A Trio Of Incredible Hikes In Colorado | The Nomad Life
Idaho Springs, Colorado was only meant to be a one-night stopover on my way back to Deep Creek. That's because during the brief few hours I'd spent at that wonderful BLM land near Gypsum (making coffee on Coffee Pot Road, and admiring the inviting swimming hole sandwiched between small cascades), I had fallen in love and planned to return there for some extended camping.
But Idaho Springs had (thankfully!) colluded with mother nature to disrupt my plans!
The Jimmy Eat World concert at Red Rocks, while thrilling and borderline legendary, had left me pretty drained. I cruised into Idaho Springs looking for a quiet dispersed camping spot to catch up on some sleep, but repeatedly struck out. Either the spots were taken, or my Kia Soul, "Aventura" (Avi for short) didn't have the willpower – or all wheel drive capability – to find empty ones.
Feeling a bit defeated, I grudgingly checked in to the H&H Motor Lodge for the night. After some small talk with the cheerful desk clerk, she enthusiastically recommended I take a drive up Highway 103 to soak in the sunset surrounded by the Eastern Rockies.
That short drive isn't the focus of this post, but it convinced me to research hiking in the area. And once I did, I immediately extended my stay at the H&H Motor Lodge by 7 days! There was an abundance of hiking and adventuring to do here.
What's interesting about the three hikes I chose in the Idaho Springs area is how the wow factor ramped up with each one.
Notably, all of these hikes ended at more than 10,000ft above sea level!
Let's start with:
Saint Mary's Glacier
Saint Mary's Glacier feels like the obligatory "tourist hike" for anyone staying in or near Idaho Springs, but for good reason. It's a low-effort, high-reward forest walk through pines and aspens, leading to a beautiful alpine lake (Saint Mary's Lake) and a densely wooded area full of ancient Bristlecone Pine trees.
Just beyond that, the semi-permanent snowfield known as Saint Mary's Glacier, with multiple places to relax and admire wildflowers that were popping everywhere, and of course the stunning Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains. It's one of the many places I've traveled that seems impossible to capture...
Mestaa'éhehe Mountain Lookout @ Sunrise
Some hikes are "destination hikes" where the trail is uninspiring or a bit of a grind, and some are "journey hikes" where the beautiful surroundings stop you in your tracks multiple times. Mestaa'éhehe Mountain is absolutely the former, with one important exception.
The short but strenuous route ascends a steep fire road, but because I started before sunrise I was treated to warm, pastel, alpenglow colors when peeking between the pines.
Warm yellows, deep oranges, even some pastels. What a view to hike with!
The fire lookout itself, which the US Forest Service now rents out, was occupied (and probably will be every day of the year), but the panoramic view from the summit was absolutely divine. From 28 miles away as the crow flies, I could clearly see the Denver skyline, and savored the sight of nearby Mount Blue Sky and Pikes Peak.
Chicago Lakes Trail
The longest hike of this trio at about 9 miles, Chicago Lakes was really special, probably because it felt like multiple hikes stitched together. Remember when I said some hikes are "journey hikes?" This definitely qualifies!
I was moving through different landscapes every couple miles! A glacial valley beneath Mount Blue Sky, a reservoir shoreline with a labyrinth to thoughtfully walk through, granite cliffs that reminded me of the Sierra Nevada, dense conifer forests with lodgepole pines, fields stuffed with a rainbow of wildflowers, a touching shrine to fallen adventure dogs, shimmering alpine lakes...
I even had the first moose sighting of my life! When (not if) I return to Colorado, I'll absolutely revisit this hike, but tuned for a backpacking trip into the Mount Evans wilderness. I think I could explore just the Front Range of the Rockies for months on end.
As for why I left Colorado so soon, that's coming up next!
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Jason Evangelho
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