No time for sleep

A handful of years ago, my best friend was going through some tough times. He needed a getaway and I am a firm believer that being outside in nature is good for the soul, and being in the mountains is even better. Those are things Colorado can offer in abundance. We looked at flight options, whipped up some short-notice plans, and he flew out for a few days that we jamb-packed full of adventure.

I had just finished a 6 week business trip. I arrived home long enough to sleep in my own bed and get some laundry done before getting flown down to Alabama for a job interview with Mercedes-Benz U.S. International. I got back to Colorado on a Wednesday afternoon and immediately got to work packing up the 4Runner. As soon as I was finished, I went right back to the airport to pick up Matt, and our adventure began.

We grabbed a late dinner on the road as we made our way out to South Park. Getting to bed just after midnight, we spent a short night not far from the trailhead of Mount Sherman – a towering 14,043-foot (4,280 m) mountain peak in Colorado’s Mosquito Range.

At 4:15 the next morning we awoke to our alarms and ate a quick breakfast. Operating on four hours of sleep and in the dark, we got back on the road. We arrived at the Mount Sherman trailhead, grabbed our gear, and started the hike to the summit around 5:30am, just after first light.

Mid-July in the mountains meant we still had snow to contend with.

The hike is only about 5 miles out and back, but the lack of air at that elevation ramps up the difficulty. It’s a strange sensation when you feel like you’re not exerting much energy but big, deep breaths aren’t enough and you can’t fully catch your breath.

We got blasted with cold wind as we made the final push to the summit.

Cracking open a cold beer with your lifelong best friend atop a 14,000+ foot peak without another soul in sight is something you do not ever forget.

We took in the views, enjoying the moment for a bit. Then, feeling accomplished, we started the descent down.

Going down we were able to use some of that snow to our advantage.

On our way down we checked out some of the ruins from an old mining operation.

And the remnants of a long forgotten orange pick up truck.

After hiking for almost 5 hours, the seats of the 4Runner were a welcome sight.

We made our way to Buena Vista for a much needed lunch.

From there we took Independence Pass through the Sawatch Mountain Range, over the Continental Divide, and down through Aspen on our way to Marble.

We drove a trail deep into the Elk Mountains to the ghost town of Crystal, home of the iconic Crystal Mill.

Until then I had only ever seen the mill in photographs. It was beautiful!

The town of Crystal started as a mining camp in 1880 and had over 500 residents at its peak. But by 1915 the population had dropped to just 8. Today Crystal remains vacant in the winter due to being so inaccessible, but the town is home to around 10 people during the summer months.

We had to stop for one more look at the mill before heading back.

Can you spot the long abandoned truck that fell off the road?

On our way back through Marble we stopped at Slow Groovin’ BBQ for an incredible dinner before setting off in search of camp.

A forest road lead us to a small creek crossing. We set up camp in the iKamper on the far creek bank by a tiny little waterfall that made all the right noises–and you know exactly what I mean.

17 hours of adventure on 4 hours of sleep made for a very long day.

The next morning, we were up bright and early.

We had some breakfast and were back in the 4Runner by 6:30am.

We hurried to get to Glenwood Springs in time to make our shuttle reservation to hike Hanging Lake.

Hanging Lake.

We made our way above the lake and found some more waterfalls.

Hanging Lake is beautiful, but it’s also a cautionary tale of how we lose access when we can’t be respectful. Hanging Lake used to be a free, open-to-the-public hidden gem with a small landlocked parking lot at the trailhead. As it grew in popularity people started parking wherever they wanted. A line of traffic waiting for spots started to extend out onto I70 – Colorado’s only major East-West highway that crosses the mountains. The stunning crystal clear water and abundant greenery that make up Hanging Lake’s fragile ecosystem proved too much for entitled people to resist. Ignoring the regulations (that apparently apply to everyone except them?) people were crossing barriers and getting in the water, feeding animals, and leaving garbage behind. The result is the system in place now – if you want to see Hanging Lake you now have to pay for a reservation to drive to Glenwood Springs where a bus will shuttle you to the trailhead. You can hike up to the lake, where you are supervised, and when finished you can wait in line for the next available shuttle that has room to take you back. People suck sometimes.

Back at the 4Runner, we made our way East, grabbing lunch and a beer at the Dillon Dam Brewery before driving up a trail to the top of the Keystone Ski Resort.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I love these Nitto Ridge Grappler tires.

It’s a little bit odd to find yourself in the middle of a ski slope in your vehicle.

We took Loveland Pass back over the Continental Divide and made our way out to Rollins Road.

We started the accent up Corona Pass.

When it became impassable from snow, we continued on foot in pursuit of the Needle’s Eye Tunnel at the summit.

This marmot had a lot to say.

The historic Needle’s Eye Tunnel, long closed and partially collapsed.

We hiked up and bypassed the tunnel, made our way around the ridge, and back down in the setting sun.

My cell phone camera failed to accurately catch the beauty that was on full display.

We made it back to the 4Runner and the last little bit of daylight disappeared shortly into our descent back down.

The next morning we made our way into Boulder for a very hot hike up Mount Sanitas.

We stopped for a quick lunch and hit the beach at Boulder Reservoir to cool off for a while. The chilly water felt soothing on an aching body.

After the beach we drove back to my house. We cleaned up, showered, I unpacked, he repacked, and we were left with about an hour to sit and relax before leaving to drive him back to the airport.

It was a short trip but an epic one. We both needed it, and the exhausted sleep that followed.

Final stats: We hiked a 14er, crossed the Continental Divide, off-roaded to Crystal Mill, visited Hanging Lake, ascended Corona Pass, climbed Mount Sanitas, swam in the Boulder Reservoir, navigated 5 National Forests, drove up a ski resort and passed 11 more. That doesn’t even include however many different wilderness areas and mountain ranges that I lost track of.