Wonderful Fall Hikes

 

Hiking has always been a favorite activity of mine. I can think of no greater peace than walking through the woods listening to the birds twitter and the leaves rustle. I can think of nothing more exciting than getting to see and smell the last Wild Rose of the season. Many times I have heard the arguments against hiking: “It’s so boring; there are just so many other cooler things to do; no one honestly likes hiking, all you do is walk or suffer.” I feel sorry for all of these hiking naysayers, yet I also feel inspired to take each and every one of them on a hike with me so that they might discover the pure joy, beauty and excitement that hiking can offer. Without leaving the front range it is possible to encounter neon blue dragonflies, watch peregrine falcons soar on high searching for food, take a journey back into the age of the dinosaurs and most importantly, you can very easily escape from the rush and noise of your daily life. In just moments it is possible to leave behind the sound of the television and video games and a world that revolves around silly bracelets, soccer practice, swim lessons and school projects.

In my mind, fall is one of the most enjoyable times to be out on the trails. As the days shorten and the temperatures begin to cool off, the front range undergoes a magical transformation. As you make your way westward varying shades of gold begin to dominate the scenery. The trees, the grasses and flowers all seem to have undergone this metamorphosis. Fortunately, for those of us who are so lucky to live along the front range, there are a great variety of opportunities to get out and explore this golden landscape.

Hiking along the front range is not only varied, but also plentiful. There are hikes for all ages and all levels of fitness. Without afternoon thunderstorms and mind-bending heat to worry about you can shift your focus towards whether to want a heart-pounding hike that will leave you and your eleven year old tired but proud, or whether you want a peaceful nature walk for the whole family.

Chautauqua has a wealth of hiking that is perfect for everyone and also offers spectacular views of Boulder. You could easily spend an entire season wandering through each of the trails, gradually working your way up to some of the more strenuous hikes.
• The Royal Arch Trail is great for those who are looking for a pleasant morning hike with a moderate level of exertion. The arch at the top is the bonus that may provide the incentive necessary to keep some of the younger members of your party motivated-though if we’re being honest it is sometimes the adults who need it the most.
• Both Gregory Canyon and Flagstaff Trail are other options for good moderate hikes which can be accessed from Chautauqua.

If you are looking for something that will get the blood flowing and the lungs working,
• Bear Peak and Green Mountain are excellent options for a good day hike that is easily accessible. Bear Peak is also hiked during the summer by Avid overnighters at Camp Eden. Both peaks can be accessed from a variety of trailheads. You can take your pick between the Mesa Trailhead, NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) and Chautauqua. My personal favorite is to begin at the Mesa Trailhead and take Shadow Canyon up to Bear Peak. I won’t ruin the surprise, but make sure to keep your eyes peeled for some “shadows” of the past as you walk through the canyon. From the summit, you can either head back the way you came, or take the trail towards NCAR and loop back to the Mesa trail. For the peak-baggers out there, you could even continue along to South Boulder Peak, grabbing two eighters (mountains over 8000 feet above sea level) in one day!

If a nice relaxing walk sounds like it is more the style of your family, now is the perfect time to hike along the Mesa trail, which can be brutally hot during the summer months. Starting at the Mesa trailhead, you can walk past the remains of the Doudy-DeBacker-Dunn homestead. As you continue north along the trail you will find yourself weaving up and down golden hillsides with vistas of the Front Range keeping you company for as long as you choose to walk. Be sure to watch for mountain bikers as you make your way.

My favorite spot to visit along the front range is Eldorado Canyon State Park. The park is perhaps best known for its rock climbing, but the hiking, views and picnic potential should not be overlooked. The hiking, in particular, is very exciting with stone ruins from a mysterious fire atop the mountain, views of stunning sandstone cliffs and 1.8 billion years of geological history. Other State Parks in the Denver area, which are frequented by Avid4 Adventure Multi-sport Day Camp and 2-week Advanced Camp include,
• Chatfield State Park in Highlands Ranch
• Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood
• Cherry Creek State Park in Denver

The area around Golden is host to hikes that are both interesting and beautiful. For the amateur geologists out there,
• Dinosaur Ridge is the perfect afternoon sojourn. The area features dinosaur bones, dinosaur tracks, pleasant hiking and fascinating examples of geology along the Front Range. This short hike offers an interesting perspective on the use of lands by many different beings and the importance of preserving and protecting land for future use and enjoyment.
• The Beaver Brook Trail in Clear Creek Canyon offers a bit more of a wilderness experience. The trail runs east to west with views of the canyon and the Continental Divide along the way and can be made into a half-day or full-day hike.
If your child is avid for hiking and exploring the hillsides of the front range, you might consider one of our Primitive Skills Summer Camps. If you feel the bite of adventure, you might even check out our Warehouse Sale and head out on a hiking/camping adventure! If not, consider one of the Avid4 Adventure Family Trips, where we do the planning for you!

Now that you have an idea of where to go, it is time to get out on the trails. The weather is perfect, the colors are radiant and the paths are beckoning. It is time to break out the plant identification guides and see if your seven year old recognizes any of the plants they learned on hiking day over the summer. Now is your opportunity to test your ten year old to see whether they still remember all seven Leave No Trace Principles. You may-or may not- want to make sure your five year old hears them as well because they will be sure to point out any and all examples of leaving a trace seen along the hike. My final piece of advice is to take at least one, if not two, minutes of mandatory silence and enjoy all of the sounds of the natural world around you! (My trick for getting kids to do this is turning it into a competition: how many different sounds can be heard in such a short period of time and which was your favorite?)

Virginia Sanford is a veteran Avid4 staff and specializes in playing in the outdoors with our youngest campers. In her spare time, you'll find her climbing, hiking, writing, and traveling.

Backpacking in Golden Gate Canyon State Park

 

Backpacking Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Colorado is a great place for kids to learn how to backpack and camp. After attending one of Avid4 Adventure’s family camping trips, resident camps, or participating in the Leader in Training program, a child may be inspired to go backpacking with their family. One place that is close to the Front Range is Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It has several trails that young hikers can take advantage of.

Backpacking at Golden Gate Canyon State Park

One of the many trails in Golden Gate Canyon State Park, the Horseshoe Trail, makes a nice loop for an overnight trip, and is designated a “Hiker Only” trail, which means only hikers can use it, and not other kinds of back country travel like horses-back riders. Begin at the park visitor’s center, hiking uphill through Ralston’s Roost, navigating through large boulders. Camp at either Rim Meadow or Greenfield Meadow. The next day, hike downhill towards the Frazer Meadow Trailhead. Total distance is about two miles.

A more moderate in-and-out route begins at the Rifleman Phillips Group Campground on the north side of the park. Hike east about a mile to a back country shelter area. Return to the group campground via the same trail. The advantage of using a back country shelter is that one doesn’t have to bring a tent, which helps lighten the load a backpacker has to carry.

Other Facilities Available at Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Golden Gate Canyon has other amenities, including:
• A visitor’s Center with natural history displays, bathrooms, and where campers can buy permits.
• Picnic facilities
• Ponds and streams for fishing.
• Group campgrounds
• Cabins and yurts.
• Note that there are no fire rings at back country campsites, and campfires are not allowed.

Permits Required to Camp at Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Parking and backcountry permits are required to visit Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Both backcountry shelters and tent sites cost $10 per night, as well as a vehicle pass. All can be purchased at the park visitor center.


What to Bring on a Backpacking Trip

When planning a backpacking trip, consider the packing list for the family trip program for personal equipment. Group gear such as tents and backpacking stoves, or backpacks may have to be rented or purchased.

With a variety of back country camping and facilities for outdoor activities, Golden Gate Canyon State Park makes a great place for young, first-time backpackers.


Bill Sassani has worked with Avid 4 Adventure since 2005, and in his spare time writes for Suite101.com and Examiner.com on outdoor topics.

Whitewater Kayaking in Colorado

 

Colorado is a state ripe for many great and memorable outdoor adventures in all seasons. During the warmer months whitewater kayaking is no exception. The variety of kayaking available in the Front Range is suitable for those just entering the sport to runs that will scare the pants off expert boaters. Destinations are almost limitless as it may take mere minutes to run a section of river or several days on an over night trip.

Professional instruction is not a difficult thing to find along the I 25 corridor as virtually every metropolitan area from Pueblo to Fort Collins has people providing these services. The institutions offering instruction range from Whitewater Intensive camps aimed at children, such as Avid4 Adventure, to guide services offering lessons for children and adults. Most of the time instruction is focused on providing novice paddlers with the skills and confidence necessary to kayak on Class II whitewater; however, even experienced paddlers will benefit from seeking out professional instruction in more advanced skills and on more difficult rivers. In the greater Denver area instruction may be found at Confluence Kayaks and Renaissance Adventure Guides. These are just two groups offering kayak instruction and should not be considered an exhaustive list.

Apart for the know-how, the correct gear is often times a stumbling block for novice kayakers. There are five items that are mandatory to have to whitewater kayak: boat, paddle, helmet, PFD, and sprayskirt. There are also a few luxury items such as a drytop and gloves that make the cold water more tolerable but aren’t mandatory. Like many of the other outdoor sports pursued in Colorado, to purchase all the necessary items to kayak could cost $2,000. Fortunately there are many outlets to mitigate the cost of kayaking. Sure, one could find a used boat and other gear fairly cheaply online but the tricky part is in choosing the right boat. Many of the high end retail shops specializing in outdoor retail will also rent kayaks and other necessary equipment. Their selection will range from river running kayaks suitable for most novice boaters to high performance play boats and creek boats. If one is taking a lesson, gear is sometime provided by the instructing institution. Be patient in purchasing a boat as they are expensive and can be user specific. A simple internet search is probably the best option for finding a retailer that rents kayak equipment close to home or the destination of choice.

Choosing a site to boat that is commensurate with one’s skill level is just as important as having instruction and the right gear. Numerous resources exist to aid in choosing a kayak destination. The books Colorado Rivers and Creeks II (Banks and Eckardt) and Whitewater of the Southern Rockies (Stafford and McCutchen) are two wildly popular print sources loaded with river information for Colorado. These books contain river descriptions, difficulty classifications, recommended flow levels, as well as directions to the put-in and take-out. The online sources of information typically contain the same information as print sources; however, on advantage that online sources have is that they may be linked to gauges providing updated river flow levels and volumes. Here in Colorado this information may be found on MountainBuzz, EddyFlower, and American Whitewater.

River runs suitable for novice boater may be found up and down the Front Range. These runs are usually located towards the toe of the mountains and foothills as these are areas where the gradient decreases providing great locations for fun entry level kayaking. Some of the most popular sections include: Filter Plant on the Cache La Poudre, Waterton Canyon on the South Platte, Lower North St. Vrain, the Salida town run on the Arkansas and many others. If there are questions about a section of river please consult a guide service, guide book or online resource.

As a paddler’s skill and comfort on moving water increases the options of kayak destinations also increases, thus opening up new areas to explore and enjoy.

See You On The River!!

Matt Nolen is the Avid4 Adventure Paddlesports supervisor and an ACA certified kayak instructor. He has been involved in outdoor education for just short of a decade and has helped many campers discover and enjoy whitewater kayaking.

Canoeing and Kayaking With Your Family

 

Canoeing and Kayaking With Your Family

Life as a Boulder county resident can be tough. With an average of 300 days of sunshine each year and one of the healthiest, most active populations in the country, the options for outdoor activities are endless as are the number of people who enjoy such activities. At times I wonder whether there was an application process that I missed for admission into Boulder. It seems as though every Boulderite excels at a minimum of three activities that would be considered extreme in most other areas of the country. Those who are not proficient mountain bikers, climbers and whitewater paddlers can seem to be in the minority.

In a community of such tremendous athletes it can be intimidating to ask such simple questions as, “Where can I go kayaking or canoeing for a nice mellow day?” You may run the risk of having that mellow day interpreted as Class IV rapids with only two portages and a dash of Grade III scrambling to the put-in. This type of sandbagging seems to be an affliction from which many of the extreme Boulderites suffer.

I certainly need more than one set of hands to count the number of times that recommendations for “mellow” days have turned into epic and unexpected adventures. While this can be fun, it is probably not the best experience to have when you are simply looking for a pleasant Sunday afternoon activity to share with your 7 and 9 year olds.

If your definition of mellow does not include a hair-raising adrenaline rush, take a deep breath and relax. You are not amongst the minority, in fact there are many others in Boulder and along the Front Range who are looking for the very same kind of mellow days that you are. Fortunately, in addition to the vast array of options available to those seeking a heart-pounding, palms-sweating type of experience, there is an equal number of options for those seeking a bit more mental and physical relaxation in a beautiful setting.

The plethora of outdoor activity options has necessitated the emergence of a number of outdoor gear companies. They will be able to outfit you with any of the gear that you might need from a canoe and paddles to PFDs properly fitted to any and all of your family members. If you would like to spend a day out on the water either kayaking or canoeing with the family, but don’t have any of the appropriate gear you can contact several companies in the Boulder/Denver area:

• Avid4 Adventure can arrange the occasional rental and can be reached at 720-249-2412. Even better, Avid4 holds a massive warehouse sale in the Fall of lightly used gear so that you can purchase your own gear at below wholesale prices.
• Confluence Kayaks in Denver rents boats for $25 per day, $15 per half day, $50 per weekend and $75 per week. They can be reached at 303-433-3676.
• Colorado Sports Rentals in Arvada rents canoes, which start at $40 and go up $15 with each additional day. This rental includes a trailer for towing, though they do not offer kayak rentals. They can be reached at 303-467-0200.

If you would prefer to dodge the added stress of doubling the length of your car by trailing a canoe or stacking a mound of kayaks on the roof of your energy-efficient sedan, you might consider paddling the Gunnison River on a family camping trip with Avid4 Adventure or heading to a spot that rents boats right from the shores of the calm flat water lakes around Colorado. The Boulder Reservoir rents boats by the hour. Canoes cost $8 per hour, one person kayaks are $10 per hour and two person kayaks are $15 per hour. Washington Park in Denver rents canoes for $15 per hour; you can get in touch with their rental office at 720-254-6612

Once you have sufficiently and safely outfitted yourself and your family members it will be time to select the perfect location for your flat water adventure. In the Boulder/Denver area a number of state parks have reservoirs which allow kayaking and canoeing. These are some locations frequented by Avid4 Adventure Multi-sport Day Camp and 2-week Advanced Camps.
• Chatfield State Park in Highlands Ranch
• Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood
• Cherry Creek State Park in Denver
• Boulder Reservoir in Boulder

If you are hoping to escape the hustle and bustle of the Boulder and Denver crowds, you might consider:
• Gross Reservoir, although you can only paddle from Memorial Day through September 30. In about twenty-five minutes you will find yourself in the foothills just west of Boulder on a small, beautiful and calm reservoir with plenty of shoreline and no motorboats.
• Redfeather Lakes or the Horsetooth Reservoir up near Fort Collins. The Arapahoe National Recreation Area has a variety of options for water activities as well as camping opportunities. There are five reservoirs in the area, though Monarch Lake and Willow Creek may be the best options as they have no motor boat and no-wake policies. Other options in the general area include Carter Lake Reservoir, Boyd Lake, Lonetree Reservoir and Dowdy Lake.

Where ever you end up and how ever you get yourself there, once you arrive remember to take a few moments upon arrival to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Listen to the sounds around you, even if the dominant sound is that of your five year old asking when they can get in the boat for the 74th time in the past hour, and remember to enjoy yourself. Remember to have your child teach you about the importance of the T-Grip, ask them to point out the gun-whales and the thwarts on the canoe, have them demonstrate the proper way to enter a kayak that is on the water. If your child seems avid for more adventures, make sure to check out Avid4 Adventure Paddlesports Intensives or Kayak Intensives. Whatever you do, make sure you relax and enjoy the mellow day that you are about to share with your family!


Virginia Sanford is a veteran employee of Avid4 Adventure and specializes in programming for 5&6 year olds. When she is not with Avid4, she is likely off exploring, climbing, reading, or traveling.