Rise and Hike! Fit & Fun Weekday Hikers

Difficulty: Moderate - about 6.5 to 7 miles with about 1,400-1,500 feet elevation gain…all depending on whether you join us for exploring around Murray Lake. Highest elevation is about 12,200 feet at Murray Lake.

NOTE we will NOT meet at the trailhead in alltrails. There is a parking lot right off Guanella Pass as you are heading up to the trailhead and we will meet there and hike the short distance up the road. See details below. Look for my blue Subaru Outback Wilderness.

We hike as a group and hike at an average moving pace of about 2.5mph (slower up…faster down). Everyone is expected to wait at all intersections, creek crossings & periodically otherwise so that no one is left behind or hiking on their own for safety purposes. We will plan to break for snacks/lunch at Murray Lake & we will stop as needed along the way for water, snacks, pictures, etc.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: Let’s enjoy 3 beautiful alpine lakes in one hike. Along the hike we will also get great views of Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt. When we get to our destination Murray Lake, we will hike around the lake a bit and have snacks at the lake before heading back. I’m an explorer so for those of you not interested in hiking around the lake, plan to take an extended break before heading back down. See the following hike in Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/silver-dollar-lake-ad-murray-lake-trail

DOGS: Not allowed on this hike.

ADDRESS/DIRECTIONS: We will meet at the parking lot right off Guanella Pass Road when you are heading to the Silver Dollar Lake Trailhead. To get there, you can click on the alltrails link above and click directions. Or if you use google maps, you can type in “Silver Dollar Lake Trailhead” for directions. But in both cases, stop and park in the parking lot right off Guanella Pass Road.

We wait 5 minutes for late arrivals…but no longer as that is inconsiderate to those arriving timely. So please allow extra time to get to the trailhead.

IMPORTANT: This is a participate at your own risk event! Life is risky. I am not a professional guide and am simply hosting this event. By signing up for this hike you acknowledge that you are capable of performing this hike and that you are solely responsible for your own safety.

NO SHOWS: If you are a no-show to 2 hikes, you will be booted from this meetup group. So please change your RSVP to “not going” if you are unable to make it.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: Water, snacks, layers of clothing, good hiking shoes/boots, sunscreen, bug repellant, sunglasses, hat, gloves, hiking poles (if you find them helpful), and anything else you deem essential.

WEATHER: Here is the NOAA forecast for the hike location. For hourly temps, wind, precipitation, etc., click “Hourly Weather Forecast” in the upper right. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-105.75105106697475&lat=39.602118895742194

REQUIRED WAIVER: If you have not already done so, you must sign the updated waiver with our new meetup name prior to this hike. I will have copies at the trailhead that you can sign or you may print, sign, and bring it with you from the following website: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p728z28jjuwdzws/Waiver%20Corona.pdf?dl=0
If you choose to sign at the trailhead, please arrive early so that we can depart for the hike timely.

I’ve hiked the trail to Helms Lake 3-4 times, but never gone all the way to Abyss Lake. So Abyss is a first for me. This is a long hike so please make sure you’re up for the hike at a good pace…see details below. I’m not doing this long hike if the weather doesn’t cooperate so if there is a high risk of afternoon thunderstorms, I will change the date or cancel.

Hikes are always subject to date/time change or cancellation due to weather, trail conditions or closures, or other unforeseen circumstances. We hike as a group and hike at an average moving pace of about 2.5mph (slower up…faster down). Everyone is expected to wait at all intersections & periodically otherwise so that no one is left behind or hiking on their own for safety purposes. We will plan to have a short lunch at Abyss lake & we will stop as needed along the way for water, snacks, pictures, etc.

Difficulty: about 17-18 miles with about 3400-3500 feet elevation gain. Highest elevation is about 12,700 feet. And this hike is considered HARD in Alltrails.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: Abyss Lake is a stunningly beautiful blue Colorado body of water sitting in the alpine bowl below two of the state’s highest peaks, Mount Bierstadt (14,065′) and Mount Evans (14,265′). The jagged 13,842′ Mount Spalding closes off the bowl and completes the alpine scene in a way that steals the show. Abyss Lake is found in the Mount Evans Wilderness and is a great destination. Add in Helms Lake and the views found along the Abyss Lake Trail in Colorado is a must due for those who are seeking the best high country trails in the Rocky Mountains. See the following hike in Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/abyss-lake-via-abyss-lake-trail-602

DOGS: no dogs on this hike please.

ADDRESS/DIRECTIONS: We will meet at the Abyss trailhead. For directions, you can either click on the alltrails link above and click directions. Or if you use google maps, you can type in “Abyss Trailhead” for directions. If you use Apple Maps, you can type in “Abyss Lake Trail” for directions.

We wait 5 minutes for late arrivals…but no longer as that is inconsiderate to those arriving timely. So please allow extra time to get to the trailhead.

IMPORTANT: This is a participate at your own risk event! Life is risky. I am not a professional guide and am simply hosting this event. By signing up for this hike you acknowledge that you are capable of performing this hike and that you are solely responsible for your own safety.

NO SHOWS: If you are a no-show to 2 hikes, you will be booted from this meetup group. So please change your RSVP to “not going” if you are unable to make it.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: Water, snacks, lunch, layers of clothing, good hiking shoes/boots, sunscreen, bug repellant, sunglasses, hat, hiking poles (if you find them helpful), and anything else you deem essential.

WEATHER: Here is the NOAA forecast for the hike location. For hourly temps, wind, precipitation, etc., click “Hourly Weather Forecast” in the upper right. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=39.585300000000075&lon=-105.65882999999997

REQUIRED WAIVER: If you have not already done so, you must sign the updated waiver with our new meetup name prior to this hike. I will have copies at the trailhead that you can sign or you may print, sign, and bring it with you from the following website: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p728z28jjuwdzws/Waiver%20Corona.pdf?dl=0
If you choose to sign at the trailhead, please arrive early so that we can depart for the hike timely.

Hikes are always subject to date/time change or cancellation due to weather, trail conditions or closures, or other unforeseen circumstances. This will be a group hike, where everyone will wait at all trail junctions and the group pace will only be as fast as our slowest hiker, so no one hikes on their own for safety reasons. Plan on a moderate moving pace of about 2.5 mph with stops for pics, snacks, etc.

Difficulty: about 13 miles with about 3,000 feet elevation gain. Highest elevation is about 12,000 feet.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: This hike is new for me, but I have done portions of this hike before. This is a loop hike that goes into the Eagles Nest Wilderness and around the base of Buffalo Mountain in Silverthorne. We will take a side trail to Willow Creek Falls and pass some lakes including Lily Pad Lake. Please plan to take side trails to the waterfall, lakes, etc. See the following hike in Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/gore-range-trail-to-meadow-creek-trail-loop

DOGS: Not allowed.

ADDRESS/DIRECTIONS: We will meet at the Buffalo Mountain Trailhead. The best way to get there is to use the alltrails link above and click directions. Alternatively if you use google maps, you can type in “Buffalo Mountain Trailhead” for directions. If you use Apple Maps, you can type in “Buffalo Cabin Trail” for directions.

We wait 5 minutes for late arrivals…but no longer as that is inconsiderate to those arriving timely. So please allow extra time to get to the trailhead.

IMPORTANT: This is a participate at your own risk event! Life is risky. I am not a professional guide and am simply hosting this event. By signing up for this hike you acknowledge that you are capable of performing this hike and that you are solely responsible for your own safety.

NO SHOWS: If you are a no-show to 2 hikes, you will be booted from this meetup group. So please change your RSVP to “not going” if you are unable to make it.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: Water, snacks, layers of clothing, good hiking shoes/boots, sunscreen, bug repellant, sunglasses, hat, gloves, hiking poles (if you find them helpful), and anything else you deem essential.

WEATHER: Here is the NOAA forecast for the hike location. For hourly temps, wind, precipitation, etc., click “Hourly Weather Forecast” in the upper right. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-106.15623532933768&lat=39.61475616235043

REQUIRED WAIVER: Note that if you have not already done so, you must sign the updated waiver with our new meetup name prior to this hike. I will have copies at the trailhead that you can sign or you may print, sign, and bring it with you from the following website: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p728z28jjuwdzws/Waiver%20Corona.pdf?dl=0
If you choose to sign at the trailhead, please arrive early so that we can depart for the hike timely.

The Ruby Gulch trail is a lessor used hike near Berthoud Pass that has some amazing views and lots of stream crossings. The hike starts off a bit steep, but the struggle is worth it. And last year we saw moose!

There is limited parking at the trailhead so I will keep the group small.

Hikes are always subject to date/time change or cancellation due to weather, trail conditions or closures, or other unforeseen circumstances. We hike as a group. Everyone is expected to wait at all intersections, creek crossings & periodically otherwise so that no one is left behind or hiking on their own for safety purposes. We will stop as needed along the way for water, snacks, pictures, etc.

Difficulty: about 5.5 to 6 miles with about 1500 to 1600 feet elevation gain. Highest elevation is about 11,800 feet.

HIKE DESCRIPTION: The Ruby Gulch Trail follows an old mining road along Ruby Creek to an alpine basin surrounded by 13,000+ ft peaks, Englemann Peak, Bard Peak, and Mount Parnassus and 12,940 ft Woods Mountain. According to alltrails, the hike features a total of 13 stream crossings and 3 trickles, one of which can make a few yards of the trail quite wet, but it should be completely passable. Boots with good traction are recommended. Here is a nice writeup about the trail: mhttps://fatmanlittletrail.com/2021/07/14/ruby-gulch/
See the following hike in Alltrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/ruby-gulch

DOGS: Allowed and must be under control at all times. Please be sure your dog is well behaved and can handle the length of the walk. Dog owners must clean up pet excrement.

ADDRESS/DIRECTIONS: We will meet at the Ruby Gulch Trailhead. To get there, you can click on the alltrails link above and click directions. Or if you use Google maps, you can type in “Ruby Gulch Trailhead” for directions.

We wait 5 minutes for late arrivals…but no longer as that is inconsiderate to those arriving timely. So please allow extra time to get to the trailhead.

IMPORTANT: This is a participate at your own risk event! Life is risky. I am not a professional guide and am simply hosting this event. By signing up for this hike you acknowledge that you are capable of performing this hike and that you are solely responsible for your own safety.

NO SHOWS: If you are a no-show to 2 hikes, you will be booted from this meetup group. So please change your RSVP to “not going” if you are unable to make it.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: Water, snacks, layers of clothing, good hiking shoes/boots, sunscreen, bug repellant, sunglasses, hat, gloves, hiking poles (if you find them helpful), and anything else you deem essential.

WEATHER: Here is the NOAA forecast for the hike location. For hourly temps, wind, precipitation, etc., click “Hourly Weather Forecast” in the upper right: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-105.81973999968024&lat=39.74128296685876

REQUIRED WAIVER: if you have not already done so, you must sign the updated waiver with our new meetup name prior to this hike. I will have copies at the trailhead that you can sign or you may print, sign, and bring it with you from the following website: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p728z28jjuwdzws/Waiver%20Corona.pdf?dl=0
If you choose to sign at the trailhead, please arrive early so that we can depart for the hike timely.