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Old 08-06-2013, 05:36 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO - Capitol Hill
557 posts, read 810,830 times
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We've been in Denver a month now, and want to get some hikes in while the weather is good. We've only done 1 so far, at Clear Creek/St Marys, but really enjoyed it. We didn't have any problems being at 10,800+. Any good suggestions on some newb scenic day hikes, relatively close to Denver? Keeping in mind that we don't have "gear" per se, but we don't necessarily mind some terrain either.

I've checked out dayhikesneardenver.com, which is awesome, but it's a ton of info for a couple just starting. I don't even know where to begin, and I'm sure you guys have the perfect recommendations from personal experience.
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Old 08-06-2013, 05:42 PM
 
Location: Denver 'burbs
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The weather will be fine for hiking for quite some time. .

What is "relatively close" to Denver to you?

Are you only interested in mountain hiking?

There are all kinds of books and sites that give good reviews and rate by difficulty of various hikes.

http://alltrails.com/us/colorado/larkspur

Last edited by maciesmom; 08-06-2013 at 06:07 PM..
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Old 08-06-2013, 05:59 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
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Devil's Head is close by (but it gets crowded in a hurry).
http://alltrails.com/trail/us/colora...-lookout-trail

Castlewood Canyon also has some nice hiking even though it's not in the mountains.
http://alltrails.com/trail/us/colora...d-canyon-trail

There's also some easily accessible hiking from the top of Loveland Pass.
http://www.summitpost.org/mount-sniktau/152332
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Old 08-06-2013, 06:39 PM
 
Location: Denver
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Herman's Gulch is a GREAT hike, if not a little strenuous for the first stretch.
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Old 08-06-2013, 06:48 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO - Capitol Hill
557 posts, read 810,830 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maciesmom View Post
The weather will be fine for hiking for quite some time. .

What is "relatively close" to Denver to you?

Are you only interested in mountain hiking?

There are all kinds of books and sites that give good reviews and rate by difficulty of various hikes.

Larkspur Trails - Best Larkspur camping, hiking & biking trails | AllTrails.com
I didn't really want to give too tight of a set of parameters. Trying to get a feel for others' most appreciated hiking spots. I'm not asking for 10 locales; your one or two "go to" spots if you care to share.

But, if you insist . . .

An hour or so away I suppose.

Not necessarily, anything with some scenery to it would work.

We can handle up to moderate difficulty probably right now?

I didn't think to clarify - work takes me away from home fairly regularly, so I don't have as many weekends available as I'd like, hence my weather comment.

Edit: Maybe we can do a little more than the "moderate" rating seeing as how "4.5 year olds are making the hike no problem" in the reviews. Ha.
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Old 08-06-2013, 06:58 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO - Capitol Hill
557 posts, read 810,830 times
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Thanks for the ideas so far everyone. Herman's Gulch/Lake looks great. I think that may be in the lead for this weekend.

Is Mt Sniktau doable for a couple of beginners?
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Old 08-06-2013, 10:59 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JD401 View Post
Thanks for the ideas so far everyone. Herman's Gulch/Lake looks great. I think that may be in the lead for this weekend.

Is Mt Sniktau doable for a couple of beginners?
Yup. There's nothing technical about the hike up Mt. Sniktau. You can see a good portion of the trail from the summit of Loveland Pass. It's rated as an intermediate because you gain roughly 1,000ft in elevation over the first half-mile or so.
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Old 08-07-2013, 08:50 AM
 
Location: Na'alehu Hawaii/Buena Vista Colorado
5,529 posts, read 12,666,240 times
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How about bagging your first 14er? Mt. Bierstad at the top of Guanella Pass is not hard. Just remember to start easy in the day as we get afternoon thunderstorms.
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Old 08-09-2013, 01:40 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO - Capitol Hill
557 posts, read 810,830 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii View Post
How about bagging your first 14er? Mt. Bierstad at the top of Guanella Pass is not hard. Just remember to start easy in the day as we get afternoon thunderstorms.
Yeah, but I think we are going to work our way up to it. My wife didn't feel so well after getting to the top of Pikes Peak, and was kind of "off" feeling for a day or two. She did well at 10,800 last time out though. Def want to work up to the higher peaks and 14ers.
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Old 08-10-2013, 05:44 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
8,604 posts, read 14,885,270 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JD401 View Post
Yeah, but I think we are going to work our way up to it. My wife didn't feel so well after getting to the top of Pikes Peak, and was kind of "off" feeling for a day or two. She did well at 10,800 last time out though. Def want to work up to the higher peaks and 14ers.
I took my two oldest kiddos (13 & 9) up to Sniktau today and was reminded of how woefully out of shape I am. The initial pitch from the summit of Loveland Pass to the ridge between Grizzly and Sniktau wiped all 3 of us out. We hiked to the false summit and called it a day.
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