Catamount Trail, Green Mountain Falls, Colorado

Tom had hiked the Catamount Trail before and knew I’d enjoy it – plus, we all needed a walk as we were driving east. The trail begins with a very short climb to Catamount Falls and then switchbacks up the mountain for a few miles before reaching Crystal Falls and the reservoir. The trail itself was gorgeous. The towering ponderosa pines and fir trees towered over us as we ascended, in many sections so dense that we couldn’t really see off the mountain, and provided the shade that made the late season snow on the trail possible. We had encountered snow near the beginning of the trail but about halfway up the mountain the patches merged and the deeper snow was compacted into ice. We continued up but about two thirds to the top we both felt the steep ice-covered rocks were a little more unsafe than we were comfortable with so we turned back. Even though we didn’t reach the top we had a fantastic hike and some really stunning views; my camera was tucked away for much of the hike since I was using both hands at times to crawl over the larger icy boulders so most of what I did photograph doesn’t quite do it justice. Still, I managed to get some decent shots. I definitely look forward to returning someday and finishing.