Welcome!
One of the amazing things about Denver is that there are so many hiking trails nearby that you can work a full day, do a really nice, scenic hike after work, and still have time to go out for dinner afterward and get home at a reasonable hour! This Meetup Group will focus on doing that with an experienced hike leader and a friendly bunch of hikers. Any ADULT is welcome.
As the Organizer of this Meetup Group, I am a certified hike leader for the Colorado Mountain Club (CMC—see http://hikingdenver.net ), and I've led a large number of hikes for the CMC and this Meetup group. Click on the Photos link to see photos of our previous after-work hikes.
Most of the time, the event will consist of a hike in the Denver area that is approximately 3-4 miles and ~1000' elevation gain, more or less, starting around 6:00-6:30pm, with a moderate pace, and followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant for those that are interested. Usually we meet directly at the trailhead (directions will be provided), although on some occasions we may meet in town and carpool to the trailhead. When a hike event is posted, specific details will be provided about the hike location, trail mileage, elevation gain, and driving distance to trailhead. PLEASE DO NOT SHOW UP FOR A HIKE UNLESS YOU ARE ON THE ROSTER (i.e. Yes RSVP, but not Wait Listed). I like to have about 30 people, more-or-less, on the hikes, so while I typically limit a hike to a much higher number, due to last minute cancellations we usually end up with roughly 30 people actually showing up. UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED in the hike posting, DOGS WILL BE ALLOWED on the hike as long as they are friendly, on a leash, and keep up with the pace of the group, and you must pick up after your dog.
HIKE PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BRING ADEQUATE GEAR FOR THE HIKE, including hiking boots or trail running shoes, and a pack with drinking water, rain gear, extra clothing in case it gets colder (remember that it gets cooler after sunset), a flashlight or headlamp, and maybe a first aid kit, whistle, trekking poles, insect repellant, and sunglasses. In the winter months, you may need traction devices for you boots such as Micro Spikes. Most, but not all, of these hikes will be within cell phone range. Be aware that sometimes the trails may be muddy--you may wish to bring an extra pair of shoes to change into after the hike, esp. if you're joining us for dinner afterwards. My after-work hikes are generally safe, as they are on trail and not technically difficult. Nonetheless, to protect myself, everyone participating in the hike must agree to a waiver (click here to see waiver).
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER, I may cancel a hike late in the afternoon on the day of the hike, in which case I will update the website and send out an email to those registered. Therefore, you will need to either have access to either the Meetup.com website and/or your emails (make sure your spam filter is not blocking emails from meetup.com), or you call me on my cell (I'll email my cell # to people who RSVP Yes). Generally, I'll try to make a go/no go decision a couple hours before the hike. Often, it may be raining at 5pm and clear up by 6:30pm, so it is possible I may not cancel a hike, but we show up at the trailhead and the weather is still bad, in which case we'd skip the hike and go straight to happy hour/dinner.
Click her to read my Policy on Advancing People from the Wait List and Other Matters.
Please remember that I am just a volunteer, I do not charge anything for organizing or leading these events, and I am under no obligation to do any of this. My hikes are extremely popular and fill up very quickly, and I often get complaints about how difficult it is to get on my hikes. You can read my full response to that problem is here: More Hikes Please!
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