[at-l] Yet another winter trip report...

[pmags@yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

In between the discussion of Warren Doyle's remarks at
the Gathering, thought I'd try posting a novelty. A
trip report!

Had a beautiful sunny winter day here in Colorado, if
a bit (meaning VERY windy). Climbed Estes Cone, a neat
formation on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park
that has a great view of Longs Peak and the
surrounding valley.

The day started off very easy. The trail meanders
along a gentle ridge for the first two and a half
miles. Considering that I lead a trip last weekend
that I called easy, the group I lead was happy that
this trail was actually easy! :-)  After this easy,
wooded ridge walk, we climbed to the top of the cone.
I would like to report that the view was incredible,
but frankly, we did not stay up there long enough to
enjoy the view. The winds were ferocious. Though we
were only out of the trees for 90' at the most, it was
enough to make us duck to tree-line again. I could
feel my beard freezing. My thought was it is nice to
look at the clouds surrounding the 14er rather than
being on the 14er today!

We climbed back down and had lunch at an outcropping
that had little wind, was sunny and relatively warm. 

Had an easy walk back to the car, where in the exposed
parking lot, the winds again started up. A 'chinook'
is what I believe the proper phrase is...

We then drove to a little town called Nederland that
is about 1/2 hr from Boulder, met up with some other
friends,  and enjoyed some live Bluegrass music in a
coffee house. The chinooks were even worse in town
than up in the higher mountains!


Not a bad Sunday. Some nice (but windy) hiking, and
some good music while drinking some hot cocoa.


No trip report next weekend. I will be in
Pennsylvania. :-) 

(Though, I do plan on bringing some hiking clothes and
taking a stroll at least one day on that weekend.
Anyone up for a short hike on the AT sometime next
weekend? It has been four years since I was on that
part of the trail....)



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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau

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