Heart Of The Sunrise

I was a little busier this weekend. On Saturday I needed to continue my apartment search, but I wanted to go for a hike. So I stayed close and went for a 6-mile hike at Mt. Falcon Open Space Park. I had been there before several times. This time I finished off the trails there that I hadn't hiked yet. I also went back to some favorite spots like the Summer White House. During the afternoon I went back to my apartment search. I still haven't decided on a new place yet. In the evening, I went to the Colorado Rapids game verses the Houston Dynamo. The Rapids won 1-0. It was their first win since late May. The goal was a beautiful header by Dwayne De Rosario. Unfortunately for De Rosario, he headed the ball into his own goal.

On Sunday, I got up at four in the morning and drove to Mt. Evans. Mt. Evans is Denver's closest 14er, and there is a road that gets to about a quarter of a mile from the top. It is the highest paved road in North America. I made it up there before sunrise. There were about 5 other cars in the parking lot. There were a few people walking around in the parking lot and others trying to stay warm in their cars. I hiked to the top and had it all to myself. I was shocked about that. I didn't think you could have a 14er to yourself in the summer, especially one where you can practically drive to the top.


Sunrise from the Top of Mt. Evans. (14,264 ft.)





Me on top of Mt. Evans







Me again on Mt. Evans.





I stayed on top for quite awhile. The view was great. I was able to identify the following 14ers from up there: Longs Peak, Pikes Peak, Torreys Peak, Grays Peak, Quandary Peak, & Mt Bierstadt. It was quite a bit cooler on top, but I found that to be a nice change from the warm days in Denver lately.
Me near the top of Mt. Evans. The west ridge of Mt. Evans is starting to see some sun. Mt. Bierstadt is still in the shadows.

I wandered out along the west ridge of Mt. Evans before leaving. Lots of great rocks and views. There were also a few mountain goats. When I got back to my car, the parking lot and summit house were covered with mountain goats. I thought I might see an incident with goats vs. dogs. A lady had her dogs on a leash, and they wanted to go after the goats. One of the goats took offense to this. He looked like he might go after the dogs and lady. Fortunately nothing happen.

A mountain goat and my car in the parking lot of Mt. Evans. The elevation of the parking lot is 14, 130 ft. Not bad for Hybrid VeHicle.

Me at Summit Lake (12,800 ft.) with Mt. Evans behind the lake.




Mt. Evans was a bit of a cheap climb. I've been to the top of three 14ers now. Two of them were cheap ones. I rode up to the top of Pikes Peak as a kid. I see myself doing a legit climb of Mt. Evans in the future. It is so close to Denver, and the terrain is great. I saw several routes that looked like they would be fun. This was more of an exploring trip to see what it was like up there. It is also an easy way to get use to some elevation for what is next...