Winter hikes for a Florida native?

[vondiesel]

Hi all-

I've lived in CO for 2.5 years now and I've done a few 14ers in summer and autumn. I've also enjoyed some easy hikes around state parks like Staunton and Castlewood. But I'm originally from Florida, so hiking through bitter cold and snow in Winter isn't (yet) my idea of fun.

My wife got me both state and national park annual passes for Christmas, and I intend to get maximum use out of them. So, for the winter months before it warms up and I get back to the 14ers, can anyone recommend some nice day hikes or trails in CO state parks or RMNP that I might enjoy? Where can I go for beautiful views and fresh air without snowshoes or other gear? I'm in the Denver area, so anything in the Front/Mosquito/Tenmile/Gore etc. areas (within about 2hr drive) is probably good. Stuff on the western part of the state is sadly out of range right now for me, although I want to get to some of the Sawatch and San Juans this coming summer.

One day I might become a glutton for winter punishment, but not yet. Until then, where should I go? THANKS!

[HarkNeal]

A lot of the higher-elevation areas will probably be sufficiently snowed in right now. You may have to stick to foothills hikes.

With that in mind have you been to Roxborough State Park? Carpenter Peak might not be a bad hike if the trail is clear. Mt. Falcon and Bergen Peak are also good for a workout although you may encounter a significant amount of packed snow on the latter. Bring microspikes just in case if you have them.

[rdp32]

First off, I would highly recommend buying a pair of Kahtoola microspikes. With them, you can head out on the foothill hikes or the early-season hikes and not worry about hitting unexpected patches of ice/snow. I'd recommend getting a cheap pair of trekking poles, too, as they help a lot on random snow/ice patches. I was in the same boat as you (also moved here 3 years ago) and started a thread here on getting into winter hiking (http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... 2&start=84). That thread was very helpful for me, and I think it has some suggestions for off-season small peaks if you want to avoid the snow and cold. Having said that, here's my recommendation for you: 1. go try something slightly colder than you think you are ready for (assuming you have sufficient traction to do so safely) 2. Find out what part of your body feels cold 3. Buy something cheap so that part of the body is not cold 4. repeat steps 1-3 as needed. I've been doing this and really haven't spent much, and just yesterday went hiking with wind chills below zero and didn't feel cold. If you wait for a particularly warm day, you can head to the Bear Lake or Glacier Gorge areas in Rocky Mountain National Park, and there are spectacular trails there that are packed down (because so many people do them) so that snowshoes are not needed. Microspikes are useful on them though. You may find that on a relatively warm winter day, you don't need much clothes or gear at all to feel warm enough once you start hiking.

But if you're set on staying low and where there is no snow (which is totally understandable), I second the recommendation for Roxborough State Park and Mt. Falcon, and would also recommend Mt. Morrison (short, steep, and fun) and the Boulder Open Space trails, particularly the Bear Peak loop (steep up, gradual down). I personally have used microspikes on Bear Peak most times that I have done it in the winter though.

[Trotter]

Staunton park is actually a decent choice, as the main trail is open enough that after a few days of sun the trail generally dries out.

[TravelingMatt]

For now there should be enough free stuff in the foothills and in Jefferson and Boulder County open space areas to keep you busy.

Mount Morrison was completely dry when I hiked it on the 24th from Red Rocks entrance #4. There's a trail all the way and it's out in the open on a southern aspect, so when there's snow it should melt out pretty quickly. Obey the speed limit through the town.

I hiked Bear Peak via the Shanahan Trail on Monday. The normal free access is from the NCAR building at the end of the redundantly-named Table Mesa Road, but you can't get into Fern Canyon from there due to trail closures. For Shanahan you park at a suburban cul-de-sac. Trail was mixed snow/ice, especially in and above the canyon. Microspikes are not a bad idea but I hiked it in normal hiking boots without them.

All the stuff around Golden (the Table Mountains, Matthews/Winters, Lookout Mountain) should be dry right now too.

If you really want to maximize the value of your national park pass, hit up the parks in the far southwest during the next couple of months: Big Bend, Carlsbad Caverns, Saguaro, Death Valley. Even Mesa Verde, Chaco Culture and the Utah parks, but I'd check the weather first on those. They get more crowded in March and April with spring breakers.