Birthday Backpacking in the Holy Cross Wilderness (Colorado)

For me, there is nothing better then a good backpacking trip. Being in the middle of nowhere with usually no connectivity is heaven on earth. The air is clean, I’m not on an airplane flying to work, not dealing with difficult clients or trying NOT to lose my shit because of a flight delay. My frenzied, somewhat chaotic life slows down and that’s what I need to keep my sanity. 

I try to go at least once a year – two times is a Christmas miracle. Our backpacking season is so short in Colorado, one weekend is generally the best I can do. Sometimes I’ll fly to another destination in April or October to get my fix. It all depends on other adventures we have planned. I don’t know what I’ll do when my body gives out and can’t backpack anymore. It will be a sad day indeed.

This August, we spent my birthday in one of my favorite backpacking destinations in the Holy Cross Wilderness – outside of Minturn, outside of Vail, Colorado. The scenery up there is just incredible. The wildflowers are beautiful, the hike up is manageable. Though this year, I think we might have packed too much stuff….because it was kind of brutal. I am not kidding when I say our packs were 40 lbs each.

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Our weather patterns have been so extreme the last few years. Last year, the terrain was sooo dry – there was a fire on the other side of the ridge. Burning ash was blowing into our campsite – all I could think of ALL NIGHT, was that our campsite was going to catch fire. I plotted my escape and slept in my clothes in case we needed to pack up and run down the mountain. Irrational probably, but wildfires last year were insane.

This year there was still a ton of snow in the area so we were able to build a fire both nights we were out there. Campfires make for a much more enjoyable camping experience!

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We camp near an alpine lake inside a box canyon. The lake is stocked with trout, so fishing is a must!

I’d share the name of the trail, but then I’d have to kill you! I have been sworn to secrecy not to divulge the trail name on the blog. However, if you march down to REI and grab a topo map of the area, there is no doubt you will find the most amazing places to explore. If you are so inclined, there is a 14er in the area called Mount of the Holy Cross – it is most definitely one of my favorite 14ers in Colorado.

If anyone needs encouragement to get out and at least try backpacking, let me know! It’s been a life saver for me.

Cheers,

Pam