Summer Hiking...

This page contains images from our early Summer treks in and around the Boulder area. All of these images are basically from the month of June. There are a lot of them -- that's what happens when you purchase a new digital SLR and live in a new and picturesque state.

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These are images from the day we went to the Boulder Creek Festival which featured entertainment, rides, art, food and the usual festival fare. After visiting the festival, we drove up Flagstaff Mountain for some nice views of the Front Range.

Ethan on a Fire Engine	Doing Crafts at the Festival	Brendan in the Saddle
Grandma Gil and Ethan - Flagstaff Summit	Indian Peaks from Flagstaff Summit	Panoromaic View from Flagstaff Summit (Click for Panorama)

 

Here are a few pictures from a Sunday hike up Chautauqua Trail. Chautauqua Park is located at the end of Baseline Road right near the heart of town in Boulder. The Chautauqua society was founded in 1874 and before TV and radio brought culture to local people in the form of oraters, lecturers, theater and music. At its height there were 12,000 chapters, now only three remain and Boulder has one of them. Its a testament to the community's commitment to preserving culture.

 

The Chautauqua trail takes you to the base of the Flatirons in front of Green Mountain which Boulder nestles up against. The Flatirons are huge 280 million year old monolithic sandstone uplifts that look like they were pushed up out the earth like in one of those science fiction movie scenes. The Flatirons are ubiquitous in Boulder, they are prominent and can be seen from almost any part of the city. They are THE symbol of Boulder, they are on everything; car dealership logos, business logos, local beer bottles, etc.

Chautauqua Park, Boulder	Chautauqua Park	Starting Chautauqua Trail
Posing with the Flatirons	Ethan and Brendan	Halfway up in front of First Flatiron
A Colorado Wildflower	Brendan Enjoying the Ride	A View of Three Flatirons
Third Flatiron Edge	Wildflower and Spider	Ethan and Sheila Near the Top
Chautauqua Dining Hall - Built 1898	Our hike was good, we made it pretty close to the base of Flatiron number three before it got too treacherous for my Mom and Ethan. I carried Brendan the whole way, so it was a good workout. After we got back down, we ate a picnic lunch at Chautauqua park. Did I mention perfect weather?

 

Next are images from a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the premier National Parks in the country with over a quarter of a million acres and containing over 60 mountain peaks over 12,000 feet, hundreds of miles of trails and spectacular scenery. We entered via the Fall River Entrance just west of the quaint town of Estes Park about a 45 minute drive from Boulder. The highlight of the park, if visiting by car, is Trail Ridge Road, which winds through incredible scenery and attains, at times, a road surface altitude of over 10,000 feet .

Grandpa Gil and Brendan - Estes Park Playground	Fall River Valley Overlook	Fall River Valley Meadow
A Nice shot of Ethan	Meadow near Bear Lake	Grandma - Scenic Overlook
Fallen Logs near Bear Lake	Rocky Mountain Elk

 

Finally, here are some pictures from our trek in Eldorado Canyon. Eldorado Canyon State Park is about a 5 minute drive from the south west edge of Boulder. It is a hugely popular place to rock climb with over 500 routes ranging in difficulty. There were dozens of people climbing throughout the park. There are also hiking trails (which we did) and a nice picnic area by the South Boulder Creek which cut the canyon over countless eons. In all of the pictures of the canyon walls you can see one or more climbers.

 

Eldorado Canyon	Random Climber (w/ inset)	More Random Climbers
Spider Man Climber	Ethan and Sheila	Sheila - Eldorado Canyon Trail
Alan and Brendan on Trail	Ethan Near Top of Canyon	Alan - South Boulder Creek
Ethan - South Boulder Creek