcon – This is a great leg burner. You climb about 1,000 feet in 1.7 miles, and can climb an additional 1,000 feet to a picnic shelter, if you are so inclined. The nice thing about Mt. Falcon is that it offers a hiker-only trail in the Turkey Trot trail. Since this area is extremely popular with mountain bikers, I highly recommend that option!
Mt. Galbraith – A great hiker-only park. Good climb through some interesting terrain, and a very doable 4.4 miles round trip, if you add in the loop at the top, which you should.
Green Mountain – Another popular trail with both mountain bikers and hikers, with a lot of different options for adding or subtracting length to your hike (take a map!). I would recommend doing this one in early summer or late summer/early fall. There is very little shade, and it can get scorching!
Apex – This trail leaves from the parking lot of Heritage Square and is also very popular with mountain bikers. But, it meanders near a creek and you can often catch deer or elk at the top, so it makes it worthwhile. And, it’s a great climb.
Deer Creek – A little south of the metro area, this is a great area that offers mixed use trails as well as a hiker-only option. There are some interesting red rock formations to check out, and usually some deer near the trailhead.
Elk Meadow – I like to save my Evergreen hikes for when it’s super hot in Denver. This one is a pleasant walk in the trees and meadows near Evergreen, and also serves as the base of the climb to Bergen Peak.
Bergen Peak – It a while to get to the top of this 9,700 peak, so I would not recommend it if you are short of time or can’t leave the trailhead by 5:30 or 6. It is 3.7 miles one-way to the top, and I have been caught hiking back down in the pitch black a few times, which can be a little dangerous.
Lair O’ the Bear – This is a great trail for kids because it follows Bear Creek and is relatively flat for about 1.5 miles before climbing more steeply. This JeffCo park connects with Little Park, a Denver Mountain Park, so be sure you have a map that covers both areas.
Red Rocks Trail – This trail offers great views of Denver and Red Rocks Amphitheater. It is not recommended for hot, hot, hot days as there is very little shade. Depending on how far you want to go, you can park at Red Rocks, or at the Matthew Winters Parking lot.
White Ranch – Great Foothills hike with a hiker-only option. Not a ton of shade until you reach the top, but really pretty views of Golden and Denver beyond.
Centennial Cone – This park alternates mountain biking days and hiking days on the weekends, but are multi-use during the week. The trail has several loops, so you can make it as long or as short as you’d like.

There are other options for your after-work enjoyment, but these are a few of my favorites. What are your favorite after work hikes?

Trip Report - Chief Mountain Hike

In the summer, I like to get out for a few after-work hikes during the week. Not only are the trails less crowded, but seeing the mountains in the gloaming and watching the sky light up at sunset is a special treat.

On Wednesday, August 5th, I met Levi and Kris at Chief Mountain for an after-work hike. Kris wanted to try Chief Mountain, between Evergreen and Idaho Springs on Squaw Pass Road. It was a lot further than I usually travel for an after-work hike, but well worth it!

Chief Mountain is an 11,709 foot peak reached after a fairly short 1.5 mile hike. The trail gains about 1,100 feet over that distance. The elevation gain is steady, and not terribly hard – enough so you feel like you get a workout, but not enough that you have to stop every 10 steps for a breather. The trail is fairly rocky, so if you plan to go after work later in the summer, you might want to take a headlamp to make the descent a little easier. The trail passes through a dense pine forest at the bottom, and then into an alpine tundra once you pass treeline, about half a mile from the top. Once you pass treeline, you can look to the north and see Idaho Springs about 7 miles as the crow files below you, look west for Squaw Pass Road as it makes its way toward Mount Evans, east toward Evergreen, and south to see the rocky summit of Chief Mountain above you. The trail circles the bottom of the peak, eventually leading up to the base of the rocks that constitute the peak. Once you get to the top, the views are well worth pausing for to take it all in. Do a 360, and you can see Mount Evans, Greys and Torrey’s Peaks, Pikes Peak and Longs Peak. I reached the top when the sun was barely above the mountains to the West. The light on the rocks and stubby trees was amazing. It seemed like everything was letting its light shine from the inside. Just incredible!

All said, it took about 40 minutes to get to the top. I left the trailhead at 6:40 p.m., and was back at the car by 8 p.m., having stopped to take photos and breathe in the beauty.

(This would be a great place to bring a picnic lunch on a weekend. You can scramble on the rocks at the peak, and then rest in the relatively flat meadow at the top.)

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/arnf/recreation/trails/ccrd/chiefmountain.shtml

The hardest part of the Chief Mountain trail is finding it. It is not well marked at all, and further than you think it could possibly be. Several times, I thought I MUST have passed it, but hadn’t.
To get there:From Denver, take I-70 West to Exit 252. Go south on Colorado 74 for 3.4 miles and turn on Colorado 103, Squaw Pass Road toward Echo Mountain Ski Area and Mount Evans. Follow the narrow, winding mountain road for about 12 miles (Just east of mile marker 18). Look for Echo Mountain Ski Area on the right. The parking area is around the bend from the entrance to Echo Mountain. There is a pull-out on the right. You will know you are in the right place when you see the ski lift for Echo Mountain just below you. The trail is across the road and slightly behind the pull-off.

Leaving Denver (Colorado Blvd. and Exposition) at 5:20 p.m., I got to the trailhead about 6:30 p.m.

After the hike, we checked out Trinity Irish Pub in El Rancho for a tasty treat and a cold beverage. http://www.thetrinitypub.com/location.html