Baby Steps

My subconscious has successfully translated my physical therapist's more conservative verbiage into "you're cleared to start hiking easier stuff," and with Daylight Saving's Time taking this week, I decided it was high time to get back on the trail.

I'm now six weeks out of surgery. Physical therapy has started in earnest, and I have very little pain doing normal daily activities that don't involve reaching overhead. Though my shoulder still feels weak and tight, hiking is a fairly pain- and risk-free endeavor. (As long as I don't fall on it. That would be bad. Let's put that out of mind.)

Saturday dawned gorgeous. After sleeping in a bit, I saddled Remy with his pack and headed for Bear Peak. Somehow I'd avoided doing this hike for nearly four years, mostly because the trailhead is in Boulder and Boulder sucks. Boasting roughly 3,000 feet of gain, however, the trail to the summit promised to be a great workout. I'd just have to avoid eye contact with the Boulderites, who are most insufferable in their natural environment and easily provoked into discussions of gluten, CU "sports," Subarus or their trust-funded trip trek through Tibet.

It had snowed 3-5 inches Friday. I'd hoped the trail would be mostly packed snow, but there's no denying that spring is around the corner. Already, starting from the NCAR trailhead at 10:30 a.m., the trail was a quagmire of ankle-deep mud. Remy had to suffer through being on-leash for a few miles until we reached the Fern Canyon Trail and I felt sufficiently secluded. I won't incriminate myself, but let's just say giving money to the City of Boulder isn't high on my list of priorities.

Finally, there was enough snow that mud became a non-issue. The trail got steeper, and even with Microspikes I didn't feel super stable. Paranoia of falling attacked with a vengeance. I pressed on to slightly above the saddle with S. Boulder Peak, but there the hard-packed trail turned into a veritable bobsled run. I slipped three times in succession and decided to call it a day, roughly 700' from the summit. It was still a gorgeous hike with more than 2,000' of elevation gain. Easily the best workout I've had in two months.

Mt. Meeker and Longs Peak

Flatirons

Working in Golden certainly has its share of benefits. High on that list is a bevy of accessible trailheads within 15 minutes of my office. With Daylight Saving's Time delivering sunshine until roughly 7 p.m., taking advantage of nearby Open Space parks after work is a no-brainer. I was busy most of this week, but finally had time to hit Mt. Galbraith on Thursday evening. It's simply a fantastic little hike. Microspikes were once again beneficial, but there was almost no mud to worry about. Briskly walking up and jogging slowly (again, no falling!) down, I went from car-to-car in about an hour and 20 minutes. Requiring slightly less than 1,000' of gain, it's not exactly a leg-buster, but for an easy evening jaunt it's hard to beat. The views of Denver and Centennial Cone ain't bad, either.

I'm very excited about both of these excursions. My return to the true mountains -- and my former physical shape -- finally feel within reach. April is going to be a great month.

Denver from Mt. Galbraith