Inspiration and Getting There
It’s hard to believe it’s already July and the last time I went hiking was with microspikes in the snow. Even harder to believe is that it has been almost two months since I bought some new hiking boots that have yet to see the trail! I was beyond due to head up into the mountains and get in some much needed mileage. Despite walking around the house with my boots on in an attempt to break them in, I was still worried about doing anything too strenuous, for fear of blisters. My search for a moderate hike to test them out landed me at the Herman Gulch Trail. AllTrails said it was 6.3 miles round trip, with slightly more than 1,700 feet of elevation gain. I felt like this was in the sweet spot of being enough of a test for my new boots, but not too much for the break-in period.
The trailhead is surprisingly close to I-70, just past Georgetown, Colorado, if you’re coming from Denver. I took the exit, pulled a U-turn to the right at the bottom of the offramp, and there I was in the parking lot. This is a fairly popular trail, and I arrived around 7am slightly worried that there wasn’t going to be parking. If you’ve tried to hike anywhere lately, you know what I mean. It turned out that there were only about 5 other cars in a fairly large parking lot. While I still recommend getting here early, it was nice that there were so many places to park near the trailhead.
Beginning Along the Herman Gulch Trail
It was cold this morning – the Subaru said 45 and it felt colder. There was a breeze, and the rain from the day before made it feel damp on top of it. The muddy trail made me glad to have my new boots, the Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid, because they have a significantly higher ankle and are significantly more waterproof than my last pair. The trail started off innocently enough, with a steady incline through the pine and aspen forest. I spotted some columbines right near the trail and got excited. If you’ve read any of my posts, columbines are definitely my favorite wildflowers to come across, and for me at least, it’s pretty rare for me to come across too many of them.
The trail continued on through the forest for a little while, steadily taking me to higher and higher towards my destination. Suddenly, I emerged in a dew covered meadow, dappled with light as the sun rose about the mountains. This wasn’t just any meadow, though. This meadow had the most columbines that I’ve ever seen in my life. Honestly, I’m not even sure that I had seen this many combined in my life before this point. I don’t know what it is about columbines that makes me like them so much. I think it’s the combination of so many different colors in one flower, combined with the whimsical, unique shape. Even if the lake at the top of the trail was terrible, this was already worth the trek.
A Lot of the Same – And That’s NOT a Bad Thing!
The trail was very consistent in its incline throughout the vast majority of the hike, which was challenging enough to get the heart pumping, but not overwhelming either. I also very quickly forgot that I was ever cold at some point. There was almost always some sort of water accompanying of my journey, whether it was a fast flowing river to my left, or small streams feeding into it that zig zagged their way across the trail. The sound of water always seems to help me think, which is nice when you’re hiking solo! I didn’t encounter too many people on my way up, a perk of getting there before the crowds. The wildflowers were scatted amongst the trees, although there weren’t any columbines that I saw after the magical meadow. I guess I can’t be too greedy!
Grind to the Top
Alternating between sunny and forested, I continued onward, knowing that my ultimate destination should only be just over 3 miles, if AllTrails is to be trusted. Around 2.5 miles in, things got serious, though. It was almost as if the mountains were asking, “do you really want to make it to the top?”, as the grade increased drastically. The trail was fairly clear of trees at this point, and I could see people stopped in front of and behind me, trying to catch their breath. “Oh good”, I thought, “it isn’t just me that’s dying”.
Reaching Herman Lake
Thankfully, the steep terrain lasted less than a mile, and flattened out for a bit before reaching the lake. As I approached, I could hear the sound of waterfalls cascading down the mountainside to Herman Lake. The vista was breathtaking, with the mountains surrounding the serene alpine lake. There were a few people dotting the shoreline of the lake, pleased to have found the flattest rocks to sit on first. I meandered my way further around the banks until I found something suitable for relaxing myself. This lake was perfect for reading a book, sitting and having lunch, or just taking some time to meditate in nature.
I stayed here for a little while, taking in the scenery. The freshly melted snow that feeds into the lake was crystal clear, and you could see all the way to the bottom of the lake. There were multiple waterfalls around me, carving their way down the steep cliffs, taking just a little bit of the cliff with them as they went. When a cloud would come over, it quickly reminded me that it was still really cold out. The remaining snow field behind where I was sitting should have reminded me too. The breeze was stronger here at the lake, as well, contained by the mountains and allowed to swirl.
Leaving the Lake Behind and Heading Down
As always, it was hard to pull myself away from the lake and head back down the trail. The cloud cover became heavier, though, and it was just a bit too cold for my liking without the sun. Content with the time that I was able to spend and what I had accomplished on this hike, I grabbed my backpack and began the hike back. The view looking back down the trail was breathtaking – something that I failed to appreciate as I tried not to die coming up.
The stream of people coming up thickened, and I was glad to have had my time at the lake with the relatively few people I shared it with. About halfway through my descent, I realized that I hadn’t once noticed my feet hurting. I’m not even talking about the typical break-in period feet hurting. My feet actually felt good after about 5 miles or so and 1,700 feet of elevation gain. This isn’t something that I could’ve ever said about my old hiking boots, and I lamented how much time I wasted before buying these. While I don’t think anyone needs to go crazy with their hiking boots, it definitely convinced me that investing a little bit makes a big difference in the experience.
Parting Thoughts on the Herman Gulch Trail
When I set out on my journey, I was looking for a moderate hike to test out my new boots. What I didn’t know was that I would end up testing myself too along the way! The Herman Gulch Trail certainly belongs in the moderate classification, which was a wake up call to myself of how long it’s been since I’ve done a hike like that. I can certainly understand why this is one of the most popular hikes near Denver, though. The combination of how close the trailhead is to I-70 and the breathtaking scenery draw the people. Despite this, it never felt like there were too many people around, even on my way down. Or maybe I’m just getting used to the crowds.
