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Peaks and Lakes

712 members · Public group

Organized by Leonard Madrid and 5 others

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What we’re about

Summit 13ers and 14ers in all seasons, couloir climbs, rock scrambles, backpacking, snowshoeing, lake hikes! Join us for a variety of activities, for beginners through experienced. Most of these will occur at a slow to moderate pace, usually 1-2 mph avg. Let's get out there and enjoy our Colorado lifestyle!

I encourage people to get together outside of the planned events. If you're interested in an activity that's not posted, please post a comment in the Home comments section instead of the individual events.

If you would like to lead some activities please message Stephanie Irwin.

Upcoming events (4+)

Sat, May 3, 2025, 7:15 AM MDTBlack Lake and above in RMNP
Estes Park Visitor Center Parking Garage, Estes Park, CO
Strenuous
Distance- 11 miles
Elevation gain- 1,900 ft
Max elevation- 11,000 ft

The trail will take us to this stunning alpine destination. Black lake is surrounded by beautiful rugged peaks and we plan to go about 400 vertical feet above the lake to enjoy the view of the lake from above. We will also pass by Mills and Jewel lakes and Alberta Falls. On the way back, we likely will take Fire trail to avoid afternoon crowd. We likely will need snowshoes closer to the Black lake, but until then, microspikes might be used instead.

Watch comments for weather updates as we get closer to the event.

We'll meet at the free Visitor Center parking garage (lower level) so that we take fewer cars to the busy trailhead. Please arrive earlier to have plenty of time to visit a bathroom in the visitor center and to rearrange your gear. We will leave the parking garage at 7:15 AM. Will drive to the Glacier Gorge parking lot from where we plan to start our hike. However, if this parking lot is full, we will proceed to the Bear Lake parking lot.

Bring - Winter hiking gear, snowshoes, microspikes, waterproof boots, plenty of water and snacks. Poles are very useful if snow is deeper

By signing up for this hike, you take full responsibility of your safety.
3 attendees
Sat, May 10, 2025, 8:15 AM MDTLittle Italy Couloir on Pikes Peak And/Or The Chimney Couloir
Needs location
Let's get this couloir season started! Little Italy is a relatively short (800 ft) climb with 30 - 35 degree slopes. The highest elevation on the climb is about 12,800 ft. The beauty of this climb is the short approach from parking near Glen Cove off the Pikes Peak Highway. Options for descent include going back down the couloir as a glissade, practicing plunge stepping, or ski/ride. Or, we can walk a bit and go down a shallower slope back to the cars. Yes, we do have to pay a toll to get through the Pikes Peak Gateway.

The Chimney is a longer and narrower couloir from the same parking spot. Slope angles can get as steep as 45 to 50 degrees on this one.

Because people must organize carpools and get tickets, DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS YOU KNOW YOU CAN GO. If you have previously been a no-show (didn't change your RSVP) do not sign up.

Bring: Mandatory- crampons, ice axe, helmet, waterproof boots, gaiters, snacks, water, usual Winter Hiking Gear
Meet: We will meet at 8:15 am at the Pikes Peak entry carpool lot to consolidate in cars and to get in line. The gate opens at 9 am, but there will be a long line of cars. Meeting Location
If you can leave cars at a different location that will be the safest as far as carpool parking. The entry gate lot fills up quickly. From the Gateway it is about a half hour to our parking spot for the climb.
Departure Location for Climb: Here
Toll: $18 per person or $65 per car (5 people max) at the gate; Or currently can purchase online $10 per person or $35 per car (5 people max). Online tickets are good for one year. Timed Entry reservations are not required before Memorial Day weekend.
Roundtrip: One to Two miles, depending on descent. Heck, if you're fast you could do this one twice for fun! :D

After climb Meal - Those that want to can drive on up to the summit, and/or we can meet in Colorado Springs for a meal. TBD

Please comment to arrange carpools and let folks know what you'd like to do after the climb.

Of course we'll watch conditions and weather as we get closer, and I'll post on comments.

Please change your Meetup settings to allow notifications of comments or changes for this event.
6 attendees+1
Fri, May 23, 2025, 7:15 AM MDTBackpack in Black Hills and explore Badlands National Park, SD
Cheyenne, cheyenne, WY
Backpacking in Black Elk Wilderness:
Distance- 22 miles
Elevation gain- 4,800 ft
Max elevation- 7,241 ft.

Hiking in Badlands National Park:
Distance- 7-10 miles depending how many shorter hikes we do
Elevation gain- 500-800 ft

Please do not sign up if you have not backpacked before. Some of the hikes will be moderate, but the 2nd day will be strenuous due to distance- 12 miles, elevation gain- 2,800 ft and the need to carry water for the whole day, while likely doing the first backpacking trip this year. Everyone will be on a waitlist initially but within a few days, I will start moving some people to the "going" list. The number of people (6-8) will depend on whether some people are willing to share a tent, as camping space might be limited.

The first 2 days and the morning of the 3rd day will be spent backpacking in Black Elk wilderness, including hiking up to Black Elk Peak, the highest point in SD. This granite 7,242 ft mountain is a popular destination for hikers and visiting geologists due to its very unique geological history. You can easily see large pegmatites in this 1.5+ billion year old granite. Black Elk Peak - formerly Harney Peak - honors Black Elk, a noted Lakota Sioux medicine man for whom the Wilderness Area is named.
After that, we will head to Mount Rushmore Memorial and Badlands National Park, where we will spend the 3rd night.
Please be prepared for all kind of weather including rain. Have everything you need for camping unless you make arrangements before the trip to share gear with somebody else.

Day 1: I will meet you in Cheyenne, WY. We will drive to Horsethief Lake, SD (it is about 4.5 hr drive from Cheyenne) and start hiking on Centennial Trail #89/Horsethief Trail #14. We will hike about 8.5 miles and camp near Grizzly Bear Creek at 5,400 ft elevation. Elevation gain for the day is about 1,500 ft.

Day 2: Expect 12 miles and 2,800 ft elevation gain. We likely will need to carry water that we will need for that distance. There is a small stream 10 miles in and I will try to find out if it is flowing when it gets closer to the trip date.
We will continue on Grizzly # 7 Trail for about 3 miles, to the intersection with the trail to Little Devil's Tower. This is an optional side hike, about 2.5 miles round trip and 550 ft elevation gain; we would unload our backpacks for this part of the hike. The highlight of the trip will be Black Elk Peak, 7241 ft high, about a mile from the intersection for the optional hike.
We will be camping in a dry area so a couple from the group will make an about 1 mile trip to get water from the paid camping area at Horsethief lake (sorry, everything is booked so we cannot camp there).

Day 3: Will pack and hike 1 mile to our cars.
Will drive to Mount Rushmore National Monument about 4 miles away to explore the area. In the afternoon, we will drive 1.5 hrs to Badlands National park with a plan to find a campsite near Sage Creek trailhead. When we enter the park, we will stop and explore some areas, based on how much time we have. We might be able to see bisons, pronghorns, bighorn sheep and other animals in the park.

Day 4: We will explore Badlands National park, stoping for a couple of hikes as well as along the road to observe the views and wild animals. One of the hikes will be part of Castle Trail. We will plan to return to Cheyenne by 7 PM.

You can see backpacking portion of this trip on this map:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/black-elk-wilderness-skip-mt-rushmore-in-south-dakota-131f383

You can read about geology of Black Hills here: https://blackhillsvisitor.com/learn/black-hills-and-badlands-geology/

Meeting place: I will meet you in Cheyenne, WY at 7:15 AM. If anybody lives further away and would like to stay in Cheyenne the night before, please let me know. I have an extra bedroom with a queen bed, and a sofa. I can be one of the drivers as I have a "mini lease" car with unlimited mileage.
If you have questions, please call or text me 720-369-8806.

By signing up for this trip you take full responsibility for your safety while on the trip, including getting there and coming back.
4 attendees
Sun, Jun 1, 2025, 5:00 AM MDTCouloir Climb: Hopeful Couloir on Mt Hope (13,939 ft)
Needs location
Mt. Hope is a Centennial peak located between Leadville and Buena Vista. Hopeful Couloir is a classic mountaineering route that is accessed via the East Ridge route to Hope Pass. The slopes range from about 35 to possibly 50 degrees. Do not sign up for this event if you do not have previous experience on steep snow with crampons and ice axe.
I have not climbed this route previously.

We may have to bump this event into later in June depending on snow conditions.

The couloir receives full sun during the day, so an early start is critical.
More details as we get closer to the event.

Trailhead: Sheep Gulch Trailhead
Elevation Gain: 4,400 to 4,700 ft
Roundtrip: 7.5 mi +/-
Required: Previous experience, crampons, ice axe, helmet

Photo Credit from trip report on 14ers.com: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=11619
8 attendees+3

Past events (78)

Fri, May 2, 2025, 8:15 AM MDTShowshoe to Jasper Lake in Indian Peaks Wilderness
This event has passed
3 attendees

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