This year, one of my goals was to prehike every CannaVenture hike close to when the actual event was taking place. My thought was that this would allow me to gauge trail conditions, check for closures, see what parking was like, as well as get a firsthand understanding of how much heavily trafficked the trails are. Today, I was lucky enough to have my younger sister tag along, and we got the full experience.
Originally, the plan was to meet at the trailhead at 10am. We decided to push that back until 11am, knowing that the temperatures would be warmer and crowds more plentiful, but valuing that extra few hours of sleep. We headed out around 11:02am and the total trek took just under three and a half hours. We took a half hour break at the scenic view about halfway into the trail, which was a nice reprieve.
The trail is rated as moderate and climbs just under 1300 feet in elevation over seven or eight miles (We took a short detour to the tune of about a half mile, so I’m estimating). The Alderfer Theres Sisters Trail is actually a lop comprised of Sisters Trail, Silver Fox Trail, and Evergreen Mtn Trail East. You can take the Ponderosa Trail if you prefer a shorter loop, though you miss out on the “Summit Trail” and Scenic Overlook that are later on.
We hiked 3.5 miles in (headed northeast initially) along the loop before coming to the fork that veers to the scenic overlook. It adds an additional 1-2 miles to your trek depending on how far you go, but it’s well worth it. If you only want to do a short detour, follow the trail to the scenic overlook and skip the summit trail; you’ll get the views you want without missing out on (too many) sights at the top. Once we reached the overlook, I fired up a joint of some Super Lemon Haze mixed with Bubble hash and cracked open a Red Bull. Luckily for me, Sven packed in some food and water of his own, which meant he was satiated for the journey.
On our way down, the scenery didn’t change much. In fact, some have called this trail “boring” due to the lack of sights along the way. I’d argue that the forest is an incredible sight to take in, and, while devoid of scenic views, the full immersion in nature is well-received and much-needed in so many of our lives.
As we reached the parking lot, we decided to take one of the cars down to town and ended up at Cactus Jack’s Saloon. Definitely worth a stop in there, and, next weekend, I’ll be recommending that as the spot for a post-hie meal and refreshment. Overall, no complaints on my end. Great hike, great weather, great brother-sister time, and an all-around fantastic little 8-mile hike.
Next week’s hike will be slower-paced, and people will have the option to take breaks much more frequently than Emily and I did. It took us just under 3.5 hours, and I’d expect the group to take closer to 4.5 or 5 hours depending on stops.
If you haven’t already, RSVP for our hike next Saturday, sponsored by Stillwater Brands and don’t forget to join our facebook group!
Best Part: Views, temperature and brother-sister bonding time in the middle of the forest.
Worst Part: Parking is tough at Alderfer, and it’s fairly crowded on the weekend, especially when it comes to bikes.
Trail: Aldefer Three Sisters Trail – Alderfer Three Sisters Park
Distance from Broomfield: 45-55 minutes
Hike Length: 7.8 Miles
Time of hike: Second weekend of June 2018
Note: Trip Logs are written by individuals and the views/activities contained within are not necessarily those held by or endorsed by the CannaVenture® or its affiliates. If an article contains suggestions regarding dangerous, illegal or unethical activities, remember that authors may not be qualified to provide you with complete information about the suggestions, their legality or to inform you about adequate safety precautions and other measures to prevent injury, or other damage to your person, property or reputation. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial, marital or risk management) please seek a professional licensed or knowledgeable in that area. CannaVenture® in no way encourages illegal activity and would like to remind its readers that marijuana usage continues to be an offense under Federal Law, regardless of state marijuana laws.
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