Tracy Salcedo - Best Easy Day Hikes Boulder

Best Easy Day Hikes Series

Best Easy Day Hikes Boulder

Second Edition

Tracy Salcedo-Chourr

Help Us Keep This Guide Up to Date

Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, facilities come under new management, etc.

We would appreciate hearing from you concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, well take them to heart and well also make certain to share them with the author. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:

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Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

Copyright 2011 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

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Project editor: David Legere

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN 978-1-4930-0491-1

The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Contents

The Hikes

Acknowledgments

Thanks to these organizations for their help reviewing hike descriptions for accuracy: Boulder County Parks and Open Space; City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks; and the Colorado State Parks Department.

Thanks to these folks for help with the first edition of this guide: Pascale Fried, Brent Wheeler, Matt Claussen, George Meyers, and Erica Olsen.

Thanks to the expert editors, layout artists, mapmakers, and proofreaders at FalconGuides and Globe Pequot Press for making this guide the best it can be.

Thanks to Karen Charland, Peggy Biehoffer, and Penn Chourr for company on the trails. Thanks to the Salcedo clan and the Chourr clan for their ongoing support.

Most of all, thanks to my sons, Jesse, Cruz, and Penn; and my husband, Martin.

Introduction

The Flatirons, distinctive slabs of smooth red rock, bridge the gap between the city of Boulder and Colorados high country. The rocks are a defining feature of the college towns landscape, and their skyward reach beckons hikers, climbers, and skiers onto higher ground.

Like the Flatirons, Boulder is unique. It boasts the hippest people, food, and shopping in the state; the educational stimulus of the University of Colorados flagship campus; and some of the Front Ranges loveliest terrain. Its also a recreational mecca: Hiking is just one selection in a candy store of outdoor activities you can choose from. With this collection of trails, Ive tried to pay suitable homage to Boulders spirit and landscape. Many of the hikes are in sight of the Flatirons stunning natural architecture; the rest explore the high country to the west, and a few venture onto the prairie that stretches eastward.

This guide has been a long time in the making, having its origins in a 12 Short Hikes guide I wrote more than fifteen years ago, just after my twins were born. The first Falcon edition was an expansion of that guide; this is a distillation of both, with updated information on old favorites and a few new routes. To accommodate the new, Ive had to jettison some of the old, but Ive retained references to those hikes as options. Parting with the oldies was hard, but Boulder is blessed in its dedication to the preservation and sustainable use of its wildlands, so endless possibilities for future modificationand for explorationremain.

Ive been away from the Rockies for a few years now. But, having spent seventeen years of my adult life in Colorado, it is and always will be my second home. In researching trails for this second edition, I was struck yet again by the grandeur of Boulders landscape and felt fortunate to be able to walk old, familiar paths with a new, more appreciative perspective. I hope this guidebook will not only get you out there but will also inspire you to support the ongoing preservation efforts that have been so successful through years. Hike on!

The Nature of Boulder

Trails in Boulder and its foothills range from rough and hilly to flat and paved. Hikes in this guide cover the gamut. While by definition a best easy day hike poses little danger to the traveler, knowing a few details about the nature of the region will enhance your explorations.

Weather

Late spring, summer, and fall are the optimal times to enjoy trails on Colorados Front Range. Temperatures are generally moderate, and precipitation is usually limited to scattered afternoon thunderstorms.

Typical daytime temperatures in the prime hiking season range from the mid-50s to the upper 80s, with the occasional heat wave or cold snap. Generally, the higher you go in elevation, the cooler the air, so if hot weather is predicted for the plains, venture into the high country for cooler temps.

Thunderstorms are most likely early in spring and in late summer, when monsoon moisture from the south collides with cooler mountain air to create dangerous thunderheads. To avoid the potential hazards of lightning strikes and heavy rain, try to be off the trail by midafternoon. Be sure to wear layers and carry rain gear.

Winter cold, snow, and ice may limit access to trails between October and May, but with the proper gear, especially waterproof footwear, many of the routes described herein can be traveled year-round.

Potential Hazards

While the only critters youre likely to encounter on Boulders trails are butterflies and bunnies, there is the chance you may run across an animal with the potential to cause harm.

Encounters with bears, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions are unlikely, but possible. Signs at trailheads warn hikers if these animals might be present and in most cases include information on how you should behave in the event of an encounter. Making noise while hiking will likely scare off any black bears in the vicinity. Snakes generally only strike if they are threatened: Keep your distance, and they will keep theirs. If you come across a cat, make yourself as big as possibledo not run. If you dont act like or look like prey, you stand a good chance of not being attacked.