Easter Hike- Mt. Sanitas

Since moving to Colorado we have started a tradition of hiking on Easter. Today was a beautiful day so we were able to keep the tradition alive. I have been wanting to hike Mt. Sanitas in Boulder for quite some time as it is a popular local hike and a good work out!

Mt. Sanitas Trail Stats:

Round Trip Length: 3.1 miles
Start-End Elevation: 5,520' - 6,843' 
Elevation Gain: 1,323'
Skill Level: Moderate

The Mt Sanitas Trailhead is located on Mapleton Road in Boulder, Colorado. Parking is limited, but we got lucky today and found a really close spot on the roadside. We started our hike at the parking area just past the pavilion housing picnic tables. We walked a short distance and reached a trail junction and took the Mt. Sanitas Trail on the left which heads up the south ridge. 

The trail is well maintained and consists of log stairs and large stepping stones. 

It is a straight shot the entire way up to the top. The ridge plateaus in spots along the way so you can stop to catch your breath. I had to at many times! 

There were many people on the trail today, and somebody even hid some Easter eggs along the way. We spotted a couple of them.

We reached the rocky summit after a steady vertical ascent. We perched ourselves on the rocks and enjoyed the beautiful panoramic views. 

Chipmunk at the summit :)

You can return the same way you came up, but we decided to hike slightly east and south on the Sanitas Valley Trail. The first part of the descent is pretty steep and hard on the knees, but eventually the trail evens out. The views of the open hillsides are beautiful. The Sanitas Valley Trail led us back to the parking area. 

It was a beautiful day in Boulder to play in the mountains. Happy Easter! :)

Celebrating 1 year of blogging!

Today marks the one year anniversary of my blog! I still consider myself a beginner to this whole blogging thing, but I have learned a considerable amount in my first year taking a crack at it. I wrote 28 posts, some better than others, and it was not always easy. There were many bouts of writer's block, hours spent editing, writing, and re-writing, and I even went through that dreadful experience of losing all of my work once because I did not save properly! Ugghhh- we have all been there at some point right? I think the hardest part about blogging though is putting yourself out there. It is a little scary. I was such a beginner to hiking when I started that I worried readers would judge me for my lack of experience or knowledge. I stressed a lot about that, but then I realized who cares? I can't be the only one out there that doesn't always bring the right gear, gets lost, feels winded, or is scared of exposure? Who wants to read about that perfectly fit super adventurer that never makes mistakes anyway! :) I have learned that it is best to be honest and sharing the exciting moments as well as the embarrassing ones can be very rewarding and therapeutic. I have truly enjoyed sharing my experiences with you and look forward to sharing many more! :) Thank you for reading!

Snowshoeing South Foothills Trail to Wonderland Lake and the Old Kiln Trail in Boulder

I watched the snow fall from the window at work on Saturday and wished I could be out there playing in it. I sent a text to Jim to see if he would be up for another snowshoe hike on Sunday. He said yes. I was so happy I announced to my co-workers I was going snowshoeing tomorrow with a big smile!  My friend and walking partner at work Rhonda understood my excitement. She just got a new pair of snowshoes for Christmas too. She suggested maybe Jim and I could go on a snowshoe hike with her and her husband Rob. The more the merrier!

She said she would research some trails and then text me later that night to make a plan.

Rhonda is an avid hiker and is very knowledgeable about the trails in the area. After she did some research she texted me a few different trails we could try out and we decided we would go to the Betasso Preserve which is up Boulder Canyon. The Canyon Loop Trail is about 3 miles so we figured that would be a good one as it was pretty close to home and not too long of a hike for the guys! :) She said they would pick us up around 9:00 a.m. I couldn't wait.

I woke up Sunday morning and saw that more snow had fallen in the night. Yay! I also saw that the high of the day was going to be 18°. That might scare someone else off, but not me! Rhonda sent a text that morning to make sure we were still up for snowshoeing considering the weather. I responded "Yup! You?" and my hardcore friend Rhonda replied "Yes we will be on our way soon." We layered ourselves properly and went downstairs to meet our friends.

Jim and I loaded our snowshoes in the back of Rhonda and Rob's car and off we went. 

As we started driving into Boulder we were surprised to see how terrible the road conditions were. The roads had not been plowed and because of the cold temps overnight they were covered with ice. Not ideal for driving up a canyon. We figured if the main roads looked as bad as they did, that the mountain roads would be even worse. Rather than risking an accident we decided to change our destination. Rhonda had one of her hiking books in the car and quickly perused it to find a new trail. She suggested the South Foothills Trail which is about 1 mile west on Lee Hill Road from the intersection of Broadway in Boulder. This was not too far from where we were at the time so we all thought it sounded like a good idea. 

We arrived at the parking lot and saw other cars so we knew we wouldn't be the only crazy ones out there hiking in the cold. :) Rob and Jim commented that we may not even need snowshoes as the snow was packed down and not very deep. Rhonda and I did not care- we wanted to use our snowshoes! The guys laughed and started gearing up too. 

We headed on the trail which was relatively easy and flat. The south portion of the Foothills Trail (.9 miles) joins the Wonderland Lake Trail (1.2 miles) to form a lollipop loop.

The men led the way chatting the whole time, while Rhonda and I brought up the rear enjoying our girl time. :)  We passed a few other snowshoeing groups too. 

We made it to Wonderland Lake which is a wildlife sanctuary providing essential habitat for waterfowl, prairie dogs, coyote, fox, rattlesnakes, raptors, and mule deer.

At one point Rhonda thought she saw a coyote in the far distance, but it could have been a dog out with one of the other snowshoeing groups.

 A couple of the nice dogs we met on the trail enjoying the snow day!

We took some pictures by the snow covered lake and decided rather than walking around it to head back and follow another trail we passed along the way that went up towards the mountains.

We followed the Old Kiln trail for about 0.5 miles which turns out to be pretty much the end of it.

The view from the top was beautiful.

We were lucky to spot a large buck and 2 other deer on the mountain across from us. It's always nice to see wildlife on the trails.

One of the large deer we spotted

We stayed at the top for a bit before we headed back just chatting and taking in the beautiful winter wonderland around us.

 

At one point we were all huddled in a circle and I looked down and saw a fun photo opportunity.

We made it back to the parking lot and I checked my pedometer. We had done 2.91 miles in about 2 hours. Not too shabby! Although it was only 11° I stayed nice and warm. The only gear item I wish I had was a neck gaiter, as my nose, cheeks and mouth were very cold. I decided I would order one online later that day.

It was great to spend the morning playing in the snow with our friends! I hope we can do it again sometime soon!