Photograph by Anna Grigsby
With Block Break just around the corner, many of us first-years may be waffling on how to spend our four days of freedom. Some may decompress by binge watching a mindless Netflix series (My 600-Pound Life, anyone?). Others may road trip somewhere. The Colorado College bubble can be a hard one to pop, but this is the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. We could do worse.
So if you’re not into a backcountry diet of ramen, trail mix, and granola, consider day hikes to get your Vitamin D fix. There are many close to Colorado Springs, including classics like the Barr Trail to Pikes Peak, the Manitou Incline, and much more.
I have a confession–upon arriving at Colorado Springs I purchased a guidebook (hey, I’m from Oregon) from REI, “The Best Southern Front Range Hikes” by Greg Long. It includes a section of hikes within an hour’s drive of Colorado Springs, useful for students who want to escape for the day or don’t want a longer term commitment over the Block Break.
You can even go east from Colorado Springs to find gems. The Painted Mines Interpretive Park is one such getaway near the town of Calhan, which is a 40-minute drive east on Highway 24. The rock formations are like a miniature Badlands ‘painted’ with vibrant colors. The Badlands appear out of nowhere, like someone peeled away one of the rolling hills. I recommend a visit before weather erodes thousands of years of layered stone and clay pinnacles and deposits.
If you are looking for a moderate trail with a 360-degree view, Eagle Peak is a good fit. The Goat Camp Creek Trail climbs 2,000 feet, and the payoff is spectacular.
Bison Peak, a 12,431 summit with 3,750 feet of elevation in the Lost Creek Wilderness, is for the more ambitious. The hike is 11.5 miles round-trip with an hour drive, but the isolation that the Lost Creek Wilderness provides is reward enough. This guidebook suggests the trail could be entirely yours on a weekday, and possibly shared with another group on the weekend. But be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions at higher elevations!
With the weather changing and winter approaching, it may be worth your while to check out some of these Front Range hikes before backpacking season morphs into the much anticipated ski season.
I also came across an informative website for hikes near Colorado Springs: Every Trail. It provides descriptions of the hikes, maps, photos, even an app for your smart phone for anyone seeking a gentle transition from soft-cushy chairs, prepared food, and real-time Twitter feeds.
And if that doesn’t convince you–think what a few choice pix could do for your Instagram page! Go to Every Trail (www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-colorado-springs-colorado) for more information on hikes on Colorado Springs, or the El Paso County for information on the Paint Mines Interpretive Park
(http://www.adm.elpasoco.com/CommunityServices/ParkOperations/Pages/PaintMinesInterpretivePark.aspx).