For someone that travels a lot, local hikes can be a funny thing. I find myself making unfair comparisons about the outdoor offerings nearby. “This waterfall isn’t as pretty as the one in Yellowstone.” Well of course not, that’s I you drove 2,000 miles to experience it with 10,000 of my closest friends. I’ve been trying to break this habit and explore my local hikes more. I can’t quite tell if I’m forcing myself to enjoy these jaunts, or if I really am deepening my appreciation for where I live. I guess I’m enjoying myself either way.
If there is one thing that these often-underwhelming local hikes do is remind you why you make those 20-hour drives to look at a different set of trees on a different mountain in a place where all the cars have license plates from different states. Those boring, hot, smelly 20 hours of buildup seem to do something to the brain. Perhaps it’s nothing more than a sort of sunken cost fallacy. We simply refuse to be disappointed after spending so many cramped hours in a car. Our stomachs filled with fast food and our bank accounts on a downward spiral. Gas prices, am I right? But after all that foreplay, any reaction besides astonishment will make the trip feel like a waste.
An intense little stroll up Sullivan Gulch Trail
For a weekend hike, a happy medium needs to be reached. The hike can’t be too familiar, but not too foreign either. You can’t risk total disappointment by a hike that took up half your weekend. The hike can’t be too close or too far from where you live. It needs to be close enough that you spend more time hiking than driving. But not so close that the views are nothing more than what you can see from your roof.
There are a lot of rules.
Sullivan Gulch Trail can hit on all of these for residents of much of the northern Front Range. Less than an hour drive from Fort Collins & Loveland, Colorado. Stunning views, and you can pretend for a few hours that you’re deep within the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Despite the fantastic views, the trail looks almost abandoned. It’s somewhat odd location, with a 3-car parking area directly next to the highway, might be the reason for this. Even if multiple cars are on the dirt lot there’s a good chance that the trail will still be empty. The parking lot seems to double for those fishing the Big Thompson River across the highway.
In late summer, the narrow Sullivan Gulch trail is nearly overgrown in some parts. Though I never worried that the trail would be too overgrown to continue. The incline is steep enough to make one question if the view is worth the burning in your thighs. But not so steep that you’ll consider using your hands for a more stable climb. Despite its proximity to the road, the sound of cars passing by is non-existent after several minutes on the trail, giving you the best of both worlds.
After a steep mile the dense trees begin to open up and the whole experience feels a little bit less like being on a Stairmaster surrounded by trees. Even before the summit, looking back out the direction you walked in offers fantastic views of Big Thompson Canyon and the surrounding mountains. Just beyond the treeline, and beyond the steepest part of the journey, the incline finally comes to an end. Your reward is panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
Although the trail continues to a higher vantage point, the top of the mountain is worth exploring without a trail, with plenty of boulders worth climbing on and vantage points that offer views in every direction. Though not as much shade as the trail up, there are several areas that provide enough tree coverage to enjoy a small picnic or a good few hours of hammocking. The hike down seems more treacherous than the way up, thanks to some rocks that pretend to be stable at first glance. An over-zealous puppy was also a factor. Without someone pulling you down the mountain it’s not a problem if you go slow, and you will want to go slow as reality awaits at the bottom.
The relative solitude of Sullivan Gulch Trail cannot be understated. Less than half an hour from one of the biggest National Parks in the country, this is one of the most peaceful areas around. The summit is a gorgeous and tranquil escape before your inevitable return to your soul-sucking, mundane, suburban life.
