My partner and I had a random Monday off work and a forecasted bluebird Colorado fall day that we simply couldn’t pass up. It was perfect conditions for a fall outing! We brought the pup to hike this relatively gentle trail and I was glad we did. The route is mellow and the trail is pleasant easy terrain.

Days like this in September are my favorite with dry pristine weather for hiking. We had a leisurely stroll starting late and taking our time on the journey rather than racing the afternoon storms.

We enjoyed the solitude that Monday hike provided. We didn’t see a single person that day, including at the trailhead. Unheard of these days!

Mount Ouray was showing off all her color in true ColoRADo form which made waiting until the fall to hike this peak even more rewarding. This is a mountain I can say with confidence I would repeat. There are tons of little connectors and camping in that basin is beautiful.

The summit had a ton of camp platforms surrounded by rocks. I made an assumption that this was a training spot for some operation or organization. Maybe mining history behind the tent rings? Who knows. The summit was much larger than I originally imagined.

We spent some time soaking in the views and then slowly began the descent opting to leave the connection with Chipeta for another day. I look forward to coming back to explore the other ridges!