Читать книгу Best Summit Hikes Denver to Vail - James Dziezynski - Страница 11

This book exists because of a simple philosophical query: “What happens if I go right instead of left?”

In this case, right was a turn toward enigmatic Watrous Gulch; left was the weary path to the beautiful but busy Herman Lake. The seldom-traveled trail to Watrous Gulch eventually gives up altogether, dissolving into a green field of dazzling wildflowers. At its terminus is an amphitheater watched over by a trio of inviting mountains, all blissfully void of established trails.

These places awaken something in me. Troubles fade away in sync with the quieting traffic on I-70, not even a mile and a half down the trail but already light-years away. Focus shifts away from mundane routine toward the thrilling unknown.

My border collie Fremont and I linked up Mount Parnassus, Bard Peak, Robeson Peak, and Engelmann Peak on that day. Standing atop the highest point at 13,641-foot Bard Peak, I saw summits to the east—Silver Plume Mountain and Republican Mountain—that I had never hiked. I began to realize a wealth of great summit hikes potentially waiting along the I-70 corridor. Most of these relatively unknown mountains are gone in a flash, overlooked as eager adventurers drive to far-off, more-popular peaks. Given how wonderful my day out of Watrous Gulch had been, I began to give serious merit to the low-traffic, high-adventure mountains lining the I-70 corridor like open secrets.

And with that, this book was afoot.

It’s not that the entire suite of I-70 peaks between Denver and Vail are completely anonymous. The twin fourteeners of Grays and Torreys Peaks are among the most heavily trafficked mountains in all of Colorado. But what about Tenderfoot Mountain? Mount Solitude? Hagar Mountain? Uneva Peak? Peak 6? How about all those mountains that fatigued drivers have looked upon while trapped in gridlock, wondering if they even have names?

This book is the culmination of more than five years of touring and exploring those very mountains. Perhaps it was a trick of perception, but they just seemed to be getting better along the way. An organic transformation happens east to west as the accommodating peaks of the Front Range slowly morph into the wild and untamed mountains of the magical Gore Range. That so many excellent hikes and scrambles near to the Denver–Boulder metro area go unnoticed is astounding. They are yours to uncover.

It is my hope that you find as much adventure, challenge, and enjoyment in these mountains as I have—hopefully more. I’ve purposely left some secrets out of print: wildflower meadows, old mining haunts, prime wildlife habitats, secret monuments, to name a few. I believe that a good guidebook will get you to the top and back safely but leave plenty of space between the lines for imagination and discovery.

After all, each step into the wilderness reveals something about the mountain—and about ourselves. And let’s face it: It’s awfully convenient that all of that enlightenment is waiting so close to home.

The roughly 70 miles of paved highway that connects Denver to Vail is an engineering marvel. Cutting through some of Colorado’s highest terrain, I-70 goes 1.7 miles through the earth via the 11,158-foot Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel and over 10,662-foot Vail Pass. Along the way, it passes through several distinct mountain ranges (all subranges of the Southern Rocky Mountains), including the Front Range, the Williams Fork Mountains, the Tenmile Range, and the Gore Range.

I-70 is the critical foundation upon which Colorado’s thriving outdoors recreation industry is built. The highway is maintained year-round, offering access to several ski areas and tourism-based mountain towns. At times it is easy to forget just how amazing this roadway is, especially when you are mired for hours in the notorious gridlock that inevitably builds up in busy and winter months. On the plus side, it does give an aspiring adventurer plenty of time to gaze at the mountains.

The hikes in this book are divided into three primary sections: Denver to the Eisenhower–Johnson Tunnel, the tunnel to Vail Pass, and Vail Pass to the town of Vail. In order to narrow the focus, the rule for this book is that all trailheads are within 10 miles of an I-70 exit. A few bonus hikes just beyond this radius are given a quick look as well. Thankfully, nearly all of the trailheads for the peaks in this guide are accessible by any standard car or truck. Only four of the primary trailheads require a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle, and in all of those cases, stock SUVs tend to do just fine.

Colorado hikers are getting the best of both worlds hiking along I-70. It only takes 20 minutes to leave behind the droning buzz of traffic. Because so many of these mountains are overlooked, many hiking days are uncrowded, peaceful experiences. Yet, one is never far from civilization. From Denver, the farthest-west hikes are only about a 2-hour drive from home. The towns along the way have great restaurants and plenty of attractions to tack onto a good hiking day.

These mountain adventures are perfect for those who cherish time in the hills but only have so many days where they can get out. In no way are these peaks compromised in terms of quality or challenge—you are getting the real deal, minus the hassle of long drives along remote mountain roads. It is a happy coincidence that the terrain ranges from simple, on-trail walk-ups (Grays Peak) to burly, gutsy scrambles (Pacific Peak, west ridge).