My wife and I are flying into Denver for a quick 24 hour trip to get a little time away from the kids on October 18. I'd really like to do something around the Allenspark/Estes park area to get some good views of Longs, but I've never been anywhere other than Skiing, so not sure what's doable this time of year. We'd like to hammock camp, but not sure where. Anyone got some advice?
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That date is just outside of most campgrounds' seasons - most of the RMNP campgrounds are closing on Oct 10th. That's also right at the beginning of our winter storm season, which means if you hike in, you need to be prepared for winter hiking/camping conditions (cramp-ons, skis/snowshoes). Or, pick somewhere where you don't have to hike very far (less than a mile) to bail out if the weather turns bad.
This web site is probably what you need: https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/wild_guide.htm
Check out this section: Choosing Your Wilderness Campsite
Warning: Most of these sites are above 8000ft. The rule-of-thumb aircraft pilots use is, if you're 5,000 ft above the altitude you live, you'll start becoming hypoxic. The higher your exercise level, the faster that's going to happen. Since you're not going to have time to acclimate, there's no way to mitigate this problem aside from using an oxygen system.
HTH
“I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour. I dropped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know, I held opportunity.” -Hazel Lee
Could be any weather from hard winter to indian summer.
Reserve the Rabbit Ears campsite in RMNP. If the weather is good then do the Lumpy Ridge loop from the Gem Lake trailhead. If the weather is sketchy then you can use the Cow Creek trailhead. If the weather is bad then Cheyenne Mountain Resort would be a good choice.
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
- Mark Twain
Thanks yall. This is exactly what I was looking for. Worst case we have to sleep in the car for the night. We've never hiked in Colorado, so really just wanting to enjoy being there and see what we can.
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Like Ringtail said this can be a very iffy time in Colorado from uber beautiful to life threatening.Originally Posted by Jtupnsmoke
Carry extra water and food in your car. You might walk back to your car and find the road out is snowed over. Emergency rations for 3 days is highly recommended.
Please don't let this scare you away just be careful and know your limits.
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