Leadville, Colorado

This lake chain is in a spectacular, undeveloped bowl of jagged and rugged mountain goodness located in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area. This hidden gem is easily accessible and, to my amazement, it is relatively unheard of even among many locals. More wonderful perks included in this backpacking ...

The majority of this hike traverses through the beautiful forest that is part of the Holy Cross Wilderness. No significant views are to be had until you've climbed 1,300 ft over 2. miles and reach lower Savage Lake. The trail is easy enough to follow with no junctions along the way, and is adjace...

Quandary Peak is a popular winter 14er because of its easy access near Breckenridge, its Class 1 designation, and its low avalanche risk. While the access roads to many 14ers are closed in winter, adding extra mileage to an already grueling hike, Quandary Peak’s access is just off Hwy. 9, and the...

If the snow is not coming to you, you go where the snow is. Breckenridge is a good place to start; this beautiful ski area gets more than its fair share of snow, and is full of stunning trails. Why pay big bucks at one of the Nordic centers, when you can access acres and acres of the White River ...

The trail first takes you to Upper Blue Reservoir, about 1.4 miles in. Past this point, it can be somewhat tricky to find the trail, but for experienced hikers, the upper valley holds a number of lakes, a waterfall, and open tundra for exploring. Mountain goat sightings are also common in this ar...

Start from the McCullough gulch trailhead. If possible it would be worth having 2 cars and leaving one at the main McCullough trailhead so you don't have to walk the road on your way down. Bushwack through trees and willows up the ridge directly to the north of the trailhead. You might be lucky a...

Starting at the Rich Creek Campground this wonderful moderate hike forms a loop by connecting the Rich Creek Trail and the Tumble Creek trail. in the Buffalo Peaks wilderness. Flanked by the Collegiate Peaks, in Spring and Summer the area is awash with rushing creeks, lush wet lowlands & deep...

Once you turn off of Colorado hwy 9 onto dirt, your GPS will lead you to a gravel lot. At the end of that lot there's a pretty steep gravel road that heads NNW (GPS coords:  39°25'43.01"N 106° 4'11.30"W | Map Link if you want to plug that into your GPS for parking). From this lot you'll walk up t...

Betty Bear and Skinner Huts reside deep in the Colorado backcountry surrounded by thick forests and snowy peaks. Both of these huts offer an opportunity for off-grid leisure and crowd-free skiing. The huts come stocked with padded mattresses, wood stoves & fuel, propane burners, all cookware ...

The Northwest Ridge is the most easily accessible and popular route, and for good reasons. The trailhead is on the side of Hwy 82, otherwise known as Independence Pass, about 14.5 miles from the Hwy 24 junction, or about 10 miles from Twin Lakes to the east. The trailhead is hard to miss, and you...

Twining Peak is a ranked 13er located 2 miles north of Independence Pass. The hike involves around 1700 feet of elevation and is mostly off-trail with some class 2 scrambling (class 3 can be had if you look hard enough). Independence Pass is a prominent and popular pass on Highway 82 between Twin...

The trailhead is to the Independence Pass viewing deck is located at the Summit parking area, which is about 20 miles from Aspen and 24 miles west of Highway 24 on the Leadville side. At the parking area you will notice a paved walkway that takes you to the viewdeck, which is a easy five minute w...

Park at the pull out just west of independence pass. From there, begin on the Linkin's Lake Trail. The trail is generally easy to follow (although it can be muddy as it is a wet area) and climbs 900 feet in the 1.8 miles to independence lake. From Independence lake it is about 0.5 miles and 400 f...

Start in the town of either Aspen or Twin Lakes and continue on Interstate 82 to the top of Independence Pass. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for the Ghost Town of Independence, fields of wildflowers and the occasional moose, elk or deer. Continue on to the top of the pass where you will fi...

From Aspen CO, drive up highway 82 towards Twin Lakes and stop at the top of the pass.Once you reach the continental divide there will be a sign that says Independence Pass with an elevation of 12,095 feet. Here you can park the car for free and use the bathroom area.To photograph the milky way y...

While this is a more of a photography adventure and a fall drive to take through Colorado, there are also many areas to hike along the way. The drive can start from really anywhere in the general area. From the front range area of Colorado, head up I70 and get off toward Twin Lakes around Copper....