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In the summertime, when there are 14 to fifteen hours of daylight every day, hitting Mount Galbraith close to Golden for a lovely and vigorous hike earlier than work is superb.
Positioned on the threshold of Golden Gate Canyon, I can get in a hike of 4.5 miles in just a little over two hours, with an elevation achieve of virtually 1,000 toes.
I choose it as a weekday morning hike as a result of this hike attracts a whole lot of people on weekends, and there are solely 27 parking areas on the trailhead. The final time I did it, on June 21, there have been solely six automobiles within the lot once I began the hike at 6 a.m. It was an particularly stunning Friday morning. Temperatures had been within the low 60s underneath a light-weight overcast sky. As I climbed the primary mile, a beautiful fog financial institution hung over Arvada.
I used to be again in my automotive at 8:15 a.m.
The trailhead, which is situated 1.2 miles up Golden Gate Canyon Highway from Freeway 93, is at 6,280 toes. The hike begins with a 1.3-mile climb up the Cedar Gulch Path to the Mount Galbraith Loop path, which rings the higher a part of the mountain. After finishing the loop, descent is by way of Cedar Gulch.
The loop might be completed clockwise or counter-clockwise. There are some slim rock scrambles on the bottom of the mountain which are much less threatening to climb up than go down, in case you hike within the counter-clockwise path.
These aren’t the one rocky sections on this hike, so I do suggest bringing trekking poles, regardless that a lot of the path is fairly clean.
Mountaineering clockwise, the primary 1.5 mile gives views of North Desk Mountain, downtown Golden and Inexperienced Mountain because the path heads east from the trailhead after which south. At 1.6 miles, you’ve climbed nearly 600 toes, and the path swings to the west. Now you’re excessive above Clear Creek Canyon with Lookout Mountain and Mount Zion looming on the opposite facet of the canyon. There, views of Entrance Vary sprawl give technique to a extra distant feeling for a mile or so. The summit of Galbraith at 7,260 toes, with pretty a 360-degree view that features Mount Evans within the distance, is reached after one other half mile of mountain climbing.
Two different issues to love about Mount Galbraith: There are a number of sections of path that provide some shade from the solar, and Jeffco Open House rules make it a hiker-only park. Which means no mountain bikes. Canine are allowed, however should be leashed.
This week, we may have almost 15 hours of daylight. Sunrises will likely be shortly after 5:30 a.m., and sunsets will likely be round 8:30 p.m. We’ll proceed to have greater than 14 hours of daylight by means of the primary week of August. That, in fact, means Mount Galbraith could be a pleasant place to hike after work, too, however I choose the cool of the morning.
It truly is a lovely technique to begin a workday.
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