This past summer, I was lucky enough to have an internship in Denver, CO. While I was excited to get on the job experience in a field I was interested in, I was maybe more excited to live that close to the mountains. Fortunately, I didn't have a ton of work to do for my internship, leaving me plenty of time to plan hikes for the weekends. I ended up doing 21 hikes in 10 weeks, loving every second of it. I'm going to outline a few of my favorite hikes and why they were my favorites.
Royal Arch
The first hike I want to touch on is Royal Arch - a hike in Boulder that leads to a cool arch shaped rock formation at the end. This hike is cool on its own and offers some good views, but they are far from the best that I saw this summer. The reason I want to talk about this one is because it was my first trail to do completely alone. This was one of the only times I have ever wished that there were other hikers on the trail. With it being my first time on the trail alone, I was a little nervous just in case something went wrong, especially because I was in a new city, with few people around that I actually knew. However, that fear couldn't keep me off the trail. I got up early enough to see the sunrise as I began the hike, and it was a magical view from the trailhead.
Sunrise on the Royal Arch Trailhead
I saw very few people out on the trail that early on a Friday, which was both fortuitous and a little frightening, given it being my first time on the trail. Despite this apprehension, I found myself loving being able to go at my own pace and stop when I wanted to. The freedom was exhilarating. It is what helped boost this hike onto this list. I could stop and enjoy nature all at my own pace.
The Royal Arch
My newfound love for hiking alone only pushed me further to attempt more hikes on my own, helping me check off more hikes than I ever expected to complete in one summer.
Mount Bierstadt
Mount Bierstadt was my most ambitious solo adventure. About an hour drive away from where I was living, Mount Bierstadt crosses the 14,000 foot threshold, and after hearing a friend's account of how much fun it was to hike, I wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away. I started in the dark, with just the flashlight on my phone to guide me since I hadn't thought ahead to buy a headlamp (I had already lost the fear that had made me over prepare for Royal Arch). For the first hour or so before the sun started to peek over the horizon, I was hiking in the dark, which was so much better than I expected. Looking back at the string of headlamps lining the trail was a sight to behold. Seeing all the people who had decided to wake up before the sun and enjoy nature was so refreshing. It felt good knowing that there are still people who care about the environment and enjoy being in it.
Headlamps on the trail to Mount Bierstadt
I reached the top of the mountain just after sunrise, and was amazed to see the sun peek over the adjacent mountain, Mt. Evans, another 14er as they are lovingly called in Colorado. One of the pictures I got up there is actually the background picture for this blog. I sat on the summit for a while watching the sun go further into the sky and thought about how the mountain goats and chipmunks get to see this everyday and are probably laughing at how big of a deal I made out of it. But no matter how many sunrises I see, there is still something magical about witnessing the start of a day. It is a very meditative activity, where I feel extremely connected to nature. It is calming to know that something that beautiful is happening everyday, regardless of what is happening.
Mt. Elbert
One of the prettiest sights I saw this summer was in the middle of the forest on the way to Mt. Elbert, the highest point in Colorado. It was pitch black, except for the stars that were out in multitudes. Looking up, I could see the tops of the trees and the stars twinkling above. This looked like a scene out of a fairy tale. I had to stop and take it all in multiple times. I tried my hardest to capture it in a photo, but my phone couldn't even focus on the stars, since it was so dark. I still feel that. camera can capture an image but the experience is so much more than just a photo. Elements of the experience can conveyed in well taken photo, but nothing will ever match being there in the moment.
My attempt to capture the stars when there was enough light to take a picture.
I did this hike with my brother, which was a fun change from my normal accompaniment of me, myself, and I. He was not nearly as acclimatized as I was, since he had been in Colorado for a day at that point, so he slowed me down a bit, but it was fun getting to accomplish such a satisfying goal with my lifelong friend. This added Colorado to my list of states I have summited (the only other right now is Texas). The views from the top were so rewarding and just emphasized how small humans really are in the grand scheme of things. We don't deserve this Earth, yet we are destroying our greatest blessing.
My brother Paxton on the summit of Mt. Elbert
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