The Band (Who): Nathan, Lydia, Ellery, Frisco, Charger

(What) we enjoyed on the trail:  Finding a new favorite trail close to Denver with sufficient shade, great views of Pikes Peak and the Divide, and walk up tent camping (.5 mile in) which would make a great test spot with Ellery.

Getting There: Get directions from Google Maps 

Panoramic vista with Pikes Peak in the background

The Trail: This trailhead is near Conifer, CO.  We did about a 4 mile loop by starting at the NW parking lot (main paved one) and passing the entrance (don’t forget to grab a map) and then take a right on the Elkhorn Trail.  Take a right on the Raven’s Roost trail, which is well maintained but definitely uphill.  Hang a right on the Eagle’s View trail where you’ll eventually be rewarded with great views of Pike’s Peak, rock formations, and the Continental Divide.  Take a right on the Oxen Draw trail back to the trail head through a nice shaded canyon.  You’ll hit a bunch of small intersections on the way in, but most end at the trailhead.   Map from Jefferson County of Reynolds Park.

The Band (Who): Nathan, Lydia, Ellery, Augustine, Frisco, Charger

(What) we enjoyed on the trail: Thrill of escaping a sketchy hike without trekking poles while carrying a newborn after someone told us we wouldn’t make it very far because of snow/ice.  Lesson learned to bring the poles and Ice Trekkers for all Colorado hikes in March.

Getting There: Get directions from Google Maps 

The Trail:  Take the Cedar Gulch Trail (1.3 mi) to the Mt Galbraith Loop Trail (1.6 mi) and return on the Cedar Gulch Trail.  The back side of the Mt Galbraith Loop Trail is a little hard to follow due to extra tracks exploring around so be careful to stay on the trail and take one of the maps available at the trail head.  This is great trail run with excellent views over Golden and back towards Denver, but there are parts where you have to scramble a bit so take your time.  Total mileage is about 4.2 mi.  Map from Jefferson County of Mt Galbraith Park.

The Band (Who): Nathan, Lydia, Ellery, Frisco, Charger

(What) we enjoyed on the trail: Escaping to the mountains after Ellery’s appointments, testing out my new Ice Trekkers and Terramar Smart Silk baselayers.

Getting There: Get directions from Google Maps 

The Trail:  Our typical route (didn’t make it the whole way this time) is to go up the Meadowlark Trail (1.6 mi), take a right on the Plymouth Creek Trail (.4 mi), left on the Plymouth Mountain Trail (.5 mi) enjoy the Scenic View Trail (.8 mi), complete the Plymouth Mountain Trail (1.7 mi) loop, and return to the parking log along the Plymouth Creek Trail (1.5 mi).  Total mileage is about 6.5 mi.  Map from Jefferson County of Deer Creek Canyon.

The Band (Who): Nathan, Lydia, Ellery, Lydia’s parents

(What) we enjoyed on the trail: Getting out of the house for Ellery’s first hike & cool rock formations

Getting There: Google Map Directions

The Trail: Took the Coyote Song and Swallow Trail loop which is a really easy ~3 mile trail that is great for kids (and newborns and out of town visitors).

Ellery’s first hike at 3 weeks old

Figured I’d give everyone a quick heads up that I’ve got some new ideas for the blog.  First up I’m going to start posting day hikes that we’ve done this year.  I’ll keep these brief but thought they might be fun to keep the site fresh and for people wanting to get away for an afternoon walk.  Once I have enough I plan to list our favorite trails to make it easier to pick a hike.  I’ve made some changes in the navigation (under Trips) to accommodate the day hikes, hope you enjoy!