Now, of course we realize that you are not accustomed to our altitude and we promise to tailor your hikes to your abilities and interests. We offer a number of "walks", short hikes, half-day hikes, trail hikes, and mountain climbs. The hikes get longer as the week progresses and as you become acclimated. Most of our guests don't want to commit an entire day to hiking, so we often start early and still get in a five to six mile hike to a beautiful location before returning for lunch. Only our "experimental" hikes and mountain climbs are longer than half a day.

Before you arrive, you will receive a sheet asking you if you have specific hiking requests. After you get here, there will be a number of maps to pore over, some instruction booklets and a lot of discussion. Many of our guests hike on their own with our advice, but most of them choose to go on the various trips we offer each day. We will let you know several days ahead as to which trips we are planning. Then, if you are interested, you can join us in a meeting the night before the hike to see if is for you. We will discuss the altitude gain, the length of the trail, the type of terrain, what we will observe, the likelihood of seeing wildlife, whether you need a trail breakfast or lunch, if you have the proper clothing, shoes and raingear, and whether or not your physical condition is appropriate for the planned trip.

Strange as it may seem, we are not allowed to take our guests anywhere we please. All resorts and commercial guides are restricted by the U.S. Forest Service. Fortunately, we have a long-standing permit with a lot of latitude that allows us to hike literally hundreds of trails. (Of course, you can hike anywhere you wish on federal land. We just can't take you there. Make sense?) Let's look at a few of the hikes that we might take.

Wrangler's Breakfast Hike. If you aren't a rider, you might want to take this two mile hike to the cookout breakfast. Leave the ranch at 6:30 AM and take a moderately level hike on a rocky trail. Lots of conversation and no rush.

Railroad Hike. This is a laid back walk down the slight grade of the old Denver South Park and Pacific Railroad that ran through our valley at the turn of the last century. Excellent for the entire family, though you might carry the younger ones part of the way. You can walk two miles to our truck or four miles back to the ranch. This also makes a great hike to take on your own. We will be happy to drop you off at the trailhead.

Alpine Tunnel. Up and gone by 6:30. We will drive 45 minutes up a rough road to the 10,500' trailhead at the old ghost town of Hancock. The hike is along the old railroad grade right to the first tunnel through the Continental Divide. This is our best hike to see elk and the wildflowers are incredible by early July. The tunnel is long collapsed, so we climb over "Altman Pass" to the Divide and look down on the remains of the engine house, boarding house, and turntable on the western side. Up again to 12,000 feet before dropping down to Williams Pass and the return hike along the old wagon road. We will be back to the ranch by lunch.

Grizzly Lake.Though we often take this as a fishing trip, it makes a good half day hike as well. After munching breakfast in the vehicle, we are hiking by 7:15. This is a pretty steep trail and it is hard to believe that mules once pulled wagons along here. This was mining country and we see the ruins of cabins, boilers and mine shafts as we puff along. Half way up, the trail levels out and the scenery is magnificent. The lake sits just at the edge of timberline, surrounded by mountain peaks and alive with Brook Trout. We will spend an hour and head back to the ranch for lunch.

Nature Hike. "More talking than walking". While we actually cover a half mile or so on this walk, we certainly don't get out of breath (except for the guide who will be telling you about every tree, flower, rock, shrub, chipmunk, hillside and stream.) This is a great time to discuss environmental issues, hunting and our own role in the stewardship of God's creation. Pick up one of the ranch "flower and bird identification" pamphlets before you go.

Cliff Hike. Have you noticed in the ranch pictures that we have a 1500 foot granite peak just behind us? Well, those who know better don't do any technical climbing on the cliffs because the rock is decomposed. But there are long slide chutes that come down between the cliffs and when properly approached they can provide spectacular scenery. Never do this without a guide. (In fact, we only take this hike every once in a while.) We can lead you to the edge of some of the most jaw-dropping drop-offs that you have ever seen. Two hours up and fifteen minutes down. "Sand-jumping" is optional.

History Hike. We will drive thirty miles to the trailhead, drop off the hikers and take the vehicles three miles north to the finish point. The rolling Arkansas Hills to the South, South Park cattle country to the East, 13,000' Buffalo Peak to the North and the Sawatch Range to the West. We will hike through wildflowers, walk along the remains of the old railroad where ties and spikes can still be found, look for arrowheads, and discuss the history of the old Salt Works Ranch below us in the Park. A little long for six year-olds, but a great family walk nonetheless.

Mt. Whatever. Every week we climb a different peak. No use repeating any since there are over two hundred in this county alone. We will leave early, drive about an hour to the trailhead and do a little stretching before we take off. Two Advil before, two on top, and two at the end and your knees will thank you. Altitude varies at the trailheads from 9500' to 11,000'. You will want to pay close attention to that number during the pre-climb meeting the night before. We like to be gone from the top by noon. Why? To be honest, thunderstorms and lightning roll across the peaks almost every afternoon of the summer. (Rain gear is absolutely required on all our long hikes.) There is nothing easy about climbing a major peak. It is a lot of hard work and just like most everything else that takes effort, the reward is great. In fact, I can say with some surety that most folks who make the top of a peak can look back on that experience as much as fifty years later and recall it as a great day, one of the best of their lives. Why is that? I'd like to say that it is a gift from God. He rewards us with a special sense of what He was thinking when He created these mountains. In that light, we usually stop for a minute on top of the peaks and share a Psalm or some other Scripture that someone brings to us. The trip down is easy on the lungs, but it kills the knees, toes and ankles. You better have decent shoes for this part. You'll wish you had saved a bit of water as well. If we have climbed north of Buena Vista, our return trip takes us by K's Dairy Delite. The Ranch buys (if you made the top). Root Beer floats are traditional, but recently the Key Lime frozen yogurt has become the choice of many exhausted climbers. Camaraderie at its finest. You earned it.

Experimental Hike. These are the secret hikes to new places that your guide has never been to before. If we told you, we'd have to kill you. (Sometimes these hikes practically do.)

Where else do we go? The Iron Chest Mine, Mineral Basin, Hancock Lake, Sewanee Peak, Mt. Antero, Hornfork Basin, Blackbear Creek, Brown's Pass, Morgan's Gulch, Chrysolite Peak, South Cottonwood, Lost Lake, Raspberry Hill, Mt. Kreutzer, Latchaw Mine, Green Timber Gulch, Waterdog Lakes, Cyclone Creek, Bald Mountain, Echo Canyon, Banker Mine, Pony Park, Monumental Mountain, Clear Creek, Bunny Lane, Colorado Trail, Birthday Peak and Chalk Creek Pass. To name a few.