Enjoying the view from atop beautiful Green Mountain
Last Saturday (October 11th), just 12 hours after arriving from Michigan, we undertook an arduous hike to the top of Green Mountain, Colorado. The weather forecast was poor for Sunday, so Saturday was our best opportunity to enjoy the splendid beauty of Colorado.
Green Mountain – Source: http://www.protrails.com/trail
At 8,144 feet, Green Mountain is a majestic peak located just southwest of Boulder. It offers stunning views of the Great Plains to the east, Denver to the Southeast, the Rocky Mountains to the west, and of Boulder to the northeast which are hard to beat (see photos). A brass plate topographical guide of the Rockies is provided on top of the cairn to reward those who complete the climb.
All told, the trip took three hours to scale the peak from Chautauqua National Historic Landmark, following the Baseline, Gregory Canyon, and Ranger Trails and then another three hours carefully climbing back down the Greenman, Saddle Rock, and Amphitheater Trails through rugged terrain, areas washed out by flooding in 2013, and past numerous piles of black bear scat. The total elevation change our six-hour hike was approximately 5,600 feet.
Here are a few photos of the journey. Enjoy!
The Flatirons from along the Baseline Trail
A view of Boulder
The Rockies
Brass plate topographical guide on top of the cairn at the peak of Green Mountain
A rain shower on the plains
Heading back down
Scaling a washout from the 2013 floods
Within the amphitheater
Another rocky view
Back at Chautauqua at dusk
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Panethos 