#60HikesDenverChallenge – Gregory Canyon (Boulder)

(For 2017, I had a goal of getting through all 60 trails in the book “60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver” While I didn’t make it through all 60 that year, I have carried this goal into 2018. All the specific trail details can be found in the book or online, but I’ll highlight some things about each trail in addition to including my experience and opinion on the trail here. The numbers below are associated with how they are labeled in the book if you have it.)

Trail #8 – Gregory Canyon: Green Mountain Loop
Completed: 2/6/18 | Number Completed: 19/60
Mode: Hiking with my friend Katja
Location: Just west of Chautauqua Park
Distance: 4.7 miles (we probably did ~5.5 due to parking)
Difficulty: Hard
Type of trail: Hard packed dirt with larger rocks, balloon configuration
Exposure: Lots of shade!
Facilities: At the real trailhead, there’s pit toilets but if you park at Chautauqua there’s running water and a visitor center.

My Experience:
Back in February, I got the chance to catch up with a great friend of mine and we went on a hike in Boulder which is about halfway between us. It was still wintertime but the sun was out so it wasn’t too bad. It was also windy and icy. This trail ended up being a little bit more challenging than we thought it would be and seemed like forever to the summit. Once we were up there though, it was worth it with beautiful views!

Pros:
-Challenging!
-Great views of Boulder and Indian Peaks Wilderness

Cons:
-Parking can be a nightmare

Tips:
-The trailhead only has room for a handful of cars and cost a couple dollars to park in. You might as well park at Chautauqua Park where it’s free and there is a lot more space. It only add half a mile each way.
-Check out the peak map at the summit to be able to name the nearby mountains!
-Watch it during the winter – it can ice over pretty good!

Overall:
I would definitely do this trail again! It’s close enough to town that it doesn’t take a whole day away from you. The challenge was enough for a work out and the views were amazing!