Monthly Archives: May 2012

Per Dr. Glenn — no rock climbing, no Saturday or Sunday hikes (maybe Monday depending on Ro), no baths, no swimming.  That’s a lot of ‘NOs’.  Friday was ‘Happy Sterilization Day’ for Rowan O’Roark.  Couldn’t quite find the ‘right’ card for this occasion 🙂

Memorial Day Monday — Ro and I lazily roll off the couch and lil’ guy heads for the backdoor (an entrance to the garage).  I oblige, open the door and the begging begins.  Days of being cooped up/trapped inside — with ‘the cone of shame’ affixed around his head — my pup wants O-U-T.

A co-worker once bragged about an excellent hike for her & her Huskies nearby — only 30 minutes away in Eldorado Springs.  Quick online research, backpack jammed with water & snacks, and BAM — we’re in the car by 10am.

Eldorado Springs — another ‘hippie’ town who complacently never voted ‘YES’ for paved roads.  That’s 2 so far this year — Ward (shanty town) CO and now ElDo (as known by its natives).

Unofficial start of Colorado hiking season is Memorial Day so shouldn’t be surprised — park is CLOSED to cars due to overcrowding. COLORADO ROCKS!  (Almost) ALL other U.S. states are plagued with obesity, yet my state’s parks are at capacity.  How cool is that?

Ro and I drive back to ElDo, find parking in a shady trailer park, and hike into ElDorado Canyon.  Paid our $3 ‘walk-in’ fee and the attendant hands me a bag of Milk-Bone trail mix for Ro.  LOVE LOVE this place!

Settled on Rattlesnake Gulch — only 4 miles roundtrip and includes burnt-out 1920’s Crags Hotel and view of the Continental Divide. ALSO, on the hike up I noted a cave on the other side of South Boulder Creek — check, doing that 🙂

Bird-watching husband/wife (watching nesting golden eagles) took our picture at Continental Divide Overlook.  Thanks!

Day ended with a dip in the river.  Dr. Glenn said NO to bathing and swimming – nothing specific about wading 🙂

 

Eldorado Canyon State Park

 

Day 4 — can’t end Ash’s Colorado journey (and trip back to Jersey) without some high-altitude snow.

Started off the day at my favourite Boulder breakfast spot — Lucille’s.  Red beans, rice and beignets (and towering praline waffles if you’re not carb counting).  Beignets — yep, gotta 🙂  Or as Ash canted: gotta have some of those ‘man-catching beignets’, remembering a line from Disney’s ‘Princess and the Frog’. LOL>
Ok, now we’re waddling like penguins — time for our Day 4 hike!  Repeat hike for Ro & I but only an hour away, guaranteed snow AND an amazing lake view — she’ll come back with that memory!  Wearing a souvenir sweatshirt (it’s been a FANTASTIC trip :)), we hiked Brainard Lake — yeah, that’s 10,300 ft UP.  ROCKSTAR half day! 
 
Took last vacation pics.  Wasn’t super clothes-focused this morning and picked ALL colours on my wheel.  Sometimes just gotta laugh (album pic).  Made time on e-470 (our pricey ‘expressway’) and grabbed a last bite & brew at Boulder Beer Company (at the airport).  

Ho, hmmm; she’s gone.  But dang, it was a FUN FULL 4 days!  Sand, sun & snow — LOVE LOVE LOVE my Colorado life !


 

Day 3’s theme was ‘SUN’ but last minute added a ‘SNOW’ preview to our trip agenda too!

Started the day in Pueblo and drove north an hour to Manitou Springs (20 minutes west of Colorado Springs).  Two tickets on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway hauled the adults to their first 14er summit – and provided a preview to Day 4’s itinerary of high (oxygen-lite) altitude and snow.  Ro and I spent the time hiking Barr Trail (which ultimately also reaches Pikes Peak).  We stopped 4 miles UP at Cog Stop #3, then trail ran down the return – in time to meet our trip posse.

Quick lunch, then off to nearby Garden of the Gods.

If yesterday was ‘Egypt’ in the Rockies, today was ‘Arizona’ in the Rockies.  Majestic sandstone spires jutting from the landscape – all against a Pikes Peak backdrop.  Scaling rock climbers ensured our eyes stayed glued skyward.  And inspired Ashton did ‘Atlas’ proud at Balanced Rock – holding the universe/er…large rock on her mighty shoulders 🙂

FAAANTASTIC views, FAAANTASTIC Colorado day!

 

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