Ptarmigan Trail

January 1, 2021

Hike 1/52

#52hikechallenge2021

NYE was a low key night and I wanted to start 2021 on the right foot (ha). I picked a trail that was close to Denver, safe as far as avalanche danger goes, and that wasn't super challenging. My goal was to get outside, enjoy nature, and get a decent workout in! I was meeting up with friends once they were done snowboarding later that evening, so I also wanted to be close to Breckenridge.

I got to the trailhead around noon and it was full. It's not a big lot to begin with, but thankfully, someone was leaving when I was getting there. The view of Dillon Reservoir is gorgeous! I started up the path, microspikes on, and my glutes and hamstrings started burning not to long into the hike. You walk up a trail through private residences, then up the road for a little bit, and then you get to the mountain. Ptarmigan Trail reminds me of Herman Gulch - it's steep at the beginning and you can also hear/see the highway for the first part of the trail. Once you get a little further back, the highway noise disappeared, and you were surrounded by trees. To be honest, I think this would be a prettier hike in spring when the Aspen trees are bright green and leafing out, or in the fall when they're golden yellow. There were a ton of Aspen trees!

It was an easy hike and the trail was packed down, so no snowshoes were needed. There were people snowshoeing, but that makes it significantly harder, and unless you're going off trail, microspikes were perfect. If you ventured off the trail, the snow was about knee deep. The trail continues through the trees, until you get to a meadow, and you can see the mountains in the distance.

The weather was perfect (minus some crazy wind at the first part of the trail) and the mountains looked stunning covered in snow. The trail winds through the Aspens and you get some great views of Buffalo Mountain and Red Peak! I didn't go all the way to the end of the trail, because I wanted to make sure I had enough time to hike down and get to Breck to meet my friends.

One downside - there are power lines when you get about halfway up the trail. This is the 1st trail I've been on where I've seen them. It was kind of a buzz kill because it reminded me that I wasn't too far from the city.

All Trails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/ptarmigan-trail

All Trails Stats: 4.6 miles / 1141 feet elevation gain / moderate

My Personal Stats: 3.38 miles / 79 flights of stairs / 7,766 steps

Parking information: follow the directions (I used Waze) until you arrive at the sign that says Ptarmigan Trailhead. The road looked unpaved (maybe it just wasn't maintained by the city) and snowpacked. You continue driving up the road and the parking lot is on the right hand side. It fits around 20 cars.

PS: Congratulations, Abby + Kyle on your engagement!