photos/23/0722_SullivanGulch/:

By Alan Silverstein, ajs@frii.com (page updated Tue Jul 25 13:33:14 MDT 2023)

Parent directory/folder = photos/23/

Another little (smaller) hike, 3 days after the previous one (Estes Cone), this time up obscure Sullivan Gulch, east of Crosier Mountain, halfway up US 34 to Estes Park. We covered ~5 mi in a bit over 5 hr, 1900' of gain, mostly off-trail exploring beyond the top of the gulch -- bushwhacking in thigh-deep flowers and shrubs at times!

This was lower than the previous hike (7750' top instead of 11007'), and warmer, but I felt better afterward than the last time...

The tiny unmarked (until you start hiking up) trailhead is 2.1 mi uphill past Drake, on the right. The first 900' or so to the saddle is steep and unimproved, but remarkably good considering.

Image files (Kb): (click on any image for next)

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2. A2_StravaProfile.png (49)
3. B1_WildBergamot.jpg (559)
4. B2_MoreWildBergamot.jpg (528)
5. B3_AlanOnTrailByDon.jpg (183)
6. C_QuartzCairn.jpg (543)
7. D1_EastFrom7750.jpg (329)
8. D2_WestFrom7750.jpg (443)
9. E1_BurnedLog.jpg (287)
10. E2_WestDescending.jpg (426)
11. E3_AlanInMeadow.jpg (127)
12. E4_FurtherDownhill.jpg (388)
13. E5_MeekerLongsConeZoom.jpg (276)
14. F_DonOnRocks.jpg (401)
15. G1_BeeBalmCloseup.jpg (375)
16. G2_FloweringCactusCloseup.jpg (491)
17. H_DonCrossingMeadow.jpg (553)
18. I_ChallengingBushwhack.jpg (581)
19. J_DonAtBalancedBoulder.jpg (395)
20. K1_HeadingForRidgeTrail.jpg (495)
21. K2_HeadingForRidgeTrail.jpg (485)
22. L_LooseCactus.jpg (521)
23. M_DownhillOnMainTrail.jpg (469)
24. N_DownhillOnMainTrail.jpg (550)