I have my sights set on the "
LA Freeway", a 38(or so)-mile ridgeline traverse from Longs Peak to Arapaho Peaks. I've been scoping out various "crux" sections. One section I wanted to scope out was the section between Shoshoni and Navajo Peaks. This section is quite rugged in appearance, containing multipe towers (called "The Chessmen"), but apparently they can be traversed on the east by 3rd and 4th class scrambling (and indeed they can be, as I discovered).
The traverse ended up being a fuller day than I expected, taking me a bit over 9 hours. I didn't see a single other person on the ridge, and I was treated to several cool moments, such as encountering a mamma ptarmigan and her energetic quintuplets, hiking past numerous fields of wildflowers, navigating an efficient and enjoyable 3rd/4th class path from Shoshoni to Navajo, spotting an elusive pine martin, seeing the weather equipment and Boulder watershed signs on Niwot Ridge, and more. What an enjoyable way to get in some exercise.
The following page contains a map and photos from my traverse.