We tend to seek out the lesser known areas for our own adventures. This year we opted to spend our fall road trip weekend in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, located on the western slopes of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The Flat Tops Wilderness is a bit further north than the better known parts of the western slopes…but it is gorgeous, even when there’s a smokey haze.
We often see photos of beautiful trails and epic mountain summits in the Colorado Rockies but you don’t need to hike up a mountainside to experience the beauty of the Rockies. There are roads winding through the mountains that offer up stunning views. Colorado has nearly 100 mountain passes accessible by road [some paved, some very rugged]. This article highlights five of the most scenic mountain passes that are easily accessible. We also have five lesser known passes available via downloadable PDF to take your mountain road trip to the next level!
Crispy morning air. Sweaters + scarves + beanies. Pumpkin spice…everything. It sure does feel like fall here in the Rocky Mountains, which means the colors will be POPPIN’ very soon! Are you ready to explore the trails blanketed in aspen leaves?
Let us get you started with a list of the best trails to find fall colors…
Whether you’re ready or not, FALL IS HERE. The peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains are popping with the bright yellow of fall, the air is crispy in the morning and the wildlife is busy preparing for winter. This is the perfect time of year to head into the mountains — the crowds are manageable, you are likely to see wildlife and the mountains are on fire with color.
Heat-related illnesses fall on a spectrum ranging from mild to life-threatening. It’s critical to understand how to prevent these issues, which is a topic covered in detail in a subsequent section. It’s also important to be able to distinguish between different heat-related issues and know how to treat each one, bearing in mind that the goal is to prevent a smaller problem from progressing into more serious conditions.
Leave no trace essentially means that when you head outside you should quite literally ‘leave no trace’ of your time spent in the wilderness. While we do want to head outside to enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer we need to be careful about how much of an impact we have. The principles of Leave No Trace are there to help keep our impact in check. These principles address everything from where you hike to how you interact with animals to what you do with your poop. Let’s dig in…
In the perfect world you won’t need to use any of the gear your stash in you “Ten Essentials” go bag. Unfortunately this is not a perfect world and it is paramount that we head into the wilderness prepared for the worst case scenario. This is where the ten essential systems come into play.
The ten essential systems are meant to provide you with the basic items to survive an unexpected overnight in the wilderness.
The outdoors are still open, the mountains are still calling and adventure still awaits! You do not need to let the COVID Pandemic cancel your summer…you just need to get creative in how you adventure!
Keep scrolling to get details on how to recreate responsibly or boop the button below to snag a pre-planned Mini-tinie Adventure for the Colorado Rockies!
The Colorado Rocky Mountains are blanketed in colorful, delicate wildflower blooms three seasons out of four. Due to the long, sunny days and open meadows you’ll find an ever changing variety of wildflowers throughout the mountains all summer.