By Steve Pate
Lisa Loeber organized members of the Monument Hiking Group (MHG) to make a hike to Ice Cave Cliffs on Jan. 16 along the Ice Cave Creek trail connecting with the Swank Trail north to a ridge that connects with the Ice Cave Cliffs trail before the “polar vortex” extreme cold snap. Three of the group hiked to the Ice Cave Cliffs and climbed Cap Rock. Included here are some photos taken by Randy Phillips, an experienced local hiker, which give a sense of the beautiful scenery in our Tri-Lakes area.
Eight hardy souls made the trek, a bit over seven miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 8,000 feet. The photos show MHG members at various segments of the hike showing the terrain along Ice Cave Creek, a section of the Swank Trail, and some views from atop Ice Cave Cliffs and Cap Rock.
Steve Pate may be contacted at StevePate@OCN.me.
Other On the Trail articles
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Monument Hiking Group planning session (4/5/2025)
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Enjoy being outdoors, but be prepared (11/2/2024)
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Prescribed burn promotes forest health (7/6/2024)
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Palmer Lake bridge dedication ceremony (6/1/2024)
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Cadets build bridge over Monument Creek (5/4/2024)
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Mount Herman “Leap” (4/6/2024)
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Palmer Lake Reservoir hike (3/2/2024)
- On the Trail (in memory of Tim Watkins) – Black Forest Trails Association (12/2/2023)
- Mount Herman fire averted (11/4/2023)
- Letters to Our Community – Protesting no parking signs at Pike National Forest (11/4/2023)