Waterton Canyon: A glorious “in between a rock and a hard place”

October 29, 2013 By

October 2013 has been one of my favorite months ever. The reason? I’ve been in between a rock and a hard place…in a figurative and literal sense. I’m between projects, have more time to myself than usual and am learning the value of how to just slow down time; that leaving the house at 6:20 a.m. for boot camp and going at warp speed ’til my head hits the pillow is not an optimal way to live.

I’m impatient, I admit it. I feel like The Next Big Thing is around the corner but I’m not sure when or how it will manifest itself. I’m torn between valuing my rare free time while the kids are in school and the nagging guilt of helping our financial situation.

Spring and fall are called the “shoulder seasons” in mountain country…a sort of in-between before the main events of winter and summer. I’m experiencing an in-between season in my life, which is both unsettling and gratifying. But I always have to be moving so I’m trying to remind myself that any progress, no matter how slow, is still progress.

In the interim, I’m seizing the day and knocking off as many bucket list items as possible. One of those is biking the entirety of Waterton Canyon in Littleton, Colorado. This 7-mile-long canyon marks the beginning of  the famous 486-mile Colorado Trail, which roller-coasters its way through six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges from from Denver to Durango,  topping out at 13,271 feet.

The year before I met Jamie and still lived in Utah, I biked the very end of the Colorado Trail in Durango (read about that adventure and my first 14er in Solo in the San Juans: Exploring Colorado’s Highway to Heaven). Fast-forward 12 years and I biked the beginning of Colorado’s premier long-distance trail. I’m great at beginnings and endings; it’s just the middle stuff that gets murky sometimes.

My family has hiked a portion of Waterton Canyon a couple of times and I attempted to bike it a couple of years ago but didn’t get far on my heavy, outdated mountain bike. But I had no problems last week navigating the wide, relatively flat gravel road beside the South Platte River on my new 29er. A fair number of people were hiking, fishing, running and biking the lower portion of the canyon but the crowds dispersed the further I rode and my only companion was a lone bighorn sheep.

I monitored my distance by the six rest areas, all named after different animals that live in the canyon: Mule Deer, Blue Heron, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Rattlesnake, and Bighorn Sheep. Signage at each outpost educates you about each of them.

October is such a generous month with its fall colors on display. Everywhere you look the world is giving back.

Upon nearly reaching the Strontia Springs Reservoir (which is closed to the public) and Denver Water buildings at mile 7, the flat, multi-use road arced upward, leading to a much narrower singletrack to the some of the wildest inaccessible backcountry in the Rocky Mountains.

I hid my bike behind a tree and started hiking the Indian Creek Trail. While Waterton Canyon was expansive and broad, I was inundated with trees–making me feel a bit nervous in this inaccessible wilderness.

I’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours by myself on the trail but for some reason, this felt different. Though it was beautiful, I felt nervous to be so completely alone. I’m used to hearing the subtle movement of hidden animals in the trees but after about 40 minutes of hiking, I heard breathing. I called out, hopeful for a human voice but was greeted by silence. Bear sighting signs littered the canyon and I deemed that as my sign to high-tail it back and collect my bike.

I arrived at the car three hours later after biking 14 miles and hiking about 3 miles. I then proceeded to get hurt (wait for it) on the hitch while I was putting my bike in the car.

You win some, you lose some when living between a rock and a hard place.

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Getting there: From Denver, take I-70 west to C-470. Take C-470 east to Wadsworth Boulevard. Take a right at the bottom of the exit ramp and drive 4.2 miles. Turn left on Waterton Road. The parking lot will be about a quarter of a mile down and on your left.

Filed Under: biking, Colorado, hiking, outdoors

The mountain, the bear and the gun-toting Tennessean

October 23, 2013 By

Though I relish any time spent on The Broadmoor’s opulent grounds, I love escaping to North Cheyenne Cañon, a gorgeous red-rock, evergreen forest with scores of hiking trails.

Many of the trails start at the Starsmore Discovery Center, just over a mile from the resort so most of my explorations have been reserved for the gorgeous neighborhoods and Lower Columbine trail. But then, I learned The Broadmoor runs a complimentary shuttle to the discovery center, which would give me a jump-start on my desire to hike further up the canyon to the Upper Columbine Trail.

We had planned to spend an afternoon at the pool but when rain clouded our plans, I enrolled the kids in the resort’s children’s club, Bee Bunch, while Jamie booked a massage. That meant I had three glorious hours to explore!

But remember that rain? It would have deterred some but not me. I grabbed my waterproof gear and hopped on the shuttle. Within minutes, I was winding along the trail and ran into a family.

“Bear up there,” one of the woman casually commented as I hiked by.

“Umm, did she say there is a bear?”

Her traveling companion divulged there was, indeed, a brown bear directly off the trail about a half-hour ahead. “He didn’t bother us,” he assured me. Gee, swell to know.

I kept hiking and each subsequent hiker issued the same warning. By this point, I was starting to get paranoid. I was, after all, hiking by myself and I had just polished off The Broadmoor’s tasty 10,000-calorie brunch. I’d be some good eatin’ for a hungry bear in the rain. Plus, I’ve never run into a bear in Colorado’s backcountry.

As I was forging up the mountain, I was passed by a 30-something, fit tattooed hiker from Tennessee who was a bit rough around the edges but friendly. I informed him about the bear and he nonchalantly said, “I’m not worried. I’ve got a pistol in my backpack.”

Now, any other day such a confession would have steered me in another direction but it became one of Bode’s famous “would you rather” games: Would I rather hike by myself under threat of a bear OR hike with a gun-toting, tattooed Tennessean?

I opted for the latter and we quickly fell into a good clip up the mountain.

I may-or-may-not have snapped this picture as evidence in case my dead, lifeless body was found.

The trail was steep, the views stunned, the rain dripped, the sun persisted, the conversation entertained and it was one of those beloved hikes where  I felt powerful and never wanted it to end. When we reached the Upper Columbine trailer marker four miles later,  we parted ways as he continued going and I reluctantly headed back to pick up the kids.

View of The Broadmoor from the Upper Columbine Trail

The bear was long forgotten on my return trip but I had a new-found fondness for gun-toting Tennesseans. Just your average day in Colorado’s backcountry.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors, travel Tagged With: , , ,

The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley: Glamping Redefined

October 21, 2013 By

I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into writing what is my equivalent to a work of art for The Broadmoor’s Magazine about our trip to Emerald Valley Ranch over Labor Day weekend.

For the quick, dirty, fun yet much less eloquent version, I’ll include my article I wrote for Travel Mamas.

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Glamping at The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley

I am often torn between two worlds when my family stays at Colorado’s ultimate luxury resort, The Broadmoor. I love to be pampered but I’m also an outdoor lover; those worlds just don’t often mix. Until now. Set on 15 acres deep in Pike National Forest, The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley offers glamping at its finest.

Glamping at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Glamping at the Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley

Glamping at the Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley

The Broadmoor opened its newest venture, the Ranch at Emerald Valley, in early-August of 2013. The Ranch offers luxurious woodsy accommodations in nine beautifully restored cabins. Gourmet meals are prepared three times a day in the lodge. It’s romantic, awe-inspiring, whimsical and family-friendly all mixed into one great glamping vacation.

Playing horseshoes at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Playing horseshoes

I was asked to do a write-up for The Broadmoor Magazine so my family spent 24 hours in this wilderness enclave. The Ranch is not accessible to the public so we checked in at the Broadmoor and then were escorted via shuttle 30 minutes into the mountains up serpentine Old Stage Road. When I first arrived at the property, I was stunned by the hypnotic ever-changing play of light on Hummingbird Pond and Penrose Lake.

Archery at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Channeling Merida at the Ranch

Relax or play?

The wonderful thing about the Ranch is you can do it all or do nothing. While some guests kicked back on the deck soaking in the views and reading. My family, on the other hand, did it all.

My kids raced over to the expansive lawn where my son’s first item of business was playing horseshoes.

My daughter opted to channel Merida the Brave with archery. After mastering the targets, she and my husband moved into the woods to attempt to bag the deer and boar statues that stood sentry.

And what would a mountainside retreat with a lake be if  you were not able to canoe?

Canoeing at Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Dad and the kids out for a paddle on the lake

My kids had never been fishing and I worry that fly fishing at the Ranch may have spoiled them forever. With two bodies of water fully stocked with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and brown trout, it was almost like the Broadmoor had those fish under contract to delight us with their out-of-water acrobatics. It also helped that the fish were easy to hook and, as a bonus, the chef cooked up our catches for us!

Fly fishing at the Ranch at Emerald Valley in Colorado

Our practically perfect day of fly fishing

Horseback riding is included as part of your stay at the Ranch. We’ve been on a few trail rides as a family but nothing quite as challenging or scenic. With the Gray Back peak towering above us, we climbed around Mount Vigil and down Emerald Valley Road.

Riding horses at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

A scenic and challenging trail ride

The terrain was often steep and narrow. I looked at Bode nervously and often. He had just barely met the 7-year-old age requirement. Thankfully the horses were pros. Unlike me.

Beignets at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Normally, my son is a key part of my picture-taking, but here he’s photobombing my beignets

A mirage of tasty goodness greeted us after our hot, sweaty ride. Two staffers tracked us down to present the mid-afternoon snack: fresh beignets oozing with Colorado Palisade peaches.

Cowboy tunes by campfire at the Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Cowboy tunes by campfire

An evening of refined relaxation

In the evening, we played board games provided by the lodge, enjoyed fine dining (yes, kid-friendly items are available upon request!), and listened to live cowboy tunes by a blazing fire.

Later, we built a campfire at the gazebo. Then we soaked in the adjacent hot tub under the liquid-blue moonlight.

Fire at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

My husband and daughter laughed as they changed into the robes from our cabin and sashayed to the fireplace at the gazebo

The next morning, my family arose at dawn to hike a network of trails deep into Pike National Forest. We ate the best cinnamon rolls ever at the breakfast buffet, fished, did more archery, climbed the property’s waterfall and literally went into mourning when we took the shuttle back down the mountain.

The Broadmoor

Our only solace? We spent the next two days at The Broadmoor‘s main property in Colorado Springs. That’s pretty much the only way you’ll ever come down after the Rocky Mountain High you’ll receive at the Ranch. Built in 1918, this AAA Five-Diamond resort in Colorado Springs features an award-winning spa, championship golf, an incredible infinity pool with waterslides, a luxury-retro bowling alley eatery, and much more.

The Ranch at Emerald Valley is open seasonally May through October. For more information on area activities and rates, visit the Ranch at Emerald Valley’s website.

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In case you missed my other blog posts:

The Glorious Broadmoor: In Pictures

and

The mountain, the bear and the gun-toting Tennessean

http://www.themilehighmama.com/the-glorious-broadmoor-in-pictures/

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors, travel

Life’s Uphill Climb

September 5, 2013 By

I’m under a pile of deadlines and stresses here with car insurance nightmares (really? Our car was hit two weeks ago and we’re not any closer to a resolution and you’re unwilling to cover a rental vehicle?), homework, book reports, soccer practices, volleyball (I’m coaching), surgery for Jamie next week and life.

On a positive note, we had a glorious weekend away at The Broadmoor and their new Ranch at Emerald Valley. Many details on that when I carve out the time but in the interim, I found a few quotes this week I absolutely love love love!

There are two kinds of climbers:

Those who climb because their heart sings when they’re in the mountains, and all the rest.

-Alex Lowe

And then, this.

How to Climb a Mountain

Make no mistake. This will be an exercise in staying vertical.
Yes, there will be a view, later, a wide swath of open sky,
but in the meantime: tree and stone. If you’re lucky, a hawk will
coast overhead, scanning the forest floor. If you’re lucky,
a set of wildflowers will keep you cheerful. Mostly, though,
a steady sweat, your heart fluttering indelicately, a solid ache
perforating your calves. This is called work, what you will come to know,
eventually and simply, as movement, as all the evidence you need to make
your way. Forget where you were. That story is no longer true.
Level your gaze to the trail you’re on, and even the dark won’t stop you.

-Maya Stein

Last weekend: I slipped away from The Broadmoor for a few hours and hiked this.

View of The Broadmoor from my perch atop Upper Columbine Trail, Colorado Springs, Labor Day 2013

It was an empowering climb where I felt stronger, more powerful with each step and literally never wanted it to end when I reached the summit. But now I’m back on firm ground, exhausted, and lacking the clarity I always seem to achieve when I’m soaring several thousand feet in the air. But alas:

You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.

-Rene Daumal, Mount Analogue

Here’s for the knowing.

Filed Under: Colorado, hiking

St. Mary’s Glacier: A Disastrously Fun Day

September 2, 2013 By

Every year, our family has climbed St. Mary’s Glacier, one of the top tourist destinations in Clear Creek County. Well, with the exception of last year when I got really sick on the day we were supposed to climb it. And then there was the time Jamie drove over Hadley’s foot at the trailhead so that didn’t exactly work out, either.

So, it’s a family tradition barring whatever disaster comes our way.

This year, we were delighted when our friends, the Carrolls, decided to join us. With six kids, they are a mobile party wherever they go so we knew we’d have a blast! The drive from Idaho Springs to the trailhead is full of hairpin turns and, after a steep, rocky 3/4-mile hike to the base of the glacier, we were at about 10,500 feet.

Jamie and I hiked ahead with the quicker kids and reached the lake at the base of the glacier in record time.

We threw rocks and scaled logs while we waited for the rest of the group but they didn’t come. After a half-hour, I started to hike back down but they were nowhere to be seen so I called them. Their daughter Maeve was struggling with car and altitude sickness so they were turning around and would wait for us in the car. The rest of us hiked to the base of the glacier where we played and played and played.

The quickies

We were delighted to see Maeve toward us a half-hour later, fully recovered after leaving a piece of her misery on the trail (I’ll leave that one to your imagination). In fact, it was a near-perfect afternoon and we practically skipped down to the car.

One of our other traditions is to stop for some epic mountain pies at nearby Beau Jo’s pizza in Idaho Springs. As we were waiting for our lunch, we received a text from Eva:

“Hey, our car won’t start. Are you still at Beau Jo’s?”

Just as we were getting ready to go back up the mountain to retrieve them, I got another text assuring me their car had started and they were on their way.

It was one of my family’s smoothest trips to St. Mary’s Glacier but our friends weren’t so lucky.  Turns out, disaster is contagious.

Just a forewarning for anyone who wants to come play with us anytime soon.

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Getting There: Take I-70 West from Denver, past Idaho Springs’ three exits. Take the next exit marked “Fall River Road.” Just past the bottom of the ramp, take a right (north) on Fall River Road. Follow this road up approximately 9 miles to one of two parking areas for the clearly marked trailhead to St. Mary’s Glacier. Parking is $5.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors

Summer hiking group fun and why Bode can stay in his BOY corner

July 16, 2013 By

One of my favorite things in the entire world is exploring and discovering trails, particularly in my own backyard. So imagine how thrilled I was to recently stumble upon some new-to-me sites intermingled with my long-time favorites.

The Hike

My church friend Dawn organized a summer hiking group on Tuesday mornings. Early-June, Dawn decreed our first hike would be the Castle Trail at Mount Falcon Open Space, which is is a great, moderate trail for younger kiddos.

One of my favorite memories is when I was REALLY pregnant with Bode, we decided to go for a hike and picnic. We were only a few minutes into our hike when our little 2-year-old cherub decided she was not walking another step. And when stubborn miss doesn’t want to do something, she will not do it. Nice parents that we are, we didn’t give in to her meltdown and so she threw herself onto the middle of the trail and raged for about 10 minutes.

We walked a safe distance away. No, we were not worried about her safety (because who would take her in that condition?) but rather, ours. We pointedly ignored the other parents who judged us while we let her scream it out. If she’d been in a store, it would have been another matter but since we were in the great outdoors, we let her roar with the mountain lions. It ended up working. She eventually gave up, jumped up, dusted herself off and kept on walking. She was a delight the rest of the day.

Here Hadley is seven years later at the scene of the crime. Doesn’t she look so much more docile?

We’ll compare notes again at this spot during the hormonal teenage  years.

The Castle/Meadow Trail had all the makings for a perfect outing: a wide trail, beautiful wildflower-strewn meadow and rocks for climbing. The boys reenacted being chased by Orcs in Lord of the Rings while I tried not to take offense of being mistaken for a sallow-skinned, fanged humanoid.

Our final destination was the stone-wall remnants of the John Brisben Walker family castle that boasts stunning views of Denver. Though the ruins are fenced off for climbing, we were fully engaged as we read about his rags-to-riches story that included the fire that destroyed this early-1900s dream home.

Parmalee Gulch

The easiest route to Mount Falcon is via U.S. Highway 285. Take the Indian Hills turn-off and follow the open space signs up Parmalee Gulch Road. On our return trip, my kids and I were stopped in our tracks at a stunning property just outside of Mount Falcon with a white fence that stretched as far as the eye could see. When we saw the “For Sale” sign, we pulled in.

Because we just happen to be in the market for a multi-million-dollar property.

As we dreamed of having a mountain retreat, we eventually wound back down to a new-to-us part of Parmalee Gulch Road, happening upon a fantastic playground within Parmalee’s town limits. “We HAVE to stop!” my son announced and I agreed.

For the next hour, we scaled logs, climbed rock walls to the top of the slide and climbed on bears at this awesome playground.

Turned out I wasn’t too good at the latter, which is probably a good thing.

Bear Creek Canyon

I frequent Bear Creek Canyon regularly when en route from Denver/Morrison to Evergreen. After driving down the canyon,  we landed in the funky mountain town of Morrison, devoured sundaes at The Blue Cow, threw rocks in Bear Creek and I then told the kids we were crossing the street to visit two shops I’ve driven past a hundred times but have never set foot.

Both were love at first sight: Sundance Sensations appealed to my Bohemian side while La Boutique des Bourdreux was a whimsical, vintage gift and clothing shop where Hadley and I were enthralled at every turn and could have spent an hour in there.

If it wasn’t for Bode.

As every minute passed, he grew increasingly inpatient. When Hadley and I started trying on the large selection of hats, I cooed, “Hadley, I want this hat.”

Bode interjected. “Mommy, WANTS ARE NOT NEEDS.”

It would seem he’s been taking lessons from his father on more than just pumpkins.

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, Humor, outdoors, pumpkins, travel Tagged With: , , , ,

Adventure Girl Does Woman’s Boot Camp

July 15, 2013 By

I recently bought a Groupon for Front Range Adventure Boot Camp (you may recall I did it about five years ago) and spent the entirety of June getting my butt kicked at 6:30 a.m. In fact, I liked it so much I’m trying to figure out how to fit it into our budget starting in August.

Part of my love for this woman’s boot camp is the owner/trainer Robyn Morrisette, who not only coaches but inspires. During the summer months, we leave the gym to climb North Table Mountain Park every Friday.

I can’t begin to share just how breathtakingly verdant this place is right now, particularly because I mountain bike its lackluster brown hills all winter.

Hadley has been intrigued by boot camp and so she asked me if she could come. I mentioned we hike on Fridays and she was game.

“But you’ll have to wake up at 6 a.m.”
“OK!”

Apparently she forgot what dawn feels like; I’m able to do it because I’m barely sleeping anyway with Denver’s blistering temperatures. To her credit when I went to rouse her that Friday morning, she popped right off the couch (we’ve abandoned our too-hot upstairs rooms) and 20 minutes later, we were on the trail.

I’ve biked the North Table Loop countless times but when Robyn mentioned there was a hidden waterfall off the Mesa Top Trail, Hadley and I set out to find it. And I’m telling you that girl did a fabulous job keeping up and surpassed everyone in the group for distance hiked that day.

After an hour, we discovered the waterfall, a curious phenomenon on that desert mesa tucked away behind lush foliage. We bush-whacked to the base and, though the upper-90-degree temps have reduced the waterfall to a trickle, Hadley doused herself with water before ultimately deciding to climb the cliff up the waterfall to a small cave.

Adventure Girl is waaaay crazier than I ever was.

I relished our time together. We spotted deer and their fawns (“they’re doing a mother-daughter hike like us!”), I discovered Hadley has learned to whistle (my heart melted as she belted out “When You’re Happy and You Know It”), tried to identify the wildflowers in full bloom and attempted to catch butterflies with her hat. We picked out our future dream home, a million-dollar horse property bordering North Table and Hadley hilariously asserted, “We need to become friends with those people.”

Two hours later, we were starving as we made our way back to the car and she suggested, “Let’s go buy a doughnut.”

Now that is my kind of boot-camp gal.

Filed Under: Colorado, Hadley, hiking, Humor, outdoors

Colorado’s Best-kept Secret: Chautauqua in Boulder

July 13, 2013 By

I have extensively traveled throughout Colorado since moving here 10 years ago—from soaring the state’s 14,000-foot peaks to its gleaming lakes. Through it all, one of my favorite destinations is just 20 minutes from my house: Chautauqua.

Located at the base of the Flatiron mountains in Boulder, this National Historic Landmark has charming rental cottages that are surrounded on three sides with open space. Its 48 miles of hiking trails and thousands of acres of natural lands beg to be explored.

I had been living in Colorado less than a year when I hiked Chautauqua’s Enchanted-Mesa Trail with my daughter and I was, well, enchanted. After my hike, I explored the grounds and was smitten by the newly

CLICK TO READ ON AT TRAVEL MAMAS

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Foodie, hiking, outdoors

Hiking to non-existent reservoirs is still a day of Colorado bliss

July 10, 2013 By

Remember our adventures atop 14,265-foot Mt. Evans and how I vowed to go back to the eccentrically charming Echo Mountain Lodge’s gift shop and restaurant? Two days later, it happened.

Upon returning home, I checked my email. My friend Dawn organized a summer hiking group with gals from church and I was shocked to see that Tuesday’s hike was to Idaho Springs Reservoir and the trailhead was right at Echo Lake. We skipped swim lessons that day and I declared yet another mountain adventure was in order. On previous hikes, there were plenty of kids but no one Hadley’s age so we invited her bestie Alex along for the ride.

Besties at Echo Lake

Idaho Springs Reservoir

Though I’ve hiked 90 percent of the trails on the Front Range, the Chicago Lakes Trail to Idaho Springs Reservoir is over an hour from my house and deep in the backcountry so I was not familiar with it. As we started hiking, a mom whipped out her guidebook for directions and lo-and-behind it was Best Hikes with Kids, the book I was contacted about revising a few years ago!

The publisher shipped me a copy when it came out last year and I was mostly relieved I turned down the project and pleased that the author did such a nice job with it. Mind you, if I was contacted about doing something similar now, my kiddos are of a more suitable age for me to take it on.

The guidebook is thorough but here’s one thing the author neglected to mention: this hike is not great for young kiddos. For about 12 minutes, we skirted along a narrowish ledge with a steep drop. We had a few preschoolers, which made for an ulcer-inducing time. Even more stressful was I was up front with the older kids while the other moms helped the youngin’s at the back. My friend Dawn has two darling twin boys who are Bode’s age and let me tell you, those boys are mischievous. One of them tried climbing DOWN the steep cliff while the other tried to race past us while still on that ledge.

We eventually sent them back to hike with their mom and everyone was much happier. Well, except for them.

The guidebook suggested we start at the Echo Lake Campground but the host said it was quicker to commence from the north side of Echo Lake. There was a simple map in the guidebook but we had no idea how far our altered route was. We stopped a lady on the trail who had a topographical map and lo-and-behind, the Idaho Springs Reservoir wasn’t even on it. You know, OUR DESTINATION.

Echo Lake, the group at the creek and that lovely ledge.

We kept blindly hiking for another 15 minutes with glorious views of Mount Evans looming in the background. Upon reaching a creek, we opted to turn back. Who knew if we were even going the right way and we had already been hiking an hour.

If there’s anything I hate, it’s unfinished business and that is particularly prevalent with hiking. If I don’t summit, I have to go back or I obsess about it. Upon turning around, we were a few minutes from the trailhead when we ran into a hiker. I started talking to him and mentioned our turnaround point. “Oh really? You should have kept going. Idaho Springs Reservoir is only 1/4-mile from that creek.”

I guess the only positive side to that is I’ll be back.

The Scenic Route

As promised, I let the kids each pick out a souvenir at Echo Lake Lodge but opted to hold out to try the restaurant until we could return with Jamie (he was only a little bit bitter about being left behind). Then, instead of heading back on I-70, I announced we were going the scenic route via new-to-me Squaw Pass Road to Evergreen, one of my favorite mountain hamlets. My bribery? I’d buy them ice cream.

Of course, with views like this, it doesn’t take too much arm-bending. The great thing about traveling with kids is they have a radar for anything fun. We stopped at Baskin-Robbins in Evergreen and upon sitting on the creekside benches, they noticed a charming area to climb trees and play in Bear Creek so that is exactly what we did for the next hour.

Bear Creek, Evergreen

Oh, to be a kid again. But living vicariously through them is the next best thing.

96-mile journey

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, Humor, outdoors Tagged With: , , ,

Mount Evans: On Top of the World in Colorado

July 9, 2013 By

Colorado is blessed with some world-class vistas and there is nothing more unique than our 54 14,000-foot peaks (14ers). I’ve hiked several of them, Jamie has summitted even more and in a few years we hope to do them as a family.

Mount Evans Scenic Byway

Out of the many 14ers, only two of them are drivable. At 14,265 feet, Mount Evans is just 60 miles west of Denver and is reputed as Colorado’s “highest paved highway.” So after church, we decided to drive to the top.

That’s what I call a scenic Sunday drive on steroids.

It has been nearly 10 years since I last drove to Mount Evans because I didn’t feel like the kids were ready until now. Why not? If you’ve never been at 14,000 feet you have no idea how much the altitude messes with your head. Every time I see a family up there with young kids (particularly when they’re hiking), I want to yell at them for being irresponsible. People have become lost, dazed and even died on these peaks due to the altitude.

I read the kids Harry Potter (their summer obsession) as the road climbed through nearly 9,000 feet of elevation gain from Denver’s high plains through five climate zones, past Summit Lake to the top of the continent. It. Was. Glorious. While Denver’s temperatures were in the 90s, there was a was a 40-degree drop at 14,265 feet so we bundled up in our winter jackets.

And yes, that made me a very happy Canuck.

When you reach the Summit Parking Area, you are not yet at the top so we hiked the 1/4-mile trail. You’d think the last 130 vertical feet would be a cinch but believe me, at 14,000 feet, your head is pounding and you’re gasping for air. But the views are out of this world.

Flying atop Mount Evans

Summit Lake, just below Mount Evan’s summit

All of Colorado’s 14ers have a solid bronze summit marker

But poor Bode felt like his head was going to explode from the altitude so we quickly made our descent down, down, down the mountain.

Note to self: give the boy a couple of years before reattempting another 14er.

Echo Lake Lodge

Near the entrance to the Mount Evans Scenic Byway is Echo Lake, a beautiful jewel-like body of water. And next to that is historic Echo Lake Lodge. Built in 1926, this charming restaurant and gift shop is brimming with souvenir clothing, glassware, collectibles, handmade Native American jewelery, toys, delicious homemade pies and breathtaking views of Echo Lake from the restaurant.

But it was Sunday and we try very hard not to shop on the Sabbath so we made a vow to return very soon for dinner and souvenirs.

Little did I know it would be a mere two days later.

Stay tuned for our serendipitous hiking adventures to nearly Idaho Springs Reservoir. Read it here http://www.themilehighmama.com/hiking-to-non-existent-reservoirs-is-still-a-day-of-colorado-bliss/

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, Humor, outdoors, travel
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