Since being home from Utah, I immediately went back to work, so I have not had any time to climb or hike. However, I had a day off yesterday, so I went peak-seeking!
I met a new friend, Tara, out at the Twin Sisters trailhead, near Estes Park, around 9:00am.
Trail is 3.7 miles one way, which does not sound bad. The elevation gain to the highest peak, the East Twin Sisters Peak, was 2,450 ft., which takes you to the 11,428 ft. summit.
The trail is still snow-packed, and going up was not as bad as coming down. I think it ended up taking the same amount of time going up as down because of how often we kept falling into the knee-deep and sometimes waste-deep snow!
Photo: Tara Nichols
The trek overall was very fun. If you are planning to go anytime soon, mind the landslide.
Yes, the landslide.
The floods last September washed out a huge section of the trail, so it was hard to find where it connected again. Luckily, there were a few other groups on trail, so we yelled across the slide at them about where the trail was. We also helped others find it on our way down.
The trail offered gratuitous views of Longs Peak most of the way, and once you get about 1/4 mile from the top, things get sketchy in the snow, because it is the steepest part of the trail.
Once you get past that, get ready to scramble!
The top rewarded us with beautiful views of the Front Range, Longs Peak, and the Continental Divide. All-in-all, this may be my favorite hike in Colorado yet!
Photos by Tiffiny Costello. Equipment used: iPhone 5s & GoPro Hero 3+