6 days after the Georgia marathon, time to refuel mentally and get my Colorado hike on.
Decided on a local Boulder hike since I already had Sunday plans snow-shoeing 8 hours in RMNP. I previously attempted Green Mountain in December 2012 but took a wrong turn & finished Flagstaff that day.
2014, no excuses. Trekking with Ash & Tom means hiking’s been upgraded to GPS 🙂
Hiked UP a mile before being sign-restricted from continuing Green Mountain — $1,000 fine? Well that’s no good. Most of our local trail system was destroyed in September’s historic Boulder Canyon flood. I had not first-hand witnessed the damage & naively assumed everything was now back to normal. NOT!
Just beyond the trail closure, witnessed a huge gorge created by last fall’s destruction. Bushwhacked UP thru fallen trees & rock, across snow & ice fields, until miraculously we reached Greenman Trail – which empties onto Green Mountain summit.
Next restriction? No dogs allowed. Guessing this is a new law since my guide book specifically states ‘dogs allowed’. ARGH!
Beautiful day for me and my dog this day. One older guy grumbled – but Ro & Marty were soon greeted by 3 other canine hikers. Warmed in the sun and enjoyed a black bean burger before return hiking down.
As luck would have it, Gregory Canyon trail was also destroyed so met up with Flagstaff trail, adding an extra ½ mile to our adventure (but no crazy bushwhacking climb DOWN the canyon – whew).
Not a fan of random Republic of Boulder ordinances, but today’s summit view – FAAAANNNNNTASTIC!
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- today’s hike destination – Green Mountain
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- a mile UP, still all smiles
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- new gorge formed from September’s historic flood
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- gorge climbing – we’ve got this
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- rock climbing – we’ve got this
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- snow & ice – yep, got this covered too!
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- FAMILY SUMMIT SUCCESS!
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- Green Mountain 8,100ft
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- Ro & Marty resting high above Boulder
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- lovin’ my Colorado home
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- WASHOUT – Gregory Canyon trail
Spring Break in Breck
So what happens at home during marathon weekends?
I receive pics like this. Awesome, right?
Took ½ day from work Monday to spend time with family, here in Colorado enjoying Spring Break.
With flurries in the air, opted for an afternoon at the Denver Aquarium. Hadn’t been to an aquarium in probably 10 years, then BAM — 2 over the past 3 days. Gotta say the Georgia Aquarium trumps Denver’s fish tank hands down. Fave non-fish sightings? Penguins in Atlanta, a tiger in Denver. (Yep, tiger at an aquarium.)
Next, took the crew bowling at Fat Cats in Westminster. Whatta lotta fun! Maybe next time I’ll even break 100. LOL> Congrats Tom & James! (today’s winners)
Catch Phrase, dinner – BLINK, and it was 10pm. Ho, hum.
LOVE having family around. It’s pretty much the best 🙂
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- bowling selfie – Collette, James, Maddie, Tom & Ashton
Too much ‘swim, bike, run’ makes K* a dull guy.
Woke early on Saturday to break up the routine with a hike – yep, back in the mountains. That’s what I need.
Ash, Tom, my friend Matt & both dogs loaded up – destination: Horsetooth Rock in Fort Collins. Been more than a year since I’ve hiked Horsetooth, so plugged the address in my iPhone. An hour half later we parked Matt’s SUV off a dirt road within Lory State Park. Technology – argh! No Horsetooth this day.
Overcast & windy conditions wouldn’t stop Ro & Marty from enjoying 5 miles of off-leash freedom. Well Gulch to Timber Trail, then SNOW! A week before Spring, most folks are tired of all winter precip – but I can’t help smile anytime snow’s flying 🙂
Clouds lifted soon after, exposing an almost artist’s rendering of Horsetooth Reservoir. Beautiful!
Showered & groomed again, spent the remainder of the weekend in Denver catching up with former NYC co-workers. Miss my former NYC peeps but still LOVE LOVE my Colorado life! 🙂
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- are we there yet?
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- easy decision – Moderate to Difficult
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- windy, a bit nippy — but good to be outdoors
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- SNOW!
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- BFFs Marty & Ro
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- Horsetooth Reservoir overlook
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- 4.2 mile hike — great way to start off any weekend
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- Happy Hikers
