Volcano Ridge November 19 2016

poetry in a picture

put blue in the sky

how appealing to our eye

offer rolling hills of green

looks lovely in between

a snow covered mountain peak

what a photographer will seek

add clouds fluffy and white

you give us pure delight

While I am itching to strap my snowshoes on and get lost in a winter-wonderland, I did not want to pass up the opportunity to explore a front range where access will be denied in less than two weeks.  We had a big day planned covering loads of terrain in the Volcano Ridge area so it was good to have the early start from the Gorge Creek Parking Lot.  

The air was cold & crisp much more so than I was expecting but that did not matter, I was prepared for everything.  The trail was flattish for quite some time with a creek crossing or two.  Much to our delight they were easily crossable without changing into creek-crossing footwear.  

We hiked on and on and on, caught up in conversation.  When we realized we missed our turn off, we did a quick about face and darted back.  This ooops added another couple of kilometers to our intended distance.  We found the trail we needed to ascend.   Finally, there were the views we were expecting.   

 cairn on south Volcano Ridge

It was a tad bit slippery descending the south Ridge, we all made it down safe & sound.  We took a few minutes to admire the view from the pass.  Bluerock Mountain stands out for most of the day while in this area.

looking up at what we came down

Time was ticking and we still were not at the North Summit.  The views were amazing, the sun felt warm, there was no wind, so the consensus was to dine with this view in front of us.  Our destination though, was behind us and it would be another climb so refueling was a necessity.

view as we ascend again

 my summit shot on the North Summit of Volcano Ridge

 me and my friends

a summit is always a happy place to be

Because time was ticking by, and we were a bit behind, our visit on the summit was not long.  We secured our shots, devoured a quick snack (including rum balls thank you very much Short Stop), then retreated off the summit in the same direction we came up.

view of the green rolling hills

We reached the bottom and checked the time.  

Shadows were becoming longer. 

We knew we needed to motor to get back to the parking lot in daylight.  

looking back over & up to where we were at the North Summit of Volcano Ridge

We finally finished the long, steep at times, descent through the forest.  

We popped out into this meadow and admired the view before continuing on with our motoring.  

The last few kilometers were tough, but hey, we're tough.  The trail was gradual up hill for most of the way.  We kept our heads down, dug deep and just got it done. I had one last look back as the clouds took on a pink hue then it was all business with getting back to the cars.

We arrived back with just enough time to gear down and get the drive on the rough winding narrow snowy portion of the road over with before it was full on darkness.  Our distance was longer than expected as was our meters of elevation gain.  Yet, every step over the amount of expected is worth it when you are sharing these steps with fun friends.