Hiking Timp

A few weekends ago, Ryan and I realized we only had a few short days to hike Mount Timp before winter came upon us.  So a late Friday night in October, we decided we would hike Timp the following morning - early.  

We woke up at 4:45 am, packed our backpacks with snacks, water, and warm layers, and drove up the quiet canyon to the trailhead near Sundance Resort. 

We started this journey (which Ryan had done years earlier and was new to me), at around 5:15.  It was so relaxing to hike in the dark led only by our small, 3-inch flashlights.  Switchback after switchback, gradually watched the sun rise as we made our way up the steep mountainside.  The first view of sunrise was spectacular:

We made it to the "saddle" in great time, and enjoyed walking through the only flat part of the 14 mile hike.  It was a peaceful meadow surrounded by towering mountains.  After the 45 minutes of hiking across shaky rocks and shale and scaling boulders, we made it.

 Such a beautiful view.  We were quickly getting cold, so we inhaled our little breakfast, put on a couple warm layers, and made our way quickly down the mountain.

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was running into an older gentleman, who took his gaze off the trail to look at us and say, "Well aren't you a handsome couple?"  Such a cute man.  It was his 87th birthday, and he told us that his doctor told him if he hiked Timp every year, he would live a long and healthy life.  What a remarkable person.

After 6 total hours and 14 total miles, topping the elevation of 11,740 ft, we made it back to our car - which I thought I would never see again.  The hike down took its toll on our knees and we were ready to sit down and be lazy for the rest of the afternoon.

Beautiful colors, and a fun yet challenging hike!  Maybe we'll give it another try next year - if we are around :)