colorado adventure july 2026

Link to legend, map etc. here.

Fueled by fond memories from our last visit to Colorado some 16 years ago, our family visited the Front Range this July. We started off in Estes Park, then looped south and eventually back to Denver. It was a whirlwind week of adventure that surpassed our expectations. 

We tried to cut back on driving and spend as much time as possible outside. We camped every night except the last. The weather was great. After a couple of days, we seemed acclimated enough and ready to fully enjoy the higher elevations. Below are some highlights.

Tour de Longs: from day one in the airplane, I'd spotted Longs Peak, the unmistakable monarch of the Front Range. After three nights at 8,000+ ft, the goal was to climb it with Jon via the Loft route and descend Keyhole. We'd already collected a good bit of route beta.

Climbing Longs Peak, PC: Jon

Post-climb donuts

The climb went off without a hitch. We started shortly after 0430 and made it back to Longs Peak CG before 1100. I highly recommend the Loft route, it does require some navigation. I'll never forget the beauty of the early morning alpenglow on the Diamond. Thank you, Jon!

With barely enough time to digest my donut let alone this climb, we saddled up and made our way into Indian Peaks Wilderness. The family did great backpacking to our camp at about 10,500' and Silas joined me atop the summit of 11,632' Meadow Mtn. in time for sunset!

Backpacking Indian Peaks Wilderness

Indian Peaks Wilderness, PC: Lily

Rendezvous in Grizzly Gulch: what followed was a longer transit through Nederland where we enjoyed another World Cup game as well as a ride on the Carousel of Happiness. Southward again, we arrived at the base of Kelso Mtn. to connect with Scott and Samson (dog).

Scott, Samson and I set out early to climb Torreys via Kelso Ridge. Scott and dog opted to descend below the summit and I went on to bag Torreys and Grays before joining back up with them and then family in Georgetown at a brewery for the next soccer match.

Scott and Samson on Torreys Peak

Firsteener: we all spent a memorable night near 10,500' at Guanella Pass CG, which is a perfect basecamp for Bierstadt. This was to be the family mega hike. After a grueling ascent, the boys bagged their first 14er. Everybody did great and the weather held out for us!

The boys on Mt. Bierstadt

Orienteering, sort of: our last night camping was at a lower elevation at Staunton State Park, which is a relatively new park that boasts a recently finished Eagle Project orienteering course that seems pretty neat, but wasn't clearly explained at our visit.

After starting, we found the project URL and realized that 1.) the office sent us off with the spoiler "easy" map and 2.) we were headed in the wrong direction on this "pink-ish" reveal course (white difficulty and red length, no compass needed).

Oh well, we were pretty much running on fumes at this point anyway. Perhaps these tidbits of info will help future visitors. Overall, our trip to Colorado was everything we could've hoped it to be. As of this writing, my 14er summit count is 36!

Orienteering in Staunton State Park