View Full Version : Any suggested day hikes near Vail
cruisaire
07-12-2010, 15:09
middle to the end of this week? Headed there for a family "get together" and looking for day hikes to "free myself". :)
A good 'get away' hike near Vail is Booth Creek Canyon Falls. It is just off exit 180 so very convenient.
At 4 miles r/t and just under 2000' gain, it is the perfect trip for getting away for a couple of hours or so. I did it this past late winter/early Spring. Nice little hike.
http://www.localhikes.com/hikes/BoothCreekFalls_0000.asp
It is a popular hike, so during the week is a good time to do it. The wildflowers should be great!
You can go all the way to Booth Lake..but that is 12 miles r/t and 3000' gain. May be more than you had in mind...or not? :)
The usual caveat about adjusting to elevation applies.
cruisaire
07-12-2010, 15:51
I haven't done roughly 3K change since Coal Bank to Engineer Peak in the early 80s. I had 2 weeks at Purgatory under my belt and it was still rough for this flatlander. I'll re-examine elevation change/physiology once there. :D Thanks Mags!
I think you'll enjoy the hike to the falls. Being close to Vail, easy access and a pretty hike that is not overly difficult makes it a nice one.
Don't know if you are into skiing and/or WW2 history, but Vail has a free Ski museum (free parking in the summer, too!) that is worth an hour or so of your time.
Has a small, but nice, 10th Mtn division display plus another small, but nice, history of skiing from its Nordic roots and immigration to the US, the birth of the modern ski industry and skiing the Olympics over the years. Has some snowboarding history, too.
Check out the purple and silver trimmed one piece ski suit from the circa 1984 winter Olympics IIRC!!!! :eek:
http://www.skimuseum.net/
the goat
07-12-2010, 16:44
the holy cross ridge is a beautiful day hike as well....absolutely breathtaking. it's also the only hiking i've in colorado though, so mags has the broader perspective with this topic i'm sure!:D
cruisaire
07-12-2010, 20:49
Yes! I will take in the museum too. I'll save that for the nieces and nephews too. I saw Holy Cross on a trail site and it sounded pretty interesting as well.
garlic08
07-12-2010, 21:31
If you don't have a car available or don't want to drive, you can take the free Vail shuttle bus to the far east side of town and hike up Gore Creek Trail to Red Buffalo Pass.
fiddlehead
07-12-2010, 21:38
If you don't have a car available or don't want to drive, you can take the free Vail shuttle bus to the far east side of town and hike up Gore Creek Trail to Red Buffalo Pass.
I have been racking my brain for the name of that trail. (Gore Creek trail)
I have a good friend who lives in Vail and showed me where he dayhikes once and I was amazed that it was so close to town yet, we were the only ones on it that day. We hiked up to a lake that was only a few miles if i remember right.
This would be my recommendation also.
Garlic, how comes we almost always see eye to eye on things.
You seem to have hiked most places that I have.
garlic08
07-13-2010, 09:11
I have been racking my brain for the name of that trail. (Gore Creek trail)
I have a good friend who lives in Vail and showed me where he dayhikes once and I was amazed that it was so close to town yet, we were the only ones on it that day. We hiked up to a lake that was only a few miles if i remember right.
This would be my recommendation also.
Garlic, how comes we almost always see eye to eye on things.
You seem to have hiked most places that I have.
That would be Deluge Lake, same TH, north of Red Buffalo Pass. Great hike, too.
I'm cheating--I have the Colorado TOPO! software on my PC. No way would I remember those names otherwise. So many trails, so few brain cells.
That would be Deluge Lake, same TH, north of Red Buffalo Pass. Great hike, too.
I'm cheating--I have the Colorado TOPO! software on my PC. No way would I remember those names otherwise. So many trails, so few brain cells.
All my maps are at home...no fair. ;)
Red Buffalo Pass is indeed a great hike, too.
Skip the reunion and go hiking instead! :banana
(When I visit my family back in Rhody, I always sneak in a NH hiking trip! :D)