This was officially my first backpack trip in the Colorado wilderness and was well worth it.  I have been to Estes Park quite a few times and did quite a bit of hiking and fly fishing in that vicinity but this is what I wanted to do for a long time.  Definitely worth it!

We started where everyone starts when they visit the Mount Zirkel Wilderness.  There is a decent size parking area and that’s good because when we came back to our vehicles the next day there were a lot of people.  I mean a lot!  When we arrived on the prior day the parking area was fairly empty and the same can be said for our campsites.  When we set up our tents we were alone but when we came back from a day hike up to the old mine we were surrounded by what seemed like a hundred tents!  Great hike but I prefer more solitude.

This is a great hike for getting out and enjoying the wilderness without having to be in supreme condition.  It’s not a strenuous hike at all.  And it was a great hike to get ready for the Flat Tops backpacking trip in a few days.

I believe the standard loop mileage is approximately 11 miles.  We added about 2-3 miles to hike to the old mine and check the area out.

I took my Zpacks Altaplex tent on this hike.  It’s great because of its’ simplicity.  It’s light, waterproof, simple and worked quite well on this hike.  

My Enlightened Equipment Torrid Jacket always keeps me warm!

Hyperlite Junction 55 Backpack

Nemo Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad

Oboz Bridger Low Hiking Shoes

Here are some Zirkel maps for this hike.  It’s really straightforward and hard to get lost on this hike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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