Minturn, Colorado

Located at 11,360' and owned by the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association, Francies Cabin was built in memory of Frances Lockwood Bailey in 1994 and is located just a short distance (5 mile drive, 1.05 mile hike) from town of Breckenridge, Colorado. It has a summer and winter capacity of 20 peop...

The trek starts just outside of Leadville near Turquoise Lake at 9800 ft. The first day you'll travel 6.5 miles and gain 1700 ft. to Uncle Bud's Hut, which sits around 11,400 ft. The second day you'll ski 7.1 miles to Skinner Hut and gain 2100 ft, mostly in the last 3 miles after having dropped...

There are a couple routes to Section Hut on Boreas Pass, but the best adds trekking through the forest on Baker's Tank trail. Starting at 10,350' at the TH, look for a trail in the woods that starts climbing relatively quickly. Follow this for about 2.5 miles to the junction with the road and B...

Drive past the main downtown of Leadville and then head into the mountains south of town, following Mt. Sherman Road to the Yurt parking along a ridge before you come to the Black Cloud Mine. There are signs that say "Yurt Parking". Follow the road a little further down to a jeep road just before...

Boreas pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains that sits on the Continental Divide at 11,481'. Forest Service Road 33 goes over the pass and has numerous campsites all along its length, with several near the summit that feature breathtaking views of the Tenmile Range and the Breckenri...

Colorado Trail: Mount Elbert Trailhead to Twin Lakes is a point-to-point trail that takes you by a lake located near Leadville, Colorado.

Herman Gulch is one of those special places that makes you fall in love with Colorado all over again. This spectacular wildflower hike that ends at an alpine lake will have your head swiveling from start to finish. Wildflower season is July and August, with peak season being mid-to-late July. Ple...

Its sister trail, Butler Gulch, is an all-time favorite hike (both summer and winter), and since they share a trailhead, I knew Jones Pass would be special as well.Jones Pass is not the type of trail I normally take, since it is actually a 4x4 road that is used for Jeeping in the summer and snowm...

McNamara Hut sits in the national forest on the slope of Bald Knob, with easy access to intermediate backcountry skiing and more challenging terrain further away. Built in 1982, it's one of the original huts in the 10th Mountain Division system along with Margy's Hut. The hut comes stocked with...

This 8.8 mile "loop" is not a true loop and the trail ends 4 miles apart along Independence Pass, so a car shuttle is recommended. I would recommend starting at the west trailhead (closer to Aspen) but will describe both trailheads so you can set up another car or shuttle at the other one.1) West...

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...

The drive to the start of the trail is okay, having a high clearance vehicle would make the drive easier, but is not necessary.  Free parking is available along the side of the road.The trail starts on a closed service road at a gate and requires you to either hike or bike up the dirt road (2 mil...

At about an hour's drive from Denver, Grays Peak (14,270 ft./4338m) and its sister mountain, Torreys Peak (14,267 ft./4337m), are two of the most popular 14ers in the state. Because of this, a wealth of information is available on the internet. Rather than go into all the details of the technical...

Park at the Buttermilk Ski Area parking lot and begin your hike up the mountain at the bottom of the Summit Express chair lift. Follow the 4x4 dirt road the entire way up Buttermilk. There are other small hiking trails that you can follow too, and with the entire mountain being a ski area, it's s...

Hope Pass is accessed from the Willis Gulch trailhead about 25 miles outside of Leadville, Colorado. To get to the trail head, follow Highway 24 East for about 16 miles until you arrive at the junction for Highway 82. Turn right and follow Highway 82 for about 8.3 miles. You will see a sign on th...

Guanella Pass, which connects the charming and historic town of Georgetown in the north to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Grant to the south, is a recreational outdoorsman’s dream. Volumes could be written on what this 22-mile scenic byway has to offer. Silver Dollar Lake Trail is just one tiny po...