Getting high in Colorado
No, this is not about Colorado’s latest gold rush, which appears to be driving the economy, and the recent influx of millennial, stoners and Deadheads. And probably the expansion of the Google office in Boulder. TGIF probably has different refreshments than other offices. This post is about one of my favorite spots in Colorado, which I was lucky enough to take a quick visit on my house-hunting trip to Denver…..Mount Evans.
If you have ever visited Denver, one of the first things you notice other than the absurd use of the colors orange and blue (go broncos), and the enormous IKEA sign along I-25, is this huge mountain looming on the horizon. That’s Mount Evans, all 14,271 feet of it. Unlike all but one other of the 54 fourteen thousand foot peaks in the state, only Pikes Peak and Evans have roads to the top. So if you are not too adventurous in terms of high altitude hiking, you can get really high by traversing a long, winding, very narrow road, with precipitous drops, to just about the top of the peak.
You reach the start at Echo Lake by taking a road from Idaho Springs - there is a nice lodge there, with a gift shop, restaurant, and real bathrooms. The drive from the park entrance is pretty amazing ($15, but free if you have a National Parks pass) - you go from tree line to alpine tundra in just a few miles, and then the road pretty much clings to the side of the mountain the rest of the way. There are a couple of stops - a nice nature center at tree line, a few small turnouts to take photos, and then a parking lot (with bathrooms) at Summit Lake. Late in the season, this is as high as you can go, but it is worth the price and the drive (see photo below...early spring). This is a good starting point for hiking - there is a nice sub-peak which connects to the summit, or you can just take a short hike to a gap with great views looking toward another Fourteener (Mt. Bierstadt). Or, you can dip your toes in the lake, and then warm them up with your car heater to avoid onset of frost-bite.
The summit road, if open, is a series of sharp switchbacks - most of the other drivers, if not too stoned, take it slow, so the only issues are the roadblocks created when herds of mountain goats or Bighorn sheep wander across the road. You then have to wait for motorists to take photos with their cell phones - you can always hope that someone tries to get a selfie, and is butted by one of the beasties.
Once you get to the summit parking area, the first thing you see are the ruins of Crest House, which was built in the 40’s and burned down the year after we first moved to Denver (1979) - no, I did not cause the fire. The walls and some of the interior stone work was rebuilt, and the 'ruins' are interesting to wander through, but there is no food or running water on the top anymore. There are bathrooms though, which is nice after the long and bumpy ride. Yes, I mention bathrooms a lot. It’s an age thing.
The actual top of the mountain is a short stroll, maybe 150 feet of vertical on an easy path - worth gasping in the thin air to get the views. And to me, the best part is the wildlife - there are usually mountain goats (related to deer actually) wandering around the ruins. You can get really close, but that is a really dumb thing to do - they are not pets, and they have really sharp horns and hooves. I skied up to Summit Lake many years ago to photograph the goats, and had a run-in with a big male...who wrecked one of my camera’s, and then peed on the remains. Really, I’m not making that up. My insurance agent had a good laugh when I filed the claim. I probably could have made one of the Farmers Insurance commercials with this one.
The sheep are more numerous than the goats, and for the most part, are females with if you are lucky, lambs. Really adorable. The rams are usually off elsewhere, butting heads or drinking beer. Or both. The sheep do accept handouts, but the Forest Service frowns upon that.
The other nice thing about the park, are the number of trail-heads for reasonably short hikes up the peaks surrounding Evans - Grey Wolf and Rosalie are my favorites.
So, my brief venture up to the summit was a nice break in a stressful few days of playing realtor’s helper, and sitting on top brought back many fond memories. I was also pleased that I did not pass out from the altitude. It’s been a while since I’ve been that high (elevation…no comment on the other way). If things work out, I’m hoping to be hiking up there a lot in the coming years.
If you have ever visited Denver, one of the first things you notice other than the absurd use of the colors orange and blue (go broncos), and the enormous IKEA sign along I-25, is this huge mountain looming on the horizon. That’s Mount Evans, all 14,271 feet of it. Unlike all but one other of the 54 fourteen thousand foot peaks in the state, only Pikes Peak and Evans have roads to the top. So if you are not too adventurous in terms of high altitude hiking, you can get really high by traversing a long, winding, very narrow road, with precipitous drops, to just about the top of the peak.
You reach the start at Echo Lake by taking a road from Idaho Springs - there is a nice lodge there, with a gift shop, restaurant, and real bathrooms. The drive from the park entrance is pretty amazing ($15, but free if you have a National Parks pass) - you go from tree line to alpine tundra in just a few miles, and then the road pretty much clings to the side of the mountain the rest of the way. There are a couple of stops - a nice nature center at tree line, a few small turnouts to take photos, and then a parking lot (with bathrooms) at Summit Lake. Late in the season, this is as high as you can go, but it is worth the price and the drive (see photo below...early spring). This is a good starting point for hiking - there is a nice sub-peak which connects to the summit, or you can just take a short hike to a gap with great views looking toward another Fourteener (Mt. Bierstadt). Or, you can dip your toes in the lake, and then warm them up with your car heater to avoid onset of frost-bite.
The summit road, if open, is a series of sharp switchbacks - most of the other drivers, if not too stoned, take it slow, so the only issues are the roadblocks created when herds of mountain goats or Bighorn sheep wander across the road. You then have to wait for motorists to take photos with their cell phones - you can always hope that someone tries to get a selfie, and is butted by one of the beasties.
Once you get to the summit parking area, the first thing you see are the ruins of Crest House, which was built in the 40’s and burned down the year after we first moved to Denver (1979) - no, I did not cause the fire. The walls and some of the interior stone work was rebuilt, and the 'ruins' are interesting to wander through, but there is no food or running water on the top anymore. There are bathrooms though, which is nice after the long and bumpy ride. Yes, I mention bathrooms a lot. It’s an age thing.
The actual top of the mountain is a short stroll, maybe 150 feet of vertical on an easy path - worth gasping in the thin air to get the views. And to me, the best part is the wildlife - there are usually mountain goats (related to deer actually) wandering around the ruins. You can get really close, but that is a really dumb thing to do - they are not pets, and they have really sharp horns and hooves. I skied up to Summit Lake many years ago to photograph the goats, and had a run-in with a big male...who wrecked one of my camera’s, and then peed on the remains. Really, I’m not making that up. My insurance agent had a good laugh when I filed the claim. I probably could have made one of the Farmers Insurance commercials with this one.
The sheep are more numerous than the goats, and for the most part, are females with if you are lucky, lambs. Really adorable. The rams are usually off elsewhere, butting heads or drinking beer. Or both. The sheep do accept handouts, but the Forest Service frowns upon that.
The other nice thing about the park, are the number of trail-heads for reasonably short hikes up the peaks surrounding Evans - Grey Wolf and Rosalie are my favorites.
So, my brief venture up to the summit was a nice break in a stressful few days of playing realtor’s helper, and sitting on top brought back many fond memories. I was also pleased that I did not pass out from the altitude. It’s been a while since I’ve been that high (elevation…no comment on the other way). If things work out, I’m hoping to be hiking up there a lot in the coming years.
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