Any die-hard hikers/outdoorsy photographers in here?

Markster · Jan 6, 2011

I went on a high with the DU Alpine Club a number of years back. It was one of my first hikes. I took a couple of rolls of film. It was very memorable and I had a great blast of a time. I loved it.

Only, I never can recall the name of the place. I even traded a couple e-mails with the now-president of the club. Their webpage started putting up photographic histories of their outings but only as far back as 2006 (this hike was probably 2003/2004). I sent some e-mails to see if they had older records, described it as best I could, etc. No luck.

So, if I were to scan some pics of the scenery, might anybody here recognize the park/area we were in?

It's quite distinctive. Hiking through the woods first, heading to a distant waterfall up a steep cliff-like mountain face. Zig-zagging back and forth until realizing we were at the top of the waterfall that seemed so far away. Seeing old mining equipment, getting a bit of a history lesson... Finding a lake up on top of the plateau, only to find there's MORE sheer vertical cliffs on the other side of the lake.....

All put together, it was quite a unique experience. I would like to figure out where this was and go back some day. The conditions were breathtaking when I went the first time. It was moist and cold. Jackets all around, fog making it hard to see 50 feet. I believe we went up past 10,000 feet then came back down.

toro_mike · Jan 6, 2011

Sure, post them and we'll see if we can make out any recognizable landmarks. I've hiked fairly extensively all over the state, as I'm sure others have.

Any other hints you can remember that might give us a general area - any major roads you remember (I-70, 285, Boulder Turnpike, etc.)? They would all give us a general idea of where in the state your were. Do you remember if it took a long time to get there, or was quick?

Mike

Markster · Jan 6, 2011

I think it was a bit of a drive, so I'd assume more Southerly. Sadly I don't recall one iota of the drive, the direction. I was in a van (the DUAC rented a van or two, there were about 18-20 of us total, some folks drove themselves) and I was in one of the rows of the van napping or reading or something. I regret not paying attention better.

I will scan the highlights sometime between now and the weekend.

Rick A · Jan 6, 2011

I used to spend every spare day or so packing in the Uinta and Wasatch mountains when I lived in Utah. My best friend and I would get out nearly every weekend, and lived in tents for hunting season. I finally retired my old back pack a couple of years ago, the arthritis has gotten the better of me. My daughters and I take short hikes whenever possible these days, seems the hikes are getting shorter though.

Markster · Jan 6, 2011

Okay, here we go... It starts out with a hike through the trees. Mind you, it was foggy. I think that really lent it to being such a memorable and awe-inspiring trip, but it might make it hard to spot things (so I put in plenty of scans).

We see a waterfall way up on the rocks. Looks more vertical from afar, but it turns out we zig-zag our way up there and actually cross said waterfall! It's at this point where the dense forrest gives way to the rocky mountainous growth displacing the trees. Looking down it's almost a 45-degree grade (which is just frickin' sweet, lemmetellya!) and you can see all the trees you just emerged from.

There are damaged timbers from past fires but also from man's efforts. I don't recall if it was logging or mining, but there are leftover contraptions from the early part of the last century. It was some sort of elevator to raise and lower the wood or the gold (I don't recall which). Group snapshot is in front of the remnants of one of these (that's me perched on a rock in the front left with scarf around neck, the grin is genuine). Later we pass it again on the way down and I snap a pic of one of the other leftover wooden frames and wires draping down the rocks.

At the top of the climb there's a plateau. This is where the waterfall came from! It feeds in from this pool/lake. I think it's a giant flat lake but then right out of an epic movie the fog parts magically revealing a nearly vertical summit literally < 100 feet away on the other side of the water/basin/pool.

I also snagged some shots near the area we took our lunch break: that drop is pretty close to where we sat to eat.

All in all just a stupendous outing, for me.

mrwestphal · Jan 7, 2011

Man! I sure hope someone figures it out, that looks like a great hike and the location!!!! wow!

Markster · Jan 7, 2011

That's only about half the photos. I got most of 2 rolls. A number of them are people photos, some are redundant (nice, but don't show anything new to help locate the place) and so forth. Definitely one of my more cherished photo sets.

toro_mike · Jan 7, 2011

Hmmm... It is indeed a beautiful area and an awesome-looking hike. I don't immediately recognize it - I've been on dozens that look very similar. I'll pose the question to my hiking partner as he's been hiking longer than I have.

Rick A · Jan 7, 2011

Howzabout contacting the folks you went with and ask where you were.

Markster · Jan 7, 2011

Don't know any of them. I recall maybe a name or two, but one of those is for the club president's dog (Lucy, I think).

It was a club outing and outside of meeting the folks that one time I rarely saw any of them later (thus never remembered names, never stayed in contact).

My 2 sisters with me on the trip also can't recall, though I've bugged them enough times over the past year or so. They don't recall the place either.

Markster · Jan 24, 2011

It brings me an immense amount of joy to share the name of the hike!

Thanks to toro_mike (and his hiking friends?) we have confirmed it is the Continental Falls and Mohwak Lakes, near Breckenridge.

He found an online gallery of the hike here:
http://www.lightrainproductions.com/Photo Galleries/PhotoGalleryFifteen.htm

Which also happened to have the exact same mining tower (it is quite distinct)

Here it is from my hike pictures:

toro_mike · Jan 25, 2011

Happy to have helped Markster... Be sure to post pictures when you go there for us!

Mike

jacarape · Jan 25, 2011

I hiked all over Israel with a Mamiya 645Pro and a Nikon F4s. What great memories!

In New Mexico I went all over the place with two dogs, an awesome time also.

benjiboy · Jan 29, 2011

No, I did enough hiking in eight years in the military with a 56lb pack and a rifle to last a lifetime.

toro_mike · Jan 29, 2011

benjiboy said:
No, I did enough hiking in eight years in the military with a 56lb pack and a rifle to last a lifetime.

Yup, that would do it!

Markster · Jan 31, 2011

Well there's a difference between "hiking" and "marching" IMO

There's duty, then there's liesure. When you set your own pace, load your own gear (go as light as you want!) you get a much more relaxing thing.

I know when I have to get somewhere fast on foot I'm concentrating on directions, location, path, etc.

When I'm hiking with friends/family I enjoy the place. I stop and take pictures of interesting views, etc.

I can see how one might sour you on the other, but hope you haven't lost all love for it.

Toro_mike, one of my sisters mentioned interest in going back to that hike, but I'm thinking we'll wait til later in the year. Definitely not for the winter season. Heck, felt like a hike getting to my driveway this morning. Started sliding down the driveway into the street in my boots. Felt like Minnesota again </oldmemories>

Gingerjoe · Jan 31, 2011

these are great man! Love looking @ albums of peoples adventures & travels, cheers for sharing!

mrwestphal · Jan 31, 2011

Hey Markster! Another fellow former Minnesotan!

toro_mike · Feb 1, 2011

Markster said:
Toro_mike, one of my sisters mentioned interest in going back to that hike, but I'm thinking we'll wait til later in the year. Definitely not for the winter season. Heck, felt like a hike getting to my driveway this morning. Started sliding down the driveway into the street in my boots. Felt like Minnesota again </oldmemories>

Yup, I had to drive to Beaver Creek this morning for a conference I'm working. It was not fun until after about Floyd Hill, then it was sunny to Vail Pass. We are warmer here (not my much) and we're at 8100'... Really amazing weather!

Markster · Feb 1, 2011

mrwestphal said:
Hey Markster! Another fellow former Minnesotan!

And former Alaskan, and former Arizonan.

I was just up in WI during that storm that collapsed the dome. I got lucky, was literally in the eye of the storm, circled all around me, didn't really slam me where I was (visiting extended family).

toro_mike, when's the rainy season up there? Is that like September? Or more like November? The pics I took were kind of in the rainy season with lots of fog.

toro_mike · Feb 2, 2011

Markster said:
toro_mike, when's the rainy season up there? Is that like September? Or more like November? The pics I took were kind of in the rainy season with lots of fog.

Hey Markster,
Weather such as that is not uncommon in the mountains of Colorado any time of the year! I've seen hail in July and 80 degrees in January

However, the official rainy season is usually late May/early July

Any die-hard hikers/outdoorsy photographers in here?

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Markster

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Any die-hard hikers/outdoorsy photographers in here?

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