Biking the South Platte and Highline Canal

Our trip this week took us down the South Platte River, across to the Highline Canal, and back to Jim and Chris's for a cookout. The weather was spectacular, no wind present, and the fellowship was superb.

If you're wondering how we got from the South Platte to the Highline Canal, well, we took the new Dry Creek Trail pictured below. I didn't even know about it until this trip.

Our fearless leaders showed us the way. It's a good thing we have them though. I'm the world's worst biker. I hardly come to a stop at a stop sign, I never look right or left, I ride the brakes to death, all techniques I learned from my Uncle Rusty. Jim and Chris always get us there safely.

St. Mary's Glacier

Royal blue sky, warm spring weather, and panoramic scenery greeted us April 2nd at St. Mary's Glacier, just ten miles from I-70 off exit 238. Our two and a half hour hike took us to the top of St. Mary's and if the wind had not been a factor, we would have gone further.

James Peak was another several miles away and would be a great day hike later in the spring. We particularly liked the the views from the top looking back down at the lakes.

Snowshoes were a must as the snow was deep at the start and ice-crusted and steep on the climb up.

We enjoyed a fairly solitary hike with only a couple of skiers gliding down and a few other snowshoers along the route.