Colorado Springs.. Mount Muscoco

Rising before sun and heading to the trail was a great strategy for both the heat and the crowds on these wonderful trails around Colorado Springs.

Our next pick was Mount Muscoco where the trail, Daniels Pass to Mount Muscoco, was listed on Alltrails as just over 7 km. So a bit further than 7 Bridges….and a bit higher with the peak at 8,020 ft above sea level.

The drive was a convenient 20 minutes from the campground……in the same vicinity as the 7 Bridges…the drive was up the switchbacks of North Cheyenne Canyon….which is quite beautiful in itself.

We were delighted to be the only vehicle at the trailhead….

There are many, many trailheads off this road…also a popular spot for cyclists (crazy people slogging up this road….and careening back down at high speed round these blind switchbacks….totally crazy….!!!))

Back to us….heading out on the trail…early enough that the air was cool….

The trail begins as a well marked gravel path……with steady upward switchbacks……

Around one of the corners is this little lookout spot that reminded me very much of the Black Hills in South Dakota…..

Then we continue winding our way up the switchbacks…they seem to go on forever……you can see that I am warm enough now to have shed a layer.

….I have a whole collection of these neon coloured t-shirts now, in the interests of spotting me in the pictures………

It was interesting to look at this map halfway up the trail to orient ourselves to just exactly where we were….and there was a short piece of the trail that was not going up…..a pleasant…tho brief reprieve from the upward grind…

as I said….brief…..before there was some scrabbling up rocks required…

Around another corner …to another lookout point….. (the other upside of lookout points is that you get to stop for a breather…!!!)

….and then a bit more scrambling…..the trail was hard to see at this point….so it was more about navigating as safely as possible up this slope…

Further up the trail became clearer again……it’s one of the advantages of Alltrails…it helps to keep you close to the trail and/or tells you when you are headed off in the wrong direction…

At the top…there is actually a double peak……

…so you get this……

Then traverse the shoulder across to the second peak…

…where you get this….

…that’s Colorado Springs down there through the morning mist…. a truly breathtaking view

and the panorama of the mountains behind too…

That blogtographer guy is always trying to get me out on the edge of these precarious mountain tops/cliff edges…..

It was not so much a rest at the top…as a collection of moments to breathe in that totally awe inspiring vista before and around us….

…and then begin the journey back down..

The path to the peak that had been so difficult to see on the way up was astonishingly clear from the top down….

…and as the morning progressed we could feel the heat building….and, as ever, we met a bunch of people on their way up as we headed down….

Those switchbacks are way easier on the way down too……lol

As I wade through the pictures to make the blog happen it allows me to relive that whole beautiful hike…..what I really love about the pictures in this one is that I think they let you see how steep the path is…

Arriving back at the truck…with other cars around us and more arriving the sun was now up and blazing……as we headed home for breakfast and a hot shower..