Colorado Bucket List
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Colorado Bucket List: Pikes Peak Cog Railway
For people who live in Colorado, particularly those who hike regularly, I’m not necessarily sure this is a bucket list item. It wasn’t ever on ours. But for visitors, or for those who want to get up into the mountains but don’t have the means to do so via other methods, perhaps the Pikes Peak Continue reading
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Colorado Backpacking: Cascade Creek Trail to Mirror and Crater Lakes
First things first: there are a whole bunch of Crater Lakes in Colorado. This post is about the one on the west side of the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Lake Granby. For info on hiking to the Crater Lake near Aspen, see this post. For info on hiking to the Crater Lakes in the James Continue reading
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On Top of Colorado (and Colorado 14ers #8): Mount Elbert via Black Cloud Trail
In September, two of my travel goals collided when I summited my eighth Colorado 14er… which also happens to be the highest point in Colorado! A few days later, as I sit down to begin writing this post, I’m conflicted about whether to title it ‘Colorado 14ers’ to match my other 14ers posts or ‘On Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Scenic Railroad and Chicago Basin
There are 58 officially named peaks in Colorado with summit elevations over 14,000 feet (4267 m). We call them 14ers, and summiting all of them is something many people aspire to. It took me a few years to decide, but it’s a goal I’ve finally committed to. It’s a long-term goal, obviously. There are so Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: fall colors at the Maroon Bells
While finally getting to see Independence Pass was lovely, the real reason for our weekend trip was because I had secured us an entrance permit for the Maroon Bells. These two iconic 14ers are the centerpiece of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area near Aspen, Colorado. This was our third trip to the Bells; the first Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: driving Independence Pass
Like so many other things since we’ve moved to Colorado, this was somewhat of a third time is the charm situation for us. The first time we drove Independence Pass we were en route to the Maroon Bells, but we’d left home after work and by the time we made it this far it was Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Picketwire Canyon Dinosaur Tracks
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a dinosaur snob. I can’t help it. I grew up in an area with a pretty fantastic dinosaur museum. The bar was set really high when I was really young, so I’m not easily impressed. But this place was really cool! Picketwire Canyon is located Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Backpacking the Four Pass Loop
(Updated June 2023) Sometimes, bucket list items are completely overhyped tourist traps. And sometimes, they’re more than worth the hype. The Four Pass Loop is one of the latter. We’ve seen a lot of incredible places and done a lot of amazing things in Colorado, but this one is definitely near the top of my Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Hiking to Ice Lake
Do a google search for “best hikes in Colorado” and you’ll inevitably stumble across Ice Lake within the first 5 minutes of your search. And let me tell you, there’s a reason this hike appears on the majority of such lists. It’s unbelievable! It’s also popular and crowded (let’s be real, most everything in Colorado Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Isak Heartstone… and some other Breckenridge highlights
The first time I heard someone mention “the troll” I had absolutely no clue what they were talking about. But a little research quickly uncovered the mystery of this unusual hiking destination. This is one of those silly and cliché and popular bucket list items, but I still feel like it was worth the brief Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Sunrise at the Maroon Bells
I said when I began this Colorado Bucket List series that some of these “must-do” items are probably a little overrated and/or cliché. Some of them are also excessively popular and crowded. This is absolutely one of the most popular and crowded items on the list, but it’s by no means overrated. There’s a reason Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Driving the Million Dollar Highway
It only takes a few minutes of researching ‘best things to do in Colorado’ – or some form of that sentence – before the Million Dollar Highway turns up. This 23 mile (37 km) section of Highway 550 stretches from Ouray to Silverton, and it’s iconic for a reason. The views are indescribable, the steep Continue reading
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Colorado Bucket List: Hanging Lake
There are a few things that, when you visit or live in Colorado, you just have to do. Some of them are silly and some of them are excessively popular and some of them are probably pretty cliché. But some of them are also on the must-do list for a reason. As we work our Continue reading
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