day-hikes Archives - dismal wilderness

May 1, 2025May 1, 2025

Ruku Pichincha

Jan 23, 2025

Arrival in Quito

In January 2025 I joined a guided trip to summit some of the Ecuador’s tallest volcanoes. Typically, getting to a 19,000′ summit involves a lot of time huddled in tents, rehydrating freeze dried dinners, and staring at endless snow and ice. But climbing in Ecuador would not involve any of this “fun.” The benign climate of the equator meant we could acclimate in cities and relaxing haciendas at progressively higher altitudes. And we wouldn’t be dealing with any snow or ice until the “summit days” themselves.

April 6, 2025

Mystic Island Lake

October 20, 2024

Back to Sylvan Lake SP

It was late October, and we were nearing the end of “dry” hiking season in the Colorado Rockies. The aspens were bare. The bushes had turned orange and brown. And a recent snowfall dusted talus fields on the highest summits.

March 16, 2025March 16, 2025

Booth Lake and Booth Falls

October 13, 2024

Arrival at Vail Village

I spend a lot of time in Eagle County, Colorado. So it was only a matter of time before I tried the much-hyped Booth Falls trail. The timing was more or less an accident. I’d overheard that this weekend in October was the last for the “hiker express” bus between Vail Village and the Booth Lake/Booth Falls trailhead.

January 31, 2025January 31, 2025

Thorpe Cloud and the Dovedale Stepping Stones

September 17, 2024

Along the River Dove

I arrived at the car park in Dovedale around 8am. The sun already lit up select aspects of nearby hillsides. But the car park was still largely empty. I’d only just arrived in England’s bucolic “Peak District” that morning. I was excited to enjoy my first hike in the country.

January 22, 2025January 22, 2025

Horsetooth Rock Trail

August 18, 2024

Arrival

On my bucket list of “Colorado things” the line item “Check out Fort Collins” seemed to languish near the bottom of the list. And I knew that wasn’t really fair because I’d only ever heard wonderful things about “FoCo”. I’m neither a college student, nor particularly into beer. But it still seemed worth checking out. Plus it was an excuse to stop at the new Colorado Buc-ee’s.

January 20, 2025January 20, 2025

Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route

August 16, 2024

Arrival

I left my apartment in Denver around 12:30 am, passing bars and sidewalks still populated with the Thursday night crew. I headed northeast, skirting past Boulder before heading into the foothills towards Rocky Mountain National Park. That’s when the rain started. “Uh oh” I thought … “already this is not going to plan.”

January 12, 2025January 12, 2025

Turquoise Lakes (Holy Cross Wilderness)

July 20, 2024

Once More unto the Beav

There are a lot of fantastic hikes in Eagle County, Colorado. I mention this because, frankly, this hike is probably a ways down the list. Don’t get me wrong … Upper Turquoise Lake is a beautiful destination for someone in the mood for a moderately-sloped sixteen mile out-and-back. But that in itself makes it quite a niche experience.

January 12, 2025January 12, 2025

Father Dyer Peak and Crystal Peak

July 13, 2024

Arrival

I arrived at the Upper Spruce Creek trailhead, a short winding ways above the community of Blue River. Today’s targets were two moderately popular summits of the Ten Mile Range: Father Dyer Peak and Crystal Peak.

December 30, 2024March 19, 2025

New York Mountain

July 6, 2024

Arrival

I drove along the smooth dirt roads of Sylvan Lake SP, a thousand-acre jewel of a park wedged into the mountains between the Vail and Aspen area. I followed Road 415 along East Brush Creek towards the tiny town of Fulford. Just outside the small townsite, I parked at the Nolan Lake trailhead.

December 28, 2024December 28, 2024

Mount Edwards

July 4, 2024

Andean Roads

We pulled off the paved roadway to Montezuma, en route to the Argentine Pass trailhead. The car trundled along the dusty and rutted Peru Creek Road, hewing closely to the eponymous Peru Creek. It was only 7:30 am or so, but the sun already sat high in the sky, shining through endless stands of Aspens. It was that wonderful period of early summer where the days seemed to last forever.