Metro to Mountain Journal

In 2011 we finished the map for Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain for cloudhiking.com. Well, we sort of finished the map. While trying to complete the additional Guide to the trail, we became a bit frustrated and decided we needed better data. The map was good, but it needed fine tuning.

Last year, even though we visited the Park, we did not climb Hallett. So for 2013, climbing Hallett was a primary goal. In June we planned to hike Flattop and while still low on the route, my gps started beeping a warning that the batteries were low. We stopped and I exchanged the batteries with my spares. My spares were dead also. Never fear, Amy will have batteries, but this time she didn't have spares. What about her gps? It was dead too. It sort of felt like, it was never meant to be.

Charging batteries is a way of life while we are traveling. We have plenty of good rechargeable batteries (Eneloops), but when we use the spares, we have to replace them with recharged spares. Drained batteries do not help. They are just dead weight!

We left Colorado and went to Wyoming without returning to Hallett Peak, but we said we would catch it at the end of the summer trip.

Our friends, Jon and Laura joined us at the end of July in Estes Park. Joining them was their nephew Parker, from Georgia. Earlier in their trip they had climbed Mount Missouri and Mount Huron, two 14,000' peaks from the Colorado Sawatch Range, and they were ready to do more.

Somehow, we talked them into climbing Hallett Peak. We climbed as a group.

With plenty of batteries, we left the trailhead at 0600. We had never hiked with young Parker, but he looked strong.

Under darkening skies we made it to Flattop Mountain. From the summit of Flattop (or at the highest flat spot!) we could not see Hallett Peak which was less than 3/4 mile away. We took a brief rest but it was cold and windy. The conversation during the break was whether to continue to Hallett or just go down. We were leaning toward going down and then the clouds lifted. Quickly, we changed our minds. We were going to the top.

In thirty minutes we climbed the 400 feet to the top of Hallett Peak. Parker, proudly posed at the summit. It was a good day, but the fun was just beginning. We still had to reverse our path and return to the trailhead.

On the descent, we stopped and played a bit in the snow; after all Parker lives in central Georgia where they hardly ever have snow.

After playing in the snow we met a trail crew that was being supported by a couple of llamas.

As the clouds darkened, the hikers continued toward the summit. There were a few hikers wearing the latest Gore-tex jackets and soft shell pants but most were wearing cotton jeans or cotton shorts for their bottoms and cotton t-shirts or cotton sweat shirts for their tops. In threatening weather while wearing inappropriate clothing and carrying little to no extras - they continued toward Flattop. Most of the hikers asked us, how much further was it?

We continued down, but sometimes we had to stop to shake our heads at the ill prepared hikers. What were they thinking?

Back at the trailhead, we agreed with Jon and Laura that Parker was a strong hiker. We were looking forward to climbing Longs Peak with him.

The Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain Map in Rocky Mountain National Park is complete. The revised map is up on cloudhiking.com and the Guide should be competed soon.

Happy Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain trails.

Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain Map