Date: 8/18/2012
Distance: 7 miles
Time: 5 hours
Weather: cool, hazy
I drove up to Park County and finally hiked up a mountain which I have looked at from the car for years. The Buffalo Peaks are in the Buffalo Peak Wilderness, which is part of the San Isabel and Pike National Forests. There is no trail to the Buffalo Peak summits, so route-finding was a challenge. It was a hazy day due to smoke from wildfires in Washington state. The haze obscured what would have been fantastic views. I read that there is a-lot of wildlife in this area, including a large herd of bighorn sheep. I saw one deer and some bear scat. I noticed that a few leaves on the Aspen are starting to turn! I would like to come back here again sometime when it is not so hazy to enjoy better views, and to make a loop including West Buffalo.
First few yellow Aspen leaves of the year:
View Colorado Chris Hikes in a larger map
Wilderness area = awesome! I like the shape and textural appearance of those peaks from a distance. They almost seem like a buffalo’s back profile. Yet, the rocky sections seen from close up were a sharp contrast.
By the way, I still like your format & style of each entry. The video clips are so varied, yet concise little snippets; and ,of course, the nature photos (aspen leaves this time), maps, and narrative just round it out well for me!
Keep wandering…just don’t become like those bones on the peak!!