Colorado Archives - Half an Hour Away

Whitewater Rafting at the Royal Gorge: I Was Terrified, Then I Loved It

‘DISTANCE FROM DENVER: ABOUT 2 HOURS

Jon and Lai in the raft on their first whitewater rafting adventure at the Royal Gorge

Another Bucket List Adventure

Another outdoorsy activity has been crossed off the bucket list: whitewater rafting! Jon and I recently went whitewater rafting for the first time, accompanied by three of our friends. Back in November, I got him a voucher for a trip through Giftory for his 30th birthday, as I knew it was something he’d been itching to do. On Sunday, June 15th, we went on a half-day trip with Raft Masters in Cañon City.

From Childhood Fears to Rafting Realities

Growing up, my dad went on a few whitewater rafting trips with different groups of guys, and he told us how scary and crazy it was. His trips scared me, and I hoped he would stop going. Who would’ve thought that 15 years later (give or take), I’d be embarking on my own rafting excursion. Not me!

Pre-Rafting Jitters

The night before the trip, Jon and I camped in the area to be close to the launch point for our whitewater rafting tour. When we went to bed for the night, I couldn’t stop the fears spinning in my head. My parents warned me about how dangerous it was, which definitely got in my head. I’m not saying it’s not dangerous, because it certainly can be, but my anxiety got the best of me. I wondered if my fear meant that I had some kind of intuition. That it could be a sign that I would die from this rafting trip.

There were a couple of thoughts that helped relax me, however. For one, a couple of our friends who were joining us had gone on rafting trips before. Plus, I love skiing in the winter, which can certainly be a dangerous sport. I needed to stop worrying that the rafting day would be my last.

The Calm Before the Splash

When we woke in the morning, I felt a lot better. We packed up camp and headed to town for breakfast, where we met our friends who had traveled there in the morning. After a fast breakfast, we threw on our water shoes and helmets and headed to the bus.

On the ride to the takeoff, one of the guides went over all the safety measures. Much like being on a plane, I worried I wouldn’t process everything enough and hoped I just wouldn’t have to worry about it. (Although when I am on a plane I usually tune it out and hope for the best 😬.) They also determined our raft groups. Jon, Hannah, Evan, Chris, and I were all in a group, led by Freck. The other guide led a group with a father and his young sons. It was pretty cool that our whole raft was people we knew.

Into the Rapids

As we got into the raft, we decided Jon and Evan would take the front row. Hannah and I were behind them, Chris was behind us, and Freck led from the very back. Freck went over how we should position our feet. I was on the left side, second row, and jammed my left foot into a crack in front, and the right foot behind. We practiced a couple of paddle strokes close to shore before setting off.

Once we were all set, we headed out on the flow of the river. Freck constantly updated us on what we were approaching and the difficulty levels. The first rapids were class 2, and they weren’t scary at all. It was so fun! This made me more comfortable about the class 3 and 4 rapids to come. As we went down the rapids, water splashed into the raft, a refreshing way to beat the intense heat. We were all smiling and laughing.

We paddled through a mix of rough rapids and calm stretches, which gave us time to catch our breath. It was nice to have more relaxing moments where we could talk and chill to break up the sloshing around. We learned the names of the many rapids, such as Sunshine Falls, Sledgehammer, and Grateful Dead Rapid.

The waters were at a medium level during our trip, which made the rapids super solid but less intense than they would’ve been a couple of weeks earlier. It felt like the perfect amount of thrill for me, as a newbie to the activity. We also learned that this rafting company isn’t allowed to run commercial tours if the rapids reach Class 5, due to the increased danger, which put my mind at ease.

Throughout the trip, our guide would call out cues for how to paddle, who should paddle, and how many strokes. For example, “Left forward 2” meant that those of us on the left side should paddle forward twice. “Back one” meant everyone in the raft should paddle backward once, and so on. We passed near the pumphouse, which we learned used to supply water to the city, and was abandoned in 1973. Thrilling and educational!

Embracing the Moment

The scenery on this trip was so sick. This part of the Arkansas River runs through the Royal Gorge canyon, which is so beautiful. We eventually passed under the iconic Royal Gorge Bridge. It was awesome! My fears had long dissipated, and I was having a blast.

I tried to engage my core and do everything I could to stay in the raft. I believe falling out is a pretty common occurrence while rafting, and not inherently a death sentence, but I just didn’t want to worry about the whole thing. Luckily, none of us fell out the whole time! We had one close call and a great save, but no actual falls. Go us!

Rafting Break + Cold Plunge

We eventually stopped at a spot to take a break from the rafting, where we could jump off a rock and into the water for a bit. I decided to take the jump. (It’s nowhere near as high or scary as cliff jumping at St. Mary’s Glacier, which I will never do again.) Jumping into the water was super fun, but left me shivering for a long time after. The water was freezing, and though the day was hot, I simply could not stop shaking.

Pulling Ashore and Regaining Our Land Legs

We rafted a little more to the endpoint, where we all disembarked. My right foot had fallen asleep, and it took me a minute to shake it out and get stability back in my legs. We all loaded on the bus and headed back to where we began our day with Raft Masters.

I loved my first whitewater rafting experience. It was so much fun! It had a perfect balance of thrills and comfort, and the Royal Gorge setting made it extra special. I would absolutely do another trip in the future, and I recommend those interested to check out Raft Masters.

Jon and Lai taking a selfie in the raft before setting off

Sunset Alpine Touring at Crested Butte: An Adventure to Remember

distance from denver: AROUND 4 HOURS

Gearing Up for My First Alpine Touring Adventure

I recently went on my first alpine-touring adventure at Crested Butte Mountain Resort! While I had previously skied St. Mary’s Glacier (a few times) and terrain off Berthoud Pass (once), this was different. During those earlier outings, I hiked up in hiking boots for St. Mary’s and ski boots at Berthoud Pass, so using a full touring setup was a completely new experience.

Jon got a touring setup last year and has done a few backcountry excursions. More recently, he started skinning at the resorts. After completing his first resort tour at Eldora, he enthusiastically told me I would love it. I was immediately interested.

🎿 Skinning refers to climbing uphill with “skins”—strips that stick to the bottom of your skis for traction.

Leading up to our recent trip to Crested Butte, Jon mentioned he wanted to do some sunset alpine touring at the resort. I was drawn in right away and called a ski shop in the area to inquire about renting a setup.

Touring setups differ from traditional ski setups in a few key ways, including the type of bindings and boots. A touring setup also includes skins. I was able to get a great deal at The Alpineer in town

Prepping for My First Tour

After checking into our hotel, we headed to the mountain, remembering to grab our headlamps. CB’s uphill policy allows skiers to skin up and ski in designated areas between 4:30 pm and 8:45 am. (Uphill access can vary by resort. Winter Park, for example, allows uphill access while the lifts are running.)

I got my boots on, ensured they were in walk mode, stuck the skins on my skis, and clipped into the skis. Jon helped me get the hang of my setup and clip in. With touring bindings, your heel is free during uphill ski mode, allowing you to climb more easily. There are also risers you can put down to raise your heels when climbing steeper hills.

Uphill Access: More Than Expected

We embarked on our sunset tour at 5:30 pm, climbing on the designated route as music was thumping from the base. We saw some others uphilling as well. Jon initially believed this would be a quick lap, as it didn’t seem we could go very far up. He even thought we might have time for two laps. Soon, however, we realized we could go much further than we initially thought.

Learning the Rhythm of Alpine Touring

Going uphill on skis is a very interesting experience. Jon advised me to slide the skis up rather than lift them off the ground. It definitely got my heart rate up, and it took some time to figure out, but it was really fun! Once I started to get more comfortable, I was feeling it. 😎

We climbed for a bit before Jon told me we had gained about 300 feet of elevation. I was having fun and feeling proud, but hearing we’d only ascended 300 feet bummed me out a little. Thankfully, time started to move faster as we climbed higher, and I couldn’t believe how quickly we gained elevation.

A Stunning Scene

The sun was setting, and the scene was beautiful. A hazy glow enveloped the mountains while orange crept into the sky. I couldn’t stop looking around and commenting on how cool this was. I must’ve said wow and oh my god a zillion times.

It was also pretty peaceful. Yes, there were other skiers out and about (but way fewer than during lift operations), and there were sometimes noises of snowcats, but it was still so calm and magical.

There’s something special about climbing up a mountain with skis on. I couldn’t help but think of when Jon talks about “earning your turns” while mountain biking.

🏔️ Fun Fact
The phrase “earn your turns” was coined in the 1970s by backcountry skiers who hiked up mountains to enjoy their hard-earned descents.

I love how touring uniquely combines hiking and skiing and adds a new twist to the resort experience. I felt very accomplished and happy as we continued our ascent. I excitedly mentioned that I could see myself getting into this. Jon knew I would feel this way.

From Skinning to Skiing

We finally reached the top of the uphill access, which is 1,661 feet of gain. This climb took us a total of 1 hour and 26 minutes–not bad! (See stats in the gallery below.)

It was time to transition. Of course, I had to snap some more pics before we did. I was starting to get chillier around this time. I had worn base layers, my melly, and my bib, with my gloves around my wrist. I felt pretty warm during the climb—almost too warm—but once we reached the top, I got cold, especially in my hands. Transitioning to downhill mode involved taking off my skis to remove the skins and then adjusting the bindings. The whole process took us about fifteen minutes (including taking our pictures).

We started the downhill portion of our adventure. I instantly felt super awkward. Since I wasn’t used to the bindings, I was a little shaky. The snow was also a bit crusty, in my opinion (it’s been a weird season). But I took it slow and steady, and I eventually felt more comfortable.

From ‘Wow’ to ‘Oops’

We skied and skied down pretty low-key terrain in the dwindling daylight. This is just so cool, I thought. The high didn’t last forever, though. Following the path down should’ve been easy, but we quickly got confused about the correct route and went the wrong way. We found ourselves at the bottom of the East River Express lift, and ropes were blocking the way down. Big yikes. So, after we had been skiing for 16 minutes, we had to skin a second time to get up and out of where we ended up.

I had been so blissful and excited when we were skiing. Unfortunately, our mistake made the whole thing take much longer than planned. I begrudgingly transitioned to uphill mode once more. At least it was more practice (I guess!). Exhaustion and frustration hit me hard.

An Extra Hour of Skinning (And a Mental Battle)

We had to skin for about another hour. Jon kept giving me progress updates, hoping to reassure me that we were almost there. All I heard was, “We still have to go up more”. My emotions were a little scattered. As the sky turned dark, sprinkled with stars, and the nearly full moon shone, I was caught between annoyance that we were still out at this hour and appreciation for how cool this was.

I decided we would need some beer when we were done, even though it was a Wednesday. We also realized that during our first downhill round, I completely forgot to switch my boots to ski mode, which could have certainly been another contributing factor to how awkward it felt.

At Last—The End of the Climb

Finally, after what felt like ten thousand years, we made it to the top of the Painter Boy lift, where a sign noted the way down to the base. When we got there, we began transitioning for the final time. This time, I made sure to flip my boots into ski mode.

A Run-In with the Snowcat Operator

We ran into a snowcat operator, who said we were not supposed to be there. We explained that we had made a mistake and expressed how sorry we were, and he was understanding. He even said he’d had to tell other skiers they were in the wrong place, so we weren’t the only ones. He wished us well and went on with his job.

The Final Descent—For Real This Time

We made our way down and back to the base. Thankfully, this took less than ten minutes. Boy, was I relieved to be off the mountain.

From Grumpy to Grateful

The whole activity ended up being 2,723 feet of elevation gain (remember when we thought it would be a short excursion?). It took us about 3.5 hours, meaning we didn’t return to the bottom until 9 pm. Phew!

We took off our gear and began walking back to the hotel, feeling so accomplished and breathing sighs of relief. Jon mentioned it was probably good for me to get that extra practice. He had also snapped some amazing photos of the starry night on the hill. Gotta find the silver lining! And what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger or whatever. Yes, I was a grumpy girl for a minute there, but it was an experience I will never forget.

A Bartender Saves the Day & Hotel TV

We had to figure out a dinner plan. Since it was past 9 pm in a small mountain town, most restaurants or bar kitchens had already closed. Luckily, a lovely bartender made an exception and allowed us to place a food order to-go. An angel in the flesh! She was so sweet (and she got a good tip). We enjoyed hazy beers while waiting for our food, which we brought to the hotel and ate in the common area.

Though it was late and we were exhausted, we still had to shower. Once we were cozy in our PJs, it was time for our favorite–hotel TV! We landed on House Hunters, a classic. Eventually, we switched the channel to Magnolia Network, where we enjoyed some Fixer Upper: Welcome Home. Despite being so tired, I was pretty invested in the outcome. We didn’t go to bed until around 2 am. It sure was a long day!

New Hobby Unlocked

So, would I go alpine touring again? You bet! I want to get a touring setup and do this more often. Before the chaos, I was really into it. Even during the chaos, I had moments of wonder. You live, and you learn!

As a newbie, I especially enjoyed being at the resort. I want to try backcountry trips at some point, but there’s a lot more risk involved. Resort uphilling feels a lot more accessible and safe. Plus, it was a fun new way to experience the resort. I look forward to getting more into uphill skiing and continuing to try ~all the things~ this side of the country has to offer!

Make sure you have a solid understanding of maps and where you can go! I definitely wouldn’t recommend going off-course. You are not allowed to, for one. We found the joy in the journey, but you kind of have to in these times. So if you’re going to be inspired, be inspired by trying new things and finding beauty in struggles, not in doing things you are not supposed to.

Conquering the Trails: My First Mountain Biking Adventure

Distance from Denver: ABOUT 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES

Lai on a mountain bike with the Dillon Resovoir in the background during her first mountain biking adventure.

Sun, oct 6, 2024

I recently embarked on my first mountain biking adventure. I knew I wanted to try mountain biking one day, but I hadn’t made it happen yet. I’ve loved skiing and hiking for years, but mountain biking remained an unexplored territory. While I didn’t see it as something I would dive deep into, I wanted to at least give it a try to see what it was like. The idea of exploring the mountains in a new way excited me, but I was definitely scared. Earlier this month, the perfect time came for me to finally give it a shot.

We had been throwing around different ideas for our Sunday plans and landed on mountain biking. We were in the mountains for the weekend, as we often are, this time at a hotel in Breckenridge. Sunday was check-out day and we wanted to stick around the area and enjoy some more mountain air before returning to Denver. It felt like the perfect moment to finally go for it, especially because Jon mentioned there were beginner-friendly trails at the Frisco Peninsula, making it an ideal spot for my first ride.

I hadn’t even been on a regular bike in close to a decade, with cycle class being the closest I’d come. But as the saying goes, ‘It’s just like riding a bike,’ and in this case, it literally was. I hoped the muscle memory would kick in. I put on my athletic shorts, a tank top, and Jon’s Big Sky flannel, and we headed to Christy Sports to rent the bike.

Bertha was a black full-suspension bike that had a lovely holographic sheen in the sun. Once the shop adjusted Bertha to my measurements and gave me a rundown on how she worked, it was time to see how I felt on a bike after so many years. I had Jon give me another explanation of how to use the gears and move the seat and I began riding around in the parking lot.

Once I felt comfortable enough riding the bike period, we set off. We took a paved road to get to where the trails were. I felt a little awkward at first, but it started to feel smooth eventually. Once we left the paved path and got to the trails, it got a little more scary. Ok, maybe a lot more scary, even though it was far from anything crazy. The trails we stuck to were truly for beginners, yet any sort of downhill, paired with narrow paths and a few rocks, made me nervous. And going uphill was quite tiring.

Jon was very supportive and cheered me on. He gave me tips to improve my form, such as bending my arms in a push-up position and using my shoulders when I needed to make turns. Despite my challenges, I had moments where I felt like I got in my stride, having fun riding comfortably, adjusting the gears based on the terrain, and moving my seat up and down. I enjoyed the feeling of flowing on the path and turning the bike along the curves. It felt so good! Of course, there were also those wonky times. I got off the bike more than once, whether out of nervousness about descending or fatigue (and more nervousness) while climbing uphill.

The Frisco Peninsula was really pretty and I enjoyed looking at the lake and the trees. I didn’t expect there to be fall colors here for some reason, but there definitely were. The scenery made it even more amazing, as typically is the case with mountain sports. I loved taking in nature in this way!

We got to a point where I needed to take a beat, so I relaxed by the water for a little. After recharging, I felt more confident and refreshed when I got back on Bertha. It was great! We rode a little longer on the trails and then diverted to a normal road for a bit. After some smooth sailing, we dipped back into the trails a tad more, before making our way back to Christy.

During our ride, I had moments of feeling nervous, unsure, or frustrated with myself, but that’s simply part of learning new things. It was all worth it for those moments when I was feeling good and having fun. It was also another great thing to enjoy together! Mountain biking is Jon’s thing, so it was fun to experience more of his world, even though it was nowhere near the level of biking he normally does. I loved riding with him. This also meant I got to watch him shred in person, which was really fun.

My first mountain biking adventure was an awesome experience, filled with nerves, fun, growth, and beauty. I’m glad I finally tried it, getting out of my comfort zone and appreciating nature’s thrills in new ways. I didn’t send it down crazy hills, or even attempt anything above a green, but I rode a mountain bike! Even in the few hours I rode, I got more comfortable and improved my skills. I look forward to biking again in the future, but probably not until next year.

I don’t plan on getting super into mountain biking. For one thing, it’s another sport to throw a ton of money into. I also don’t see myself going super hardcore with this stuff. It would, however, be fun to ride around easier trails a few times a year. I’ll probably continue to dabble in mountain biking now and then, and I’m excited about it! I also learned that I love wearing Jon’s Big Sky flannel, so I’ll probably be borrowing that more often.

For your entertainment, check out this super awkward video of me tensing up while going down a small hill.

Sky Pond, The Loch, and Timberline Falls via Glacier Gorge Loop @ RMNP

DISTANCE FROM DENVER: ABOUT 1.5 HOURS

SAT, August 4, 2024

I’ve been living in Denver for a little over 3 years, and this was only my second time hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park for some reason. Part of this could be because it’s a whole process to go there and reserve parking and everything. It could also be that when thinking about our weekend plans, we’re often going camping somewhere. But we made it a point to plan an RMNP day this summer and it was so worth it.

One thing that will probably only get worse at Rocky Mountain is the crowds (yet another deterrent from visiting). It’s a super popular national park, so it makes sense that it gets crazy crowded with tourists, especially at the Bear Lake lot. These huge clusters of people can take you out of the experience and make it hard to take it all in, but these are the things we have to accept. It’s annoying, but DUH, it’s a tourist attraction! And we all deserve to enjoy a place like this.

To be fair, we didn’t go as early as we could have. We usually try to start things early to beat crowds and traffic. For example, we leave for ski resorts at 5 am. And if you’ve read our previous posts, you know we start 14ers around 4 am. But sometimes we want to sleep in a little! This was one of those times. Aiming for earlier time slots or weekdays at RMNP may help you avoid crowds, but I did also see reviews on AllTrails mentioning going early didn’t help them, so who’s to say?

The route we decided on was Sky Pond, The Loch, and Timberline Falls via Glacier Gorge Loop. AllTrails lists it as a 9.9-mile loop with an elevation gain of 2,168. (Keep in mind, the AllTrails stats aren’t always 100% correct). Jon had previously hiked to Lake Haiyaha and told me how beautiful it was and that he had to take me. We found a hike that included this viewpoint plus a lot more, that way it was something new for both of us.

I loved this loop so much. It hit tons of amazing sites! It was pretty lake-heavy, hitting Lake Haiyaha, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Lake of Glass. It also covered Timberline Falls, Sky Pond, Glacier Knobs, and Alberta Falls. This is the perfect hike to see various highlights at the park, especially if you’re looking for a longer hike. (It took us around 6 hours). Of course, RMNP is a huge national park, so it’s barely even a dent! But how cool is that? It’s close to home and offers so much to explore.

Lake Haiyaha was one of the first main stops on the hike and was a particularly crowded spot. The water is a beautiful crystal blue color. We hung out for a little and snapped some pics, but it was hectic and we had quite the hike ahead, so we didn’t stay for too long.

After departing from Haiyaha, the crowds thinned out significantly. We hiked a while longer in peace. We stopped at a lovely view when it was time to relax again. We sat on some rocks, took in the view, and bit into delicious juicy peaches.

We started moving again and eventually reached Timberline Falls. There was some climbing we had to do here. There were also a bit more crowds in this spot, but it didn’t feel as bad as earlier. Timberline Falls was beautiful, and to get to the final sights, we had to climb up the rocks. This was fun! The rocks were a little wet (obviously, it’s a waterfall), but I really didn’t feel that scared and confidently made my way up. There were lots of people climbing, some who probably rarely hike at all. It involved some fun challenges, but it wasn’t super crazy. I thought it would be a good prep for our next 14er on the list, Mount Sneffels, although that would be a different beast. It felt like a good way to at least get those wheels turning and my confidence up.

After looping back, the crowds started to pick up again. Once we made it back to the start, we got on the shuttle to get back to our parking. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that because the Bear Lake lot had filled up, we unfortunately had to take a shuttle from where we parked to the trailhead. Ugh, shuttles are so annoying. On the shuttle, I saw the calorie count on my watch was 1,111, which is the opposite of annoying. What a satisfying number!

After arriving back at our car and deboarding the crowded shuttle, it was time to figure out where we were eating and having some beers. We had trouble finding a brewery in Estes Park with the right vibe and food, but we landed on Avant Garde Aleworks, which had a food truck called WesTex BBQ. We had investigated one of the other spots initially, but it simply wasn’t the vibe. But Avant Garde was the place for us! We had ordered beers and then split a frosé. The drinks were great, the food was great, and our time was great.

This was a perfect Sunday. I loved the hike. We saw so many beautiful sites and got a good long workout in. The day was made even better with some beers, frosé, and BBQ before making our way back home.

I would highly recommend this RMNP loop to anyone looking to see some highlights of the national park and get some great exercise! Keep in mind it’s a fairly long hike and there is some climbing involved, but you can always skip that part!

A scenic view og rocks, pine trees, and mountains at RMNP

Chunky rocky terrain at the bottom of Timerbline Falls at RMNP

Mount Sneffels

DISTANCE FROM DENVER: AROUND 6 HOURS

moN, August 26, 2024

We’d been planning to hike Mount Sneffels for a minute, but weather and other issues (a giant blister on my heel from hiking 20 miles in the Grand Teton National Park) had us continually pushing this hike. We were holding out hope that this would finally be the right weekend and had both taken Monday off in the event that it was the best weather that day (it was). Mount Sneffels is in the Ouray area among the breathtaking San Juan Mountains. This part of the state had been getting a lot of rain lately and we did not want to get caught in anything. We’d spent the weekend bopping around Durango, Silverton, and Ouray. On Sunday night, we made our way as close as we could get to the trailhead. We passed what appeared to be a house (how wild to have a home here), as well as a road called McNutty Ln.

After getting everything ready to go to bed and hike in the morning, we crawled into the tent and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I heard rain. I was struggling to get back to sleep and had no idea what time it was. (Jon later mentioned it had been around 1:30 am). For all I knew, it could already be close to 4 am. Would we move the hike yet again? I got a little more sleep and the alarm went off at 3:30. It was time to get going. Luckily, it was no longer raining.

We quickly got ourselves together and ate our pre-hike nanners. Yuck-ily, the bananas were not quite ripe and pretty husky. But they did the job! The hike began on a road, which we spent a lot of time on. It was weird to be hiking an incredible mountain and spend so much time on an ordinary 4WD that cars could go up. We were excited to eventually ditch this dratted road and for the vibes to become more hike-like.

At one point, we saw glowing eyes. Could it be coyotes? (Reminder to bring your bear spray)! They were very still, but they started to move eventually. We exhaled when we discovered they were just deer. Ah, a suburb animal! Deer are still wild animals, and you shouldn’t approach them since they can be unpredictable, but I feel like their main thing is getting hit by cars. Phew, this was a relief.

As we climbed, we noticed a fresh dusting of snow on the ground, and I snapped a picture. I’ve hiked in snow before—sometimes remnants of winter snow or being dusted on as we go—but it’s always a cool experience, even if it makes things more challenging.

A dusting of snow on scree at Mount Sneffels

At a certain point, Jon spotted a fox. Foxes are one of my new favorite animals. They’re just so cute and small and cool. I was awestruck by the fox and the way it so effortlessly moved around the scree and overall choppy and technical terrain. While this was a planned adventure for us, it was every day for that little guy. I wished I was a fox.

The fox and the deer weren’t the only animals we encountered. We also saw some sweet little pikas! A pika is a small furry mammal with a plump body and short limbs that often lives in high alpine environments. Pikas are so freakin adorable but they’re also so resilient. Again, it’s so impressive how these animals just exist in a habitat like this. The world blows my mind. You will often see pikas collecting grass and flowers, and spotting one is the cutest sight.

The amount of snow increased quite a bit as we continued our ascent. It was also getting very steep. Jon thought we might make it to the top before sunrise at the pace we were keeping. I wasn’t sure when we would summit, but I knew the steeper terrain was the first thing that happened before things got a little… McNuttier. Can’t get too excited! Of course, we had researched the hike beforehand, and Jon had downloaded all the details from 14ers.com. So, we knew we weren’t just facing a steep trail.

A snowy mountain in the dim light before the sun rose.

Lai hiking in the snow with a headlamp on in the dim lighting. Rugged peaks are seen in the background

After working our way through a scree-covered slope, we got to a steep and rocky gully. I started to get nervous. I was taking it slow on my hands and knees, but it was going well. I was getting myself up with no issues with my ability, but I just couldn’t shake the thought of getting back down, despite trying to keep my focus on the task at hand. It was also freezing and windy.

Jon took this video as we were making our way up the gully. If you look closely when he moves the camera down, you can spot me taking a little break.

When we finally reached the top of the gully, we arrived at what’s known as ‘the notch’. The view was absolutely insane, but I was too scared to take a picture or to fully appreciate it. I looked up at the notch and felt like I couldn’t make it. I watched Jon climb through and climb back again, testing it out. He comforted me, told me nothing bad would happen, and reassured me that if I didn’t feel comfortable summitting, that was perfectly fine. After talking for a bit, he went through again. I felt better and approached the notch to take another look at it. It didn’t seem so bad. I worked my way through, with his help, and it wasn’t so bad! But that wasn’t the end of the hike. We still had a bit of scrambling to do before reaching the summit.

We pushed on a bit longer and finally reached the summit. We were also the first ones to do so that day! The top had a smaller place to stand versus the other 14ers I’ve done where it almost feels like a big party at the top. Jon said this one actually felt like the top of a mountain peak, unlike many others that often feel more like plateaus. We were both shivering because it was so cold and our hands were wet from all the snow. (We had brought gloves, but not quite the right type). I looked around and saw the box I’d known was up there from Instagram. With shaking hands, I opened it. It had a sign with “Mt. Sneffels 14,155 ft” on it, as well as a logbook. I quickly signed, “Jon + Lai So Cold So Scary”.

Jon at the summit of Mount Sneffels holding the sign

Lai at the top of Mount Sneffels with a cardboard sign with details of the peak. Greenery and a lake are in the bacground.

We weren’t there long before heading down. I got through the notch pretty smoothly, with Jon’s help again, and we started going down the gully. Once I started descending, I realized it wasn’t actually that hard, just tedious. I pretty much sat down and used my arms to help me. I took it slow and cautiously, and I was A-Okay, (just a little over it). Then, we made it to the scree field, which was also totally fine but required caution. I didn’t feel like I was in danger, but I was tired of all the scree. We found ourselves wishing for that now not-so-dratted-sounding road.

We love a scree field! *sarcasm*

We finally made it past the scree field and back toward the road. We saw gorgeous views that we hadn’t gotten to see on the way up. It’s always fun to come back down a 14er and see what scenery you missed in the headlamp light. It’s also more relaxing knowing you’ve made it past the hard part, allowing you to savor the sense of accomplishment and take in your surroundings with greater ease.

Jon standing and looking at the peaks and valley during the descent from Mount Sneffels

A waterfall trickling down green mountains with a gray mountain and a blue sky

As always, remember to do your research. It’s important to know what you’re getting into before doing something like this. While the route we took was considered an “easy class 3”, and some people even do it as their first 14er, it’s not for everyone. It was something within my ability (with the help of my partner), but we are all different. On the flip side, it may not be that intimidating for you, especially if you’re used to harder climbs. We also wore helmets to protect ourselves from loose rockfall, which is typically recommended for more challenging hikes. Neither of us was attacked by rocks and we saw many hikers without helmets, but I’m glad we had them.

If you find yourself in a situation where you’re uncomfortable completing a hike or other challenging adventure, try not to feel bad about it. If you have to stop, you have to stop. I almost did on this hike. It would have been disappointing and difficult to accept, but if it felt like the right decision for me, then that’s just how it is. I recently saw a girl online (I wish I remembered the account) who talked about multiple times she’s had to turn back, and it was really comforting to see. It can be hard to treat ourselves kindly if we don’t accomplish something we set out to do, but we should all practice self-love and compassion. Sometimes, this may mean bailing on something.

Takeaways:

Not everything is actually as scary as it looks.
If you do have to bail, try not to feel bad about it.
This hike had me in absolute awe of nature (especially foxes and pikas).

To view more images from our Sneffels journey, check out the gallery below.

The log box sitting at the snow-capped peak of Mount Sneffels

Jon toward the top of Mount Sneffels among rugged snow capped peaks, with green mountains and a lake in the background

Huron Peak

Distance from Denver: About 3 hours

Sat, July 20, 2024

At 3:30, as we were cozied up near the trailhead in the rooftop tent, the alarm went off. The hardest part of a 14er is the early wake-up time. And unlike a long drive, I can’t just go back to sleep in the car (passenger princess life). We had decided to sleep in our hiking clothes, which helped reduce the amount of steps pre-hike. (Changing would’ve been so annoying at that hour). We got up, got everything we needed, ate bananas, and started to hike Huron Peak just before 4 am. A 14er hike is unique because if you do it the way we do (the right way), you’ll start in the dark (headlamp required) and watch the sunrise as you rise up the mountain yourself (unless you make it to the top even before the sunrise).

Watching the sunrise while hiking a 14er is a beautiful experience.

It took us about 2 hours to reach the summit, which is around 14,006-14,012 ft. (Different sources say different things). The mountain recently became the smallest 14er in the state, now smaller than Sunshine Peak, which was previously considered the shortest one. But, apparently, despite what I’d heard, these mountains are not shrinking as the elderly do. The updated rankings are thanks to a new and improved measuring system. Luckily, no 14ers lost their status because of this.

Upon reaching the peak, we saw two other groups there, one solo guy, and a group of two dudes. The group of two had started about an hour before we did. So, while we weren’t the first people to summit that day, it was pretty quiet until the way back down (when the real swarms started coming). As much as people think it’s crazy to start a hike before 5 am, I think it’s crazier to start a 14er any later than that, but to each their own I suppose. And I say this as someone who has never been much of a morning person. Living in Colorado will change your habits!

After hanging out at the summit for about ten minutes, taking it all in, snapping our pics, eating RX bars, and chatting briefly with our fellow hikers, we began our descent. Depending on who you are, this part could be easier or harder than the climb. I get a little nervous going down over the loose rocks, so I was definitely slow-moving for that part of it, which is mostly just toward the summit. I slipped and lost my balance a couple of times, but nothing detrimental.

More and more people were hitting the trail as we went down. We even saw some trail runners. There’s always someone doing the most out here! We took a brief excursion to check out a waterfall before heading back to the main trail and continuing our way to the car. We jogged the last little bit, which is something we’ve been doing lately.

At the car, we changed out of our hiking boots and began situating all of our stuff to clear out. When I went up to unzip the tent, a swarm of moths flew out from underneath the zipper flap. EW! I went in, got all the bedding, and passed it down to Jon. We have a system! As he was compressing the tent afterward, even more moths revealed themselves. It was like when a magician pulls endless streamers from a hat.

A picture I snapped on the way down.

Next, it was time to head to brunch. We thought we were headed to a place called The Buena Vista, assuming it was in the nearby town of Buena Vista. Unfortunately, as Jon pulled up the maps and could not find the place, he eventually realized it was in San Francisco. So, our plan hit some bumps. We did some more searching and called another place to confirm their breakfast hours. I was trying to pull up Timberline Craft Kitchen in Silverthorne, but had actually brought up a place in Utah called Timberline Restaurant, AIAIAI! (Their brunch did look good). While the correct Timberline also had an enticing brunch menu, and I’d like to go at some point, we ultimately decided it wasn’t quite what we wanted and cost slightly more than we wanted to spend.

We ended up going with Bread + Salt in Frisco. (They also have a Lakewood location). We started off with a bottle of prosecco with orange juice and grapefruit juice on the side to make mimosas. We also ordered the Challah French toast to split for a little sweet bite before our main meals. Jon went for the Two Eggs Meal (but he made it 3 eggs), which came with eggs your way (over medium for him), hashbrowns, bread, and added sausage. I ordered the Chipotle Pork Benedict, which had two poached eggs on an English muffin, roasted pork, and house-made chipotle hollandaise. It was a delicious version of a benedict, and it almost reminded me of a pot roast. The brunch was very satisfying, as it always is after a 14ers. And with that, we made our way back to Denver (where we ended up meeting up with some of our friends on a bar crawl).

Huron Peak is considered one of the “easier” 14ers, as far as 14ers go. As a class 2, there’s a bit of scree (A collection of loose stones or fragments of rock), and route finding is required. Shout out to Jon with the fancy Garmin and map reading skills! There were some sections where I was a bit more cautious, but overall, it wasn’t too crazy. Aside from not being crazy technical, I would also say it wasn’t crazy strenuous. This could also be because I’m in better shape than I was for the previous 14ers. Not that I was in bad shape, but I’ve been amping up my cardio and generally improving my fitness lately. There were some parts where I was working my legs harder and breathing a bit heavier, but it wasn’t as hard work as I remember from the past 14ers I’ve done (Decalibron Loop, Mount Elbert, and Handies Peak). I was prepared to hate my life for a good chunk of it, but I actually felt super strong and comfortable. A win!

I would definitely recommend Huron Peak, especially if you haven’t done any 14ers. I think it would be a great first one, but it’s also fun for those who’ve already bagged some peaks. It was very pretty and not overly challenging.

Keep in mind, the difficulty will naturally vary from person to person. It may be a struggle for some and a breeze for others. Either way, conquering a 14er is an awesome accomplishment. Of course, it’s important for anyone doing these hikes to do their research and prepare appropriately.

Takeaways

Triple-check that your brunch spot is in the state and ensure you have backup options.
Huron Peak is a great 14er, whether it’s your first one, or you’ve done many!

To view more images from our Huron adventure, check out the gallery below.

Mountains before sunrise at the beginning of our hike