Hiking in Breckinridge, CO

Our August 2022 trip to Breckenridge, Colorado was all about getting out on the trails, enjoying the mountains, and spending time with Jim and Pam. Being lowlanders, we certainly felt the altitude-even the easy hikes had us breathing a little harder than usual! We started with the Lower Cataract Lake Loop, a peaceful walk around a pretty lake with a waterfall visible across the water, followed by the Meadow Loop and Ridge Trail along Dillon Reservoir. Neither required a big mountain climb, and both gave us a chance to get our legs and lungs accustomed to being up here. A stop at Outer Range Brewing rounded out the first day nicely.

As the week went on, the scenery just kept getting better. On the Lily Pad Lake Trail, we spotted a fox near the trailhead, enjoyed lingering wildflowers, and found beautiful mountain reflections on the calm water. That afternoon, Blue Lakes Waterfall gave us another gorgeous lake and a pretty waterfall, although getting across the creek took a little care. Our hike to Booth Falls brought a different mix of aspens, meadows, canyon views, and trailside thimbleberries and wild raspberries. We generally started early, took our time, and stopped whenever something deserved a closer look-which, of course, meant I took lots of pictures.

The real standouts were our hikes to Mayflower and Lower Mohawk Lakes and up the Herman Gulch Trail to its alpine lake. These were the days when we had to put one foot in front of the other, rest a bit, and keep going. The reward was worth every uphill step: quiet forests, gurgling creeks, waterfalls, old mining remnants, and absolutely gorgeous lakes tucked into rocky mountain basins. At nearly 12,000 feet, lunch tasted mighty good, and a big rock made a fine place to stretch out and recover. We finished with an easier morning on the Blue River Trail, but those high lakes were what stayed with us. Add in hot-tub soaks, good meals, and time with friends, and this was a trip we would happily do again-with a few more lakes still waiting for us next time.