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Page Type:
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Trip Report |
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Lat/Lon:
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38.99503°N / 108.61241°W |
Date Climbed/Hiked:
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Jan 1, 2024 |
INTRODUCTION
This is just a simple log to keep track of our 2024 trips.
See the 2023 Trip Log for 2023
See the 2022 Trip Log for 2022
See the 2021 Trip Log for 2021
See the 2020 Trip Log for 2020
See the 2019 Trip Log for 2019
See the 2018 Trip Log for 2018
See the 2017 Trip Log for 2017.
See the 2016 Trip Log for 2016.
See the 2015 Trip Log for 2015.
See the 2014 Trip Log for 2014.
See the 2013 Trip Log for 2013.
See the 2012 Trip Log for 2012.
See the 2011 Trip Log for 2011.
See the 2010 Trip Log for 2010.
See the 2009 Trip Log for 2009.
See the 2008 Trip Log for 2008.
DECEMBER
December 31: County Line Trails (Colorado)
In the afternoon, Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I snowshoed up to Point 10,845 on Grand Mesa and on the County Line Trails. It was a pretty chilly day up there, but beautiful and it was a great way to end the year.
December 30: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock on a nice winter evening and right at sunset. It snowed a little bit on our hike.
December 29: Ice Age Fossil Trail/Glendale Point (Nevada)
Shaylee and I climbed Glendale Point in Nevada. Kessler and Kim hiked to the base of the peak. It was a nice and short, but very steep scramble. We had to walk from near I-15 since we didn't have a 4x4 with us.
In the morning we also hiked the trails at the Ice Age Fossil State Park near Las Vegas and stopped at the Dinosaur Discovery Center in St. George.
December 28: Turtlehead Peak (Nevada)
Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I climbed Turtlehead Peak near Las Vegas. It was a nice warm day and the peak had nice views.
Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I climbed Turtlehead Peak near Las Vegas. It was a nice warm day and the peak had nice views.
December 25-27: Cottonwood Canyon/Deadhorse Canyon (California)
December 25
Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I did a backpack up Marble and Deadhorse Canyons in the Cottonwood Mountains in Death Valley National Park. On Day 1 we hiked up Marble Canyon to the confluence of Deadhorse Canyon. It was a beautiful hike though a spectacular canyon with lots of interesting rock patterns and narrows. At night there were more mice/kangaroo rats than I have ever seen and they were all over the place.
December 26
It was 34 in the morning; not cold, but colder than expected. We first explored Deadhorse Canyon and saw that the pretty little waterfall was flowing. We then backtracked and hiked up Marble Canyon. We explored the east fork of the canyon to a fall and then backtracked to the main fork. Kessler's knee was hurting (knee surgery in June) so Kim, Kessler, and Shaylee returned to camp while I explored the middle and west forks of Marble Canyon. It was a nice day, but the night was rathing eventful with more rodents, including one that got in the tent at night. 
December 27
It was 31F in the morning, a bit colder than expected. We packed up camp and headed back down the spectacular canyon to the vehicles. 
December 24: Sidewinder Canyon/Badwater/Natural Bridge/Mushroom Rock (California)
Kim, Kessler, Shaylee, and I did several hikes in Death Valley. First we hiked Sidewinder Canyon and explored five side slots. We then hiked around Badwater to the lowest point on the surface of the earth in the Western Hemisphere. We then hiked to Natural Bridge. Lastly we climbed Mushroom Rock. We packed in a lot in one day!
December 23: Middle Fork Taylor Creek (Utah)
Kim, Kessler, and I hiked Middle Fork Taylor Creek in Zion National Park.
December 22: Colorado River Trail (Colorado)
At night, Kim and I hiked part of the Colorado River Trail.
December 21: Lomatium/Krill Canyon (Utah)
John, Claire, Jocyln, Diana, Mark, and I completed Lomatium and Krill Canyons today using the Black Wall route. We also went to the giant pothole near Park Avenue. It was a fun, exciting, and beautiful day with great weather.
December 20: Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)
After work Kessler, my sweetie, and I hiked up Dinosaur Hill, completing the loop hike.
December 18-19: Wingle Ridge (Colorado)
December 18
I had to work in Granby today so I decided to snowshoe up to Jays hut (11,223 elevation) starting not long before sunset. I just made it. As long as the wind isn't howling and a blizzard isn't raging, December nights are always peaceful at this elevation and the stars are always bright on cold clear nights. It was a beautiful night.
December 19
In the morning I climbed Shrine Top/Wingle Ridge. It was windy, but the views were great.
December 17: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
After work Kim, Kessler, and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock, reaching the summit after sunset.
December 16: Trail Through Time (Colorado)
After work Kim, Kessler, and I hiked the Trail Through Time. There are a lot of nice Dinosaur bones along the way.
December 15: Redlands Mesa (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kim and I hiked Redlands Mesa from Easter Hill and doing a big loop. The trails are surrounded on all sides by the city, but are still nice and a very short drive.
December 14: Demaree Canyon (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked Demaree Canyon in the Book Cliffs near Grand Junction. Pretty average hike, but we did see a rock dragon.
December 13: Nokai Dome/San Juan Canyon (Utah)
First Kessler and I climbed Nokai Dome. We then attempted to backpack down San Juan Canyon and made it part way down, but Kessler's knee was sore so we turned back making it into a day trip.
December 12: Opal Hill (Colorado)
After work, Kim, Kessler, and I hiked Opal Hill on a rather gloomy December late afternoon/early evening.
December 11: Peak 8911 (Colorado)
I had to go to Granby for work today so climbed Peak 8911 at Granby Ranch (where I was working) after that. I used snowshoes to get to the top. Sunset photos were taken on the drive home.
December 10: Dominguez Rim (Colorado)
Kessler and I hiked Dominguez Rim in the afternoon. It was a little breezy and chilly, but nice.
December 9: Peak 5555 (Colorado)
Kessler and I climbed Peak 5555 and on and windy and rather gloomy afternoon.
December 8: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
Kessler, Kim, and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock on a really nice afternoon.
December 7: Good Hope Mesa (Utah)
Kessler, Kim, and I attempted to get to and climb Good Hope Mesa, but our route was time consuming to make it by dark and we should have taken a rope as well. We didn't make it, but it was a spectacular attempt for sure. Pictures just don't do it justice.
The weather in winter is super mild as well as camping overnight only got down to 25F and afternoon was t-shirt weather.
December 6: Peak 5406 (Utah)
Kessler, Kim, and I almost climbed Peak 5406 near Green River, but the last 5 feet to the top was too dangerous to climb with wet exposed clay.
December 5: Lunch Loops via White Cap (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kessler, Kim, and I hiked the Lunch Loops/Clunker Trails near our house and from the White Cap Trailhead.
December 4: Peak 5167 (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kessler and I climbed Peak 5167 south of Whitewater. It was a pretty average hike, but still nice. We saw a beautiful fox too.
December 3: Peak 12,582 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 12,582 (identified by elevation) above Loveland Pass.
I was afraid that I'd miss the sunset, but as soon as I crested the ridge, it was spectacular. The stars were bright and it was a beautiful night.
December 2: Serpents Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I did a night hike on the Sepents Trail. It gets dark early now, but night hikes are still fun.
December 1: McDonald Creek Benches (Colorado)
In the afternoon/evening Kim, Kessler, and I hiked down McDonald Creek to the falls and then walked the benches/rim to an overlook of McDonald Canyon and Horsethief Canyon. It was a really nice hike.
NOVEMBER
November 30: Kimbell Mesa/Big Wash (Colorado)
First Kimberly and I climbed Kimbell Mesa. There was more snow than expected which slowed things down and we should have brought snow boots. It was a new summit for us, which was nice.
After climbing Kimbell Mesa we took a short hike up Big Wash. There were some nice mud/ice formations.
November 29: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
Kimberly and I climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750 at sunset. It was a chilly, but nice evening.
November 28: Buckeye Gulch (Colorado)
Kimberly, Shaylee, and I attempted to snowshoe up to the Sangree Hut on Buckeye Peak, but trailbreaking became too difficult for us to make it to the hut before dark. Another group was on the route and also gave up. We made it to 11,400 feet before turning back.
November 27: Devils Kitchen (Colorado)
Kimberly, Kessler, and I decided to hike the trails right by our house this time. We went up to Cold Shivers Point and then hiked Devils Kitchen.
November 26: Gym
November 25: Redlands Mesa (Colorado)
Kimberly and I hiked onto Redlands Mesa and hiked to Mr. Bones on a rather gloomy afternoon.
November 24: Coal Canyon/Hoodoo Trail (Colorado)
Kessler, Kimberly, Shaylee, and I hiked at Coal Canyon and along the Hoodoo trail. We scrambled up a side canyon too. It wasn't as pretty as some areas around here, but was a nice hike. We did see some wild horses, which was a nice bonus.
November 23: Pinto Arch/Bowtie Arch/Corona Arch/Balanced Rock (Utah)
Kessler, Kimberly, and I headed for Moab to climb at Wall Street, but we forgot our climbing shoes!
Instead we hiked to Pinto, Bowtie Arch, and Corona Arch. After that we hiked at Balanced Rock for the sunset.
November 22: Fraser-Granby Trail (Colorado)
At night, I did a hike along the Fraser-Granby Trail.
November 21: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
I didn't have to work quite as late today so i was able to complete my hoe before sunset. After work and around sunset I climbed Cottonwood BM in much warmer weather than two days ago. Anything above freezing feels warm after wind chills well below zero. It was a nice afternoon.
November 20: Granby-Fraser Trail (Colorado)
At night, I hiked a section of the Granby-Fraser Trail. It was a very pleasant walk since there was no wind!
November 19: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work and around sunset I climbed Cottonwood BM. Conditions were much harsher than previous ascents so it was a struggle to reach the top. I didn't make it by sunset and onmy took a few photos. It was 1F (-17C) on the summit and I estimated the winds to be gusting at 45 mph, so the calculated winchill was -29F (-34C), the coldest ascent I have had so far this season. It's only going to get colder though.
November 18: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work and around sunset I climbed Cottonwood BM.
November 17: Goblin Valley/Peak 7500 (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kessler, Kim, and I hiked Goblin Valley (the one in the Book Cliffs above Grand Junction, not the one in Utah) and then climbed Peak 7500. It was a nice day.
November 16: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work (Saturday work-ugh) I climbed Cottonwood BM before heading for home.
November 15: Peak 12,582 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 12,582' (elevation). It's quite windy; I'd estimate gusting between 40 and 50 mph. It's a sunny late afternoon though and the views are great.
November 14: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
My (work) project got off to a slow start today because of cold temperatures, so I did a quick climb of Cottonwood BM on snowshoes and before work.
November 13: Mount Bross (Colorado)
After work I climbed Mt. Bross in Grand County and am on the summit now. It's a rather mild 10F/-12C with only a light breeze so a pleasant evening. The moon is almost full so I didn't need the headlamp.
November 12: East Mountain/Peak 8911 (Colorado)
After work I climbed East Mountain and Peak 8911 right near I was working. There weren't any long distance views since it was cloudy and snowing at times.
November 11: Fraser-Granby Trail (Colorado)
At night I hiked a section of the Fraser-Granby Trail.
November 10: Corn Lake/Riverfront Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked around Corn Lake and hiked the Riverfront Trail (Clifton/Palisade) on a really nice evening. The trails are in town, but still pretty.
November 9: Ribbon Canyon (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked around Corn Lake and hiked the Riverfront Trail (Clifton Palisade) on a really nice evening. The trails are in town, but still pretty.
November 8: Brookwillow Trails (Colorado)
At sunset Kim and I hiked the Willowbrook Trails near our house. Since they are close we could just walk them from home without driving anywhere.
November 7: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work I and at night I hiked the Granby Trails. Unfortunately I'm not a good night photographer. I'm really not liking these shorter days.
November 6: Fraser-Granby Trail (Colorado)
At night, I hiked a section of the Fraser-Granby Trail. It was a little chilly and near 0F (-18C).
November 5: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work I hiked the convenient, but less than spectacular Granby Trails at Smith Creek. I didn't feel like driving much in the snowstorm and I wouldn't have seen anything on a different hike anyway. I hiked along the ridge and came back along the main trail to the south of the ridge.
November 4: Colorado River Trail/Red Mountain Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked up the Colorado River and Red Mountain Trails in Rocky Mountain National Park. I turned back when it got dark and walked back by headlamp. It was a nice evening, but I'm not liking it getting dark this early!
November 3: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)
I climbed Colorado Mines Peak (12,500' elevation) in a snowstorm. I picked this one since the route should still be reasonable to follow even if the storm went whiteout (and it did do that). When I first got to the summit I was able to get a few photos through the clouds, but visibility pretty much disappeared on the descent.
November 2: Lawson Ridge (Colorado)
After work (yes, I had to work today) I climbed Peak 9065/Lawson Ridge. I'm on the summit now. It's a pretty nice peak, but I wish I got the day off since I finally found someone to go rock climbing with (I had to cancel).
A storm is due tomorrow so everything's going to look a lot different soon.
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November 1: Peak 12,582 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 12,582. It was pretty mild for that elevation in November. The pikas were out and easy to spot in the snow.
OCTOBER
October 31: East Mountain/Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I hiked up East Mountain and Cottonwood BM. It was much warmer and less windy than yesterday.
October 30: Mount Bross (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Mount Bross (the one in Grand County). I'm on the summit now. It's much colder than it has been and I estimate the winds to be about 25 mph. Since the outside temperature is currently 18F, that puts the windchill right at 0F. It's not that cold perhaps, but it was such a warm fall that I'm not used to it yet. It's rather windy, gloomy, and chilly and the higher peaks are all obscured by clouds. The good news is that I was afraid the access road would be too muddy, but all the mud is frozen. There was less snow than I expected as well.
October 29: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Granby Trails at Smith Creek. Just about everywhere else around here was either a mudhole or had nasty roads, so I settled for this one, even though it's not a very spectacular hike.
October 28: Grouse Mountain (Colorado)
After work I climbed Grouse Mountain on a rather gloomy and windy evening. A snowstorm should hit tonight which will probably shut down the roads for the season so this will likely be my last climb of Grouse Mountain for a while. I saw some moose on the way back.
October 27: Poison Strip (Utah)
Kim and I climbed the highest point on the Poison Strip today; climbing a steep route on the south face and then walking the ridge to the summit. The long distance views were really nice.
October 26: Jug Rock/Delicate Arch (Utah)
First we climbed Jug Rock and enjoyed the views from the top before hiking to Delicate Arch from Jug Rock, which is just outside the park. This is an almost never used route to Delicate Arch so it is a bit of a shock to be hiking alone on a route that feels remote and then suddenly come across the tourist trail full of people.
October 25: Serpents Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked the Serpents Trail at night, a local favorite.
October 24: Peak 8151 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 8151 on a chilly, but nice evening.
October 23: West Mountain (Colorado)
After work I climbed West Mountain and am on the summit now. It's a really nice evening.
October 22: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work I and at night I hiked the Granby Trails. I did about two miles, but I don't want to do anything too serious at night until I'm able to pick up my snow gear. It was a nice night, but the only photos I took were this one of the Big Dipper and of Smith Creek. The moon wasn't out yet and I'm not a great night photographer, at least just with a cell phone.
October 21: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)
After work I headed part way up Colorado Mines Peak in the new snow, but I was not equipped for a real summit attempt. I went up to 11,600' (just below timberline) or so before turning back. All my real snow gear is at our Grand Junction house, so I'll have to wait the weekend before getting my snow gear.
October 20: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)
Today I climbed Colorado Mines Peak. It was a bit chilly and windy, but the weather was still pretty good.
October 19: Elk Mountain (Colorado)
Today I climbed Elk Mountain (the one with elevation 11,424). There was supposedly a chance of snow, but it was mostly sunny and the weather was completely dry.
The hike was longer than expected because a tree blew across the road making it a longer walk.
October 18: Wolford Mountain/Little Wolford Mountain/Peak 8264 (Colorado)
After work I climbed three peaks. I was able to climb Wolford Mountain with light, reaching the summit around summit. Little Wolford Mountain and Peak 8264 were done in the dark. There was supposed to be a snowstorm today, but it missed the area.
October 17: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work and at night I climbed Cottonwood BM and am on the summit now. I had to work until dark and since it's getting dark earlier and earlier hiking at night is becoming more and more inevitable.
October 16: Peak 8911 (Colorado)
After work and at night I climbed Peak 8911 near Granby Ranch. I'm on the summit now. I wanted to see the supermom from up here, but was afraid that the clouds would obscure it. The clouds actually added to the scenery though making a rather eerie site with the moon.
October 15: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work and not long before sunset, I climbed Peak 12,349' on Trail Ridge. It was much less windy and more pleasant than yesterday's hike. There were ptarmigans up there and they are turning white.
October 14: Bobtail Peak (Colorado)
After work and not long before sunset, I climbed Bobtail Peak (elevation 12,809'). It was much more windy and colder than it has been so I didn't stick around for sunset. There were a lot of clouds to the west as well.
October 13: East Inlet Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I did a nice hike on the East Inlet Trail on a perfect fall day.
October 12: Marmot Point (Colorado)
Today is Kim's birthday and she wanted to go into Rocky Mountain National Park to see the wildlife and visit the Alpine Visitor Center. We did the short hike to Marmot Point. Sadly today was the least amount of wildlife we ever saw in the park! I was there a few days ago and saw a lot.
We did see a big bald eagle, which was cool, but it's better to have a camera with a bigger zoom. It was a neat sighting though. We saw one chipmunk and one raven as well. This is the first time other than in the dead of winter that we didn't see elk (I saw many a few days ago). The marmots are now hibernating, but we heard a few pikas, though didn't see them. We missed seeing the bear at the entrance station, but others saw it.
We still had some nice views though and we got to spend time together so it was a great day.
October 11: Peak 12,582 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 12,582'. Still waiting for snow! It's so dry, even up high.
October 10: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 12,349'/Trail Ridge. Everything is dry dry dry. There should be snow by now.
October 9: Bobtail Peak (Colorado)
On my way to a doctor appointment I stopped to do a quick climb of Bobtail BM (12,809') .
October 8: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I did another routine and rather lazy hike up the Cottonwood BM. It was a really nice evening. I had a lot of work to so I didn't stick around until sunset. I saw a few ptarmigans as well.
October 7: Cupid (Colorado)
After work I climbed Cupid, a 13,126' (4001 m) peak (though you start at 11,990). Everything is so dry for this time of year; perhaps the driest I have seen in these mountains.
Although anytime of the year is a good time to be in the mountains, this is my least favorite time because it is when the peaks are the least pretty. The alpine greenery and flowers are gone, the autumn leaves are gone, and there isn't much snow to add some color/variety.
October 6: Jim Creek (Colorado)
Kim and I did some easy loop hikes at Jim Creek. It was only average scenery wise and the autumn leaves are mostly gone but it was an easy and pleasant walk.
October 5: Skyscraper Peak (Colorado)
Kim and I climbed Skyscraper Peak together. It would have been a really nice day, but it was super windy. We also noticed that Challenger and Skyscraper Glaciers were nearly gone!
October 4: East Shore Trail (Colorado)
After work and at sunset Kim and I hiked the East Shore Trail on a pretty evening. It was a nice walk with my sweetheart.
October 3: Ptarmigan Loop Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked part of the Ptarmigan Peak Trail. I didn't have close to enough time to make the summit so I hiked 2 miles each way. I chose this trail since it was next to the project I was working on today.
October 2: Bobtail BM (Colorado)
After work I climbed Bobtail Peak (12,809'). It was a nice hike, but windy. Without much snow the peaks are looking pretty barren since the tundra has lost its greenery. It needs to snow.
October 1: East Mountain/Peak 8911 (Colorado)
After work I climbed East Mountain and Peak 8911 at Granby Ranch where I'm working on some projects. They were both easy summits. I'm on top of 8911 now. The sunset is nice. The autumn leaves are past peak and will be gone soon.
SEPTEMBER
September 30: Fraser Granby Trail (Colorado)
Late at night and after work, I did a section of the Fraser Granby Trail in the dark. Perhaps the hike was only significant in that it was the 6000th day that I've hiked or climbed on that I have a record of.
September 29: Huron Peak (Colorado)
I climed Huron Peak, a Colorado 14er on a nice fall day. There was almost no wind so it felt really warm. Unfortunately, my foot was hurting pretty bad (plantar faciitis). 
September 28: Peak 10,689 (Colorado)
I climbed Peak 10,689, a rather unknown peak east of Twin Lakes Colorado. The sunset was great, but I missed most of it before reaching the summit. The climb was more difficult and more time consuming than expected, so the descent was a bit challenging since it wasn't easy terrain in the dark.
September 27: Cupid (Colorado)
I worked in Silverthorne today so climbed Cupid Peak after work, which is fairly gentle for a 13,126' (4001 m) peak. It was a record hot day in Colorado, but it still snowed a little up here. It was still really pleasant though.
September 26: Granby Trails (Colorado)
It was a long day at work so I didn't have time for anything except a short hike. I hiked the Granby Trails at Smith Creek. I was too late to get ant sunset pics. It's not the most spectacular hike around, but was very close.
September 25: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 12,349/Trail Ridge highpoint. I reached the summit just before sunset and caught the sunset on the way down. There was no wind, which is unusual and it felt really warm. I tried to take photos of the pikas, but they would disappear as soon as I'd go for the camera button!
September 24: Sheep Mountain (Colorado)
After work (though I still have office work to do) I climbed Sheep Mountain (there are many in Colorado-this is the one with elevation 11,366) reaching the top at sunset.
September 23: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Granby Trails in the dark.
September 22: Fruita Paleontological Trail (Colorado)
Kessler, Kim, and I hiked the Fruita Paleontological Trail. Since Kessler is recovering from knee surgery we needed something easy.
September 21: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
After biking the Colorado River Trail we climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750 on foot. It was pleasantly cool for this time of year. It was a nice day out with my Snuggly Buggly Boo.
September 20: Fraser-Granby Trail (Colorado)
I walked the section of the Granby-Fraser Trail that I helped build this summer. My walk was for work purposes, but was still a hike.
September 19: Bobtail BM (Colorado)
After work I climbed Bobtail Peak (12,809') after work and just before sunset. Although I bundled up, it felt much warmer than yesterday since the winds were lighter. I don't think I've ever seen the mountains around here so bare of snow. It was a hot summer.
September 18: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 12,349/Trail Ridge highpoint to watch the sunset. I don't have my winter clothes with me and it was cold and windy so I headed down just before sunset.
September 17: Baker Gulch (Colorado)
I was a bit busy with work stuff so didn't get to start my hike until around sunset. I hiked the lower part of the Baker Gulch Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park. The real views were around the trailhead as most of the trail that I hiked was in the thick forest. Surprisingly I didn't see any elk in the Meadows near the trailhead as I usually do.
September 16: Granby Trails (Colorado)
I had go to Denver in the evening for medical appointments so I couldn't start my hike until very late. I hiked the Granby Trails under the full moon.
September 15: Knight Ridge/East Shore Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked the Knight Ridge/East Shore Trail at Lake Granby. We had time for two miles. There wasn't much shade, but it is a good one for fall.
September 14: Cottonwood Peak/Piney Peak (Colorado)
Kim and I climbed two mountains today, Cottonwood Peak and Piney Peak. It was a new area for us wedged between the Flat Tops and Gore Range.
September 13: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work Kim and I climbed Cottonwood BM to watch the sunset. It was nice to do it with my sweetie this time.
September 12: Heartbeat Peak (Colorado)
After work I climbed Heartbeat Peak. I reached the summit just after sunset. The sunset was mostly obscured by clouds, buy it was still a nice hike up.
September 11: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Cottonwood BM to watch the sunset. The sunset wasn't as good as it sometimes was due to the position of the clouds.
September 10: Lunch Loops from Tabeguache (Colorado)
After sunset Kim and I hiked some of the Lunch Loops from the Tabeguache Trailhead. It was a nice evening hike. We saw a baby rabbit as well.
September 8: Waterfront Trail (Switzerland)
Shaylee and I walked the Shoreline Trail in Geneva, visiting several other sites as well.
September 7: Chamonix/Geneva Trails (France/Switzerland)
In the morning we did some walks on the trails around Chamonix (France) before heading to Geneva (Switzerland) where we walked around town and saw several of the sites as well as did the lakeside walk.
September 6: Le Brévent (France)
Shaylee and I climbed Le Brévent above Chamonix. There is a cable car to near the summit, but we climbed it on foot and took the cable car down. We took the harder route up as well. It was an interesting hike up with some steep trails, ladders, and cables. Although the big peaks were sometimes obscured by clouds, we had some nice views when the clouds broke temporarily.
September 5: Chamonix Trails (France)
Shaylee and I just some of the around town trails in Chamonix since it was pouring rain almost all day. We got soaked, but there were a few views.
September 4: Trident to Chamonix (Switzerland/France)
Shaylee and I hiked from Col de la Forclaz Switzerland to Chamonix France, the final stage of our Tour du Mont Blanc hike. It was too cloudy to get many big mountain views, but it was still a nice hike over a high pass. Now it's time to give our sore feet a rest.
September 3: Champex to Col de la Forclaz (Switzerland)
Shaylee and I hiked from Champex Switzerland to Col de la Forclaz Switzerland, the fifth stage of our Tour du Mont Blanc Trip. It rained part of the time and was cloudy most of the time, but since the trail is mostly in the foreat it wasn't bad. We passed through a lot if cow pastures with cows/bulls. Most were friendly, but one young bull head-butted me, but not too hard, possibly to play?
September 2: Arnuva to La Fouly (France/Switzerland)
Shaylee and I hiked from Arnouva Iraly to Champex Switzerland, the forth stage of our Tour du Mont Blanc Trip. The Gran Col Ferret on the Italy-Switzerland border is the highest point on the trek and was supposed to offer the best views of all, but it was completely socked in with little visibility! We got some other views, but that was a disappointment.
September 1: Les Chapieux to Cormayeur (France/Italy)
Shaylee and I hiked Les Chapieux (France) to Cormayer (Italy), the third stage of our Tour du Mont Blanc Trip. We crossed a high pass and the scenery was some of the best so far.
AUGUST
August 31: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux (France)
Shaylee and I hiked Les Contamines to Les Chapieux, the second stage of our Tour du Mont Blanc Trip. We crossed over 2 passes and had some really nice views.
August 30: Les Houches to Les Contamines/Mont Truc (France)
Shaylee and I hiked Les Houches to Les Contamines, the first stage of our Tour du Mont Blanc Trip. We took the more difficult, but more spectacular high route over two passes. I also took a side trip to climb Mont Truc for some nice views.
August 29: Aguille du Midi (France)
Shaylee and I did some hikes and other activities around Aguille du Midi, a spectacular place. We did several hikes around Plan de l'Aiguille. It was our "rest" day, but spectacular. We start our big Tour du Mont Blanc hike tomorrow.
August 28: Chamonix/Les Houches (France)
Shaylee and I walked around Chamonx and Les Houches today. I also hiked a trail, but my phone was dead so all of my photos are either from town or our hotel room.
August 26-27: Castor (Italy/Switzerland)
August 26
Shaylee and I climbed up to Rifugio Quintino Sella in the Monte Rosa massive in the Alps. Summit day is tomorrow and we're getting up really early to climb Castore. It hailed and rained on us much of the day today, but tomorrow looks better.
August 27
Shaylee and I climbed and summited Castor today, one of the 4000+ meter peaks in the Alps. It was Shaylee's first big peak in the Alps and she did a really good job. We couldn't get photos of the knife edge ice ridges, which were the most spectacular and challenging part.
August 24: Canal Trail (Colorado)
Before I had to go to the airport, Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail.
August 23: Granby Trails (Colorado)
Before driving home I stopped to do a quick hike along the Granby Trails.
August 22: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After a long day at work I hiked the Granby Trails at night.
August 21: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Cottonwood BM again for the sunset. It was another nice one for sure, but not quite as nice as the one two days ago.
August 20: Granby-Fraser Trail (Colorado)
At night I hiked a short section of the Fraser-Granby Trail while waiting for the night crew at work, but unfortunately my cell phone doesn't take good night photos.
August 19: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Cottonwood BM to catch the sunset. I'm on the top now and made it to the top just after sunset. The sunset was spectacular, but I wish it was easier to catch on the cell phone camera just how nice it was.
August 18: Eagles Nest Rock/Peak 5750 (Colorado)
In the morning Shaylee, Kim, and I climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750.
August 17: Upper Uncompahgre Canyon (Colorado)
With Carl , Kim, and I, we canyoneered Upper Uncompahgre during the Ouray Canyoning Fest. We met another group in the canyon and joined with them for a while.
It was great fun, but Kim and I only had time for one day.
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August 16: Fraser-Granby Trail (Colorado)
I walked the section of the Fraser-Granby Trail that I'm working on.
August 15: Mount Bross (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Mt. Bross (Grand County) to see the sunset. It was a nice sunset for sure.
August 14: Granby Trails (Colorado)
I didn't start my hike until 9 pm due to work and the rain. It was dark and still raining, but interesting in its own way.
I hiked the Granby Trails at Smith Creek since they are either gravel or paved, which makes them a good bet at night when it's raining.
August 13: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I climbed Cottonwood Benchmark to watch the sunset.
August 12: Three Licks Creek (Colorado)
After work I hiked various cow and game paths up Three Licks Creek (I wonder where that one got its name?). My intended hike was Piney Peak, but I'll have to find a be better driving route to climb that one since the road on Google Maps was in terrible condition. Instead I stopped and hiked up Three Licks Creek.
August 11: Bobtail BM (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked up Bobtail BM (Peak). We didn't go farther since it was cloudy. Bobtail is a pretty easy peak for its elevation (13,809'), but it has great views. It was also our 31st anniversary today! We had a snowball fight at the trailhead.
August 10: CDT/East Shore Loop (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked a loop with the Continental Divide Trail and the East Shore Trail. It was a nice hike with my sweetie. We got done just before it started storming.
August 9: Granby-Fraser Trail (Colorado)
It was a stormy day, but I hiked a section of the Fraser Granby Trail after work.
August 8: Granby Fraser Trail (Colorado)
It was a different type of hike. I walked the trail several times that I'm helping build for work and to get from one side of the project to the other. It's going to be a really nice in town trail for bikers and walkers when complete.
August 7: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Granby Trails. They are nothing special, but the sunset was nice.
August 6: Peak 9420 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 9420 (elevation). It did have some views, despite its low elevation. It was a nice hike with not too much bushwhacking.
August 5: Pass BM (Colorado)
After work I climbed Pass BM (peak). There was pretty much no view from the top so I only got one photo of the top. Not every mountain has great views, but this was a new one for me.
August 4: Elk Mountain (Colorado)
I climbed Elk Mountain. Luckily the smoke has dissipated a lot, making for some nicer views than the past few days. There were a lot of flowers out too. It was also the first time I have seen the peak without snow. It has been a hot summer!
August 3: Colorado River Trail (Colorado)
I had to work so after work Kim and I hiked the Colorado River Trail between Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby.
August 2: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work Kim and I climbed Peak 12,349/Trail Ridge. Kimberly wanted to see some pikas and it's a good place to see those. We saw several as well as one elk up close and several in the distance cooling off in a snowbank. It as still smoky. Hopefully all the smoke goes away soon.
August 1: Sundance Mountain (Colorado)
After work Kim and I climbed Sundance Mountain around sunset. We saw lots elk on the drive and on the hike.
JULY
July 31: East Shore Trail (Colorado)
After work my snuggly buggly boo and I hiked the East Shore Trail starting just after sunset. It was nice to have her to here as I've been working out of town and she's been taking care of out son who has a knee surgery a few weeks ago. It was a nice hike along Shadow Mountain Lake.
July 30: West Mountain (Colorado)
Along with Preston, I climbed West Mountain on a nice evening. I was still sorr from the night before.
July 28-29: Grand Teton (Wyoming)
July 28
Jacy and I hiked to the Lower Saddle today in order to climb the Grand Teton. It was a really windy night! 
July 29
I climbed the Grand Teton with Jacy, but didn't get many photos since it was so smoky and to save the phone battery.. That part was a big disappointment. We also helped someone down who was having problems.
The climb was nice and one I wanted to do for a long time, but I sure wish the skies weren't so smoky. The climb wasn't bad, but the descent hurt my feet. I'm still glad I got to climb the iconic mountain.
July 27: Tree Route (Wyoming)
I hiked to Cascade Falls and climbed the Tree Route in the Tetons with Jacy. Alas I didn't bring my phone for photos. Too bad it's it was a nice climb.
July 26: Narkok Meadows Creek (Wyoming)
After work and on my way to the Tetons I stopped at Narkok Meadows Creek for a quick hike before it got dark. No real desitination; I just walked 30 minutes each way (all I had time for).
July 25: Table Mountain (Colorado)
After work I climbed Table Mountain. It was smoky, but not as bad as the past few days. The mosquitoes were fierce.
July 24: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I climbed Cottonwood BM. It's still super smoky.
July 23: Corral Peak South (Colorado)
After work I climbed the highest summit on the Corral Peaks. I'm on the summit now. It's really smoky.
July 22: East Shore Trail (Colorado)
After work and after sunset I hiked the East Shore Trail. The air was really smoky so it wasn't as pretty as usual. I did see a moose.
July 21: West Mountain (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kim and I hiked West Mountain. It was supposed to rain, but sunny and warm.
July 20: North Inlet Trail/Cascade Falls (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kim and I hiked the North Inlet Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park to Cascade Falls. We saw many squirrels, chipmunks, four marmots, deer, and two moose. It was a nice hike.
July 19: Fraser-Granby Trail (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked a section of the Granby Fraser Trail. We say seven marmots, five of them very young. We also saw a coyote, several pelicans, and geese.
July 18: East Shore Trail (Colorado)
After work I did a nice hike along the East Shore Trail.
July 17: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Cottonwood BM for the sunset. The sunset is a nice one.
July 16: Fraser-Granby Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked a section of the Fraser-Granby Trail starting at sunset. It's nothing special, but is close to town.
July 15: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)
After work I climbed Colorado Mines Peak in the rain (but no thunder!) and am on the summit now.
July 14: Jim Creek (Colorado)
Today I had to go to Denver for medical reasons. On my way back to Granby I stopped and hiked the Jim Creek Trail. There is no challenge on the trail and the scenery is pretty average, but that's all I had time for.
July 13: Peak 11,810 (Colorado)
After work (I had to work today) I climbed Peak 11,810, west if Mount Neva. Once again the air was smoky. The views were nice, but my feet are sore! I say two big bull moose on the way out.
July 12: Sundance Mountain (Colorado)
After work I climbed Sundance Mountain. The air was smoky, which made the views less spectacular than normal, but it was still a nice hike. There were elk all over the place along Trail Ridge.
July 11: East Shore Trail (Colorado)
After work and at sunset I hiked the East Shore Trail. I say pelicans, deer, and a moose as well as a nice hike.
July 10: Table Mountain (Colorado)
After work and at sunset hiked up Table Mountain. The mosquitoes were fierce, but it was a nice hike.
July 9: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work hike up Cottonwood BM. The flowers are out, but so are the mosquitoes!
July 8: Peak 10,020 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 10,020. It was tedious, but not that fun or interesting. Alas, not all peaks can be spectacular and it was just a trail-less slog through thick timber. There was no real view either.
July 7: Climbing Gym
July 6: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
Kim and I climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750. We watched the sunset from the top. It was a warm evening and was still 90 degrees at sunset.
July 5: North Schell Peak (Nevada)
I never did find a tire in Ely and I wasn't able to make it to the Deep Creeks and Mount Moriah, which was the original plan. I climbed North Schell Peak today though. I decided to head for home after that since I was worried about driving rough roads on my 25+ year old spare tire.
North Schell was a nice hike and green for Nevada. I likely won't be back to the range, but it was nice to visit a new area. 
July 4: Hamels Peak/Peak 10,218/Peak 10,190 (Nevada)
I was supposed to head for Mount Moriah/the Deep Creeks today, but my tire disintegrated on the highway and I didn't want to chance going to such a remote area without a spare. I called a tire place in Ely and they said they would stay open until 3, but they were closed when I got there at 11. I decided to stick around and climb Hamels Peak, Peak 10,218, and Peak 10,190, all in the Egan Range. The road rougher than expected so I was nervous with my spare and I walked the last few miles of road before climbing the peaks.
This was not my planned destination, but the views were nice and it was a new range for me. The peaks aren't that high, but there were a few snowbanks around. There were a lit of bristlecone pines (some of the oldest trees in the world) around too.
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July 3: Escalante Creek Narrows (Colorado)
Justin and I hiked through the Escalante Creek Narrows this afternoon. The water was not clear this time, though it was still fun. The canyon is better when the water is clear so I added some photos from last time we went through to show what it looks like when the water is clear.
July 2: Gym/Canal Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I went to the climbing gym early evening and then hiked the Canal Trail after dark. There were too many mosquitoes!
July 1: Peak 5750 (Colorado)
Kim and I did a sunset hike up Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock. We tried to make the summit by sunset, but didn't quite make it. We still got some nice sunset views on the way up.
JUNE
June 30: Serpents Trail (Colorado)
It was too dang hot to hike in Grand Junction during the afternoon so Kim and I did a night hike completing the Serpents Trail. It sprinkled a little rain too, but it felt good.
June 29: Grizzly Creek (Colorado)
It was another long day at work and a long week too. I worked 81.5 hours this week. On my way home I stopped and hiked up Grizzy Creek (Glenwood Canyon) in the rain. I only had time for a short hike.
June 28: West Mountain (Colorado)
It was another long day at work, but I climbed West Mountain starting just before sunset. I daw a fox just before I started. I have to work tomorrow so couldn't go home. My son was in surgery tonight so i was worried about that, but it was still a nice hike.
June 27: Granby Trails (Colorado)
It was another long day at work (and I still have work to do tonight) and it was raining so I just hiked the Granby Trails. I only did about two miles on gentle ground and the hike wasn't that spectacular, but any hike is better than none.
June 26: Granby-Fraser Trail (Colorado)
It was a long day at work so I didnt atart a hike until almost sunset. I hiked some of the trails around Granby Ranch including the trail tontye gazebo and then couple miles on the Granby-Fraser Trail. It was a nice late evening hike.
June 25: Sundance Mountain (Colorado)
After work and in the evening I climbed Sundance Mountain in great weather. I saw a lot of marmots and on the drive back I saw lots of elk and moose.
June 24: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work and in the evening I climbed Peak 12,349/Trail Ridge in stormy weather. Luckily there was no lightning (or I wouldn't have gone. It was really windy with rain and snow pellets/graupel most of the time. The graupel really stung my face walking into the wind.
June 23: Snow Mountain Falls (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked to Snow Mountain Falls which was an easy 3 mile hike.
June 22: Shadow Mountain (Colorado)
Kim and I climbed Shadow Mountain, which has a fire lookout on top of one of the two summits. We're at the lookout now. It was hot until it got cloudy, but was a nice hike.
June 21: East Shore Trail (Colorado)
After work we hiked the East Shore Trail near Grand Lake. 2/3 of the hike was after dark. It was a pretty hike (with a pretty woman) and saw deer, ospreys, pelicans, ans blue birds.
June 20: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work and around sunset I hiked from the Gore Range Overlook to Peak 12,349/Trail Ridge. It rained and snowed a little, but was a nice hike and pretty easy for its elevation. It was too cloudy to view a nice sunset, but I'll have to come back for the sunset sometime.
I saw a moose and many elk on the drive back.
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June 19: Jim Creek (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Jim Creek. I hiked about two miles each way. It was an easy hike.
June 18: Mount Bross (Colorado)
After work I climbed Mount Bross (the one in Grand County). I had hoped to make it by sunset, but didn't. I'm on the summit now. It was nice except for the mosquitoes.
June 17: Cottonwood BM (Colorado)
After work I climbed Cottonwood BM (mountain). It was breezy so luckily that meant no mosquitoes. As usual, the views were nice.
June 16: Sundance Mountain (Colorado)
I climbed Sundance Mountain in a late afternoon/early evening. It's an easy mountain for its elevation, but a pretty one with nice views. I saw a big bull moose on the drive back.
June 15: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)
Kim and I climbed Colorado Mines Peak before going out to dinner at the Smoke House in Winter Park. We had snowball fights up and down the mountain. I'm not sure who won. We saw a marmot as well.
June 14: Trail Ridge (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked up to the summit of Trail Ridge. It was nice and cool up there (45F) and no mosquitoes. We stopped to see several elk on the drive back.
June 13: Grouse Mountain (Colorado)
After a long day at work I took a break to climb Grouse Mountain before having to do more work afterwards. The views were nice, but I shared the summit with about two billion mosquitoes.
June 12: Doe Creek Trail (Colorado)
After work I and just before sunset I hiked the Doe Creek Trail and came back in the dark. It was a nice night hike and surprisingly free of mosquitoes.
June 11: Peak 8151 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 8181 and am on the summit now. It's not the most impressive peak around, but the views are good. I had hoped to make it to the summit by sunset, but missed it.
June 10: Middle Carter Mountain (Colorado)
After work I climbed Middle Carter Mountain. It rained at first so there were nice rainbows. The sunset was nice on the way back and i saw several deer. The flowers are out too.
June 9: Peak 9667 (Colorado)
Peak 9667 wasn't very fun and consisted of seemingly never ending blowdown timber to climb over. There wasn't much of a view either. It was my least favorite peak so far this year. I got a tick on my as well; first of the season.
June 8: North Twin Cone Peak (Colorado)
I climbed North Twin Cone. The road to the trailhead was blocked by a fallen tree, but it was still a pretty easy mountain. I wished I could have climbed the other two nearby peaks, but I had too many chores to catch up on. I saw a marmot and an elk. Others I met on the trail said they saw a moose.
June 7: Colorado Trail at Kenosha Pass (Colorado)
From my camp near Kenosha Pass I hiked a couple miles of the Colorado Trail at night. I had forgotten I set the alarm so or scared me when it went off since I had my phone turned up loud. The moon was only a sliver and the stars were nice.
June 6: Jim Creek (Colorado)
After work I did a loop hike at Jim Creek next to Winter Park. It was a pretty average hike for this area, but even average is still pretty good.
June 5: Peak 9180 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 9180. It was a bit breezy, but that was good because the mosquitoes are returning for the season.
June 4: Table Mountain (Colorado)
I hiked up Table Mountain north of Granby after work on a very nice evening. 
June 3: Colorado Mines Peak (Colorado)
I climbed Colorado Mines Peak after work. It was cold, windy, and gloomy, but the views were still nice.
June 2: Monarch Lake Loop (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked the loop around Monarch Lake. It's an easy hike of just over 4 miles.
June 1: Grouse Mountan (Colorado)
KIm and I climbed Grouse Mountain. It was snowing pretty hard on top and we heard some distant thunder so we didn't have time to relax on the summit and headed back down.
MAY
May 31: Adams Falls/East Inlet (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked to Adams Falls and up the East Inlet Trail on a nice evening. It was raning in Granby, but not here.
May 30: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked the Granby Trails. It was nothing exciting, but a nice walk.
May 29: Mount Bross (Colorado)
After work I did another routine hike of Mt. Bross is Grand County and enjoyed the perfect weather and views.
May 28: Mount Bross (Colorado)
After work I did a sunset climb of Mount Bross (the one in Grand County, not the 14er). The views were nice, but I was on tip just after sunset (I wanted to make the top before sunset.
May 24-27: West Canyon (Utah/Arizona)
May 24
West Canyon had been on my list for many years. Some sources say that West Canyon is the most beautiful of all the canyons on the Colorado Plateau. Justin, Kim, Josh, Alex, Ali, and I took a boat shuttle to West Canyon, landing just north of the Utah/Arizona border. We hiked up canyon into the lower narrows, climbed and swam through and continued up canyon.
At what is known as Waterfall 1, we at first missed the bypass (rope climb) and swam through the slot before getting blocked. We then retreated and made the rope climb. Waterfall 2 was another rope climb and today's crux. We climbed that as well and bypassed Waterfall 3 and found a campsite. It would have been a really nice campsite if it weren't for the mosquitoes. The frogs were really noisy, but that was OK. Since we didn't bring tents, we had a good view of the stars. 
May 25
Today was spectacular. We hiked too and made it about 1/2 way through the Middle Narrows (with much wading and swimming) before finding a really nice camping spo under a huge alcove 1/2 way through the narrows. We dropped our overnight gear here and swam through and climbed though the rest of the Middle Narrows. Kim decided to return to camp since she's not a huge fan of cold swimming.
The rest of us made it up to the lower end of the Upper Narrows before making the huge bypass to the entrance of the Upper Narrows, which are technical. We decended into the spectacular slot canyon and headed down. The lower 1/2 of the slot was especially appealing. There were many great downclimbs and a few rappels as well as several swims through the incredible canyon.
After completing the Upper Narrows we retreated back to camp and had a nice night with the canyon walls framing the Big Dipper.
May 26
Today we all headed down canyon through the rest of the Middle Narrows and to below the Lower Narrows. It was a pretty walk and we decided to make it through all the swimming sections so we didn't have to dry bag all of our camping gear the next day. There were a lot of frogs about all over camp.
May 27
Today we hiked 4-5 miles back to Lake Powell where we were picked up by boat. It was the end of a great trip. We only saw people near the lake and had the rest of the canyon to ourselves, which isn't bad for Memorial Day Weekend. 
May 23: Sevenmile Canyon (Utah)
Justin, Kim, and I did a short hike to and along the rim of Sevenmile Canyon on our way to Page Arizona. Unfortunately my phone was about dead so I only got two photos.
May 22: Red Mountain (Colorado)
On my way home from my work project I climbed Red Mountain near Kremmling.
May 21: Mount Bross (Colorado)
In the evening and after work I hiked up Mount Bross in Grand County (not the 14er). Sometimes it was socked in and snowing and sometimes there were nice views. The higher peaks were all obscured by clouds though so views were limited.
May 20: Junction Butte (Colorado)
In the evening and on my way to my work project I stopped to climb Junction Butte near Kremmling.
May 19: Big Dominguez Canyon (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kim and I hiked up Big Dominguez Canyon. It was a warm, but beautiful afternoon. The cactus flowers are out and there we enjoyed the great scenery, waterfalls, and petroglyphs.
May 18: Upper Liberty Cap Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked the Upper Liberty Cap Trail after stopping at some overlooks along the way. Luckily it was cloudy and with some light rain since it is getting pretty warm in the afternoons now. We saw several elk as well. We don't see them often in this area.
May 17: Peak 8260 (Colorado)
On my way back from Granby I stopped to climb Peak 8260, a new one for me. I was dragging due to recovering from a nasty infection, but it was a good hike.
May 16: Granby Trails (Colorado)
Nothing exciting; I just did a hike on the Granby Trails.
May 15: Granby Trails (Colorado)
After work I did a hike in the Granby Trails. I wasn't feeling well so I went somewhere close and easy and where I could be away from others.
May 14: Point 8506 (Colorado)
After work I did a hike to Point 8506. It was just a short hike, but I haven't been feeling well.
May 13: Peak 12,582 (Colorado)
On my way to my new work project I stopped and climbed Peak 12,582 (elevation in feet) on snowshoes. The views were nice, but the weather couldn't make up its mind. It was sunny, blizzardy, graupley, etc. depending on the minute.
May 12: Redlands Mesa (Colorado)
Mother's Day afternoon hike with Kessler, Kim, and me. We hiked on Redlands Mesa and say two collard lizards, several other lizards, two baby Rabbits, lots of cactus flowers, and of course Mr. Bones.
May 11: Wilhite Trail/Mesa Arch/Witbeck Rock (Utah)
First Kim and I hiked the Wilhite Trail in Canyonlands National Park. We hiked the most spectacular part of the trail which is down to the bottom of the Wingate Sandstone cliffs.
After the Wilhite Trail we hiked to Mesa Arch. It's a popular hike so there were a lot of people. It's a beautiful place.
I then climbed Whitbeck Rock just north of Canyonlands National Park. Kim didn't go to the top since she wasn't in the mood for a 4th class climb.
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May 10: Mill Canyon (Utah)
After work Kim and I drove down to Mill Canyon and did the (very) short hike to the Dinosaur Tracks before setting up camp.
May 9: The Beehive (Colorado)
After work I climbed The Beehive near Mesa. It was nice to get a new peak in that isn't too far from home.
May 8: Highline Lake (Colorado)
After work Kim and I did a loop hike at Highline Lake. The reservoir was low so it wasn't as pretty as it normally was. It wasn't a wet enough year to make it green either.
May 7: Opal Hill (Colorado)
After work Kim and I climbed Opal Hill completing a loop hike. We saw three bald eagles.
May 6: Devils Canyon Loop (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked a loop hike at Devils Canyon near the high school (Fruita Monument) Kim works at.
May 5: Lower Monument Canyon (Colorado)
Kim, Justin, and I hiked up to Independence Monument and canyoneered Lower Monument Canyon. It is a beautiful route, but much wetter than expected with some cold near swims. I might be in trouble since I promised my wife a mostly dry canyon.
May 4: Three Canyon (Utah)
We did the canyoneering route through Three Canyon. Only the beginning and end is technical with a beautiful hike between. We also stopped at the cold water geyser.
May 3: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
Kim and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock on a nice evening.
May 2: Cross Creek (Colorado)
After work I in Aguilar I headed home. I was going to do some Peak ascents on the way back, but found them to be blocked by private land, so I continued on stopping at Minturn to hike the Cross Creek Trail.
The Tigiwan Road was closed farther from the trailhead than I thought so I walked 1.5 miles each way to the Cross Creek Trailhead.
It wasn't the most exciting hike, but there were some entertaining squirrels to watch.
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May 1: Dale Mountain (New Mexico)
After work I climbed Dale Mountain, a cinder cone volcano. Most of the snow is gone and was warm and windy. There were a lot of pronghorn out too.
APRIL
April 30: Black Mountain (Colorado)
After work I climbed Black Mountain near Gardner on a perfect late afternoon/evening. The mountain itself is only average, but the views of the Sangre de Christos (including the north face of Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point) and Wet Mountains are spectacular.
April 29: Aguilar SWA (Colorado)
After work I hiked in the Aguilar SWA up to the old mining ruins. It's not the most exciting hike in the world, but I was tired and didn't want to drive anywhere.
April 28: Hermit Peak (New Mexico)
I'm on the summit of Hermit Peak (New Mexico) right now. Despite being only 10,273 feet (3131 meters) it is quite a spectacular mountain with great views. It was a really nice hike with perfect weather.
April 27: Las Mesas del Conjelon West (New Mexico)
After work (I had to work earlier today) I climbed Las Mesas del Conjelon West. It was a tedious bushwhack up the north face, but I found a brushy and rugged game trail partway down. The views were OK, but it's not on my repeat list.
April 26: Cuerno Verde Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Cuerno Verde Trail around Lake Martin at Lathrop State Park. It was a long day at work, so I couldn't start until sunset, but it's a super easy 3 mile hike.
April 25: Boyd Mountain (Colorado)
After work I climbed Boyd Mountain. Since the mountain is 10,394' high and below timberline it was thickly forested so views were somewhat limited, but there were some mice views ar times. It was a very steep ascent and it snowed on the way down.
April 24: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091. I'm loving these longer days.
April 23: Simpson's Rest (Colorado)
After work I climbed hiked up Simpsons Rest above Trinidad. There's a road up there, but I walked from town. It was a nice sunset.
April 22: Dale Mountain (New Mexico)
After work I climbed Dale Mountain, a cinder cone. The snow is mostly gone except for in the small crater.
April 21: Frijoles Canyon (New Mexico)
I hiked up to the Alcove House and up Frijoles Canyon to Upper Crossing in Bandelier National Monument. There weren't as many ruins as yesterday's hike, but it was a beautiful walk. A lot of rambunctious squirrels provided some bonus entertainment.
April 20: Cerro Grande/Pueblo Loop Trail (New Mexico)
In the morning I climbed Cerro Grande. It was foggy and cold at first and the trees were covered in ice, but once the sun came out the clouds dissipated and it warmed up quick. The only obstacles were crossing several snowfields which was a bit tedious. Along the hike I saw many elk and birds as well as heard something howling loudly. It didn't sound like a coyote or dog, so I don't know what is was.
I still had time in the afternoon so hiked around the main Pueblo at Bandelier National Monument. The ruins and cave houses (about 1000 years old) of the Ancestral Pueblo are some of the best around and are quite impressive. The scenery was great too.
April 19: Chiflo Trail (New Mexico)
After work I hiked the Chiflo Trail at the Rio Grand. The lighting wasn't the best for photos.
April 18: Dale Mountain (New Mexico)
After work I climbed Dale Mountain. It was a bit cloudy and chilly at times, but the first of the spring wildflowers are out.
April 17: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091 on a really nice evening.
April 16: Levasa Canyon/Reilly Canyon Trails (Colorado)
April 15: South Monarch Ridge (Colorado)
On my way to my project at Aguilar (CO) I stopped at Monarch Pass to climb the South Monarch Ridge. It was super windy and much colder than it has been lately. It started to snow hard on the descent as well.
April 13-14: Larry Canyon (Utah)
April 13
Kim and I explored Middle and Lower Larry Canyon in Robbers Roost.
On Day 1 we started from Larry Point and found our way to the hidden route in that I found back in March 2000. It was more difficult than I remembered though so we retreated and hiked across the slickrock on the rim down canyon until we found a bighorn sheep trail in. This was a long route, but had much less exposure.
After reaching the bottom of the canyon we headed down and completed the lower technical section of Larry Canyon. It was wetter than expected and I should have brought dry bags since everything got wet.
We completed the three rappels and challenging section of the canyon (which was very beautiful) before finding a nice sandy campsite with some rocks to spread everything out in. There was a nice spring nearby too and it was a great campsite. Everything was almost dry by the time we went to bed.
April 14
In the morning we packed up camp and headed down Larry Canyon (which is quite pretty) to near the Dirty Devil River and to the exit canyon. An impressive cattle trail (100 or so years old?) reaches the rim here, but it looks improbable from below. We then found our way back to the vehicle in six hours. The only major challenge was the routefinding.
May 12: Black Mountain [Huerfano County] (Colorado)
After work I and on my way home from my project I stopped to climb Black Mountain in Huerfano County. It was a longer hike than expected since the road is still snowed in. My boots fell apart on the descent, but it was a nice mountain with good views.
April 11: Fishers Peak Trails (Colorado)
After work I hiked at Fishers Peak State Park and made a loop of the Lower Lone Cub, Upper Lone Cub, and Fishers Peak Trail, getting back just after sunset. They were really nice trails in Colorado's newest state park.
April 10: Apishapa Canyon (Colorado)
After work I headed for Apishapa Canyon. I didn't bring a good map so hiked Apishapa Canyon between Buckletton Canyon to Orr Canyon, which was partially outside the SWA and was not my intended destination. I didn't figure out where I hiked until after the fact.
April 9: Capulin Volcano/La Boca Trail (New Mexico)
I got up early and climbed Capulin Volcano and hiked La Boca Trail before work.
April 8: Aguilar SWA (Colorado)
It was a rough day at work and I didn't have the energy for something overly spectacular. I just hiked in the Aguilar SWA for an hour. The scenery is sort of boring, but it was a nice break.
April 7: Horse Mountain (Colorado)
Kim and I climbed Horse Mountain near Palisade via the south side.
April 6: Devils Canyon Loops (Colorado)
Kessler, Shaylee, Kim and I hiked some loops at Devils Canyon. It was windy and snowed a little, but it was a nice hike.
April 5: South Monarch Ridge (Colorado)
On the way back from my project I stopped to climb South Monarch Ridge (Peak 11,912' elevation). It's super windy and I'm on the summit now. Even though I've been averaging 70 hour work weeks I haven't missed a day of hiking and climbing yet.
April 4: Dale Mountain (New Mexico)
After work I climbed Dale Mountain before sunset. It was much easier than my February 22 ascent.
April 3: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091. I tried to make it by sunset but didn't and am on the summit now. Unfortunately I have to go back to work after I get down, making a 17 hour work day.
April 2: Cuerno Verde Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Cuerno Verde Trail. Yesterday's snow has already melted.
April 1: Cuerno Verde (Colorado)
In the evening I hiked the Cuerno Verde Trail. It was snowing hard. With the wet snow blowing in my face it was surprisingly challenging for such a gentle hike.
MARCH
March 31: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
In the evening we climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750. The weather looked threatening, but it only rained on the short drive.
March 29-30: South Caineville Mesa (Utah)
March 29
After work Kessler and I headed to South Caineville Mesa to climb it and camp on top. I got stuck in quicksand up to be belly trying to cross the Fremont River. It took me a long time to get out (and it was unnerving) so we lost two hours and didn't make it to the top of the mesa until after dark.
March 30
After a very windy night we spent the day exploring on top finding lots of cool stuff (historic sites and views) before descending in the evening.
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March 28: Saddlehorn/Window Rock (Colorado)
After work Kim and I climbed Saddlehorn and hiked to Window Rock.
March 27: RB-18/Tunnel Point (Colorado)
After work RB-18 BM (Peak) and Tunnel Point.
March 26: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
After work I climbed Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750. There was a little rain and snow, but it was a nice hike.
March 25: James Robb/Colorado River State Park (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked the trails James Robb/Colorado State Park after biking from the Park to Loma and back along the Colorado River Trail.
They were super mellow trails, both for hiking and biking.
March 24: Canal Trail (Colorado)
In the evening Kim and I hiked the Canal Trail. It rained most of the day, but tapered off by evening.
March 23: Tenderfoot Hill (Colorado)
About 1/2 way back from driving from my work project to home Kim and I stopped in Salida to climb Tenderfoot Hill (a.k.a. Lookout Mountain). We took the Frontside Trail up and the backside trail down.
March 22: Cucharas Canyon/Wilson Crossing (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked to the bottom of the Cuchara Canyon near Walsenburg. An old trail goes down to the river here, but it was mostly abandoned years ago. We also checked out the abandoned homestead on the rim. It appears to have been a pretty fancy house for a homestead.
March 21: Cuerno Verde (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked the Cuerno Verde Trail near Walsenburg Colorado.
March 20: Capulin Volcano/Mud Hill (New Mexico)
After work Kim and I climbed Capulin Volcano, hiked into the crater, and climbed Mud Hill Volcano.
March 19: Rim Rock Trail (Colorado)
After work and on my way to my work project Kim and I stopped at Black Canyon to hike the Rim Rock Trail.
March 18: Echo Canyon Trail (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked the Echo Canyon Trail.
March 19: Rabbits Ear Mesa (Colorado)
Kim, Justin, and I hiked Rabbit's Ear Mesa making the loop hike.
March 16: Ribbon Trail (Colorado)
Justin, Kim, and I hiked the Ribbon Trail. We were going to start in the morning, but decided to go axe throwing first to wait for it to stop raining so we could get better views. We started in the early afternoon and completed the trail.
March 15: Peak 5167 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 5167. It was a cloudy, but pretty nice day.
March 14: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked up Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock. It rained on the hike down.
March 13: Dillon Pinnacles (Colorado)
My work project got shut down due to a snowstorm so I headed home and hiked the Dillon Pinnacles near Gunnison around sunset. It was very windy, a bit chilly, and rather gloomy, but it wasn't snowing.
March 12: Cuerno Verde (Colorado)
Nothing exciting, but after work I hiked the 3 mile Cuerno Verde Loop around Martin Lake. I got back well after dark and that's all I had time for.
March 11: Haystack 3 BM (Colorado)
I started early and climbed Haystack 3 BM before work.
March 10: The Washout/Unaweep Canyon (Colorado)
Kim, Kessler, Chad, and I hiked up to the Washout in Unaweep Canyon for some rock climbing. Kessler's knee was hurting so he only did one climb while the rest of us did 3 each. Chand and I climbed Menta, Caveman Tools, and Grasshoper; Kim climbed Caveman Tools, Grasshopper, and Exultant; and Kessler climbed Caveman Tools.
March 9: Serpents Trail/Colorado River Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked 1/2 of the Serpents Trail. We only hiked half since we wanted to bike the Colorado River Trail, which we did after the Serpents Trail.
March 8: Peak 5611 (Colorado)
My work project was shut down due to a snowstorm so I got to.come home early. I climbed Peak 5611 in the edge of Debeque Canyon. It was a nice semi-challenging peak. There's supposed to be a Class 2+ route up there, but since I came across a class 4 route I didn't bother looking for it.
March 7: Dead Bird Trail (Colorado)
My work project was getting shut down for weather so I hiked 1 mile along the Dead Bird Trail near Salida on my way home. That's all I had time for and was the shortest hike I've done so far this year.
March 6: Cuerno Verde (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Cuerno Verde Trail.
March 5: Capulin Volcano (New Mexico)
After work I hiked Capulin Volcano.
March 4: TV Hill SWA (Colorado)
After work and starting at sunset I hiked in the TV Hill State Wildlife Area next to work. It is nothing special by Colorado standards, but the sunset was nice.
March 3: Badito Cone (Colorado)
I climbed Badito Cone. It's a beautiful peak with some tedious talus at the end. It was super windy, but not enough to knock me down.t. The forecast said 75 mph winds, but I'd guess 55-60 (74 mph is considered hurricane force winds). Perhaps it sounds like a good time to stay indoors, but it's hard for me to do that.
Much of Colorado is having a snowstorm, but it missed here. Even though the peak is almost 9000 feet high there wasn't much snow around.
March 2: Sierra Grande/Little Grande (New Mexico)
I had to work in the morning, but after work headed for Sierra Grande and Little Grande, climbing both. I had to get permission to go here, but was granted when I applied a while ago. Both peaks had nice views. I took the off trail route to Sierra Grande from the east since that's the easier side to get permission to climb.
It was very windy and at times a little unpleasant, but it was tolerable.
March 1: South Rattlesnake Butte (Colorado)
After a long day at work and in the dark I climbed South Rattlesnake Butte. My route up was class 3 which probably wasn't the best idea at night. I found a class 2 route down.
FEBRUARY
February 29: Capulin Volcano (New Mexico)
I had to be in Trinidad in the morning so I woke up early in order to climb Capulin Volcano as soon as it opened.
Febraury 28: Aguilar State Wildlife Area (Colorado)
After work I hiked in the Aguilar State Wildlife Area. I'm officially on 74 hour work weeks until mid-April so now have to do most of my hikes olin the dark, though I'll make time for as many as I can in the light. I got a little light on my hike, but I almost never get good night photos with the cellphone.
February 27: Apishapa Canyon (Colorado)
After work I headed to Apishapa Canyon in the Apishapa State Wildlife Area and hiked the rim between Jones Lake Canyon and the Apishapa River Canyon. My original plan was to hike down to the canyon bottom and explore around a bit, but blizzard conditions came quick and I decided I'd better do something shorter. I don't mind hiking in blizzards, but the roads are impassible when wet so I could chance getting stuck.
February 26: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091.
February 25: Picketwire Canyon (Colorado)
I hiked Picketwire Canyon/Purgatorie River in Colorado. Even though it was only an 11 mile, mostly easy hike my feet are sore from working 62 hours this week while doing hikes every day after work. I camped at the trailhead and didn't get much sleep due to wind and allergies.
Picketwire Canyon is only so-so scenery wise, but has the largest collection of dinosaur tracks (over 1900 of them at at count) in North America (though some were covered with debris from last year's spring runoff). There's also an exact replica of a huge dinosaur shoulder blade that was removed here a few years ago (the replica was left in its place).
In addition there's an old Hispanic settlement dating to 1870-1899 with a tiny old church and sadly children's graves around the church.
The nearest weather station registered 76 degrees today, but looking at the map was 1300 feet higher in elevation than the destination of the hike. That means it was probably at least 80 here. It did not feel like winter and was actually almost hot since there is no shade on the hike.
February 24: Santa Fe Trail/Vogel Canyon (Colorado)
I had to work today (ugh) so got a late start. First I did the Santa Fe Trail, but didn't have time to hike the whole thing. It is interesting from a historical standpoint only as the scenery is monotonous. That part of Colorado looks like western Kansas.
After that I hiked Vogel Canyon. Sadly, this hike was disappointing. It was ok scenery wise (average), but all the peroglyphs were vandalized. I looked for a bunch of panels until dark, but it was always the same. I then did the rest of the loop with the canyon and the Rim Trail in the moonlight.
I wished I would have switched the two hikes since more daylight would have been nice for the canyon hike and the prairie hike would have been more interesting under the moonlight.
February 23: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091. I didn't get to the summit until well after sunset and came down in the dark. Luckily the moon was really bright. Unluckily it wasn't quite bright enough to keep me from tripping over a piece of barbed wire.
February 22: Dale Mountain (New Mexico)
I got up really early and climbed Dale Mountain (just inside NM) before work. I should have brought snowshoes, but didn't which made it a strenuous trip for a such a benign looking mountain. It was a lot of postholing!
February 21: Aguilar SWA (Colorado)
After work I hiked around the Aguilar State Wildlife Area without a real destination; just wanderings. By Colorado standards, scenery was average at best, but it was nearby. I found some more very old and mostly gone mining cabins from the 1800s.
February 20: The Hogback (Colorado)
At night I climbed The Hogback.
February 19: Peak 5750 (Colorado)
Kessler and I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock before I had to head out of town for work.
February 18: Fisher Towers/North Fork Onion Creek (Utah)
Andre, Kim, and I traversed the ledges from Lizard Rock to Doric Column and then descended the North Fork or Onion Creek. We were originally going to climb some of the towers, but it was snowing when we started.
February 17: Gunnison Bluffs/Old Spanish Trail (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked a loop combining the Gunnison Bluffs and Old Spanish Trail. It was quite as pretty as some of the other local areas, but it was a great hike. We saw river otters, geese, and ducks.
Febraury 16: Opal Hill (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked the loop over Opal Hill.
February 15: Cuerno Verde Trail (Colorado)
After work I and on my way home (7+ hour drive) I stopped at Lathrop State Park and hiked the Cuerno Verde Trail around Martin Lake. That put me home really late though.
February 14: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091, finishing just after dark. Since the part of Colorado (Aguilar) I'm working in now (until April) has a lot of private land issues, I'm already running out of new places and am doing repeats.
February 13: Capulin Mountain/Lava Flow Trail/Boca Trail (New Mexico)
After work I climbed Capulin Mountain and then around sunset the Lava Flow Trail and part of the Boca Trail. The trails are supposed to be closed after dark so that's all I had time for. I saw lots of deer on the mountain.
February 12: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091. It was a combination of snow, cactus, and wind.
February 11: Lake Rita Blanca (Texas)
I was originally hoping to hike at Palo Duro, but it was closed due to snow so I stopped at Lake Rita Blanca near Dalhart Texas on my way back to Colorado. It was snowing at first, but some blue sky peeked out later. I planned to hike all the way around the lake, but the creek flooded the trail in one spot since the ice and slush formed a dam and I didn't feel like wading. There were a lot of geese at the lake.
February 10: Palo Duro Canyon (Texas)
First I hiked the CCC Trail; then I climbed Goodnight Peak, and after that hiked the Lighthouse Peak Trail, climbed to the summit of South Lighthouse Peak (a bit spooky), then hiked the Givens, Spicer, and Lowrey Trail.
They were nice hikes with some nice rock formations, but not quite as impressive as the canyon country in Utah or northern Arizona. It was still great to visit a new area that I haven't seen before.
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February 9: Baldy Hill/Peak 5610 (New Mexico)
I decided not to drive accross the Rockies during the blizzard so head Southeast instead. After work and on my way to Palo Duro I stopped to climb Baldy Hill and Peak 5610 in New Mexico. I had originally hoped to climb three peaks, but these were slightly more challenging than I expected so I didn't get the the top of the 2nd until sunset. It was dark by the time I finished.
February 8: Simpson's Rest (Colorado)
After work I hiked up Simpson's Rest near Trinidad. Although you can drive within a few feet of the top, I hiked it from town.
February 7: Aguilar SWA (Colorado)
After work I hiked in the Aguilar State Wildlife Area without a real destination, but just wandering around. Scenery was just average and I found some old mine ruins. Since it was either dark or mostly dark I didn't get many photos. I saw many deer as well.
February 6: Cuerno Verde Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Cuerno Verde Trail, a 3 mile trail around Martin Lake near Walsenburg. Since it was already after sunset by the time I left and since it was cloudy I didn't get many photos. It was well after dark by the time I finished.
February 5: Haystack 3 BM (Colorado)
Before heading off to my project in the morning I climbed Haystack 3 BM. It was windy, but with mostly clear skies.
February 4: County Line Trails/Point 10,845 (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kim and I snowshoed up to Point 10,845 (elevation) up on Grand Mesa. It was a fantastic winter day.
February 3: Riggs Hill (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked Riggs Hill. We didn't have time for a longer hike today.
February 2: Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)
After work Kim and I met at Dinosaur Hill and hiked the loop. We got back just before it started raining.
February 1: Lost Trail/Dead Bird Trail (Colorado)
After work and on my way home from my project I stopped near Salida and made a loop hike of the Lost and Dead Bird Trails. It was after dark by the time I got back.
JANUARY
January 31: TV Hill (Colorado)
After work I climbed TV Hill near Aguilar. Despite being named "hill", it was a quite tedious ascent and not very pleasant either with lots of bushwhacking, steep loose slopes, and snow (not the fun kind). I got back well after dark. I climbed it since it is one of the few public access peaks around here (I'm working in Aguilar). At least it made me appreciate home.
January 30: Hogback Trail/William Henry Jackson Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Hogback and William Henry Jackson Trails at Lathrop State Park. It was a beautiful evening and the days are (slowly) getting longer.
After work I hiked the Hogback and William Henry Jackson Trails at Lathrop State Park. It was a beautiful evening and the days are (slowly) getting longer.
January 29: Capulin Volcano (New Mexico)
Early and before work I climbed Capulin Volcano on a nice morning.
Early and before work I climbed Capulin Volcano on a nice morning.
January 28: PIcture Canyon/North Canyon/Homestead Trail (Colorado)
I did a 9.1 mile loop (including side trips) at Picture Canyon, North Canyon, and the Homestead Trail on the Colorado/Oklahoma border.
There were pictographs from the 1600s and 1700s (I assume that's where Picture Canyon gets its name), so e nice rock formations and arches, and some old abandoned homesteads dating back to the 1910s and 1920s. The trails must not be used much since they were mostly faded which made for a navigational challenge.
I also saw lots of camera shy elk and some even more camera shy coyotes and pronghorn.
January 27: Black Mesa/Cimmaron County Prominence Highpoint/Dinosaur Tracks/North Canyon/Archeological Trail/Canyon Rim Trail/Rock Garden Trail (Oklahoma)
First I visited the petrified forest and then hiked hiked up Black Mesa, the highest point in Oklahoma. The standard hike is 8.5 miles, but I went beyond the end (towards New Mexico) to get to the new highpoint so got just over 9 miles. About half the trail was on snow and there was mud as well, but it went pretty fast considering the distance.
I then inquired locally about climbing the Cimmaron County Prominence Highpoint (peak) and climbed that. It wasn't that hard, but was a steep off trail climb. It had a better viewpoint than Black Mesa.
After that I headed for Lake Carl Etling, visited the dinosaur tracks, and hiked the North Canyon Trail, Archeological Trail, Rock Garden Trail, and Canyon Rim Trail. I saw deer and wild turkeys. Since I don't know if I'll ever get back to Oklahoma I decided to see and hike as much today as I could.
January 26: Carrizo Canyon/Baca County Prominence Highpoint (Colorado)
My project in Aguilar (near Trinidad Colorado) got shut down due to blizzard conditions and the roads to get home were closed or treacherous so I decided to head east instead. I headed for Black Mesa State Park in Oklahoma to camp, but stopped along the way to hike Carizzo Canyon and then climb the Baca County Prominence Highpoint (the lengthy name for the peak) in SE Colorado.
Eastern Colorado and Oklahoma is usually a place I don't ever think of going, but there are a few interesting things to see.
The loop trail at Carrizo Canyon was pretty enough and had some nice petroglyphs (some were hard to see). The only difficulty was one icy Creek crossing.
The Baca County Prominence HP was a nice and pretty short scramble, but fresh snow made it treacherous.
The only real nerve racking part of today were the muddy, snowy, and slippery unpaved County roads between Kim Colorado and the Oklahoma border.
Other than that it was nice to see some new territory.
January 25: Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area/Sarcillo Canyon Ridge (Colorado)
At night I headed to the Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area and hiked the ridge north of Sarcillo Canyon. There was an old jeep road along much of the ridge, but it was mostly covered in snow. It was snowing most of the time on the hike as well. I'd like to return in the daylight to check things out since it might be an interesting area.
January 24: Cuerno Verde Trail (Colorado)
At night I headed to the Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area and hiked the ridge north of Sarcillo Canyon. There was an old jeep road along much of the ridge, but it was mostly covered in snow. It was snowing most of the time on the hike as well. I'd like to return in the daylight to check things out since it might be an interesting area.
January 24: Cuerno Verde Trail (Colorado)
After work I hiked the Cuerno Verde Loop around Martin Lake at Lathrop State Park. It was a nice hike, but nothing overly spectacular and was pretty short (3 miles) and easy. Since I started after sunset I didn't get any really good photos.
I'm working in the Aguilar (between Trinidad and Walsenburg) the next three months. This area isn't as good for hiking as back home; mostly due to private land issues and it can be frustrating at times, but I'll make do with what they have.
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January 23: Capulin Volcano (New Mexico)
Early in the morning and before work I climbed Capulin Mountain. The frost was a bit icy, but that was the only difficulty.
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January 22: Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)
Kim and I hiked Dinosaur Hill before I had to leave out of town for work. We did the loop hike and checked out the new trail.
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January 19-21: Fourmile Canyon (Utah)
January 19
January 19
Kessler and I parked near the base of Mount Ellsworth in the Henry Mountains and went over a pass between Mount Ellsworth and Holmes before climbing down to Fourmile Canyon. We followed Fourmile Canyon to Fourmile Spring and set up camp near a small waterfall.
January 20
Today we followed Fourmile Canyon to Lake Powell and back. It was a really long day as we did 17-18 miles. It was a pretty hike. There were some minor obstacles, but nothing difficult.
Today we followed Fourmile Canyon to Lake Powell and back. It was a really long day as we did 17-18 miles. It was a pretty hike. There were some minor obstacles, but nothing difficult.
January 21
It rained all night so I didn't get much sleep. In the morning it was still raining so we packed up camp and walked back to the vehicle. The fog was thick at times so navigation was a little tricky, but it wasn't that bad.
January 18: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock/Sadie's/Devils Canyon Loop (Colorado)
Early this morning I climbed Peak 5750 and Eagles Nest Rock. After work Kim and I made a loop hike of Sadie's and Devils Canyon Trails.
January 17: Climbing Gym
January 16: Highline Lake (Colorado)
After work Kim and I hiked some loops at Highline Lake. It was after dark before we finished. The weather was pretty good considering much of Colorado is having a cold snap.
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January 15: Peak 5555/Dominguez Rim (Colorado)
January 15: Peak 5555/Dominguez Rim (Colorado)
Kim and I both had the day off, but still had a lot to do, so hiked to the summits of Dominguez Rim and Peak 5555. They are easy hikes (you can even 4x4 them if you really wanted too), but it was snowing hard and blowing hard at times as well. The snow didn't amount to anything though.
January 14: Serpents Trail (Colorado)
After church Kim and I hiked the Serpents Trail. This side of Colorado is warm and it was a nice hike.
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January 13: Cedar Point/Main Fork Butler Canyon (Utah)
It was a refreshing 9 degrees at camp this morning so Kessler and I first walked to the highpoint and Overlook on Cedar Point before canyoneering the Main Fork of Butler Canyon. I hadn't done that one before so it was a good choice. There was more water and ice that expected so we had to do quite a bit if stemming to keep from wading and swimming. We didn't have a car shuttle so walked the full loop, bit it was a great trip.
After church Kim and I hiked the Serpents Trail. This side of Colorado is warm and it was a nice hike.
January 13: Cedar Point/Main Fork Butler Canyon (Utah)
It was a refreshing 9 degrees at camp this morning so Kessler and I first walked to the highpoint and Overlook on Cedar Point before canyoneering the Main Fork of Butler Canyon. I hadn't done that one before so it was a good choice. There was more water and ice that expected so we had to do quite a bit if stemming to keep from wading and swimming. We didn't have a car shuttle so walked the full loop, bit it was a great trip.
January 12: Peak 4540/Butterfly Bend (Utah)
Kessler and I first climbed Peak 4540 (near Green River Utah) and then hiked to Butterfly Bend to look for petroglyphs. We found many, but it was getting late so we had to get back. There are many more to be found.
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Kessler and I first climbed Peak 4540 (near Green River Utah) and then hiked to Butterfly Bend to look for petroglyphs. We found many, but it was getting late so we had to get back. There are many more to be found.
January 11: Opal Hill (Colorado)
After work KIm and I climbed Opal Hill, completing the loop hike. It was a chilly, but nice afternoon.
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After work KIm and I climbed Opal Hill, completing the loop hike. It was a chilly, but nice afternoon.
January 10: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock/Dinosaur Hill (Colorado)
I was finished with work a little early so I hiked Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750. After that I met Kim at the high-school (where she works) and we climbed Dinosaur Hill on the new trail.
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I was finished with work a little early so I hiked Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750. After that I met Kim at the high-school (where she works) and we climbed Dinosaur Hill on the new trail.
January 9: Dillon Pinnacles (Colorado)
Driving back from Trinidad I stopped to hike the Dillon Pinnacles Trail again. I hiked 3/4 of the trail. Because of the clouds and lighting I didn't get any good photos.
January 8: Dillon Pinnacles (Colorado)
I had to drive a long way today (for work) so I only had time for a short hike. I stopped along the way and hiked a mile along the Dillon Pinnacles Trail (west of Gunnison) right when it was getting dark. It was very dark by the time I got back. It was quite cold and windy.
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I had to drive a long way today (for work) so I only had time for a short hike. I stopped along the way and hiked a mile along the Dillon Pinnacles Trail (west of Gunnison) right when it was getting dark. It was very dark by the time I got back. It was quite cold and windy.
January 7: Peak 5750/Eagles Nest Rock (Colorado)
In the afternoon Kim and I hiked Eagles Nest Rock and Peak 5750. It was snowy, but surprisingly we saw several other people.
The snow definitely makes the peak feel different so it was a nice change of pace.
The snow definitely makes the peak feel different so it was a nice change of pace.
January 5-6: Muley BM/Bullfrog Creek/Fourmile Creek/Clay Canyon (Utah)
Kim and I did a backpack at Bullfrog Creek and Clay Canyon. We combined it with Muley BM as well. It was the first backpacking trip of the year.
January 5
The plan was to combine Peak 5362, Bullfrog Creek, and Clay Canyon into a loop hike. Bad idea. First we climbed Peak 5362, having some nice views along the ridge and was a straightforeward off trail hike. The route into Bullfrog Peak from Peak 5362 was incredibly rugged and loose. We set up camp at Fourmile Creek which had good water.
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January 6
January 6
We hoped to make a loop hike and to make it up Clay Canyon. Bad Idea. We hiked down Bullfrog Creek, making several creek crossing and then headed up Clay Canyon. We made it all the way to the headwall in Clay Canyon (I thought we could find a way out), but the only route I was able to find out included a loose, dangerous, and exposed traverse. We decided not to chance it and backtracked the whole loop.Today was a 17 mile hike across rugged terrain, but with some easy hiking in the canyon bottoms themselves. We made it back well after dark. It was an adventure for sure.
January 4: Haystack 3 BM (Colorado)
Before work, Shaylee, Kessler, and I hiked Haystack 3 BM on a cloudy morning. Luckily the snow stayed hard because of the clouds.
January 3: Peak 11,702 (Colorado)
On my way home from work, I stopped to climb Peak 11,702 (between the two Monarch Passes) and I'm posting this from the summit. I wanted to get there by sunset, but I got there a little too early for it. Since it was cold and windy and since I was tired I headed down about 20 minutes before sunset.
January 2: Peak 7091 (Colorado)
After work I climbed Peak 7091 near Walsenburg. It is one of the few public access mountains around here. The hike itself wasn't that impressive, but the views were nice.
January 1: East Fork Ribbon Canyon/Ribbon Canyon (Colorado)
Along with Kessler, Jocelyn, Mark, Maddog, and Cory, I took a canyoneering trip through East Fork Ribbon Canyon and Ribbon Canyon not far from where I live. Conditions were fantastic (though we could use more snow!) with only a little snow and the potholes were east to cross since they were frozen solid. As always, it was a beautiful canyon.
ACCUMULATED TOTALS AND GOALS
Accumulated Totals for 2024:
Days that I went hiking or climbing: 364
Summits Climbed: 211
Summits Attempted: 214
New Summits Climbed: 60
New Summits Attempted: 63
States Hiked or Climbed in: 9
Countries Hiked or Climbed in: 4
Rock Towers/Technical Buttes Climbed: 0
Rock Towers/Technical Buttes Attempted: 0
Technical Rock or Ice Routes Climbed: 10
Technical Rock or Ice Routes Attempted: 11
Technical Canyons Completed: 14
Technical Canyons Attempted: 14
Overseas Summits: 3
Biking Days: 6
Weight Lost (lbs.): 0
Goals for 2024:
Days to go hiking or climbing on: 350
Summits: 150
New Summits: 60
States to hike or climb in: 6
Countries to climb summits in: 1
Rock Towers: 10
Technical Rock or Ice Routes: 30
Technical Canyons: 30
Biking Days: 30
Lose Weight (lbs.): 20 (currently at 262)
ELEVATIONS
Highest Elevation Reached
14,006 feet (4269 meters) at Huron Peak (Colorado); September 29.
Highest Elevation Reached in USA
14,006 feet (4269 meters) at Huron Peak (Colorado); September 29.
Highest Outdoors Sleeping Altitude
11,768 feet (3587 meters) at Quintino Sella (Italy); August 26-27.
Highest Outdoors Sleeping Altitude in USA
11,620 feet (3542 meters) at Upper Saddle (Wyoming); July 28-29.
Highest Elevation Climbed To By Month
| Month | Feet (USA) | Meters (USA) | Feet (World) | Meters (World) | |
| JAN | 11,702 | 3567 | 11,702 | 3567 | |
| FEB | 10,845 | 3306 | 10,845 | 3306 | |
| MAR | 8942 | 2726 | 8942 | 2726 | |
| APR | 11,912 | 3631 | 11,912 | 3631 | |
| MAY | 12,582 | 3835 | 12,582 | 3835 | |
| JUN | 12,500 | 3810 | 12,500 | 3810 | |
| JUL | 13,775 | 4199 | 13,775 | 4199 | |
| AUG | 12,809 | 3904 | 13,862 | 4225 | |
| SEP | 14,006 | 4269 | 14,006 | 4269 | |
| OCT | 13,126 | 4001 | 13,126 |
4001 |
|
| NOV | 12,582 | 3835 | 12,582 | 3835 | |
| DEC | 12,582 | 3835 | 12,582 | 3835 |
Highest Outdoors Sleeping Altitude by Month
| Month | Feet (USA) | Meters (USA) | Feet (World) | Meters (World) | |
| JAN | 5700 | 1737 | 5700 | 1737 | |
| FEB | 4633 | 1412 | 4633 | 1412 | |
| MAR | 5774 | 1760 | 5774 | 1760 | |
| APR | 4230 | 1289 | 4230 | 1289 | |
| MAY | 4534 | 1382 | 4534 | 1382 | |
| JUN | 9981 | 3042 | 9981 | 3042 | |
| JUL | 11,620 | 3542 | 11,620 | 3542 | |
| AUG | 7236 | 2205 | 11,768 | 3587 | |
| SEP | 10,550 | 3216 | 10,550 | 3216 | |
| OCT | 4844 | 1476 | 4844 | 1476 | |
| NOV | |||||
| DEC | 11,215 | 3418 | 11,215 | 3418 |
PERSONAL RECORDS SET
December 28
Highest December ascent in Nevada; 6323 feet (1927 meters) on Turtle Head Peak. The previous December record for Nevada was 4600 feet (1402 meters) on December 23 2023 at Box Canyon.
December 26
It wasn't much of a record, but Marble Canyon at 4000 feet (1219 meters) was the highest I have hiked in December in California. The previous December record for California was 1000 feet (305 meters) on December 24 2024 at Sidewinder Canyon.
December 25-27
Highest January sleeping altitude in California; 3120 feet (951 meters) at Marble Canyon.
December 24
Lowest elevation reached; -282 feet (-86 meters) at Badwater California. The previous record was -151 feet (-46 meters) at Lago Enriquillo (Dominican Republic) on December 7 2004.
August 29
Highest elevation reached in France, 12,606 feet (3842 meters) at Aguille du Midi, but with the cable car I hesitate to count it, though you do do some walking to reach the summit
We did climb Le Brévent (without riding the lift up) at 8284 feet (2525 meters) on September 6 which might be my "real" record.
August 27
Highest ascent in Italy and Switzerland; 13,862 feet (4225 meters) on Castore/Castor. The previous record for Italy was 12,812 feet (3905 meters) on June 29 2019 at Ortler. The previous record for Switzerland was 5095 feet (1553 meters) near Vinadi on June 29 2019.
July 29
Highest ascent in Wyoming; 13,775 feet (4199 meters) on Grand Teton. The previous record for Wyoming was 13,169 feet (4013 meters) on September 4 2011 at Cloud Peak.
Highest July ascent in Wyoming; 13,775 feet (4199 meters) on Grand Teton. The previous July record for Wyoming was 12,494 feet (3808 meters) on July 2 1989 at Mitchell Peak.
July 28-29
Highest Wyoming sleeping altitude; 11,620 feet (3542 meters) at Upper Saddle. Previous Wyoming sleeping altitude was 10,800 feet (3292 meters) at Sugarloaf Campground on October 18-19 2015.
Highest July Wyoming sleeping altitude; 11,620 feet (3542 meters) at Upper Saddle. Previous Wyoming sleeping altitude for July was 10,600 feet (3231 meters) near Jackass Pass on July 1-3 1989.
May 25
It wasn't much of a record, but the approach hike along the West Canyon Rim at 4700 feet (1433 meters) was the highest I have hiked in May in Arizona. The previous May record for Arizona was 4400 feet (1341 meters) at the Adams Trail (Paria River) on May 26 1991.
May 1
Highest May ascent in New Mexico; 8490 feet (2588 meters) at Dale Mountain.
April 28
Highest April ascent in New Mexico; 10,273 feet (3131 meters) at Hermit Peak. The previous April record for New Mexico was 10,199 feet (3109 meters) at Cerro Grande on April 20 2024.
February 22
Highest February ascent in New Mexico; 8490 feet (2588 meters) at Dale Mountain. The previous February record for New Mexico was 8182 feet (2494 meters) at Capulin Volcano on February 13 2024.
February 11
It wasn't much of a record, but Rita Blanca Trail at 3910 feet (1192 meters) was the highest I have hiked in February in Texas. The previous February record for Texas was 3411 feet (1040 meters) at CCC Trail on February 10 2024.
January 27
Highest ascent in Oklahoma; 4973 feet (1516 meters) at Black Mesa.
January 26-28
Highest outdoor sleeping altitude in Oklahoma; 4311 feet (1314 meters) at Lake Carl Etling.
January 23
Highest January ascent in New Mexico; 8182 feet (2494 meters) at Capulin Volcano.