Date: 11/25/2012
Who: Sammy and myself
Length: about 13 miles
Time: 7 hours
Weather: cool, sunny

On Sunday, Sammy and I hiked up the east slope of Almagre Mountain, following N. Cheyenne Canyon Creek up to Stratton Reservoir. It was a steep, very difficult hike. I had tried, and failed, on two previous occasions to find the trail which starts near Nelson Camp. The trail is unmarked, but once located, it is not very difficult to follow. It is, however, very steep with no switchbacks. I’ll definitely have to go back again sometime when my camera is working to get some photos and video.

This hike started at the 4-way parking lot (GREEN pointer), followed the RED line to Nelson Camp, then the ORANGE line to Stratton Reservoir:

View Colorado Chris Hikes in a larger map

Date: 11/18/2012
Who: Sammy and myself
Length: about 10 miles
Time: 4.5 hours
Weather: 40-55 degrees, sunny

Cookstove Mountain is in South Cheyenne Canyon between Mount Rosa and Cheyenne Mountain. From the city, it looks like it might be just a crag on the East slope of Mt. Rosa, but it is a separate peak. The valley between Rosa and Cookstove is Buffalo Canyon.

We took the trail to St. Mary’s Falls, and kept going as if we were hiking up to Mt. Rosa. There is a small trail that turns off of the main trail, and goes down a few dozen feet to the creek, a campsite and a ruined log cabin. From the cabin up, I could no longer find an actual trail, even though my Pikes Peak Atlas has a trail marked. The route was not very difficult to find, although there are steep drop-offs to avoid near the summit.

I felt some weird vibes–difficult to describe–while on the summit. Maybe it was just nervousness from being near the cliffs. I have also seen this mountain called Stove Mountain. I wonder how it got its name?

This hike followed the BLUE line, then the short PURPLE line, and back:

View Colorado Chris Hikes in a larger map

Date: 11/3/2012
Who: myself
Length: 25 miles
Time: 13 hours
Weather: 20-45 degrees, clear, moonshine/sunny, calm

On this hike, I followed Barr Trail to the summit of Pikes Peak and back. I started at 2:30 AM, hiking by moonlight, and made it to timberline for sunrise. I reached the summit at 9:00. I saw no one on the trail all the way up, but there was a guy camping on the summit. He was just packing up as I arrived. I was the only person on the summit for about 20 minutes. Then the summit house staff arrived and opened up shop. I rested for 30 minutes inside. I started back down at 10:00 AM, and made it back to the car at 3:30 PM. The last three hours were the most difficult–my legs are still sore one day later.

I have been looking forward to hiking Pikes Peak for awhile. This occasion was a sort of celebration that I have been exercising and maintaining healthy eating habits for one year. Hiking by moonlight was very interesting. The video looks very dark, but actually, the moonlight illuminated the trail quite well. For the most part, I did not need the headlamp. Watching the sunrise from treeline was my favorite part of the day–very exhilarating!

This hike followed the BLUE line:

View Colorado Chris Hikes in a larger map