In the summer of 2013, I decided to take my first trip to Colorado. I was looking for a new destination to explore and adventure. As far as in the U.S., Colorado was at the top of my list. My buddy Corey devised a plan as per usual, which was all it took for me to say yes. We had never been there and the Rocky Mountains were calling our names.
Three months later we landed in Denver and got right on the hiking trails. At the time, we were younger and in better shape so the altitude didn’t affect us too much. With that said, my conditioning was tested on a challenging, mammoth hike, which at the time was highest elevation I had ever been. And, that trail was Hallett Peak.
Hallett Peak lies along the Continental Divide, the point at which water on the western slope flows towards the Pacific Ocean, and water on the eastern slope flows towards the Atlantic Ocean. Hallet Peak stands at 12,713 feet tall. The highest mountain I have hiked up to this point was Mount Washburn in Yellowstone a few months earlier at over 7,000 feet.
The hike begins at the Bear Lake Trailhead, and then follows the signs toward Flattop Peak. Most of the hike is above tree line as it switchbacks up the side of Flattop Mountain. The trail had some steep uphill moments. The altitude was starting to get to me as we got higher. I had to stop every so often and catch my breathe. This gave us a chance to see wildlife, mostly little critters, and the abundant wildflowers along the way. Once you arrive at the summit you must identify the unnamed trail leading south toward Hallet Peak. Be careful, as we got lost and added an additional two miles by missing the trail. Although, the views were amazing so adding more to the hike was a bonus. Around the top of the of Tyndall Glacier, the last half mile of the hike involves ascending up the slippery, rocky slopes toward the summit by connecting short trails marked by cairns. We reached the top as storm clouds began to appear.
Love me some cairns.
Before we headed back to beat any possible storms, we ate lunch and drank some well-deserved beers. The total round trip for this trail is 10.3 miles. With our detour, we trekked just over 12 miles. This trail was absolutely awesome with remarkable views. The trail was really, really tough but I would do it all over again. I definitely felt like I was on top of the Rockies. John Denver was not full of……
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
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