6 weekends consecutive marathoning – not sure who needed a mountain break more, me or Pup? Light-bulb idea💡 VRBO rental in the Colorado mountains, one where I could bring Ro. If I could spend hotel $$ in rural Midwest America, I can afford a weekend in Colorado paradise.
Friday night drive, 2 ½ hours due west. US 285 to Fairplay, 15 miles on Colorado 9 toward Hartsel. Pitch dark, no city lights. Dirt road, just short of the Divide. Creep’d along after Maps App crapped out – luckily, no more than 200 feet from my pinned location. Isolated, no cell service, COLD too!
Backpack, 2 bags of food. Pronghorn & deer [heads] mounted in the entry, written warning ’bout moose. I’d explore in the morning. Tired; shuteye calling. Are there bear here?
Vibrant pink start. GREAT day to be a dog: NO leash all weekend. Where first? Nearby snowbank or fast-flowing stream; Colorado paradise. I retreated inside for a jacket. 29 degrees 🙂
Hike. Afternoon ride into Fairplay. ‘nother hike, DirectTV in the cabin. Lazy mental retreat away. Couple of chipmunks, fish in the stream but notta lotta visible wildlife.
Warmed up 20 degrees during the day, warm enough for Ro to river explore. Brrr. After initially slipping into the water, Pup decided stream-drinking the only way to go. LOL>
On the drive home, explored Colorado’s oldest working courthouse (9964ft elevation). Colorado addicted: trail running & thin-air hikes ALL summer. LOVE LOVE my Colorado life ❤
-
- 2 days away
-
- Colorado paradise
-
- quiet, peaceful, no drama weekend
-
- open Western sky
-
- GREAT day to be a dog 🙂
-
- NO leash weekend
-
- vibrant early morning pinks
-
- Colorado’s oldest working courthouse (circa 1874, 2 years before Statehood)
mountain retreat, Fairplay CO
With no traffic, about an hour 15 to Red Rocks. Parking closes at 5am. So…needed to set my alarm for WAY WAY EARLY Sunday morn. Colorado bucket list item: Easter Sunrise @ Red Rocks 🙂
Late airport return from PA, home just before midnite. Crazy tired but better sleep than Saturday nite’s rental car snooze. Quick shower, hot chocolate to-go & layered UP warm. Outdoor service high above Denver, morning forecast: light SNOW. Just details, right?
Arrived early, queued for parking. Quick walk thru the Colorado Music Hall of Fame before finding a seat outdoors. Blanket & a parka, ready for Easter Sunday – HA! – me & 11,000 others.
Sponsored by the Colorado Council of Churches, the 5 major Protestant branches took their seats on stage. Mix of music ensued including Korean Christian singer Soo-Jin Kim. Volunteers passed milk cartons to collect offering, offsetting the cost of this FREE program. And then…the main event.
Rev. Tawana Davis did NOT disappoint. Her message: “Resurrecting Hope”.
More perfect? As Reverend Davis finished her sermon, the sky opened & snow fell on Holy Easter Sunday – snow in Colorado, mighty perfect ❄ White doves released. Spirit-fed day.
Easter Part 2: our family’s annual Mexican Easter tradition. Not forgone, postponed a couple hours while Papa Bear catches some zzz’s. LIVING B-I-G this holiday. FULL day, stay tuned.
Russian Easter
The most common phrase is Христос воскрес! (Chris-TOS vas-KRES) Literally that means, “Christ is risen!” Whether Христос воскрес (Christ is risen) is said as a greeting from one person to another or in a service shouted by the priest, the congregation responds with Воистину воскрес (va-IST-in-oo vas-KRES) which means “In truth He is risen!” Some people even answer the phones with these greetings instead of the usual алло (Hello).
-
- Colorado bucket list item
-
- WAY WAY EARLY Sunday morn
-
- Colorado Music Hall of Fame
-
- John Denver ❤
-
- me & 11,000 others
-
- parka & a blanket
-
- “Resurrecting Hope”
-
- After the doves were released, there was loud cry from the high rocks. HAWK!
-
- Easter Sunrise
-
- Colorado snow ❄
Easter Sunrise Service, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
“Resurrecting Hope” by Rev. Tawana Davis
After a solid week of after-work play, dropped Stephen at the airport & started weekend play.
No marathon this Saturday: trail day. Kept today’s hike local, < 9,000ft – mid-week snow fell heavy in the high mountains [March in Colorado]. Chose Bear Peak, hadn’t hiked this mount since Thanksgiving 2012.
3 miles up, 3 miles down. Cut my mileage in half starting at Shanahan Ridge. Still, 2700 vertical feet UP 🙂
Mile of Ponderosa pine, low-grade incline. Next mile, bouldering. Typical Boulder butt-buster hike. Lotta gain over a short distance. Stopped/breaked/panted, hiked on. Last mile: snow & ice. Hike return more treacherous/going down than the summit push UP.
Sunshiny day. Wind-break’d behind a large boulder, sucked up the thin air. High above Boulder, legs rock-hangin’ past the peak’s geo marker. No place I’d rather celebrate the first week of Spring. LOVE LOVE my Colorado life ❤
-
- trail day
-
- snow in the high mountains
-
- marathon off-week
-
- 2700 vertical feet UP
-
- first week of Spring
-
- last mile: snow & ice
-
- rock scramble to the top
-
- SUMMIT SUCCESS!
-
- Peak’s geo marker
-
- legs rock-hangin’ high above Boulder, no place I’d rather be ❤
-
- 3 miles up, 3 miles down
