Colorado Hiked: Sandbeach Lake
In the standard Friday afternoon tradition a group chat was sent at work asking what everyone was up to for the weekend. The standard replies of activities with children, housework, and so on was sent. Then there was me: “I’m hiking to the beach!” As expected the response was met with crickets and GIFs expressing…
Colorado Hiked: Kruger Rock via Limber Pine Trail
An opportunity for 360-degree views without having to climbing up above 10,000 feet or enter into Rocky Mountain National Park?! Sign me up! Hiking to Kruger Rock has been on my radar for awhile now after seeing photos of friends summiting with the gorgeous views in the background. While most accomplish the hike in under…
A Hidden Gem: Backpacking to Mirror Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
Every year when planning for my Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness campsite permits, I like to look off the beaten path of the crazy busy east side. This year the choice was Mirror Lake, one of the park’s northernmost alpine lakes. With plans filling July and August, I decided to make the journey to Mirror…
Colorado Hiked: Blue Lake in the Rawah Wilderness
Y’all! I just can’t with myself! I keep continually planning, and then driving to, Rocky Mountain National Park to hike… forgetting there’s an entire area the same distance to me with a fraction of the crowds, empty trailhead parking lots, and alpine areas to explore! After realizing I lacked the desire to wake up as…
Rocky Mountain National Park CDT Loop: Day 4 -Along the Big Meadows
August 25, 2025 All good things must come to an end 😦 After three amazing days out in the wilds of Rocky Mountain National Park section hiking the Continental Divide Trail, it was time to finish out my loop with a nine mile jaunt back to my car at North Inlet Trailhead. Trip itinerary (day…
Rocky Mountain National Park CDT Loop: Day 3 – Across the Great Divide to Tonahutu Meadows
August 24, 2025 The day I had been most anticipating had arrived! After a day of side questing to Lakes Nokoni and Nanita, I’d be heading back on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) section through Rocky Mountain National Park. Anticipation was high because I’d have nearly 2,900 feet of elevation gain in my day as…
Rocky Mountain National Park CDT Loop: Day 2 – Side Quest to Lakes Nokoni & Nanita
August 23, 2025 When in Rome… and when the backcountry lakes are a 20-mile roundtrip otherwise… While many complete the CDT Loop through Rocky Mountain National Park as a three-day, two-night excursion, I decided to add in an extra night so I could hike to Lakes Nokoni and Nanita as a side quest to this…
Rocky Mountain National Park CDT Loop: Day 1 – North Inlet Trailhead to Pine Marten
August 22, 2025 Stretching roughly 3,100 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (or CDT) has been an object of my obsession for quite awhile now. While I have chewed off small bits here and there on foot and mountain bike over the years, recently I have…
It’s All in My Backpack: Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Campsite Reviews & Information
The first time I ever backpacked was in a national park – Crater Lake National Park in southwestern Oregon in the middle of winter. I was instantly hooked on traveling with everything I needed for my survival and comfort strapped on my back, with my car and comforts miles away. Since then, I have tried…
Colorado Hiked: American Lakes and Thunder Pass
I’m a creature of habit, and if I am going to drive two hours to hike I more often than not end up in Rocky Mountain National Park – specifically the entrances from Estes Park. Which is quite fine, though there is the hassle of timed entry reservations and crowds during the summer and fall.…
Cirque Du Sore Legs – 2023 Hiking Recap
In June 2023 my friend and coworker Janice made it a goal to become more active and start hiking. She roped in our other friend (and coworker) Taylor and myself into the shenanigans and a thing was started! Eventually by autumn we decided we needed a cool hiker gang name, and Cirque Du Sore Legs was born. Our…
Colorado Hiked: Crosier Mountain via Glen Haven
Adventurer Alastair Humphreys posted about “Local 7 Summits” at the beginning of 2024, and I decided it would be a good challenge for my hiking friends, Janice and Taylor, to complete as they continue their hiking journey. With Deer Mountain and Mount Margaret under our belts, I irrationally chose Crosier Mountain outside of Estes Park…
Colorado Hiked: Mount Margaret
It is not often you hike to a summit that is lower than the trailhead and one that shares a name with a princess that has been recent obsession in the friend circle! Taylor, Janice, and I loaded up our packs with freshly brewed British black tea, whiskey, twenty pounds of trailmix, and headed south…
Wild Ice Skating at Sky Pond
Sky Pond has been taunting me ever since I bought a scratch off “100 Greatest Hikes of National Parks” poster… and when, in 2022, I hiked as far of Lake of Glass and then turned around. So when the familiar “ding” of the group chat for wild ice skating went off as I was trying to…
Colorado Hiked: Mount McConnel
Sometimes you just need a wee lil’ mountain to climb! Luckily there was such a mountain tucked up Poudre Canyon in the Cache La Poudre Wilderness Area: Mount McConnel. With a summit elevation of 8,008 feet, Mount McConnel seemed to me like a great way to gain some elevation without committing to a longer drive, logistics, early…
2023 Adventuring Year-in-Review
In the past I’m not sure how I’ve felt about year-in-review posts, but I think of all years, it is needed for 2023 for personal reasons. It is so easy to get bogged down in the minutia and mundane of every day life that one forgets exactly how awesome things were! January For many years my…
Colorado Hiked: Rocky Mountain National Park’s Bridal Veil Falls
Drawing over 4.5 million visitors a year, and ranking as one of the most visited national parks in the United States, it can seem like Rocky Mountain National Park is a headache to visit in the high season. I mean, who goes into nature for crowds, amIright? Thankfully, there are approximately 355 miles of hiking…
Colorado Hiked: Mount Alice
This blog is really covering two topics – my first solo backpacking trip and summiting Mount Alice, so might get a bit long winded… Honestly, a lot of Rocky Mountain National Park’s highest summits are off the beaten path, and not easily accomplished as day hikes (Longs Peak being the perfect example of this as…
A Weekend at Lost Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
When you’re scrambling to figure out wilderness camping permits the night before they go on sale, everything seems like a good idea… especially hauling a forty-pound pack for ten miles up 3000 feet of elevation gain! Okayyy… the trip to Lost Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park was well worth it, and I should not…
Colorado Hiked: Ouzel Lake
Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses 415 square miles, with 300 miles of hiking trails. So much park to explore, so little time… Wild Basin is one area of RMNP that I had not made it to, as I am a creature of habit that returns over and over to the Bear Lake Corridor and areas…
A Night Out in Rocky Mountain National Park’s Glacier Gorge
This season I was not entirely successful in nabbing the exact wilderness camping permits I wanted in Rocky Mountain National Park, but I was successful in getting one of the hardest ones to get – Glacier Gorge! As my first overnight backpack of the year, this would be a great way to get weight on…
On Top of Colorado – Mount Elbert
I can’t quite figure out why I was fourteen 14ers (the slang term for 14,000+ foot high mountains in Colorado and elsewhere) deep until deciding to head up Mount Elbert, but finally the time came where I had to commit to checking Elbert off the list. Mount Elbert is Colorado’s high point, the second highest…
Colorado Parkin’ Day 7 – Great Sand Dunes National Park
May 26, 2023 Good thing I had a good night’s sleep the night before, as I did not feel very rested when my super early morning alarm went off. After battling with the incredibly rude campground neighbor’s who were still blasting music and carrying on by midnight, I was just exhausted. But I had a…
Colorado Parkin’ Day 6 – Treasure Falls, Great Sand Dunes National Park, & Zapata Falls
May 25, 2023 Hands down I had the BEST night of sleep ever, sleeping about eleven hours as the East Fork San Juan River roared in my ears. I cannot remember the last time I awoke feeling this refreshed! I took the morning slow, preparing some breakfast and coffee, which I enjoyed in my hammock…
Colorado Parkin’ Day 5 – Aztec Ruins National Monument & Chimney Rock National Monument
May 24, 2023 Time to get on the road again! Today would be the start of what I would call my two “down days” of the trip, where I did not have a particularly busy itinerary. It was time to leave Mesa Verde National Park and briefly visit New Mexico before heading into the San…
Colorado Parkin’ Day 4 – Mesa Verde National Park
May 23, 2023 Time to continue my immersion in Ancestral Puebloan culture and ruins! It was another early morning, par for course of my adventures. I had a 9:30am Cliff Palace tour ticket, and since it can take quite awhile to drive through Mesa Verde National Park, I was up and at them quite early.…
Colorado Parkin’ Day 3 – Hovenweep National Monument, Yucca House National Monument, & Mesa Verde National Park
May 22, 2023 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was quite amazing, but it was time to move on south, though I could’ve spent quite a bit more time at the canyon. 255 miles of driving awaited me, including a quick bop into southern Utah. Water was boiled, coffee pressed, and tent packed up.…
Colorado Parkin’ Day 2 – Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
May 21, 2023 It simply cannot be explained… I struggle with the snooze button and push waking up until the last minute on a workday. Vacation? Oh, I’ll be up before the sun, ready to go! Don’t have to ask me twice! Another dawn wakeup in my glorious tent, excited to get going! I did…
Colorado Parkin’ Day 1 – Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, & Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
May 20, 2023 It is just about time for an adventure! After a few years of driving incredible mileage across Wyoming to go to Yellowstone, it dawned on me to maybe spend that same time driving to southern Colorado and knocking out the National Park Service units down in that area. Outside of some trips…
Colorado Hiked: Hewlett Gulch
2023 is apparently flying by, and my winter hiking plans are slowly fading into spring hiking plans. Wanting to get some solid miles back in my legs (backpacking season will be here before I know it!), I debated where to go. Weighing a desire to sleep in a bit with my mileage goal, I settled…
Colorado Hiked: Deer Mountain
Summiting a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park is usually quite the feat, but it does not always require long hours, pre-dawn starts, and going above treeline. Deer Mountain, a forested 10,013 foot peak that dominates the view as you enter the park (though if you’re like me, you’re distracted by those high alpine peaks…
Presidential Adventure 23: Day 3 – On Top of Oklahoma on Black Mesa
Chasing the highpoints of each state are definitely something I do not seriously chase, with only Panorama Point (Nebraska) and Mount Washington (New Hampshire) checked off on my list. Much like the Colorado 14ers, I’ve taken a very non-serious approach… I’ll do them, but they’re not my focus of outdoor and adventure activities. Yet, despite…
Presidential Adventure 23: Day 1 – Capulin Volcano National Monument
I guess this is a start of a tradition, as this was the second year in a row I headed out of state chasing new National Park excitement over Presidents Day weekend! This year I got the crazy idea to make a big loop down to Amarillo, Texas. I don’t think most people seek out…
Colorado Explored: Disappointment Falls & Deadman Fire Lookout
October 21, 2022 What to do, what to do on a Friday off from work? I debated weather – mostly wind – forecasts and went to bed with no plan. I originally wanted to explore the Thunder Pass area with a possible summit of Lulu Mountain, but the wind meant being above tree line would…
Colorado Hiked: Alpine Lakes of Rocky Mountain National Park
August 20, 2022 Time for one last tune-up hike before my adventure to Longs Peak! A cool, moody day called for a grand tour of some of the many alpine lakes in the Bear Lake area of Rocky Mountain National Park. My friends Tom and Sarah had done this loop a few weeks prior, and…
Colorado Hiked: Flattop Mountain
August 7, 2022 “I got us a reservation for 5am in the park!” exclaimed Sarah once she realized I had been sitting on her couch for a little while and came out to greet me. It was another weekend sleep over at one of my favorite friends’ house, and we needed to hatch a plan.…
A KÜHL Day Outdoors: Cub Lake Loop at RMNP
I partnered with KÜHL for this blog post. I received free product in exchange for my honest review of the products. December 18, 2022 After a week of subzero wind chills, blizzard warnings, and the monotony of work, it was time to break free, explore some new trails, and try out some new gear! The…
2022 Adventuring – A Year in Review
I’ve always seem to be here or there over the last decade, but damn, 2022 was a doozy! What a year, what a year!! Nine states (including the District of Columbia – new for me!). Thirty new National Park Service units. 52 Hike Challenge blown out of the water and completed months ahead of schedule.…
Lake Isabelle Winter Overnight
Type 1 Fun: Fun all the time, during and after.Type 2 Fun: Miserable during it, but not that bad on reflection, and maybe indeed a little fun. Type 3 Fun: Never fun, both during and after reflection when it is all over. I am trying to decide if my overnight adventure to Lake Isabelle was…
Colorado Hiked: Round Mountain National Recreation Trail
May 28, 2022 There is an adage in cycling – “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” This means that something will always feel hard, but you get stronger and are able to ride it faster. As I was plodding up the Round Mountain National Recreation Trail, I realized the adage also applies to…
Colorado Hiked: Cupid and Grizzly Peak D
June 4, 2022 With twelve 14,000 feet peaks under my belt, I oddly enough had not been to the top of a 13,000 foot peak (or “13er). Colorado mountain climbers can be funny like that… so with some approaching mountaineering and climbing trips, I decided an early June morning was the perfect time to finally…
Colorado Hiked: Longs Peak
August 29-31, 2022 I remember back in 2017 when I first started going up 14ers (slang for the 14,000+ foot peaks in Colorado and other US states) on foot, I remarked to my friend Lydia that I didn’t think Longs Peak would ever be on the agenda because it was “hard and scary.” Then the…
Colorado Hiked: Mount Sherman, Gemini Peak, & Mount Sheridan
What else was I suppose to do on a paid local holiday off of work? Climb mountains, naturally! Since I’ve spent 2022 getting into true hiking shape, I wanted to tick off some Colorado 14ers (mountains above 14,000 feet/4267 meters) this summer. Unfortunately most 14ers take quite the driving commitment for me from Cheyenne, and…
Colorado Hiked: Chasm Lake
If there’s one thing I’ve done in the last six months, it has been exploring Rocky Mountain National Park and area surrounding Estes Park more than I ever had. With the impending start to summer and timed entry reservation season at RMNP, I decided to squeeze in one last adventure before the hoards of tourists…
Colorado Hiked: Twin Sisters Peaks
I am a bit of a planner, what can I say? After fretting over mountain-forecast.com for the past week, I was really at a loss of what to do when the weekend neared. The ridiculously windy spring had continued in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. Needing a final training hike to “cram prepare” for Mount…
Colorado Hiked: Crosier Mountain via Garden Gate
“The weather sucks, let’s hike” I told my very best bicycle friend, Tom, in a text message. With a ridiculously windy spring shaping up in Colorado and Wyoming, I was seeking out other ways to stay active, and most importantly, to still get outdoors despite the daily hurricanes that were occurring. Tom, being new to…
A BeaUTAHful Bucket List: Day 11 – Dinosaur National Monument
Day 11 – April 5, 2022 The take aways… Belted cows are suited for a hardy environment I met the younger “know it all” version of my self at Dinosaur National Monument Cell phone signal varies greatly from one side of the parking lot to the next in Vernal, UT Crocs are amazing Wyoming will…
A BeaUTAHful Bucket List: Day 2 – Canyonlands National Park & Natural Bridges National Monument
Day 2 – March 27, 2022 The take aways… Becoming a Junior Ranger is hard work The short cut might not be a short cut after all Fuel up before venturing to the Needles district of Canyonlands Desert air is dry Have a stocked camp kitchen when traveling with me Fall asleep in places that…
A BeaUTAHful Bucket List: Day 1 – It was all in Colorado, but still amazing!
Day 1 – March 26, 2022 My travel bucket list has included a tour of Utah’s national parks and monuments for quite awhile now. I even had a map listed on my page on this blog for future trips & dreaming, but I hadn’t quite made the trip work out in the scheme of all…
Colorado Hiked: Bent Rock Trail
The first day of spring was upon me! After doing a big bike ride the day before, I decided it would be a good day for a hike. I have a big adventure coming up, and this would be a good warm up hike and test of my severely sprained ankle that I have been…
Colorado Hiked: Quandary Peak
Nothing exemplifies Type 2 fun than a winter ascent of a 14,000 foot peak! It’s been a few years since I’ve summited a Colorado 14er, and the pain of high altitude is easy to forget. With Eric in town and my friend Marie always down for crazy shenanigans, we plotted a February 13th ascent of…
Colorado Hiked: Greyrock Mountain
Sometimes the mountain does not have to be 14,000 feet for the hike to be awesome! I mean, that should go without saying… but in Colorado, there is an unofficial obsession with the 14ers that really overshadow other hikes. While I like climbing 14ers (in a form of Type 2 fun once I’m back to…
On Top of Nebraska!
On this episode of “Heidi stumbles into a random Saturday adventure…” we visit the highest peak in Nebraska! Okayyyy, “peak” may be overkill. Also, I’ve known about Panorama Point for awhile, and always planned on doing a 120 mile bike ride out there sometime from Cheyenne. But a December evening of playing around on Peakbaggers.com…
Colorado Hiked: Loch Vale and Mills Lake Winter Hike
I just had to get away. But where could I go? I’m always at Vedauwoo, and I kind of hate hiking on trails I normally mountain bike on. Hmmm… and then it popped onto my Facebook newsfeed somehow, and I realized Rocky Mountain National Park was also not having a winter just like the rest…
Desert Escape Part 2: Kokopelli Trails, KlonZo Trails, and Hurrah Pass
You can read Part 1 here After a very good night’s sleep, I awoke way too early, my body ready to go for more adventuring. My friend Sarah was still snoozing away, so I tipped toed around the hotel room, making some tea and reading, waiting for her to stir. Only Sarah could convince me…
Desert Escape Part 1: Colorado National Monument, Dinosaur Hill, and Desert Gravel CO2UT
A lack of adventures makes Heidi a dull girl. To say I was long overdue for a vacation is an understatement. Luckily I had my perfect escape moment – a gravel bike race in Fruita, CO, which would land me in proximity to one of my favorite desert getaways, Moab, UT. Vacation requests in at…
March’s Microadventure: Saturday drive up Poudre Canyon
Microadventure: National Geographic’s 2012 Adventurer of the Year, Alastair Humphreys, made this his thesis for life. He believed that capitalizing on small, close-to-home adventures was not only fun, but healthy for the explorer in all of us. Or as Alastair says, adventures that are “small and achievable, for normal people with real lives.” Just get out…
The Adventuring Heidi 