The Art of Exploration archive is where you'll find my past writings and thoughts. You are currently viewing a list of articles that were published in 2014.

Bitterbrush Trail

Published October 20th, 2014 in Colorado

Today I wanted to go on a hike but since I didn’t have a lot of free time, I had to stay close to home. I decided to go to Hall Ranch, a park that lies just a mile outside of Lyons, Colorado.

Flattop Mountain

Published September 29th, 2014 in Colorado

When I discovered that Saturday’s forecast was expected to remain clear and mild, I decide to make the most of it and to hike the Flattop Mountain Trail.

Rabbit Mountain

Published September 23rd, 2014 in Colorado

Rabbit Mountain has become my default hiking location. If I don’t have time to drive up into the mountains, then I go to the foothills to Rabbit Mountain where I can still get a leg-burner of a hike in a short period of time.

Bear Lake Corridor

Published September 16th, 2014 in Colorado

The weather forecaset was perfect today so I just had to take the day off. I’ve not been to Bear Lake in a while so I thought I’d hike the trails in that area today.

Peacock Pool

Published August 31st, 2014 in Colorado

OK, so this is a good one. I had intended to call this post Chasm Lake but I must keep myself honest and call it instead Peacock Pool because at no point during my hike today did I ever actually make it to Chasm Lake.

Lily Lake Summer Edition

Published August 26th, 2014 in Colorado

The last time I wrote about Lily Lake was in early May of 2013. At that time, a sprinkling of snow covered the surrounding landscape and the air was as icy and it was thin.

Calypso Cascades

Published June 16th, 2014 in Colorado

My gear selection and backpack loading is improving with each little adventure I embark upon. This weekend I discovered that, in some ways, I’ve become rather efficient at packing for a hike.

Tundra Trails

Published June 9th, 2014 in Colorado

On Sunday morning, I decided to drive up into the mountains not because the weather was good but because the weather was gloomy. My reasoning was that any day in the mountains is a beautiful day.

South Saint Vrain Canyon

Published May 25th, 2014 in Colorado

On my recent trips up to Rocky Mountain National Park, I’ve opted to take a route that follows Colorado Highway 7, also known as the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.

Niwot Loop Trail

Published May 17th, 2014 in Colorado

I found the Niwot Look Trail by accident. Last week, I was driving along Mineral Road on my way to Boulder and the evening light was so beautiful that I pulled off on side road so I could stop and take a picture.

Season Pass

Published April 19th, 2014 in Colorado

Today Phil and I drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park for our first visit since moving here. Since the park pass we purchased over a year ago had expired, it was time to purchase a new season pass.

Breaking Silence and Style

Published April 16th, 2014 in Colorado

It’s been a while since I last wrote here and during the silence, much has happened. I’ll try to bring this little blog up to speed in good time but for now I’ll summarize: I am now writing to you from the fine state of Colorado.