The Hessie Trailhead has been one of the most popular access points to hike to the Indian Peaks Wilderness and the Continential Divide, where you can still directly experience icy cold glacier water in the heat of the summer.
However, that popularity typically caused traffic and parking issues on the roads near the trail head, until the shuttle service began on the weekends in the summer.
However, that popularity typically caused traffic and parking issues on the roads near the trail head, until the shuttle service began on the weekends in the summer.
Boulder County's shuttle service (Run by Via Mobility) had reduced congestion by transporting several thousand people to the trailhead each year. This year, it will pick you up at the Nederland RTD Park-N-Ride (First and Jackson street in Ned) and drop you off at the Hessie Trailhead, and you can even bring your leashed dog on the shuttle.
Because the pick-up and drop-off is at the Nederland RTD Park-N-Ride, folks from anywhere in the RTD Region can now access the Continential Divide without a car. In the winter, of course, the RTD 'N' Bus drops people off at Eldora Ski Resort, making it also the only ski resort that is accessible without a car on RTD.
The trend in Denver and Boulder for people to avoid all the cost, pollution and hassle associated with maintaining a car, has been growing, and services that are linked to RTD, and alternative transportation options will become increasingly valuable in the next few years. It's all part of the "Gazillion Reasons Why the Nederland EcoPass is So Cool."
[See Also: Boulder B-Cycle – Gazillion Reasons Why the Nederland EcoPass is So Cool – Part 5]
The shuttle runs every 15 minutes, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, so there is no complicated planning involved. Just jump on and enjoy the ride.
Providing multi-modal options, benefits everybody. So, here is a link to the Boulder County page describing the details of the program, and another County link for the Hessie Trailhead.
It is a new way to experience the pristine icy cold glacier water first hand, without a car.
[Here is a Video Valediction] This is a video by British musician, Aim, with the title track from his 1999 album, Cold Water Music. Which was on my headset when I was trail running in the Indian Peaks Wilderness before I wrote this. [What is a Video Valediction?]
