If you are ever in the Boulder area looking for a good local hike, pick Mount Sanitas. It’s about a 3.3 mile (ish) round trip, STEEP hike that takes you ~1,000 + feet to the top. The challenging parts about this hike are the deep steps that will make your calves and hammies scream, as well as the large boulders you have to navigate!! I generally traverse the trail in a clockwise direction, mostly so I can run on the smooth trail at the end – finishing strong is always a good thing.
Once you get to the top, the views of Boulder are pretty nice – you can see forever.
Key tips: Bring water and snacks for the top, wear solid hiking shoes (as mentioned, you are scrambling over boulders and scree in some parts), and lather on the sunscreen (you are in Colorado closer to the sun). I don’t recommend hiking poles, only because of the scrambling components of the hike. They would probably get in the way and possibly create a hazard. The trail can be icy in winter so be prepared – bring Yak Traks or Micro Spikes so you don’t break a hip! People bring their dogs up there, but not sure I love this idea. I saw a woman whose pup got freaked out on the boulders and could not hike out – not quite sure how she got past that issue. Don’t worry about being alone on the trail as it is usually pretty crowded. Don’t let this bother you, there is plenty of room!
What to do after the hike?
The best part of this hike is going out for beer and tacos (or just beer or just tacos) after. Let’s face it, you earned it, so go for it. We recently found a cool, little spot called T|ACO. The food is super fresh and the beer is cold. Sunday afternoons they offer $2.50 tacos and $3.50 beers. Just awesome.
A few other favorites in town – born and bred in Colorado:
There is a new location on Pearl Street in Downtown Boulder – great vibe, great beers. They do serve food – general bar food – not much to write home about, but it’ll do. They open doors when the weather is nice . Dale’s Pale Ale is a Colorado staple!
Great food, IPA’s and nice patio seating! Bring the pups!
If margaritas sound better, check out the rooftop Patio at the Rio Grande (the Rio). YUM.
Come join us in Boulder, Colorado!
Cheers,
the Life Bus
Let’s go hiking!
Lets!!
Loved that hike!
I cannot wait to catch up on your blog! I see a bunch of TX posts. MARFA! One of my faves!