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Colorado Backpacking

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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
Hey so i am planning a back packing trip this weekend and i want to go somewhere besides Summit county (where i live) Breckenridge for those who don't know Breck is in summit) I prefer the trailhead to be within a 90 minute drive of Summit. Looking for somtehing chill not to much elevation gain near a water source (of course) and somewhere beautiful. Got any suggestions NS
Jun 23 2011 4:59PM
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derpina
Posts: 2186 - Karma: 55
Hanging Lake !!!! FTW It's in Glendwood Canyon. Most beautiful place in the world.


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I could post a million pics of that area/hike.


It's not that long of a hike but it's so worth the drive.
Jun 23 2011 5:22PM
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DERS.
Posts: 6299 - Karma: 1,293
take the narrow gauge from durango-silverton. and they stop halfway to let people out into some national Forrest land and up there is some crazy backpacking that is in the middle of no where. defiantly worth the trip.. plus the san juan range is the most badass in all of colorado without question.
Jun 23 2011 5:28PM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
I agree. any where in the weminuche (sp?) wilderness or the uncompahgre wilderness in the san juans would be totally worth the drive. I would suggest the elk mountains but they're pretty well snowed in at this point still. but you could start somewhere near aspen and bring your skis...
Jun 23 2011 5:40PM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
Oh yea love that place been there at least 10 times
Jun 23 2011 11:54PM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
I have heard about the wemuiche or however you spell it. Do you have anywhere specific besides the elk  mountains? (I ski every weekend cuz A bay is still open so not really looking to ski.) Thanks for any info
Jun 23 2011 11:57PM
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,704
Wow, I'm fucking embarrassed that I didn't know about this. No joke, going tomorrow morning. Thanks bro!

I was going to say Durango-Silverton, that's a great time.
Jun 23 2011 11:58PM
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lukemeahan.
Posts: 1689 - Karma: 330
Holy shit! That place is ill.
Jun 24 2011 12:01AM
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
go to boulder hike the flat irons then go back to town at night and get shwasted
Jun 24 2011 12:15AM
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yourthemannowdog
Posts: 4541 - Karma: 313
Sorry to thread jack (Looks like op found his place anyways). What do you colorado residents think of the durango area, more specifically pagosa springs. My dad just moved out there a month ago and im gonna go visit him later in july.

Just curious what the place is like. It looks beautiful and i am looking forward to experiencing the rugged side of colorado, also how is the skiing?
Jun 24 2011 12:34AM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
Yea make sure you dont just stop at the lake go up another 15 minutes or so to the source its a waterfall shooting out of a cave no joke its soooooo dope. Oh and the lake the water is so clear you can see every single trout in the whole damn lake in detail.
Jun 24 2011 12:38AM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
oh yea and i think i am just gonna take the gore range trail back to the west side of buffalo will post up results if i go there also thinking of going into one of the drainage valleys that meet up with vail valley
Jun 24 2011 12:52AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
Hike the DemoCamoLicolnBross 14er trail near Alma. I'd post pics but I'm busy studying. Camp at 12,000 feet and get 4 (well, techincally 3) 14ers done in 7miles. Lots of elevation gain/loss though.
Jun 24 2011 12:58AM
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deathcookie
Posts: 1800 - Karma: 1,196
Wolf Creek, which is right outside of pagosa is an awesome ski area. They get 500 inches of pow a year, and nobody goes there so the pow stays around.
Jun 24 2011 1:01AM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
im not sure of how much snow is left down there but the san juans did not get hit as hard this year as the northern mountains. either the middle cimarron or west cimarron valleys are both amazing places that are not very crowded. Closest and easiest access for you would be to go down to Gunnison and take a 20 mile dirt road (cimarron road *not little cimarron*) between Gunni and Montrose up past silver jack reservoir. Honestly these valleys are amazing and the mountains down that way are sick compared to whats around summit county. Not to mention there are some sick rock formations that you dont see anywhere else in the state. I think the middle fork would be awesome for a overnight trip as it puts you up into the uncompahgre basin and there are a lot of waterfalls along the way. But the west fork is great too because you get to stare at coxcomb peak the whole way up the valley. if you need any more info let me know id be happy to tell you what i can
Jun 24 2011 2:37AM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
gateway to the coolest mountains in colorado. Check out the weminuche wilderness and the needles range of mountains. Silverton one way and wolf creek and telluride the other so great skiing.
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Jun 24 2011 2:44AM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
fuck sorry for the triple

[IMG]https://newschoolers.com/ns3/web/popups/viewimage.php?media=http://media.nscdn.com/uploads/member/pictures/1308898272su_vestal_arrow_1154.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]https://newschoolers.com/ns3/web/popups/viewimage.php?media=http://media.nscdn.com/uploads/member/pictures/1308898414201008_grenadierShadows.jpg[/IMG]

Jun 24 2011 2:57AM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
dammit!

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Jun 24 2011 3:00AM
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.nasty
Posts: 10581 - Karma: 11,157
if you're up for a steep hike into some extreme alpine do shavano/tabeguache (also a 14er). it's outside salida.

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Jun 24 2011 3:06AM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
im sorry but that is the fucking worst hike ever. way too crowded, its like the I-70 of hiking trails. sure you can tag 4 14ers in a day (more like a morning) but you have to deal with hundred of other gaper hikers from denver.

check this out. cimarron valley TR.


http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=8599
Jun 24 2011 3:40AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
i saw 4 other people when i hiked them last summer in mid june. 99% of the time, the only person I could see/hear was the girl I went with.


also, the 14ers you posted are really technical and the OP asked for a "chill hike", not a class 5 climb to get to the peak.


*not trying to hate, just saying*
Jun 24 2011 3:54AM
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derpina
Posts: 2186 - Karma: 55
Hell yeah, you won't regret it! Obviously it can get kind of touristy because it's right off I-70, but I've been there before with only one other car parked there to hike (never even saw them) so it's really give or take. It's one of those places that you have to see living in Colorado regardless of it being touristy or not though, you know? I guarantee you will go back. It's definitely one of those "this isn't even real" places. Pics don't even do it justice.
Jun 24 2011 10:51AM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18221 - Karma: 12,323

I love hiking! Havn't done anything big in a while but im leaving this afternoon for a 3 day trip to Mt. Washington (highest point in the NE) should be fun!

Havn't seen snow in so long too ;)

Jun 24 2011 11:02AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
isn't that the peak that has the highest recorded wind speed?
Jun 24 2011 11:24AM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18221 - Karma: 12,323

yea it is, and the coldest or one of the coldest temperatures ever recorded. It's currently 37 degrees fehreinheit (sp) at the top. which people were skiing last week. I wish i could right now, but im just hiking. I'l take pics with my shitty camera and put them in this thread later on!

A couple trails are still closed because of snow/ice

Jun 24 2011 11:31AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
go get a backpack on hte way there and hike that shit witch'yo skis!
Jun 24 2011 11:40AM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18221 - Karma: 12,323

haha good idea!

But i'll be wearing my NS hat hiking, so i hope to see some fellow diehard NSers there. SKIING THE EAST!

http://www.mountwashington.org/photos/galleries/?g=23 look at this last pic, such a nice picture.

Jun 24 2011 11:52AM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
wow i went in june and Ive never seen so many people, thats cool though. also Uncompahgre and its neighbor 14er Wetterhorn are not class 5 hikes and neither is the approach. Wetterhorn definitely has class 3 crux but thats it. its basically just like climbing a set of steep exposed stairs for a hundred feet. Uncompahgre is not nearly as bad and the standard route is class 2 just like the 14ers you posted. The approach is really mellow too and there are a lot more sights to see and places to explore for a backpacking trip than the LincoDemoBross area. Besides its unique and NOTHING like the front range mountains where he lives. The San Juans are called the Alps of Colorado for a reason.

Jun 24 2011 12:00PM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,455
That sounds awesome, but he wanted something closer to Summit County. I need to go back to the San Juans, only been down there once to ski Silverton/Monarch. I just need a backpacking backpack and to meet more people who are down for spontaneous adventures.
Jun 24 2011 12:08PM
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DERS.
Posts: 6299 - Karma: 1,293
im hiking mt. sneffles for the first time this summer.. pretty stoked should be dope.

also op there is some nice backpacking around lake city (just south of gunnison) in between there and sliverton just hiking around the san juan forrest.
Jun 24 2011 12:16PM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
nice! thats on my list too as well as Coxcomb Peak and Vestal Peak down in the san juans.
Jun 24 2011 2:31PM
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yourthemannowdog
Posts: 4541 - Karma: 313
god damn i cant wait to get out there and start hiking! I'm only gonna have like three or four days or so in pagosa because im going to be looking at schools for the majority of the time. I will try and get like three or four days of exploring in
Jun 24 2011 2:48PM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
Keep posting 14ers i am just looking for a chill hike to backpack i also what to know your favorite 14ers. I have done grays and torreys, some other weird one and another but i cant remeber the name. HOw about your favorite hikes around summit? Kinda regional but i wanna know whether there is somewhere i missed in my 15 years here. GEt all up in this thread locals. My personal favorites for like hour long excercise are lower portion of buffalo North ten mile anything on oro grande "mountain" (more like a hill) Ptarmagin mountain and some of the stuff off boreas.
Jun 24 2011 6:19PM
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*Dos*Planker*
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 168
holy fuck im going there.
Jun 24 2011 6:22PM
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jillytea
Posts: 89 - Karma: 55
that's absolutely beautiful I wish I lived out near there :c one day
Jun 24 2011 6:42PM
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DaysToCome
Posts: 1601 - Karma: 86
those mountains are more in between durango and silverton but i think pagosa has some cool shit, just not quite as close.
Jun 25 2011 2:07AM
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Dwarftosser1
Posts: 2602 - Karma: 951
Love the Hanging lake, it's been a tradition for as long as I can remember to go there every summer.


Also if you're into 14ers check out http://www.14ers.com, Mt. Elbert is actually a really easy climb, and you get the joy of summiting the highest peak in colo.



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Jun 25 2011 2:17AM
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.frenchy
Posts: 18221 - Karma: 12,323

Still snow, still ski bums!

pics soon, and btw there were crazy waterfalls here too!

Jun 27 2011 9:48AM
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