{"id":416864,"date":"2015-10-07T05:11:35","date_gmt":"2015-10-07T11:11:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/?p=416864"},"modified":"2015-10-27T22:35:22","modified_gmt":"2015-10-28T04:35:22","slug":"tr-dyke-to-dark-canyon-loop-hike-29-sept-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/tr-dyke-to-dark-canyon-loop-hike-29-sept-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"TR: Dyke to Dark Canyon Loop Hike (29 Sept 2015)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Dyke to Dark Canyon Loop hike is one of my most favorite <a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/2014\/09\/best-fall-hikes-crested-butte\/\">fall hikes<\/a>.  And it&#8217;s easy to see why.  At only 6.5 miles in length, it&#8217;s not too long and not too short.  It&#8217;s just right.  Plus, it offers some of the most spectacular views of the largest aspen grove in the world.  So, for leaf peepin&#8217; hikers, it&#8217;s a must.<\/p>\n<p>The views are spectacular even from the parking lot, where you get a good view of the dyke which is a type of igneous intrusion for which the Dyke Trail is named.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark1.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"The dyke near Crested Butte in the fall.\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You also get a great view of East Beckwith, a laccolith, a different kind of igneous intrusion.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark2.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"East Beckwith in the fall.\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But never mind the geology lesson. We&#8217;re here for the leaves, right?<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark3.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Dyke Trail near Crested Butte in the fall. \" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--more READ MORE!--><\/p>\n<p>I began hiking on the Dyke Trail among some beautiful aspens.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark4.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Aspens on the Dyke Trail near Crested Butte in the fall. \" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark5.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"800\" alt=\"Aspens on the Dyke Trail in Crested Butte\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Shortly after leaving the Dyke Trail and entering into the Raggeds Wilderness, a rock outcropping offers some magnificent views.  East and West Beckwith rise above the waves of color.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark6.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"East an West Beckwith in the fall near Crested Butte. \" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then, of course, there&#8217;s Marcellina, Crested Butte&#8217;s twin sister.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark7.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Marcellina in the fall, near Crested Butte. \" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>More views of the dyke.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark8.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Dyke near Crested Butte in the fall. \" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark9.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Geologic Dyke\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And some more spectacular views.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark10.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Hiking on the Dyke to Dark Canyon Loop \" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark11.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"The geologic dyke near Crested Butte in the fall\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The overlook on the Dark Canyon Trail is a must-stop.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark12.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Marcellina and the Raggeds seen from the Dark Canyon Trail in the fall\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark13.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Views along the Dyke to Dark Canyon Loop Hike\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A look back at Ruby and Mount Owen.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark14.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"fall hiking in Crested Butte.\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Beautiful golden leaves.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark15.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Views along the Dyke to Dark Canyon Loop Hike\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So much color!<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark18.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Fall colors in Crested Butte\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/dyketodarkcanyon_29sept2015\/dark17.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" alt=\"Views from the Dark Canyon Trail near Crested Butte\" class=\"alignnone\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was not hard to remember why the Dyke to Dark Canyon Loop hike is one of my go-to favorite for fall \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<h2>Want to do this hike yourself?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/maps.google.com\/maps\/ms?msa=0&#038;msid=215297716422379617326.0004c9c2aa36ad171c32c\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/ViewMap_Button.png\" alt=\"ViewMap_Button\" width=\"123\" height=\"30\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9694\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/crested-butte-hiking-guide\/#dykedarkcanyon\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/getdirections_button.png\" alt=\"getdirections_button\" width=\"122\" height=\"30\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-9695\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/br><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.avantlink.com\/link.php?ml=124765&amp;p=23393&amp;pw=29053\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Dyke to Dark Canyon Loop hike is one of my most favorite fall hikes. And it&#8217;s easy to see<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":416905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-416864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crested-butte","category-hiking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416864"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":417426,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416864\/revisions\/417426"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/416905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}