Dirty, smelly and excited we stepped into the backcountry office at Rocky Mountain National Park during the busy season, with no reservations. Thanks to the help of the ranger we walked out with permits for two nights near Mirror Lake in a section of the park that sees little use, even during the peak season. Just what we were looking for. The hike in was just under nine miles with some elevation gain. Our camp was a mile from Mirror Lake and was near a few trail junctions providing hiking options.

The drive into the trailhead is long and took two hours from the backcountry office, but was worth it once we were on the trail. The parking lot was packed when we arrived, but are concern was quickly deflated the further down the trail we got. Most the people in the area seemed to be camping relatively close to trailhead. If you would like to find out more about this hike, do some research.

This is one of those examples of why Colorado is such an amazing state. A ten minute drive outside of Vail lies the trailhead for Deluge Lake Trail and Gore Creek Trail. The Deluge Lake Trail is a relatively short 4.5 miles (one way ) to a beautiful alpine lake that overlooks Sawatch Range. The lake sits at 11,700ft, but don't let the low miles and relatively low elevation (for Colorado standards) fool you; the route manages to climb 3,700ft. The trail begins easy but quickly becomes difficult a few miles in. Steep climbs, some navigating and a lack of air contribute to making this hike a excellent day hike. Although the trailhead was busy, once on trail the challenges thin the herd.

Along the drive to Colorado we made a a two day pit stop in Taos, New Mexico for some Mexican food and to bag a peak. We set our sights on the highest peak in New Mexico, Wheeler Peak-13,159'. After making the drive up to the Taos ski area we found a free campsite in the heart of the resorts. The following day we headed out on the trail for the short 6.2 mile out and back to the summit. We extended our hike by exploring Williams Lake and the surrounding area; which I highly recommend. Although the hike is only 6.2 miles there is some serious switchbacks at elevation that suck the air out of you. The views from the top are worth the pain.