PHOOP
PHOTOS COURTESY: Missy Straub
There are only a few days left in September, and my daughter officially got her One Adventure Once a Month in.
On September 25, she and a friend headed into the Colorado mountains to hike the Abyss Trailhead along Guanella Pass.
Mountainsides covered in brilliant yellow aspens. Dark evergreens mixed among all that gold. A rocky mountain creek tumbling through the forest. Huge cliffs rising above the trees and disappearing into clouds.
Colorado in September was definitely showing off and immediately upon seeing these photos I'd wished I was on that hike with her!
The Abyss Lake Trail
What I learned made her adventure even more interesting.
The trail she and her friend started on is Abyss Lake Trail #602, near Guanella Pass. The trail begins at approximately 9,620 feet above sea level and eventually climbs to about 12,650–12,670 feet.
The complete trail is about 8.4 miles one way, so reaching Abyss Lake and returning is a substantial all-day hike. The Colorado Mountain Club lists the full outing at roughly 17 miles with about 3,389 feet of elevation gain.
My daughter and her friend weren't trying to tackle all of that.
They hiked about 3.5 miles in before turning around, giving them an approximately seven-mile adventure.
And it turns out that those first few miles have a personality all their own.
The lower portion of the trail follows the Scott Gomer Creek drainage, beginning among lodgepole pines and eventually moving into beautiful stands of pine and aspen. Along the way, hikers cross Scott Gomer Creek several times.
Looking at her photos afterward, suddenly I understood exactly what I was seeing.
That rushing water in her videos wasn't just some unnamed mountain stream they happened upon.
It was part of the landscape that shapes this entire trail.
But What If You Keep Going?
This is where my curiosity really kicked in.
If they hadn't turned around at 3.5 miles, where would that trail eventually have taken them?
The landscape gradually changes as you climb.
The forest begins giving way to willows and eventually alpine tundra. The trail passes Helms Lake before continuing higher into the mountains. Its final destination is Abyss Lake, sitting at roughly 12,650 feet in a high glacial cirque between two of Colorado's famous fourteeners: Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky.
That means the trail can take you from a forest of golden aspens and rushing water all the way into an exposed alpine landscape more than 12,000 feet above sea level.
And somewhere up there, you might even have company.
The high country around Mount Bierstadt and Mount Blue Sky is habitat for wildlife including mountain goats and bighorn sheep.
When Is the Best Time to Hike Guanella Pass?
Judging by these pictures, I'd say my daughter and her friend picked a pretty spectacular time.
Guanella Pass is especially well known for its fall aspens. At elevations above 9,500 feet, mid-September through early October is a great window to look for fall color. The exact peak changes from year to year because temperature, moisture and elevation all affect when the leaves turn.
For 2026, Colorado's fall foliage forecast placed the central mountains' peak around late September into early October, making her September 25 hike beautifully timed.
Guanella Pass isn't only a fall destination, though. The scenic byway is recommended for spring, summer and fall, while part of the road is seasonally closed during winter. I believe I have visited twice in the past and both times were in summer.
But if those golden Colorado aspens are what you're hoping to see?
September would certainly be on my list.
I Asked Her the Most Important Question
After looking through everything she sent me, I asked her:
"What was the best thing about your adventure?"
I expected her to mention the aspens.
Or the creek.
Or maybe one particular mountain view.
Instead, she told me:
"Honestly the best thing about that hike was the diversity of people enjoying the same experience. I think I heard 3–4 different languages on this hike and I loved it."
And THAT is my favorite part of this entire story.
Because she noticed something beyond the scenery.
There were people on that Colorado trail who may have come from entirely different places. People speaking different languages. People with different backgrounds, lives and reasons for being there.
Yet on September 25, they had all chosen the same thing.
They went outside.
They walked beneath the same golden aspens.
They heard the same water rushing over the rocks.
They breathed the same cool mountain air.
They stopped to take in the same views.
And for a little while, a trail through the Colorado mountains was something they all shared.
This Is Why I Preach One Adventure Once a Month
I never wanted "adventure" to mean that you needed to travel somewhere extraordinary or accomplish something impressive. We don't always have time for that.
The point is simply to go.
Get outside.
Try somewhere new.
Pay attention.
And see what you bring home with you.
Sometimes it's photographs.
Sometimes it's a story.
Sometimes it's sore legs.
And sometimes the thing you remember most isn't the mountain at all.
It's hearing three or four different languages along a trail and realizing how many different people can find joy in the exact same place.
My daughter got her adventure in before September ended.
About seven miles.
A friend beside her.
A mountainside covered in gold.
And a reminder that sometimes the most memorable part of an adventure is something you never expected to find.
September adventure: complete. 🍂
And I'm one very proud mom. ❤️
A little trail note: If you're inspired to visit, conditions in Colorado's high country can change quickly. The full Abyss Lake Trail is considered difficult, and its upper reaches climb above 12,000 feet. Check current trail, road and weather conditions before heading out, and remember that the complete hike is very different from exploring the lower few miles. The trail lies largely within designated wilderness, where additional regulations apply.
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