3 day holiday weekend – rest & relaxation. Huh? I don’t think so.
Ran a 10 mile race Saturday 7am, back home showered at 9am, drove north to Longmont & dropped off Ro at Windstar Kennels by 10 – then hit I-25 South for a long weekend in Taos, New Mexico. The plan? Food, art and…hiking of course. In particular, New Mexico’s highest point – Wheeler Peak – a 13er approx 30 minutes from the Colorado border.
Woke early on Sunday & drove north to Taos Ski Valley for ‘hike day’. Added 30 minutes to my journey thanks to iPhone directions which pushed us on Indian Service Route 700 – a 3 mile dirt road stretch thru an Indian reservation. Scenic sage & yellow mustard dotted the native NM landscape. Nice diversion; sometimes best to take the road less traveled 🙂
Driving UP through Carson National Forest, was surprised by the lush New Mexico surroundings. I had pictured cactus & desert in NM – not so, this place overwhelmed with bursts of colour and earthy scents of spruce & pine.
Parked, geared up, then hiked 3 miles to Bull-of-the-Woods meadow before veering onto Wheeler Peak trail. Another mile past treeline was welcomed by stunning colour – yellows, greens, dull orange & vibrant patches of red wild flowers. Wildlife tally – marmots & bighorn sheep. What an amazing panorama!
Up the initial false summit, caught my first glimpse of Wheeler Peak. 3 or 4 more ‘false’ summits later, had climbed not one but 2 13ers (Mt Walter and Wheeler Peak). (unfortunately) Stopped no more than 20 minutes for pics & a food break before trekking down, darting from immense clouds carrying rain, thunder and streak lightning.
HAPPY MOMENT – Not far past Mt Walter on my hike return, the sun peeked out creating a double rainbow – literally we were hiking ‘over’ the rainbow 🙂 Finished the last mile bushwhacking in & between mountain roads before stumbling upon Taos Ski Resort (mighty fine luck – sometimes good things happen to good people).
Sunscreen, salt residue & a little dirt didn’t stop us for filling our stomachs soon after. Washed in a bathroom basin and ended the day with dinner at Sabroso – HIGHLY recommended!
SHORT DETOUR – Traveled home via San Luis – Colorado’s oldest town, established in 1851. Walked the Stations of the Cross to a small Catholic chapel built high above the local village.
Perfect end to an outstanding weekend! Big FAN of Labor Day!
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- Welcome to New Mexico!
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- scary road sign
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- Wheeler Peak, NM’s highest
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- more lush than Colorado – great hike start
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- followed horse trail to Bull-of-the-Woods meadow
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- whatta view – that’s Colorado in the distance!
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- lotta colour – beautiful hike
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- Hello, Marmot!
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- Bighorn sheep
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- HOORAY, I can see Wheeler Peak!
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- surprise 13er summit (wrong mountain)
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- Mt. Walter summit
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- Wheeler Peak straight ahead!
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- Wheeler Peak 13,159ft – highest in New Mexico
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- quick celebration (lotta clouds, thunder, then lightning – yikes!)
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- quick WOW shot – Wheeler Peak summit
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- lovin’ my Alaska rain jacket
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- literally hiked OVER the rainbow – AMAZING day!
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- Welcome to Taos, New Mexico!
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- rattlesnake-rabbit sausage in spicy cherry sauce
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- San Luis – oldest town in Colorado (established 1851)
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- Shrine of the Stations of the Cross
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- scenic depiction of the Saviour
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- sharing stories with a local – FAAANNNTASTIC weekend!
Purchased an annual Park pass again this year – but all the talk about FREE day inspired me to drive up to Estes & hike another trail in RMNP (2 years in Colorado but still so many trails to choose from – LOVE it!).
The 13 Fee Free Days in 2013 include Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 21), National Park Week (April 22 – 26), Founders Day (August 25), National Public Lands Day (September 28), and Veterans Day Weekend (Nov. 9-11).
Picked out today’s hike while on the Park N Ride bus provided by RMNP (parking within the Park is crazy crowded through Labor Day – so why not enjoy a free ride to the trailhead?)
Wait, REWIND — 2 days prior, rented a fun Australian film titled Mental. In the opening scene, a mom of five daughters is in her backyard pulling laundry, goes mental, spinning in the backyard singing ‘The Hills are Alive’ from The Sound of Music.
Then on Saturday I hear ‘Climb Every Mountain’ – again, from The Sound of Music. What are the chances?
So when I see a 9.3 mile hike in the Park named (Julie) Andrews Glacier, hmmm…kismet. [Ok, the glacier was not named for Julie Andrews but she was commencement speaker this year at CU – coincidence, I think not. :)]
FAST FORWARD to today’s hike. Hopped off [the bus] at Glacier Gorge trailhead & made a quick stop .8 miles in — at Alberta Falls. I’ve been here before but wow – when the water is sudden/rushing/alive, it’s just breathtaking.
Few more miles within treeline, a 2nd hike stop at The Loch. Loch Vale Lake was an end destination during last year’s hike challenge — but that was November and in the midst of a white-out. This day, stopped and smelled the roses, er…pine.
The trail then snaked noticeably UP over boulders to The Gash & Sharktooth, jugged sawtooth peaks saddled with deposits of glacier snow. Followed a happy Colorado hiking couple (Johnstown & Denver) up the final push to Andrews Tarn & Glacier.
WOW, WOW, WOW!
I have not lost my sense of awe in 20 months of hiking. It’s here, here in the mountains where I feel close to God.
Did a Julie Andrews spin for pics – but unfortunately looked more like Wonder Woman so you won’t find any attached. LOL>
Wait wait, a tarn?
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. It is formed when either rain or river water fills the cirque. In Scandinavian languages a tjärn is a small natural lake, often in a forest or with vegetation close around it or growing into the lake.
Waded to my shins in the glacier fed tarn – really really cold water. First numbing then my feet cramped from the intense cold. Life’s meant to be lived. How many dudes get to wade in a glacial pond at 11,400ft? WOW, what a crazy happy life!
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- Alberta Falls, near Glacier Gorge trailhead – WOW!
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- Hike on!
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- Mountain Ash berries
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- The Loch (no monster – but check out the view!)
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- wonder if this is how God sees us
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- Checked in, centered – I LOVE hiking!
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- The Gash (& glacial snow)
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- fellow hikers led climb UP to Andrews
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- Sharkstooth
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- summit view of the Continental Divide
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- WOW pic – Andrews Glacier. AMAZING!
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- numbing waters of Andrews Tarn – Bring it!
Hiking, check. Marathon, check. Backpacking? Hmmm…. Stuffed an oversized backpack & headed to nearby Nederland with Ro. Goal – our first overnighter in Colorado. Destination – Lost Lake.
Took the free shuttle from Nederland High to Hessie Trailhead to avoid parking congestion on this near-perfect weather day (shuttle operates Memorial Day to Labor Day). Spent 10 minutes talking to ‘the Moose Lady’ who provided ‘what/what not to do’ info on moose encounters. Sadly, saw no moose this day despite Colorado’s recent uptick in numbers.
Arrived at Lost Lake in 45 minutes. WOW – that was fast & all 9 camp sites were full. What to do? Hike on 🙂
Passed an older couple who talked up Woodland Lake, their favourite hike. BAM & that’s how it’s done in the 303. Sunshine, rushing water & an abundance of wildflowers – perfect Colorado summer.
5 miles in — past a meadow, another mountain stream and a grove of pine & spruce, Woodland Lake.
[Insert exclamation expressing astonishment or admiration. Synonyms: holy cow, holy mackerel, holy moly, whoa; cool, amazing, awesome, far out.]
Set up camp & after watching Ro swim as far as his lead leash would let him go, was inspired to wash in the chilly glacier-fed waters. Our only neighbors were 2 fishing couples on opposite sides of the lake (one came with a Jack Russell which kept Ro’s attention). Peaceful.
Tied my food cache (energy bars) high in a nearby tree. However left a meat bone in the tent for Ro. Huh? Yeah, all I really managed to do was limit my own nighttime snacking. LOL!
Ro stayed alert most all night – perched at the front of the tent.
One low growl in the early evening but for the most part, still & quiet. Plan A was to stab ‘the bear’ with a knife while Ro would be barking/causing chaos. Yeah – need to think through a better Plan A before our next overnighter. Never previously wielded a knife as a weapon – much less oppose a bear. Maybe a can of bear mace makes more sense 🙂
Woke early, waded in a waterfall & return hiked by noon. HUGE fan of backpacking!
Ended the weekend with dinner & bluegrass at the historic Gold Hill Inn. Accessible off a dirt road above Boulder at 8300ft, HIGHLY recommended!
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- Hello Moose lady! (sadly though we saw no moose)
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- end of summer hike – lotta wildflowers
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- Colorado Aspen
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- Indian Paintbrush
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- rushing water in mid-August – awesome Colorado summer!
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- pollinator
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- Rowan O’Roark – LOVE LOVE my dog!
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- Woodland Lake
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- our first overnighter
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- stored energy bars high from bears (but left a meat bone in the tent for Ro, huh?)
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- glacier in upper left, tent in lower right – AWESOME backpacking location!
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- don’t think he slept a wink
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- morning waterfall dip (’til my feet went blue)
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- rustic mountainside dining above Left Hand Canyon (4 miles on a dirt road)
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- dinner & bluegrass at 8300ft – HIGHLY recommended!
