You Owe Yourself an Early Morning Hike on the Palisade Rim Trail
You've been breaking your back all year, and you owe it to yourself to enjoy a breathtaking getaway just down the road. Set the alarm and enjoy an early morning walk on Western Colorado's Palisade Rim Trail. Take a look at last Sunday morning's hike.
One of the best hikes you'll ever enjoy is right here in the valley. Just keep heading east out of downtown Palisade, and you find the trailhead for the Palisade Rim Trail.
While all Western Colorado hikes are awesome, there's something special about this one. What precisely makes it so special is hard to say. Perhaps it's the elevation, the rock features, the well-maintained pathways, or maybe it's just the wide variety of views.
We hit the trail at 7:30 in the morning last Sunday, April 23. Word to the wise: Sunday saw high temperatures in the upper 70's. That being said, the temperature on the trail at 7:30 a.m. was ice cold. Me being a dummy, I hit the trail wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. A parka would have been a little more in order. It was cold!
The trail climbs the west side of the Grand Mesa, and as a result, doesn't see direct sunlight until late in the morning. At 7:30 in the morning you get shade and lots of it.
While hiking on Sunday it occurred to me I was armed with my dumbphone. With that in mind, it was time to shoot some video. This is raw footage of an amazing hike. Notice that camera shake? That's me, frozen, trying to keep my excited dog under control while holding a coffee mug between my knees. It's not Olympic caliber acrobatics, but it's the next best thing.
The Palisade Rim Trail is not very well known. A few weeks ago I published a post about it and a reader sent me a nasty-gram complaining I ruined it for everyone else. Apparently, this person believes the trail is their private property.
On that note, you will see private property surrounding the lower portion of the trail. Like any other hike, please stick to the designated path. Insofar as western Colorado trails go, this may very well be the most well-marked trail out there.
This trail is amazing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is western Colorado, though, so evening temperatures in mid-summer can be blistering. If you hit this trail in the early hours, especially this time of the year, you can expect nothing less than perfection.
You owe it to yourself to take an early morning hike on this trail. It's always good, but around 7 a.m. or so, it's incredible. It might just be the perfect getaway. Set your alarm for 7:00 and your G.P.S. for the east side of Palisade, and hike the Palisade Rim Trail.