Name: Hike & Photography - A Morning Hike with Merlin (moderate minus)
Start: 2026-08-05T08:00:00-0600
End: 2026-08-05T12:00:00-0600

Sign-ups will officially open on June 28th at 9 PDT/ 11 CDT/ 12 EDT. Activities without signup limits are available now. Need help? The Summit Handbook and our pick a hike guide are helpful resources! Email [email protected] with additional questions or message us in Sched!

Session availability is subject to change due to weather, availability, and interest. Classes with fewer than 5 participants are subject to cancellation.

Hike & Photography - A Morning Hike with Merlin (moderate minus)

Limited spots

Wednesday August 5, 2026 8:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Hike Guide

This is a 'moderate minus', no climb, one-way 3.0 mile hike, with a 26 min. drive to the start, 5-minute drive from the end.

Looking for something different? How about an easy, quiet morning photography (or time to sketch or just slow down and take in your surroundings) hike with Merlin? Merlin the wizard, you say? Nope, Merlin the bird ID app. We will walk slowly down the Grace Coolidge trail (an easy trail), which winds through a cool Ponderosa Pine forest along Grace Coolidge Creek, crossing the creek multiple times on easily navigated foot bridges. The intent here is not to cover distance but to slow down, observe, enjoy, and, when possible, identify and photograph (or sketch) species of both flora and fauna.

How does a bird ID app come into play? Well, first thing we will do, if you don’t already have the free app, is to help you download the app onto your phone and show you what it can do for bird identification. Then we walk…. slowly…. quietly…. trying to let all our senses show us what is alive. From there, it is up to you. Your guide(s) will always be available to give you one-on-one suggestions on how to compose the macro shot of the lupines next to the stream, or the broader landscape photo of the cattails swaying in the breeze, or identifying and then patiently waiting for that small bird you identified using the app, to stop just long enough for you to capture the perfect shot. Subjects to photograph may be as large as a bison or deer or as small as a dragonfly, frog, bird, or water strider. We will also scan the dead trees (snags) for cavity nesting birds. Hopefully, summer flowers will be in bloom. Bring your camera (or phone), your binoculars, your tripod if you have one, your journal, and join us for a diverse and magical morning along the creek.

Caution: Bison are beautiful animals and appear docile. They are beautiful, they are not docile. If you encounter one, give them a very wide berth (50 yards or more). Photograph them from a large distance away. Immediately let your guide know if you see one.

Faculty

Matt Hays

Hiking & Photography, Faculty

Matt Hays is an avid hiker, backpacker, rock-climber, skier, and mountaineer. He has climbed all fifty-four fourteeners in Colorado numerous times, many in the winter. He has also climbed Mt. Whitney, CA and the Grand Teton in Wyoming via the Exum Ridge. He summited Mt. Rainier in... Read More →

Wednesday August 5, 2026 8:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Hike, Difficulty- Moderate

Family Nature Summits: Black Hills Summit

Matt Hays

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Family Nature Summits: Black Hills Summit

Matt Hays

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