take a walk when autumn comes to town...

Sean and I headed back to Glacier Gorge Trailhead to hike Andrew’s Glacier, one of 16 glaciers in Colorado. Andrew’s can be hiked year round and is relatively easy.  We figured it would be a fun place to practice getting used to our crampons and self arresting.

We followed the exact same trail we took to the Loch and followed the split off somewhere between the Loch and Timberline Falls. While the first 3 miles to the Loch were a piece of cake the trail from the cutoff to the base of the glacier was an obnoxious talus field that makes my feet hurt just thinking about it!

Right after the cutoff for Andrew's Creek

Though it was sunny and 70 degrees for most of the hike, the stretch to the bottom of the glacier was windy and cold! It was a drastic change coming around the last turn.  We hung out at the tarn at the bottom of the glacier, had some peanut butter banana and jelly sandwiches and put on our gear for the glacier hike.

Fun fun talus field!

Cold part of the hike

Andrew’s has a relatively small incline (there is no concern for avalanche danger) and we made it up relatively quickly. The highlight of the trip came with the descent, though. We glissaded down (about 500 or so vertical feet) practicing our self arrests along the way. I  now feel more confident than ever with an ice-ax and feel better about attempting a glacier with a more significant incline.

Heading up the glacier

Self arrest!

I am always surprised at how quickly the seasons seem to transition. Just three weeks ago when we were at the Loch some trees were only beginning to change and only the highest mountains still had remnants of snow on their peaks. Three weeks later and Fall has definitely announced its arrival.

Hike to the Loch from Glacier Gorge- Labor Day Weekend

and this weekend

Colorado Fall