Afoot & Afield: Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Rocky Mountain National Park: 184 Spectacular Outings in the Colorado Rockies

by Alan Apt, Kay Turnbaugh

Overview

Afoot and Afield in Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most comprehensive hiking and biking books available. Alan Apt, author of the best-selling guidebook, Snowshoe Routes Colorado's Front Range, carefully describes 170 adventures for people of all abilities and interests. He includes everything from easy access Front Range lakeside strolls, to high mountaineering peak climbs. The book even includes sections called, Great for Kids (of all ages); that are less ambitious but highly satisfying, easy gambols in the natural world. The geographical scope of the book stretches from southern Wyoming to Colorado Springs, and west to Vail, Fairplay, and Independence Pass; with superb coverage of mountains, plains, canyons and riverside adventures. The books includes over 150 photos, and maps for every trail, as well as safety checklists, and how-to tips based on more than 40 years of outdoor experience.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780899977560
Publisher:	Wilderness Press
Publication date:	05/18/2015
Series:	Afoot & Afield
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	360
File size:	72 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Alan Apt has been hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing, biking, and backpacking in the Colorado Rockies for more than 40 years. He has been a Sierra Club volunteer and Colorado Mountain Club member for decades. He also volunteers with Special Olympics and is an adaptive ski instructor with Ignite at Eldora. He is a member of the National Ski Patrol with Bryan Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol. He has been a contributor to the Ft. Collins Coloradoan and Denver Post. He is the author of the best-selling guidebook Snowshoe Routes Colorado's Front Range (CMC Press). He is also a former Ft. Collins City Council member.

Kay Turnbaugh, an avid hiker, mountain biker, road biker, snowshoer, and skier, has lived in the small mountain town of Nederland, Colorado, for almost all of her adult life. She was the editor and publisher of The Mountain-Ear, an award-winning weekly newspaper in Nederland for 27 years. She has written three books, The Mountain Pine Beetle--Tiny but Mighty, a book for eight-to-twelve-year-olds which is also enjoyed by many adults; Around Nederland, a book about Nederland's history; and The Last of the Wild West Cowgirls, a biography of Goldie Griffith, who rode bucking broncos for Buffalo Bill, trained war dogs, ranched near Nederland, ran restaurants, and re-invented herself whenever necessary. The Last of the Wild West Cowgirls won a Willa Literary Award in 2010 for Creative Nonfiction.

Read an Excerpt

Jones Pass

• Distance Up to 8 miles, out-and-back
• Difficulty Easy–challenging
• Elevation Gain 2,600' (starting at 10,000')
• Trail Use Hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, skiing, leashed dogs OK
• Agency Clear Creek Ranger District, Arapaho National Forest
• Map(s) Latitude 40° Summit County Trails

HIGHLIGHTS
This beautiful mountain valley is close to Denver and doesn’t require a drive over Berthoud Pass. There are several trails you can explore at this popular location near the Henderson Mine, but you share this trail with some off-road vehicles (all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles). Enjoy a hike of any length, and soak in the views. You can combine this hike with Butler Gulch, and make it a loop hike. The Butler half will be vehicle-free.

DIRECTIONS
Take I-70 west from Denver and exit at Empire for Berthoud Pass/Winter Park. Drive through Empire toward the pass. When you come to the first sharp bend to the right, exit to the left for Henderson Mine. Continue north on the mine road until you reach the designated parking area. The road is closed at the trailhead that serves both the Jones Pass trail and the Butler Gulch trail. Travel west through the trees on the joint trail until a junction at approximately 0.25 mile. Bear right for the Jones Pass trail or left for the more difficult and advanced Butler Gulch trail.

DESCRIPTION
You have some glimpses of the ridgeline as you travel through the trees. At a little less than 0.5 mile you break out of the trees and enjoy the panorama of the valley and soaring ridgeline. Avalanche runout zones are observable on the steep slopes to the west. The trail/road steepens as it switchbacks. It then travels through a varied landscape of high mountain meadows and trees. You can go all the way to the summit of the pass or turn around whenever you wish. If you continue to the top of the pass, you will see a trail that goes south. You can take this to the top of Butler Gulch for a loop hike. Route-finding is easier if you start with Butler Gulch and travel clockwise.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
Preface
Introducing the Denver/Boulder Area
Comfort, Safety & Etiquette
Using This Book
Overview of Hikes

Chapter 1
Denver Area: Plains & Foothills
Less Than One Hour from Denver
1 Cherry Creek State Park
2 White Ranch: Belcher Hill Trail
3 White Ranch: West Access Trails
4 North Table Mountain
5 Mount Galbraith
6 Lookout Mountain: Beaver Brook Trail
7 Coyote, Mule Deer & Elk Trails Loop
8 Raccoon Trail
9 South Valley Park: Coyote Song Trail
10 Fountain Valley Trail
11 Carpenter Peak
12 Willow Creek & South Rim Trails
13 Ringtail Trail
14 Bergen Park Open Space: Meadow View Trail
15 Chief Mountain
16 Beaverbrook Watershed Trail
17 St. Mary's Glacier & James Peak

Chapter 2
Boulder Area: Plains & Foothills
Less than One Hour from Boulder
18 Mesa Trail: Northern Segment
19 Gregory Canyon: Crown Rock & Flagstaff Mountain Summit
20 Range View & Ute Trails
21 Tenderfoot Trail
22 Green Mountain Summit- West
23 Marshall Mesa East: Marshall Valley, Community Ditch, Chowdrey Trails
24 Marshall Mesa West: Marshall Valley, Community Ditch, Green Belt Plateau, Flatirons Vista, Spring Brook Trails
25 Doudy Draw Trail
26 South Boulder Creek Trail
27 Cobalt, Sage & Eagle Loop
28 Left Hand Reservoir
29 Foothills Trail: Hogback Ridge Loop
30 Foothills Trail: Wonderland Lake Loop
31 Mesa Trail: Southern Segment
32 Royal Arch Trail
33 Gunbarrel Farm: White Rocks Trail
34 Red Rocks Trail & Mount Sanitas
35 Anne U. White Trail
36 Betasso Preserve
37 Hall Ranch
38 Heil Valley Ranch
39 Walker Ranch
40 Walker Ranch: Meyers Homestead Trail
41 Rabbit Mountain: Little Thompson Overlook Trail
42 Rabbit Mountain: Eagle Wind Trail
43 Pella Crossing
44 Lagerman Reservoir
45 Walden & Sawhill Ponds
46 Streamside Trail
47 Fowler Trail
48 Rattlesnake Gulch Trail
49 Eldorado Canyon Trail
50 Switzerland Trail

Chapter 3
Denver Area: Mountains
One to Two Hours from Denver
51 Davis Ponds Loop
52 Staunton Ranch Trail
53 Butler Gulch
54 Jones Pass
55 Guanella Pass: Silver Dollar Lake Trail
56 Mount Bierstadt
57 Loveland Pass Ridgetop
58 Grizzly Peak
59 Mount Sniktau
60 Eastside Trail: Continental Divide Trail
61 Lily Pad Lake
62 Echo Lake, Chicago Lakes Trails
63 Colorado Trail: West Branch
64 Colorado Trail: East Branch

Chapter 4
Boulder Area: Indian Peaks
One Hour or Less from Boulder
65 Middle St. Vrain
66 Coney Flats Trail & Beaver Reservoir
67 Sourdough Trail: Red Rock Trailhead to Beaver Reservoir
68 Sourdough Trail: Red Rock Trailhead to Rainbow Lakes
69 Red Rock Lake
70 Mitchell Lake & Blue Lake Trail
71 Long Lake & Jean Lunning Trails
72 Lake Isabelle
73 Pawnee Pass & Peak
74 Mount Audubon
75 Niwot Ridge
76 Rainbow Lakes & Arapaho Glacier Overlook Trails
77 St. Vrain Mountain & Meadow Mountain

Chapter 5
Nederland Area
35 Minutes from Boulder
One to Two Hours from Denver
78 Caribou Ranch Open Space
79 Mud Lake Open Space
80 West Magnolia Trails
81 Arapaho Pass
82 South Arapaho Peak
83 Diamond Lake
84 Lost Lake
85 Woodland Lake Trail
86 Devil's Thumb Lake Trail
87 King, Betty & Bob Lakes Trail
88 Rogers Pass Lake/Heart Lake
89 Forest Lakes
90 Crater Lakes

Chapter 6
Rocky Mountain National Park: South
One Hour from Denver-Boulder-Fort Collins
91 Lily Lake & Ridge
92 Estes Cone
93 Chasm Lake
94 Copeland Falls
95 Allenspark & Finch Lake Trails to Wild Basin
96 Calypso Cascades, Ouzel Falls & Ouzel Lake

Chapter 7
Rocky Mountain National Park: East
One to Two Hours from Denver-Boulder-Fort Collins
98 McGregor Ranch
99 Horseshoe Park
100 Deer Mountain
101 Cub Lake
102 Fern Lake
103 Mill Creek Basin
104 Glacier Basin & Sprague Lake
105 Around Bear Lake
106 Nymph, Dream, & Emerald Lakes
107 Flattop Mountain & Hallet Peak
108 Odessa Lake
109 Bierstadt Lake
110 Alberta Falls
111 The Loch
112 Jewell & Black Lakes
113 North Longs Peak Trail

Chapter 8
Rocky Mountain National Park: West
Two to Three Hours from Denver-Boulder-Fort Collins
114 Ute Trail
115 Toll Memorial Trail
116 Mount Ida
117 Colorado River Trail to Little Yellowstone Canyon
118 Baker Gulch to Mount Nimbus & Mount Stratus
119 Holzwarth Trout Lodge
120 Coyote Valley Trail
121 East Inlet & Thunder Lake Trails
122 Monarch Lake to Brainard Lake

Chapter 9
Fort Collins Area
30 minutes to One Hour from Ft.Collins
One to Two Hours from Boulder-Denver
123 Poudre River Trail
124 Spring Creek Trail
125 Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area
126 Foothills Trail: Pineridge Natural Area
127 Foothills Trail: Maxwell Natural Area
128 Foothills Trail: Centennial Drive
129 Foothills Trail: Reservoir Ridge Natural Area
130 Reservoir Road/Centennial Drive
131 Arthur's Rock Trail
132 East & West Valley Trails
133 Eagle's Nest Natural Area
134 Bobcat Ridge Natural Area: Ginny Trail
135 Bobcat Ridge Natural Area: Valley Loop Trail
136 Horsetooth Rock Trail
137 Horsetooth Falls & Connecting to Lory State Park
138 Coyote Ridge Trail
139 Devil's Backbone, Blue Sky, & Coyote Ridge Trails
140 Crosier Mountain Trail
141 North Fork Trail
142 Red Mountain Open Space: Bent Rock Trail
143 Soapstone Natural Area: Towhee-Overlook Trail

Chapter 10
Poudre Canyon & Cameron Pass Areas
One Hour or Less from Fort Collins
One and a Half to Three Hours from Boulder-Denver
144 Grey Rock
145 Hewlett Gulch
146 Mount McConnel
147 Lower Dadd Gulch
148 The Big South Trail
One to Two Hours from Fort Collins
149 Green Ridge Trail
150 Sawmill Creek Trail to Clark Peak
151 Blue Lake Trail to Clark Peak
152 Trap Park Trail to Iron Mountain
153 Zimmerman Lake Trail
154 Meadows Trail
155 Montgomery Pass
156 Diamond Peaks
157 Cameron Connection
158 Brown's Lake
159 Mineral Springs Gulch to Prospect Mountain
160 Fish Creek & Little Beaver Creek Trails
161 Stormy Peaks Trail
162 Emmaline Lake Trail
163 Mummy Pass Trail
164 Signal Mountain Trail

Chapter 11
Red Feather Lakes Area
One Hour from Fort Collins
Two Hours or More from Denver-Boulder
165 Mount Margaret Trail
166 Dowdy Lake Trail
167 North Lone Pine Trail to Mount Baldy Overlook

Chapter 12
Colorado State Forest State Park
Two or More Hours from Ft.Collins
Three and One-Half to Four Hours from Denver-Boulder
168 Michigan Ditch Trail to Thunder Pass Trail
169 Lake Agnes Trail
170 Seven Utes Trail
171 Mahler Mountain Trail
172 Ranger Lakes Trail
173 Grass Creek Yurt Trail

Chapter 13
Colorado Springs Area
One Hour or Less from Colorado Springs
Two Hours or More from Denver
174 Garden of the Gods
175 Devil's Head Lookout
176 Pikes Peak
177 The Crags
178 What in a Name Trail
179 West Loop
180 North Loop
181 Peak View, Elk Meadow, & Livery Loop
182 Homestead Trail
183 Revenuer's Ridge
184 Rainbow Gulch Trail to Rampart Reservoir

Appendix 1: Best Trails for...
Kids
Mountain Biking
Mountain Summits
Lake Hikes

Appendix 2: Recommended Reading
Appendix 3: Agencies & Information Sources
Appendix 4: Conservation & Hiking Groups
INDEX
Acknowledgments
About the Authors