Paul Intemann Trail Area 7/29/11

Nice trail system accessible from Bear Creek Park.

Mt. Esther 7/22/11

The initial switchbacks to access Mt. Esther are pretty steep but kind of fun.  You can avoid these by accessing the Crews Gulch trails on the Pikes Peak Highway if you are willing to pay the fee to drive the highway.  This is a very pretty hike with a good combination of ascent and meadows.  At the end you are within a stone's throw of the Crystal and Catamount Reservoirs.

Dark Knight Rising

This is just too funny.

Goodbye Frankie Sue

My cousin Frankie Sue Wichman Bower passed away today at age 44. On Monday night she had a sudden massive stroke in her brain stem that it was not possible to recover from.
I had just seen her on July 4th at the annual family picnic at her mom's. She is loved and missed.

We don't know that it would have made a difference in this case, but in her memory please get a health check-up if you haven't had one in the past year. Undiagnosed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc., could take your life in an instant at a young age and leave loved ones behind reeling in the wake.

Pike's Cave Attempt - Quarry on Mt. Rosa 7/13/11

Accessed Mt. Rosa via the forest service roads off Old Stage Rd and climbed up the quarry.  Fun exploring, but missed the cave - needed to bring gps coordinates.  Maybe next time.

Garden of Gods view, St. Mary's Falls

Catamount Trail from Green Mountain Falls 7/5/11

Parts of this trail are very steep and untraily - nice adventure.  You navigate via colored metal tabs in trees.  Mainly the descent along the creek was like this.  We should try this again but go on to the reservoirs and come down another way perhaps.  We had a new hiker with us on this and almost scared her off for good.  I found it kind of fun, but that's easier to say after coming out of it successfully, no longer wondering if you made a wrong turn somewhere. :)