8-04-2018 Brainard Lake - Niwot Cutoff Trailhead - Roosevelt Nat'l Forest

-
This morning was another early start to get to Lake Isabelle in the Roosevelt National Forest.  A hike not much known for its elevation but for its'  4.5 mile hike to beautiful Lake Isabelle.  We met for coffee to go in Denver at 7 and then took the hour and 45 minute drive northwest to the destination.


Even though we got there early there was still a half hour wait to get into the park. The  official recommendation was to get there by 5:30 AM to avoid any waits.


The immediate views and subsequent walk to the real trailhead were a great start.





We then hit the real trailhead.  At this point the strong smell of fresh pine was all around us.


A pic to start the hike


The entire hike up to the lake is stunning.  No words will do it justice so here are the pics.











Made it!




And the requisite post hike drink




Roosevelt National Forest info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_National_Forest

Isabelle Lake hiking info:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/lake-isabelle 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

8-25-2018 Halfmoon Pass Take Two

-
Image
The first time I attempted this hike I was not in great hiking shape for the elevation but after a couple of months of acclimation we made the trek back up there the payoff was fantastic. The parking lot was deceptively full as we saw almost no one on the trail the whole way up. The wooded trail to the pass was the same as it was before. However, once we got passed where we stopped before the section leading up to the pass itself has some stunning scenery. And then the pass itself. We decided to trek a little further towards Holy Cross to take in some equally as stunning views And the post hike reward This 4.3 mile hike is well worth the steady incline to get there as the views are the most beautiful I have seen since being out here.  Highly recommended. Trail Info: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/half-moon-trail Bonus video:
Read more

6-22-2018 Lookout Mountain and Mount Evans

-
Image
I thought a nice introductory hike to reassimilate back into Colorado was to go to Lookout Mountain.  Great views but without "peaking" to early (sorry). After grabbing some food to-go in Golden I took an easy ride up to Lookout.  Some great scattered clouds added to the views. Some great views of the plains and of Denver way in the distance There were several hiking trails around that i did not have time to try out but will revisit soon to experience. I then became spontaneous and decided to venture further west and drive up Mount Evans. On the way up I passed Summit Lake and made a note to stop by on my way back down. I was surprised at how narrow the roads were on the way up Finally made it to the top and was greeted by some indifferent wildlife The top was windy and cold but the views were pretty great. Heading back down the mountain was a slightly different adventure as you are now closer to the edge o...
Read more

9-1-2018 North Table Loop

-
Image
North Table Mountain is a beautiful and expansive hike through dusty switchbacks leading up to a grand view of Denver's surroundings.  This is a perfect example of big sky country. It was a warm day full of sun, clouds and light rain but none of it detrimental to the experience. This is the type of scenery seen in old westerns. When the sun was out it was hot but it cooled down nicely when the clouds rolled in, adding some dramatic heft to the experience. The top flattens out and just as beautiful. We then made our way down the other side to head back. And finally a post hike celebration of beers and po'boys at New Terrain brewery Trail info: https://dayhikesneardenver.com/north-table-mountain-trail-hikes-golden-colorado/
Read more