Thread ideas that didn't make the cut

[k_fergie]

I can co-sign on there being tons of old weird s**t back there for how close it is to Denver. I've spent some time wandering around off-trail back in that general vicinity. IDK about old official trails and stuff, but there's tons of decrepit infrastructure

[jibler]

yeah that is actually a selling point - it must all be pretty old seemingly - I'm guessing in those old mining days tons of folks were up on that hill doing who knows what.



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ok speaking of front range - you all are bugging me as it seems like no one is using Lovers Leap anymore? off 285 near tinytown.


we used to rage this rock down all the time back in the day. we used to just call it "The Face" because it was biggest rock wall we hung out at.






but we pretty much never technically climbed it. but this here route is about as intense as you can get near Denver area i wager. we called this "The Vee"



and there is one hair raising class 5 type move that was regularly terrifying there at the pinch point.

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not that i get up here much either anymore. last time was several years ago. mileage wise it is a limited mission. and yeah that last time i saw a bear back there - so it does seem to be clearing out

[jibler]

Albino Deer Alert!

Wolford Mountain, today. I thought at first a mountain goat was hanging with some deer? what else could explain a white form with deer.






but it moved and looked just like the others. i was never actually all that close - it was on the ridge opposite me and moving away.

[jibler]

well i thought the above was pretty cool folks. I don't know about you all. Technically i've already invented some semi-mythology about the royal albino deer queen, but whatever.

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my point now is to circle back for a shout out to our own Chief Mountain!

I thought it was more of a meaningless nub of land up there for all the lack of hype? But actually like almost a month ago i busted up there while still pretty snowy. actually i mindlessly just pulled over at the mestaa'ehehe trailhead and just instinctively followed the hard right trail cutting off that main road. luckily was able to confirm with some folks i was on track. but that added mileage to make worth it anyway.

and and i was able due to randomness of day and time to have the whole top to myself! that's a whole rock castle village up there. that qualifies.


I really thought it was a grass nub sticking up out of the trees until recent.

and was nice encore to the 2024 new spot a month challenge as i could see the january 24 warren and december 24 fairview from that one position!


oh and secondary pat on the back to me for navigational brillance just a bit? becuz i actually hit this on way to summit county. becuz becuz -- is chief really worth driving all the way up there for such a short hike? I often think of the hike/drive ratio in that kind of situation. but but - hitting in en route - damn - that's genius. plus i hadn't gone down that blue sky road in a long long time and had cool post hike drive back to idaho springs.

[jibler]

i don't know who's peeping this PBS eons on youtube these days...


...but they say rio grande rift may actually be an ancient ocean / rift that has opened and closed several times - expanding into an ocean and then getting squeezed back to nothing

rio grande part

[jibler]

yo help me out here people


are Chief mountain and the twin sisters up by estes


are those just windblown or are they actually above treeline???