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Dave Spates

Dave Spates

Hiking. Adventure. Photography.

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Backcountry Hike to Fay Lakes in the Mummy Range Rocky Mountain National Park

December 11, 2020 by davespates Leave a Comment

X marks the ice crack in the middle of Ypsilon Lake, looking at Ypsilon Mountain

  A 5AM wakeup call signified our departure for Sheep Lakes. A first stop before heading to Lawn Lake trailhead to hike Ypsilon Lake trail to Fay Lakes. Off trail hike to Fay Lakes on December 5th 2020. Hiking Distance: 12.5 Miles Total Elevation Gain: 3,300 ft Total Hiking Time: 9.5 Hours We were out […]

Filed Under: Rocky Mountain National Park

Golden Gate State Park – Windy Peak Trail Hike

November 30, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

Dave Spates at the top of Windy Peak

With a limited time frame on Saturday 11/21, we took a 50 minute drive to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. Nestled along Crawford Gulch between Golden and Black Hawk, this is a great hike near Denver. Our destination for the day was Windy Peak, a 6.8 mile loop. There are several paths leading to this […]

Filed Under: Hiking

Emerald Lake Trail – Most Popular hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

November 25, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

Dave Spates laying on ice at dream lake

As fires die down and more sections of Rocky Mountain National Park reopen, we returned to Bear Lake Trailhead. We opted for the popular 3.5 mile hike to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and Emerald Lake. Emerald Lake Trail Day Hike A few cars speckled the Bear Lake parking lot at our 6:30AM arrival to obtain […]

Filed Under: Rocky Mountain National Park

Keplinger Lake Day-Hike from Sandbeach Lake Trailhead

November 14, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

Dave Spates, Keplinger Lake

Hiked to Keplinger Lake (11,686 ft) from Sandbeach Lake trailhead (8,345 ft) in the Wild Basin of Rocky Mountain National Park. Two scenic stops at Sandbeach Lake (10,283 ft) and the summit of Mount Orton (11,724 ft). Hiking to Keplinger Lake in the fall It’s been a sorrowful few weeks as the East Troublesome Fire […]

Filed Under: Rocky Mountain National Park

Mount Flora Colorado 13er Summit Day Hike

November 3, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

Hiking Trail Mount Flora

One more Colorado 13er in the books for 2020, to break up the drive to Grand Lake we stopped at Berthoud Pass to tackle Mount Flora (13,127 ft). We departed from Denver at the luxurious time of 7:30AM, and arrived at the trailhead just before 9am. Weather conditions were ideal for mid-October and the parking […]

Filed Under: Hiking

Hiking Photography | The Ultimate Guide for Photographing Scenic Landscapes

November 2, 2020 by davespates Leave a Comment

Sunset reflections clouds and colorful sky at lake irene

Want to take better scenic landscape pictures on your next adventure? In this article, I’m going to share some tips from my experiences that have helped me take my hiking photography to the next level. How can you take your outdoor photography to the next level? Let’s start with some basic principles that I’ve learned […]

Filed Under: Photography Tips

Timber Lake Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

November 1, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

Timber Creek leading into Timber Lake on a snowy day

Snow fell overnight on Grand Lake and Rocky Mountain National Park on October 11th 2020. On our final day of hiking, Trail Ridge Road was closed between the Colorado River Trailhead and Rainbow Curve. This did not deter us from driving US 34 until a few yards before the closure – Timber Creek Trailhead. After […]

Filed Under: Rocky Mountain National Park

20 Mile Day Hike on the East Inlet Trail

October 28, 2020 by Emily Leave a Comment

Fourth Lake off of East Inlet Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado

  The East Side of Rocky Mountain National Park has much to offer; proximity to Denver and a plethora of gorgeous day hikes. This long weekend, we opted for the longer drive to Grand Lake – the home of the West Side of the park. Prior to check in at the Timberline Inn, we snuck […]

Filed Under: Rocky Mountain National Park

Hiking to the Highest Named Lake in the USA | Pacific Tarn

October 8, 2020 by Emily 2 Comments

View of Pacific Tarn and the ridge to Pacific Peak summit

Saturday 9/26/2020 we took a well-deserved break from Rocky Mountain National Park and instead traveled the two hours to White River National Forest to bag the highest named lake in the continental United States. – Pacific Tarn (13,420 ft). The lake lies at the base of 13er Pacific Peak (13,957 ft); the hike to Pacific […]

Filed Under: Hiking

A Very Hard Day-Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park Wild Basin Area

October 1, 2020 by davespates Leave a Comment

Dave Spates at Frigid Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

Our longest hike to date was upon us – a 17 mile monster to the rarely visited Frigid Lake, nestled below the continental divide at 11,820 feet. The excursion required 1.8 miles of off-trail travel from Thunder Lake. This included bushwhacking, boulder hopping and a good deal of route finding. Thunder Lake, Box Lake, Eagle […]

Filed Under: Rocky Mountain National Park

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