Hike 8: Sapphire Point Overlook Trail

Oh hey, hey who wrote two posts in one day and is actually caught up? This girl 💁🏼‍♀️. So, I had a relatively busy weekend between Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday, second job and photography class while managing to ignore all household chores on Saturday, and snowboarding on Sunday. But I still managed to squeeze in a second baby hike on Sunday.

After an absolutely amazing bluebird day at Keystone I knew traffic was going to be a beast heading back after a liftee told me their parking lots were completely filled and the X games were wrapping up in Aspen. Yikes. Instead of cutting my day short I decided to go on a sunset hike nearby to wait out the traffic. I knew I’d be pretty tired from snowboarding and only wanted to do a mile or two, which is more of a stroll, really. I finished my last run and hit the Last Lift Bar for a glass of wine and some AllTrails research.

Because I was looking for something very short, there weren’t a ton of options, which worked out in my favor. I thought about doing something longer because I had my spikes and everything I would need....except my headlamp. Once again, safety first so I sat a two mile maximum. Sapphire Point Overlook came up and even though it was only .6 miles it had EXACTLY what I was looking for view-wise and I figured I could do it two or three times to make it seem more legit 😂.

The overlook is about a 10 minute drive from the Keystone parking lot and I wanted to arrive in time to see the sunset. I arrived around 4:45 to give myself enough time to park and get situated. When I pulled up, the lot was nearly filled but I was able to secure one of the last real spot (people parked along the side of the lot as well). For as short as the trail is, there is actually a bathroom at the trailhead if you need it.

I’m not even sure I should count this as a hike as it had no incline and I looped it twice for barely over a mile....and may have even been wearing my UGGs. But, I’m giving it the number 8 slot and you can feel free to asterisk it if you’re so inclined. There were a LOT of tourists that were being extremely at first, which was unfortunate. Like I tell my five year old son, if you’re in nature be respectful of your noise level for the people and animals around you...please and thank you.

I did the loop once and took some photos along the way. There‘s a really nice scenic overlook about a quarter of the way in but honestly there are views almost everywhere during the first half of this loop, so don’t feel like you need to stop there if others are lingering. As it got closer to sunset, actual photographers started to arrive and I knew I was in the right spot. The sunset was absolutely breathtaking and my REI teacher wasn’t wrong about golden hour. I had a great time capturing what I saw (including a lone rose someonw left on a stone ledge...terrible LNT, but made for stunning shots) and would love to go back to see the sunrise… but your girl is NOT a morning person, so we’ll see.

Unfortunately traffic was still brutal on the way back home. I tried to stop for dinner but it was an hour and a half wait at the restaurant so I figured I may as well head out. Next time I’ll do a bit more research on nearby restaurants to ensure I have more options. But, as always, I will take a long drive home anyday to get my mountain time in.

I can’t believe January is almost over and I’ve already gotten in eight hikes! I don’t even think I knew about the challenge this time last year. Feeling pretty confident that I’ll exceed what I accomplished last year. But, more importantly, I’m so excited for all the experiences that lie ahead. Happy hiking 🏔❤️✌🏼!