3 East Coast visitors here for a few days – hooray! Wanted to show off my state – but limiting that tour to parts of Colorado not currently on fire 🙁 Fires to the north, a new fire to the south (near Colorado Springs) – Go WEST young man!
Dropped Ro off at Cottonwood Kennels for 2 days. He’ll play for a solid 48 hours, then crash at home for the next 24 after being out day & night with the boys. That’s his history after Ashton’s graduation in early May. Expect the same this go-around.
South to Denver, then 2 ½ hours west on I-70 to Glenwood Springs. Probably the most amazing stretch of interstate highway in America – traversing through staggering Glenwood Canyon. Refueled in Georgetown, then full-steam ahead to Hanging Lake – a ‘no dogs allowed’ hike. Since Ro was at Cottonwood, decided to fit in many ‘no dogs allowed’ points into our all-Colorado itinerary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNqcNH7ez4k&feature=related (I-70 thru Glenwood Canyon)
4 of us started the trail at Hanging Lake – one little Indian suffered altitude sickness, then there were 3 (poor Sheila).
1.2 mile vertical climb to the top – SPECTACULAR view! Crystal clear water, emerald green hue, and a mountain waterfall. Sure that mountain spring was cold but I needed to be in the water – that’s the W-O-W moment! Shot a video short of the waterfall. SUCCESS!
Hanging Lake (waterfall video)
Did the return hike in just over 30 minutes, regrouped and eased to our evening vacation activity – Glenwood (mineral) Hot Springs. (Naturally) geo-thermally heated, then cooled down to 104-degrees so we guests are not boiled alive 🙂
Day One ended with smiles – good sign for tomorrow!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Lake
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- ‘difficult’ is only a state of mind
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- approaching tunnel
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- No Rowan this hike (just seems wrong, huh?)
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- young Dan leads the way
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- 1.2 mile vertical climb
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- SUCCESS!
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- clear & emerald green
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- mountain waterfall
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- Hanging Lake (from behind the Falls)
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- Spouting Rock
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- behind the Falls
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- W-O-W moment!
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- hike followed by mineral hot springs (hmmm..smell of sulphur – LOL)
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- geo-thermally heated, then cooled to 104-degrees for guests
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- still all smiles after Day One
Feeling a bit under the weather – bronchitis from the recent fires – was looking for a relatively easy hike…no 3rd straight 14er weekend for me. A co-worker spoke highly of Ceran St. Vrain. Her dogs love water and this hike crosses the St. Vrain more than a few times. Named for an 1800’s fur trader, just past the trailhead in Jamestown walked through an all-pine forest. So FRESH – love the smell of pine!
Didn’t start this hike ‘til 10am so shared the trail with many many others. Easy 45-minute hike OUTDOORS, which lifted my spirits.
Lunch on the St. Vrain riverbank, then got inspired. Hey – why not hike back UP the river? Sole was cracked from last week’s Quandary summit…was gonna toss these shoes anyway. Weather was HOT, water cold – great combo for our first ‘river’ hike.
Met a few tree dilemmas – climb over or under? Surprisingly, not always so obvious. Under – you’re bending down in the water. Over – one wrong move, crunch and ouch. LOL> Then of course never expected to see snakes 🙁
Highly recommend taking the road less travelled – ROCKSTAR day!
protrails.com – Ceran St Vrain
Sounds a lot like the plot of James Michener’s Centennial – hmmm….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceran_St._Vrain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bent (first governor of NM territory & scalped alive by Pueblo Indians – ouch)
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- Jamestown trail named for 1800’s fur trader
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- free hat (notta product placement promo, honest)
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- smell of pine (LOVE IT!)
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- lunch break on St. Vrain
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- hey, hey…can we get in?
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- and so our 2 mile river hike begins…
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- was gonna toss these shoes anyway (cracked sole last weekend on Quandary)
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- tree dilemma: (climb) over or under
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- assume this wasn’t poisonous? (don’t know, don’t wanna know)
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- Highly recommend taking the road less travelled — ROCKSTAR day!
DIFFICULT climb today — our second 14er, Quandary Peak.
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- wrong trailhead sign
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- 2 miles thru dense forest to…
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- the ‘other’ REAL trailhead (off Blue Lakes NOT Blue River Rd, who knew?)
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- 12,000 ft – end of the trees
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- Rocky Mountain Goat – Ro went CRAZY!
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- ROCKY climb UP
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- bigger ROCK
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- and even bigger ROCK
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- last push to top thru loose shale (ROCK)
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- SUMMIT log
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- 14,265ft view!
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- SUMMIT Inukshuk (fell asleep here for 20 minutes)
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- ROCKSTAR climb!
