So many people head into the mountains of Colorado on any given weekend, and it’s no wonder, it’s beautiful up there. Many trails are very busy, but what amazes me is how easy it is to avoid the crowds if you just pick the "road less traveled".
The 14ers are definitely something special, but for weekend warriors with pets at home, it’s hard to travel to climb them and there are MANY 13ers within day-hiking distance of Denver. For the past few years, Tom and I have started tackling these 13ers to avoid the crowds and enjoy some route-finding and off-trail hiking. Tom has always enjoyed making his own trail, and I’ve come around to the same point of view. There is something wonderful about that moment you leave the trail and start to find your own way through the mountains.
This weekend we parked at the very crowded Herman Gulch trailhead off of I-70 and promptly took the split towards Watrous Gulch, instead of Herman Gulch, and immediately left the crowds behind. Finding solitude, high elevation and beautiful views, we tackled Mount Parnassus at 13,574ft. It was about 8.5-9 miles roundtrip and 3,300ft of elevation gain, and more than half of this was off-trail. The wind was strong, gusty and ever present during our hike, but what a beautiful day overall! The first picture is of our destination from the trail below. The rest are from the hike up and on the summit.
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