Top 5 Colorado Hikes of 2019
Top 5 Colorado Hikes of 2019
2019 was a great year of hiking for me in Colorado and beyond. This post talks about the Top 5 Colorado Hikes of 2019 according to me.
Number 5: Hagerman Tunnel & Lake
Kicking off the list of top 5 Colorado Hikes of 2019 is Hagerman Tunnel and Lake. This is a beautiful hike that has it all: high alpine lakes, mountain views and lots of wildflowers in the summer. Since this is a relatively unknown hike, Hagerman Tunnel will typically not have large crowds either, which is a huge bonus (for me at least). The name of the hike comes from an old railroad tunnel that you can explore as well. This is a fantastic hike and one I highly recommend for all hikers.
Read more about this hike here.
Juno loved this hike! 
Hagerman Lake 
Ice and snow inside the tunnel. 
Opal Lake
Number 4: Little Bear Peak to Blanca Peak Traverse
Number 4 on the top 5 Colorado Hikes of 2019 is a bit different than the previous hike. The Little Bear Peak to Blanca Peak traverse is one of the most dangerous, exposed and thrilling 14er routes in all of Colorado. This hike is a ton of type 2 and type 3 fun, but in retrospect was a thrilling, adrenaline pumping day on the mountains which I have never experienced before. Completing this hike put me just 1 away from my 14er finisher and knocked off the final of Gerry Roach’s four great 14er traverses.
Read more about this hike here.
A full look at the traverse from the summit of LB. 
Nick on the end of the catwalk 
Cruising across the highway 
The start of the catwalk. 
Can you spot Nick and I on the summit? 
Number 3: Quandary Couloir to Quandary Peak
In 2019, spring hiking was a big theme for me and I really expanded my couloir hiking. The number 3 hike on the top 5 Colorado Hikes of 2019 involved hiking up the Quandary Couloir, hiking up to Quandary Peak (a 14er) and then snowboarding from the summit all the way to the car. It was a fantastic day on the mountain and my first ever 14er summit to car snowboarding experience. In addition, the couloir itself had fresher snow which made for nice conditions within. This day on the mountain will be one that I will never forget and compare all future 14er snowboard outings to.
Read more about this hike here.
Looking down from near the top. 
Nick breaking trail about half way up. 
A full view of the couloir from the unnamed lake. 
Summit views looking south west.
Number 2: Skywalker Couloir to North & South Arapaho Peaks
After a series of failed hikes with my friend Nick, we were not sure that the Skywalker Couloir trip was going to end any differently. We ascended the steep couloir with relative ease but when we reached the top noticed that snow still covered much of the ridge between South Arapaho Peak and North Arapaho Peak. Luckily, we were able to navigate all the way over to North Arapaho and back to South Arapaho with relative ease. The ridge was a fun mix of class 2 and 3 hiking with tremendous views and no one else hiking along with us. The beauty, seclusion and challenge of the Skywalker Couloir make this my number 2 hike in the top 5 Colorado hikes of 2019.
Read more about this hike here
A beautiful sunrise from near Skywalker Couloir. 
Looking south west into IPW 
An almost full look at the traverse with North Arapaho Peak in the background. 
Views for days! 
Whats colder than being cold? ICE COLD! 
More views to the north
Number 1: Longs Peak via Keyhole Route
Four years in the making, Longs Peak took a long time to get to attempt. After failing to summit Longs a few weeks before on a different route, I was back for vengeance the second time around. This was a beautiful almost windless day on the mountains with only a few other hikers, very rare for Longs Peak. The sunrise was beautiful, conditions were fantastic and I very much enjoyed the Keyhole route on the way to the summit of my final 14er! Patience and perseverance pay off and standing on the summit of Longs was a very satisfying and sweet moment for me making it my favorite hike in the top 5 Colorado hikes of 2019.
Read more about this hike here
The sunrise was fantastic. 
First view of the Diamond and summit of Longs Peak. 
The keyhole in the morning alpen glow. 
Views west into RMNP were beautiful. 
Working up the Class 3 terrain in the Trough. 
Hiking across the narrows. 
Summit views looking down towards Chasm Lake. 
Enjoying a summit beer to celebrate.
2 thoughts on “Top 5 Colorado Hikes of 2019”
I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog, I’m putting together my to-do list for 2020 so this will be a fantastic resource!
Awesome Diana, glad it helped and let me know if you have any questions! Check out my YouTube channel as well for more information and views from many of my hikes.