I'll be in Boulder Colorado October 16-20th this year and I'd like to add on a short backpacking trip. Ironically, I lived in Colorado for a while but never backpacked until after I moved to the Midwest. So my hope is to make up for lost opportunities with this little side trip.

I'm in my 40's and in good but not great health -- fit, workout multiple times a week, but not a runner. I currently live in Chicago, so altitude is a bit of a concern. I figure the few days in Boulder will help. Then I plan on hitching out of town and spending a few days in the front range. I'll sleep low the first night for sure.

My early research has found that October national forests will be full of hunters. So it looks like National Parks are the way to go.

All of this is pointing towards Rocky Mountain National Park... but are there any other places to consider?

(I'll ask about fine tuning my gear in subsequent posts, figuring out a location is step one.)

Thanks in advance for any insights! Looking forward to the planning and the trip.

-jamie