My friend, Nicholas, sent out an invite through our Denver Seminary outdoor group page that he was heading up to Mt. Evans to do some biking. Let me just say, people are not good about responding on the page. It's like pulling teeth to get people to commit or even respond. I made plans to join him but to hike around while he biked. Since I didn't know where he planned to start his ride, I did not really plan on a trail which is unlike me.

I haven't had much time to hike lately with work, school, and looking for more work. Our spring semester ended last Friday so lots of people were out hiking and camping last weekend. I was still writing a paper until 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning so I didn't get to do anything fun. I had four nights last week where I was up until 4 or later working on papers and studying. I did get my highest grade yet on a graduate paper, so I guess it was worth it! I started another class this week on Redemptive Suffering so I'm not done with school yet. All of this is to say I was stoked to finally be heading to the mountains, or any trail for that matter.

In Colorado, the afternoon storms can be pretty severe on the mountain tops. It is best to summit and be back at treeline before they hit, so we left at 5:15 or so to head out (I was late as usual ). There was a gorgeous full moon out on our way up. We started our treks from the parking lot by Echo Lake Lodge which is just before the road up to Mt. Evans. You can actually drive most of the way up Mt. Evans. I think the hike is only about a quarter mile to the top from where the road ends. I looked at a nearby park map for the trails in the area. I decided to hike around Echo Lake to the Chicago Lakes trail. Chicago Lake is 9 miles round trip, so I knew I couldn't do the whole thing in the 3 hours that Nicholas would be riding.

I started the trail from the marker near the ranger stand. There was still quite a bit of snow and I kept losing the trail and the blazes. I eventually met up with the Echo Lakes trail which was much easier to follow. Once the Chicago Lakes trail split from Echo Lakes the trail became more rugged and had great views of the nearby peaks. It was hard to get good pictures because my camara had trouble focusing with the snow. I could have hiked further, but I wasn't entirely sure how long it would take me to get back with all the wandering back and forth I did in the beginning. I think I only hiked 3.5 to 4 miles. It was just great to be out in the woods for a bit! I have another hike scheduled for Memorial Day with friends.