Gothic Road

I convinced Zak to join me and Ginny for some snowshoeing on our third day in Crested Butte. Josh recommended Gothic Road as being a nice length -- six miles to the town of Gothic and back -- but not especially steep. That seemed like a great combination, so we saddled up and headed out.

The trailhead was less than 10 minutes from our condo, and that proximity to scenic beauty and outdoor activity is one of the things I love about Crested Butte.  Gothic Road is a normal paved road that simply isn't maintained in the winter.

Great view back to Mt. Crested Butte from the road.

The East River Valley stretched out beautifully below us.

I'm really getting drawn to aspen groves.  There's a simple elegance to them -- especially in winter -- that intrigues me.

Mt. Gothic itself soon came into sight, with the southeast face presenting a different view than the classic pyramid you can see from town.

Continuing toward the town, the east side of Mt. Gothic looms stark and steep.

The three hikers at our destination.  It took several takes before Ginny would actually look at the camera.  The early signs of the wonderful sunburn I ended up with are already visible on my nose.  You'd think after living in this state for 17 years I'd remember to wear sunscreen.

We did our best to obey the speed limit.  At four hours to cover the six miles, we were pretty safe!