Since 1997 I have been teaching Summer School classes at the Department of Physics of the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado.

 

I usually teach during the Summer Session A, since June weather tends to hold pretty well and thus make it possible for me to hike Rockies and very slowly expand my collection of 14ers. In early July soon after a Summer Session B commences, a monsoon arrives bringing dangerous thunderstorms and rendering weather conditions unstable to allow for much of a hiking.

Here's a list of classes I taught in Boulder and memorable hikes and trips while there:

     Summer 1997, Session A, Phys 2010. Mt. Evans (14,264 ft - by car). Emerald Lake (10,160 ft, RMNP). Mill's Lake (9,940 ft, RMNP). Tombstone Ridge (11,760 ft, RMNP). Lake Isabelle (10,868 ft).

     Summer 1998, Session A, Phys 2010. Emerald Lake (10,160 ft - RMNP). Lake Isabelle (10,868 ft). Lost Lake (9,800 ft). Rollins Pass (11,680 ft). Aspen. Steamboat Springs. Blue Lake (11,320 ft).

 Summer 1999, Session B, Phys 2020.   The Loch (10,180 ft, RMNP). Medicine Bow Range. Wind River Mtns. Grand Teton NP. Yellowstone NP.

     Summer 2000, Session A, Phys 2010. Ouzel Falls (9,040 ft, RMNP). Tombstone Ridge (11,760 ft, RMNP). Lake Haiyaha (10,221 ft, RMNP). Black Canyon. Ouray. Silverton. Animas Forks. Telluride. Cortez. Four Corners. Durango. Mesa Verde NP. Pagosa Springs. Creede. Lake City. Gunnison. Crested Butte. Gothic. Salida. Royal Gorge. Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods.

     Summer 2001, Session A, Phys 2010.   Tombstone Ridge (11,760 ft, RMNP).. Arapahoe Pass (11,906 ft). Lake Isabelle (10,868 ft). Flattop Mountains, Land's End, Colorado Monument, Arches NP, Canyonlands NP.

     Summer 2002, Session A, Phys 2010. Lake Dorothy (12,061 ft). Tombstone Ridge (11,760 ft, RMNP). Top hike of the season:  Two 14ers - Grays Pk. (14,270 ft) and Torreys Pk. (14,267 ft).

360° panorama from the summit of Grays Peak (14,270 ft = 4,350 m). The summit of Torreys Peak is directly to the North. ©2008 14ers.com.  All Rights Reserved.

    Summer 2003, Session A, Phys 2010. Rafting Cache la Poudre river. Top hike of the season: St. Mary's Glacier (11,000 ft). Lost Lake (9,800 ft). Salida. Hiking Cottonwood Pass (12,162 ft) area. Alamosa. Valley View Hot Springs.

Summer 2004, Session A, Phys 2010.    Top hike of the season: Mt. Audubon (13,223 ft).

Summer 2005, Session A, Phys 2010.    Hiked Diamond Lake (11,178 ft). Lost Lake (9,800 ft). Top hike of the season: Another 14er - Quandary Pk. (14,265 ft).

360° panorama from the summit of Quandary Peak (14,265 ft = 4,348 m). ©2008 14ers.com.  All Rights Reserved.

     Summer 2006, Session A, Phys 2010. Lost Lake (9,800 ft). Blue Lake (11,320 ft). Woodland Lake (10,972 ft) and Skyscraper Reservoir (11,220 ft). Top hike of the season: South Arapahoe Pk. (13,397 ft) - met Godzilla. Lake Isabelle (10,868 ft). Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. Hiking Cottonwood Pass (12,162 ft) area. Driving my Pathfinder up the 4WD road to the summit of the Tin Cup Pass (12,154 ft).

     Summer 2007, Session A, Phys 2010. Flatirons and American Eagle. Lost Lake (9,800 ft). Arapahoe Pass (11,906 ft). St. Vrain Mtn. (12,162 ft). Tombstone Ridge (11,760 ft, RMNP). Blue Lake (11,320 ft). Top hike of the season: One day, four 14ers: Mt Democrat (14,148 ft), Mt. Cameron (14,238 ft), Mt. Lincoln (14,286 ft) and Mt. Bross (14,172 ft). Cottonwood Hot Springs. Hiking Cottonwood Pass (12,162 ft) area. Aspen.

 

360° panorama from the summit of Mt. Democrat (14,148 ft = 4,312 m). Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Cameron and Mt. Bross are to the East.
©2008 14ers.com.  All Rights Reserved.

Summer 2008, Session A, Phys 2010.    Not a great hiking season. Lots of snow in mountains even mid-July. Niwot Ridge (up to 12,284 ft). Lefthand Reservoir (10,600 ft).
July 4-th: RMNP - Community Trail, hill next to Alpine Center, Ute Trail. Transfer to Ouray. Hiking and 4-wheeling in San Juan Mountains: Yankee Boy Basin and Mt. Sneffels (14, 150 ft - aborted at 13,000 ft after slogging for hours through soft snowfields). Ophir Pass, Telluride and Last Dollar Road. Silverton, Animas Forks, Engineer Pass, Cinnamon Pass, California Pass, Hurricane Pass, Corkscrew Gulch. Mineral District and Stony Pass. Transfer to Buena Vista - Cottonwood Hot Springs. St. Elmo, Hancock and Hancock Lake. Top hike of the season: Mt. Princeton (14,197 ft).

Summer 2009, Session A, Phys 2010.    Brainard Lake 06/06, Trail Ridge Road area 06/20, Lake Isabelle 06/21, Ute Trail 06/22. I've left Colorado as soon as my class was over.

Summer 2010, Session A, Phys 2010.    Some hikes in foothils, Brainard Lake, Ute Trail, ridge North of Cottonwood Pass and Continental Divide South of Cottonwood Pass.

Summer 2011, Session A, Phys 2010.    In early June there was more than 300% of an average June snowpack in Front Range, so winter-like conditions persisted, limiting hiking choices (I do not like postholing.). Hiked Brainard Lake on 6/3 and 6/12, 4-th of July Mine on 6/18, Lost Lake on 06/26, Long Lake and then Hessie Falls on 7/2, Ute Trail and Alberta Falls in RMNP on 7/3, Continental Divide West of Loveland Pass 7/5, Continental Divide South of Cottonwood Pass 7/6, Ptarmigan Lake 7/7, Emerald Lake in RMNP 07/09 and Lake Isabelle on 7/10, still slogging through wet snow.

 

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