The earliest experiences with hiking I can remember were going Volksmarching with my dad when he was stationed in Augsburg, West Germany, in the mid- to late-80s. (Yes, it's just Germany now, but back then you definitely specified the "west" part.) Volksmarching, for those unaware, is basically hiking, but you get stamps in a little book and a neat little souvenir to take home as a prize. My dad and I would get up at o'dark-thirty, drive upwards of two hours to some small German town in Bavaria (highly recommended, btw...), and pay a very nice person for the privelege of walking around their forests on a nicely-marked trail. You're usually given the option of either a 10k hike (about 6.2 mi) or a 20k hike (12.4 mi). We always did the 10k. (It was early, we still had a 2-hour drive home, and I was, like, 12. Don't judge us.) Checkpoints are set up along the trail so someone can stamp your Volksmarching book, proving that you did, in fact, walk the hike. This is important if you want the little souvenir prize, and we always did. C'mon, you didn't think we were doing this for the pleasure, did you? Silly goose. Then came the rest area at the halfway point where you could sit, drink and eat before moving on to the end. Those were great times. It didn't matter how early it was, how cold it was, or how many people were there; it was always an incredibly fun time. Camping, of course, was a big thing for the Boy Scouts, so I got to do a lot of that as a kid too.
As an adult, not so much. Especially this year. Yesterday was my first hike of the year, and it'll probably be my only one. It was my first because I - and the people I like to hike with - were just too busy over the summer. It happens. It's probably my only hike because this time of year is hectic for my friends and family. Lots of birthdays, then the holidays. And it goes without saying that most of us are fair-weather hikers. Donning snow gear and snow shoes to walk a trail we can't even see to the top of a friggin' mountain? Um, no thanks. Just gimme a beer and let me watch football.
So I finally went hiking yesterday. My friend Doug and I went to a place near Breckenridge called Mohawk Lake Trail - a beautiful area all year long. It was gorgeous; in the 50s during the early morning but up to the high 60s by mid-day. The clouds didn't show up until early afternoon, and by then we'd already started our trek back down. It was also quiet. I know what you're thinking: Of course it was quiet, you dolt! You were away from civilization! And that's true, but the thing about Colorado is that civilization has a tendency to show itself in the wild on days like that. The cool thing, though, is that most of the time civilization's not an early riser. So, if you don't mind losing a few hours sleep and getting an early start, like we did, you can get a good deal of hiking in before meeting another person.
Coming through the first break in the trees, this is the view that awaits us.
Mohawk Lake trail is a 7-mile round-tripper, if you go all the way to the top. Mohawk Lake is actually divided into an upper and lower lake area. I've taken this trail four times now, and I've only ever managed to make it to Lower Mohawk Lake. For one reason or another, none of my friends or I have made it to the upper lake. But Doug and I have a plan...for next year.
We got to the trailhead around 9 a.m. There were four other cars parked there, but no one was around. We hiked in peace and quiet for a good hour, hour-and-a-half. In the trees, the sun blocked out by evergreens, in early October, up in the mountains...yeah, it was a little brisk. But by the time we broke through into the first clearing, it was warm and sunny. And that's how it stayed.
Taken near a beaver dam - the foreground shows the "lake" formed by it.
We would have made better time up the trail, but Doug and I also wanted to take pictures as we hiked. That meant stopping every time a beautiful scene revealed itself to us. And it did. A lot. Between that and Doug getting over being sick all week, we didn't have a lot of energy left by the time we reached the lower lake. Still, it was an awesome end to a mediocre week, which makes it just about perfect. Enjoy the pictures. These and others are also up on Facebook, so check me out there: www.facebook.com/oxygendepraved.
For more information on this and other trails in the Breckenridge area, I suggest you check out http://www.breckenridgecolorado.travel/index.html or http://www.summitcountyexplorer.com/summithikingtrails.htm. Both sites have some great information and maps for your perusal.
This one's a short post. It's Sunday, so football's starting in about 30 minutes. I'm sure y'all understand...
At the top of the Jeep trail, second half of the hike.
The more photogenic half of Lower Monarch Lake.
Remants of an old pulley system. The wheel is behind me, and you can see
the cable in the center of the pic going down the mountain.
The view from the ledge where the pulley sits.
It's to my left.
Clouds coming in as we walk down the Jeep trail.
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