Autumn Arrives: Summits of Mt. Rosa & Mt. Herman; Loops on 701 & 381

I have not kept up with my attempt to revive this blog, but it's been a busy trail running season these last two months!

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A loop just short of 9 miles in Red Rock Canyon highlighted some of Colorado's best autumn colors.

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Near the end of September, I set out with Mocha to do St. Mary's Falls one morning. I had extra water and food with me, so when she was still excitedly pulling uphill at the Falls junction, I decided to see how far we could go!

She energetically pulled all the way to the summit of Mt. Rosa! The autumn colors were amazing from the top, and we were lucky to be on top at the same time as a hiker who took our photo.

This summit felt special to me, because it was atop Mt. Rosa that someone took my favorite photo of myself with Pippin. It felt like a full circle to make it to the top with Mocha this time, and to have someone at the top to capture the moment.

The downhill felt smooth, and Mocha maintained great energy in today's cooler weather. We descended 672 to Frosty's Park and took Pipeline down to Captain Jack's, making this a full loop of about 18 miles.

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In early October, a morning inversion turned a normal Section 16 run into a fun adventure above the clouds.

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On a warm morning, Mocha and I set out from the Red Rock overnight parking in Monument, up 715 trail towards the Mt. Herman summit.

This warm weekend day meant a busy trail, and soon Mocha and I were running behind someone with an Aussie shepherd, which she took as a sign to keep up! 😀 We had a brief chat and the hiker split to do a lower loop while we pushed on for the actual Mt. Herman summit outcrop.

Although this day totaled only 9 miles, the steep climb in the final mile to the summit made the effort seem like a real mountain day.

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Mocha and I enjoyed a quick morning jaunt one day around Garden of the Gods with Bailey and Fireball.

Mocha is getting better at being around other dogs while running on the trails!

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Since Mocha and I both enjoyed our time on the 701 Loop so much, I decided to do that loop again for my next long run.

We took the 701 connector shortcut, making this time on the Loop a little shorter than last time, but with all the same great mountain views.

The big winds atop the little sandy overlook made me glad I wasn't summit-chasing today, but hinted at winter slowly pushing in.

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A short adventure around the Daniel's Pass area led to some ruins that I'd never seen before.

After some internet sleuthing, I found out these ruins were part of an old settlement called the Green Settlement, or Greenwood Park. In the 1880s, several families claimed homesteads in the area, and most of what remains today is several old stone chimneys.

The newer trail called Greenwood Path leads to the ruins of the settlement.

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In late October, for my next long adventure, I planned a lollipop loop from Daniel's Pass, ascending the steep Mt. Apocalypto climb to St. Mary's Falls trail, and then climbing all the way to the 381 junction. 

From the 381 forest service road, we'd travel south, first climbing a little more before descending to Gold Camp Road.

Then, Mocha would see for the first time, my favorite part of many runs I've done over the past years. This segment of Gold Camp Road passes by the Mt. Rosa reflecting pond, followed by Devil's Slide and all the Old Gods of the mountain.

Mocha indulging in my favorite view of Mt. Rosa.

Mt. Rosa behind the reflecting pond.

Running past Devil's Slide and the Old Gods of the mountain. 

Fall colors on the North Cheyenne Cañon return.

This run was just over 19 miles, making it officially Mocha's longest effort to date. Despite the length, this run felt fast and smooth overall, and I was super proud of how Mocha handled the day. It was a great joy to show her some of my favorite mountain spots.

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For a shorter loop the following week, next we did a lollipop from La Veta trailhead around Mays Peak.

The Ladders trail, Penrose, and Captain Jack's served as our uphill, with a nice smooth descent down High Drive and Gold Camp Road.

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As the weather has cooled off a little in the last week or so, Mocha and I are settling into a winter-type pattern, with more in-town runs.

A moody day at Red Rock Canyon brought out the soft pink tones in the rocks.

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For our most recent long effort, Mocha and I did a big loop through Palmer Park and Austin Bluffs Open Space, getting almost 15 miles of mixed trail surfaces.

And tonight, a cold front is expected, edging the mountains closer to full winter.

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What an amazing autumn so far, as Mocha continues to become more accustomed to the trails and more comfortable with leading me.

Early September 2026

What an eventful and fun first half of the month!

Highlights included: Mocha and I did a big adventure loop for Labor Day; I joined Bailey and Fireball for a dog-friendly run; and I went on a classic hike with my mom and my children.

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To start off easy and familiar, Mocha and I did a nice repeat of the Sec 16 loop from the water tank.

As one of her more familiar routes, Mocha does great zooming down from the overlook on this loop.

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As a trail runner for many years, I enjoy the tradition of a long run on both Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, to begin and end my summer on the right foot.

This year, I have Mocha to go with me for my Labor Day weekend outing! I decided to start out on Seven Bridges uphill and see how it went.

After the brutal sand hill, we zoomed easily along Pipeline trail. Mocha still had good energy, and she really enjoyed the intermittent streams and waterfalls. 

When we reached the junction of Pipeline and 701 trail, I knew we could complete the whole loop at that point.

A little ways from the junction of 701 and Captain Jack's (667), there is a small rocky summit that overlooks all of N. Cheyenne Cañon below. Mocha led me up to the top and we spent just a few minutes gazing at the views of Mt. Rosa, Almagre, and the city below.

The view west. I believe this hill is coined "Runs Down Fast Mountain."

The view east. Kineo Mountain is in the center, with the city beyond.

The view southeast. Mount Rosa stands out clearly above her saddle from this vantage point.

The view southwest, looking towards Almagre Mountain, with the FS 379A road cut visible just below treeline on the mountain. 

The downhill on Captain Jack's trail felt smooth and flowy. The last time I'd run this western portion of trail, I was with Pippin on our longest run ever, 20 miles to and back from Lake Moraine. Coincidentelly, this run with Pippin was on Labor Day two years ago!

I remembered thinking at the time what a perfect trail Captain Jack's downhill was for canicross.

So I was glad to have Mocha join me on this same part of the trail for my Labor Day weekend tradition. ❤️ 

This day ended up being 16.5 miles in total. Mocha had the best look of satisfaction on the ride home! 

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A few easy days followed, where we stayed at locations close to home, like Palmer Park and Austin Bluffs. 

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I took Mocha to Pineries Open Space one morning for the full loop. This open space is a newer county parks parcel in the Black Forest. We went clockwise around the trail, getting the sunniest part out of the way earlier.

The whole loop is about 9 miles with gentle rolling ups and downs, weaving in and out of meadows and stands of pine trees.

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One Sunday, Bailey invited me and Mocha to join her and Fireball for a loop in N. Cheyenne Cañon. 

Mocha had such a fun time, and she was definitely excited to be running with another dog. The dogs seemed to get along well and be comfortable running together.

The inner canyon loop we did was very good for canicross, and Mocha really enjoyed following behind Fireball. It gave her a little additional motivation to keep going!

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The next day, my mom invited me and my kids for a hike up the Crags. I hadn't been on this trail since I was in high school, so it was a trip down memory lane for me.

It was nice to be able to bring my kids to this interesting trail on the back side of Pikes Peak. I always enjoy the characteristic rock formations, often weathered away into the patterns of toadstools and hoodoos.

The weather had said there was a 20% chance of rain. As we approached the meadow area, the small 20% cloud popped, and it sprinkled temporarily. 

But soon the drizzle stopped, and we approached the last climb of the trail, which ascends the sandy summit adorned with weathered rocks.

The summit area was very windy!

There are lovely views of the reservoirs on the North Slopes of Pikes Peak. 

We made our way back down the trail, and got to the parking lot just as the setting sun was beginning to color the evening sky.

What a lovely hike and nice reminder of how craggy and rugged the back side of Pikes Peak feels.

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Finally, to wrap up the first half of September, Mocha and I did the Seven Bridges/ Captain Jack's Loop.

This time was rough, because unlike our big loop earlier in the month, the downhill trail was dusty and dry, lacking in precipitation in recent days, making the gravel on the trail more slick and slippery.

It was still a beautiful morning in the mountains, and I've made a mental note to try to plan this route in the future for a day after it's rained. That seems to help the trail "stick together" a little better and not move underneath my feet!

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That concludes this first half of September 2026. While I am posting this a bit late (it is almost the end of the month now!), I didn't want this post to get too long, so I'll write about the second half of the month separately.

Autumn is coming, days are cooling, and trail running season is in full swing! 🍂