Abyss Lake lies tucked under Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans above the Ranch in the Pike National Forest.
As fall draws to a close and we settle into the routine of school days and work days, it is easy to forget the adventures of summer, tucked away into daydreams that I slip into so easily while at work!
I always feel like the days spent hiking, or in the saddle, seem to stretch out into long, vibrant memories, where in every moment my senses were extra attentive, so that I now can remember the feeling of the wind on my face or the smell of the dried grass blowing by my feet. There is a youthful sense of the possibility that each summer day holds for some sort of grand adventure, taking to the trail and letting the experience wash around you until when the day finally ends, you feel as though it could not possibly have been better.
My favorite days like this, days where every second has become a cherished memory of sunshine and wind blowing my hair across my face, are the days I spent hiking around the Pike National Forest, which surrounds the Ranch. Tumbling River offers amazing horseback riding; however, there is also great fishing, exciting white water rafting, and some of the best hiking I have ever done. Trails take off in every direction from the Ranch itself, as well as from trailheads both up and down the valley of Geneva Creek, including up at Guanella Pass, two thousand feet above us. They range from mild paths weaving around Coors Falls, to the daylong trek to Lake, to the steep scramble up to the summit of Mt. Bierstadt, topping out at 14,060 ft.
One of the shorter hikes near the Ranch is up our very own Flag Mountain, which overlooks the Ranch, making the buildings look like pieces of a model train kit. The climb starts just opposite the rodeo arena and heads up to a low saddle under Flag Mountain and a shoulder of the ridge line that defines the creek valley. From there, it turns into a rough trail leading directly up the mountain to the the crest, where there is a rock cairn holding up the TRR flag, signed by all those who have made it to the top.
Joe & Louise enjoy the view over South Park to the mountains from the Colorado Trail.
For longer hikes near the Ranch, one of my personal favorites was on the Colorado Trail, just a short drive away at Kenosha Pass. I took a day to go explore the trail, heading out from the trailhead and climbing to an overlook of South Park, sprawling out below me in a golden plain. From the overlook onwards, I saw hardly anyone- I felt like I was truly immersed in the open grasslands, enjoying the feeling the the sun seeping into my skin, the stretch in my legs as I climbed over gentle hillocks and followed the curving trail along the Divide. The emptiness sometimes makes me feel like an explorer seeing the land for the first time- and making note of every detail so that you can describe it to someone who has never seen such a broad stretch of the land before, open all the way to the horizon, crowned with snow-capped peaks. When you are looking at the sea of land opening in front of you, it is easy to imagine how an early American would have felt when told of this new open land compared to the rocky narrow mountains of New England- disbelief would have been my response! The geography of the area of is so exaggerated as to seem unreal. The sense of exaggeration, of things being larger than life, spreads into every part of my day out hiking. Sure enough, the memory now is held close in my mind, undiluted by the time that has passed since I was there. A perfect summer adventure.
