Spring has sprung and here in Colorado, that means more snow! But, it also means the snow will melt very quickly, then everything will finally start to bloom! This is my favorite time to start hiking, because you get to watch the scenery change daily! Each of our seasons up here in the Rocky's are so beautiful in very different ways. I'm going to have to invest in some good winter hiking gear eventually so I can get out all year round.
Berrien Mountain Trail is a really gorgeous trail that is kind of hidden in our neighborhood. We heard whispers from our neighbors about a trail up the hill but could never find it until my Dad let us in on the secret. One of his best friends was born and raised in the area and most of the trails, roads and mountains are named after his family. Our friends down the street actually live in the first house ever built on the land that he was raised in!
My dad helped us find the trail head and we started going pretty often since it's only a couple of minutes up the hill from our house. My daughter, Ayla, and I always did the first mile or so, then would head back down. Last August my Dad and I started this hike with the intention of doing the whole thing... well, we got really overheated and took a wrong turn that lead to a VERY steep hill that almost killed us haha. We later found out we were literally less than five minutes from the top, but we aren't bitter about it. Not bitter at all!
Anyway, last fall we decided to try again. My dad, Ayla, and I finally made it to the top! It wasn't too hot, we followed the correct trail and we brought enough water this time. Yay us! The view at the top was incredible! Mountains for miles and miles, patches of yellow aspens everywhere and birds on every tree!
Berrien Mountain Trail starts out with a pretty steep hill, then levels out after about 1/3 mile. I was not in the best of shape when we did this and it wasn't easy, but I wouldn't consider this hike "hard" by any means. After the initial hill there is about a mile of very mild trail before you start to really get up in elevation. Like I said before, round trip is about 4 miles with an elevation climb of about 1,000 feet.
I look forward to sharing more pictures and stories about this trail and others in the future. Thanks for staying active with me! It has felt really great to get some sun on my face lately! Happy Spring! Stay tuned for stories about the birds that are coming back for summer!
Ashley Tuttle
