HOTW: Lower Loop Trail

Colorado summers are the best for hiking, camping and checking out the wildflowers! There's been talk for months now about Colorado having a super bloom of wildflowers this year like California gets yearly, and fam, it's happening! Renni and I were lucky enough to have the last four days to take off on an impromptu mini road-trip and we took advantage of every second of it. The start of this trip, I truly wasn't sure where we were going yet. I knew that I wanted to check out Rifle Falls, since everyone has been chatting it up this year with the amount of rain we've been seeing. (Not my favorite but great spot for families or older folks in my opinion, I'll get to a blog about that later on) From there we just went on a whim, which led us straight to the wildflower capital of Colorado itself, Crested Butte.

This was surprisingly our first time visiting this wonderful little mountain town and boy did the views that I've heard about live up to the hype. I got there on Sunday, Father's Day, and so since my dad and I live half way across the country from each other, I asked him that morning what hike he thought I should do that day. He went with one that I really didn't feel like doing, but it's his day so I said what the heck and did it anyways. FAM, this hike had it all. Truly. Meadows, forest, wildflowers, river, baby water falls that jumped across the trail. I was amazed and so happy I let my dad pick my hike for the day (although I did the hike that I wanted to initially do the day after), so here's the deets.

Hike of the weeeeeeeeeeeeek:

• Lower Loop Trail

• 7.2 miles RT

• Rated as Easy

• 452 ft. in elevation

• 4 hours from Denver

For a bit more of a challenge on this hike, take the split off to Budds trail, leading you to Upper Lower Loop (you can find it on AllTrails when you zoom in under the navigation part) or just go explore and enjoy yourself doing whatever it is you do!

After the hike we went down to The Eldo Brewery for dinner and a beer. 10/10 recommend the veggie mom's and the curry, also the Blonde (the beer, not me) was a perfect match for the long, hot day. Make sure to stop in and tell Patrick we sent you!

Don't forgets! (:

Please practice Leave No Trace, respecting others around you with dogs if you have yours out by keeping them leashed or under command control and DONT PICK THE FLOWERS. It may seem like something small, but "it's only one" turns into hundreds if not thousands, so just take pretty pictures and leave them be for the next hikers to enjoy passed you.