Chief Mountain Trail – First Time With Microspikes!

When my brother came and we hiked the Glacier Gorge Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park a couple of years ago, it was Carly and I’s first foray into winter hiking. We rented snowshoes, and quickly realized that you need quite a bit of snow before they become really necessary – we would’ve been fine with just a little extra traction on our hiking boots. So when my brother gave me a gift card to REI for Christmas this year, I knew what I was going to get – microspikes for my boots!

Last weekend, a few friends from Oklahoma were staying near Idaho Springs, and I decided this was the time to finally bust out the spikes and do some more winter hiking. The plan was to hike in the morning and catch the beginning of the Super Bowl with my buddies afterwards. I convinced Carly that hiking was going to be a good time, even though the mountains had received a good bit of snow earlier in the week and temperatures were well below freezing. Somehow she agreed, and sometimes I don’t know how I got so lucky! I found a trail that ended up being extremely close to the cabin where my friends were staying, Chief Mountain Trail, that seemed moderate and was fairly short at 3 miles round trip. I didn’t want to push it too much this first time in case the spikes didn’t work out as planned.

The road to Chief Mountain, Squaw Pass Road, starts off innocently enough, but quickly became snow covered as we worked our way up in elevation. There were no concerns this time whether there would be enough snow on the trail to use our spikes. As we approached where Google Maps said the trailhead was, we saw a few cars parked alongside the road, but never saw the trailhead itself. As anyone who reads my posts knows, I’m not a huge fan of heights, and once we got past the trailhead and I realized I had to do a U turn with snow on the road, on the side of a mountain, my nerves were tested to say the least. After getting turned around, though, we made our way back to the trailhead and spotted a couple people disappearing into the forest on our right. We found the trailhead! We parked near the other cars along the road, geared up with our ski clothes, strapped the spikes on our hiking boots, and set out!

From the very beginning of the trail, we were glad we had our microspikes. Although I’m sure we could’ve made it in just hiking boots, it would not have been as enjoyable of an experience. I spotted a couple other people attempting it with better boots than mine, but no spikes, and they were having some trouble slipping. The spikes didn’t seem to weigh our feet down at all, and I never felt like I was going to slip or didn’t have good traction. Highly recommend!

This was the trail marker. No wonder we couldn’t see it the first time we drove by!

The hike had a fairly steady incline to it, which was nice in that you never felt like you were climbing straight uphill, but it also made it so that you never felt like you got much of a break from the slope. The trail was only 1.5 miles to the top, though, so I felt confident we could make it.

We made one mistake pretty early on that I think may have cost us in the long run. I’m still not entirely sure how, but we got off the main trail by just a tiny bit, and ended up following what, in hindsight, was clearly some people going off trail with their snowshoes into the deeper snow. We only had our spikes, and it made for really slow going for a few hundred yards. We were getting snow inside of our boots, post-holing into the fluffy snow, and all around struggling. We realized we were off trail when we saw two other people easily strolling alongside of us, and quickly made our way back to the more packed down trail where they were.

We emerged with tired legs, wet feet, and not much in terms of distance along the trail as a result of our detour. But next time we want to rent some snowshoes, I know just the place to take them!

Hang on little guy!!

After what seemed like much longer than the mile that it was, the trees began thinning out, and the views of the surrounding mountains came into sight. With less tree cover also came less wind protection too. It had been windy the entire hike, but nothing that was unbearable through the layers we put on; however, the wind went to a completely different level at this point in our hike.

I have no doubts that we could’ve easily made it the next half mile to the top of the trail, but with the way the wind was whipping around us, I think we both came to the same conclusion at around the same time. This was going to be as far as we went today, which was perfectly fine with both of us. I walked off the trail a little bit, found a rock to lean up against, and nestled myself in the snow to take it in for a few minutes.

We ran into the occasional other group of hikers, but we had the trail mostly to ourselves today. I guess one of the benefits of winter hiking where you need spikes/snowshoes is that you don’t have to battle the crowds that you would in the summer or on a more clear trail in the winter. This made for a very peaceful and enjoyable hike, where we could stop to enjoy a particular view or watch as the snow blew like fairy dust across the trail. It also let me stop and take some photos that I maybe ordinarily wouldn’t have.

Where our unfortunate detour had led us earlier…

All in all, I would say that the first time hiking with our spikes was a huge success. I’m afraid that finding another trail with perfect conditions for them might be difficult, but I’ll set out on more winter hikes confident that those little guys can get me through it! Now I just need to get some insulated winter boots with a bit more ankle coverage!

Birthday Weekend 2020!

My birthday was a little bit odd this year. To start off with, I turned 31 – quite literally two odd numbers – something that hasn’t happened since I turned 19! What made it even more of a strange birthday, though, was my birthday was on a Monday – do you celebrate on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday? All of the above? I had to work on Monday, my actual birthday, so the weekend was likely our best bet, but it made it feel a little weird celebrating on a day that wasn’t my actual birthday. Then there was the ever present COVID this year, that really limited the options on what to do for a birthday. All of this added up made it feel different, but that didn’t stop us from having an adventure!

It wasn’t part of the birthday celebration, but it was part of the weekend and the pictures were too good not to include with the rest. Saturday, we were at Deer Creek Mountain Camp in Bailey, CO for a wedding client of Carly’s, and I was in charge of giving people their wristband at the check-in table. Whilst the guests were arriving, a lovely herd of deer came to the field adjacent to me to offer a magical entrance. With the aspens changing in the background, it was an incredible sight to behold. 

On Sunday, it was time for a fun adventure into the mountains. I never got around to writing a post about my birthday last year, but it certainly was the inspiration for this year’s journey. First, we were going to need some fuel though. I would’ve happily gone back to my favorite breakfast place that we went to last year for my birthday – Denver Biscuit Company – but they don’t have any outdoor seating. So we went with probably my second favorite breakfast option, Maria Empanada, because we could take it to go. When we got there though, they had outdoor seating set up on the sidewalk. We were in luck! We ordered our empanadas, and of course I had to get a sangria for breakfast for my birthday. I don’t know why we don’t come here more often!!

After breakfast, we headed down 285 to Guanella Pass, taking the pass south to north in search of the fall leaves. Last year on my birthday, Guanella Pass was really close to peak colors for the aspens, and I was hoping for a little of the same this year. It started out very promising, with golden groves lining the roads. We weren’t the only ones that had this idea though (something we expected going in), and everywhere there was a halfway decent photo opportunity, it was a joke trying to find a place to park. We were fully content with just driving through and leaving the crowds for others to deal with. 

We took a short detour down the road where have always camped here in Colorado, hoping to escape the crowds and find our own personal aspen grove. Alas, we were already at too high of elevation and the aspens were mostly bare, well beyond their peak. We took the opportunity to get out of the car and stretch the legs, strolling down the trail and encountering some people along the way. 

Change settings to watch in 4K on non-Apple devices/browsers to make video more crisp!!

I found an Aspen!! 🙂

Even though I probably could’ve spent hours relaxing there, we couldn’t stay too long, as we had reservations at my favorite little mountain bar at 2 that afternoon, and we still had to make it the rest of the way over Guanella Pass. We headed out, with our ETA showing we’d arrive just in time. The Guanella pass summit area was just as packed as the rest of it, with leaf tourists taking their precious few pictures at the top before continuing on. 

In the distance, you can see the smoke lingering from wildfires in the area

We emerged from Guanella Pass in the middle of Georgetown, and our destination was a few miles up I-70 in Silver Plume. Last year when we came to Bread Bar, we weren’t even entirely sure we were in the right place, as the bar is very small and unsuspecting, with literally nothing else around it. When we went inside last year, though, it was absolutely packed and was a challenge getting a drink. This year, we had to make reservations because it is so small, but we were looking forward to enjoying it without fighting to get to the bartender. 

COVID Birthday. Have to have at least one picture with the mask on so we know it’s 2020 for sure.

I almost don’t want to say anything so the secret doesn’t get out!

We had a table on the patio reserved for us, and it happened to be the only table in the sun, which worked out nicely with the cool breeze. Carly and I ordered our first round of refreshing cocktails, and enjoyed our time talking on the patio, without any pressures or worries about things we needed to do. It was really nice. We still had plenty of time for our reservations after round 1, so we went for round 2 of cocktails. This time though, Carly snuck in an order of a “bread and butter” for me for my birthday, which consists of a shot of whiskey and a Coors original. Just what I needed…

“Bread and Butter”

My chaser

We finished our second round, including the bread and butter, and it was time to head back home. We battled the leaf traffic back down I-70, and didn’t feel like going anywhere to eat after that, so we ordered some Thai food to the house and relaxed after our day of adventure!

Main Street Silver Plume

I had to work Monday on my actual birthday, but that didn’t stop us from visiting our local butcher shop and picking up some steaks, tiger shrimp, twice baked potatoes, and Brussels sprouts, along with a bottle of Chianti, for a birthday dinner fit for a king! Carly prepared everything perfectly, and I couldn’t have asked for a better cap on a spectacular weekend!

It may have been an odd birthday, but it was definitely one of my best ones too. There was no pressure to make sure we did something unique or crazy, but just had a really relaxing weekend with nothing to accomplish or achieve. I could certainly use some more days like this – I think we all could! 

Second Attempt at Old Baldy / Diamond Lake

I attempted to summit Old Baldy in early July last year, not realizing at those elevations that snow would be such an issue. I trudged through hip deep snow for a while before deciding that I just wasn’t going to make it. Ever since then, I’ve been wondering about what was beyond the snow and thinking about reaching the top. It’s a pretty grueling hike, but I knew that the hikes I had been on sufficiently prepared me for the challenge this year from a physical standpoint. Waking up extremely early on Sunday sealed the deal for me – it was time to try again.

I arrived at the trailhead at almost exactly 7am, and it was shocking how many of the parking spots were already taken. I think there are more people that use this trailhead to access dispersed camping than there are people coming for a day hike. Luckily, I was early enough that I was able to snag one of the few spots left at the trailhead, which was a huge win, as last year I added almost half a mile to my journey by having to park further down the road. In fact, when I came back with Carly last year, we had to turn around because we couldn’t find a spot at all! Everything was shaping up just the way I would’ve hoped in order to conquer my first 13er of the summer, and complete a hike that had been bothering me since I wasn’t able to complete it last year.

The wildfire smoke hung in the air and I was a little worried how it was going to affect me

I knew what to expect for the first half of the trek up, as I was successfully able to navigate a couple miles in last year. Just as I remembered, there were numerous streams crossing over the trail as they continued their journey downward to lower elevations, although there was quite a bit less water this year – a necessary reality of coming later in the year when more of the snow had melted.

The wildflowers were few and far between – a huge difference from the Booth Lake trail a couple of weeks prior. The drought that we’ve been experiencing surely isn’t helping, but it was also another signal that the summer hiking season is coming to an end. The wildlife also seemed to be sparse, with a few chipmunks crossing my path, but none of them eager to have their picture taken.

Definitely quite a bit of smoke in the valley – though I couldn’t smell it like I could in Denver

There were still a few patches of wildflowers near the streams coming down the mountain

I reached the turn off for the Arapahoe Glacier Trail, as I had last year, but was greeted with mud instead of snow this year. I’m not sure which is preferable, but at least I was able to get past the mud this year and make it to drier ground as the trail continued upwards. At this point, I was feeling confident and comfortable. My legs felt like they were warmed up and I was sure that I was going to make it to the top.

These are always fun to encounter.. I found out quickly that my “waterproof” hiking boots were no longer waterproof…

That guy with the orange tent had an amazing camping spot

As the trail climbed and climbed, I started to feel that fear of heights kicking in, though. I kept trying to convince myself that it wasn’t so steep that if I were to fall, anything really all that bad would happen; however, there are just certain parts of trails that catch my eye in a certain way to make me freeze in my tracks. Looking back at the map now that I’m on solid ground, I probably should’ve just slowly pushed my way through the next couple of switchbacks, and it seemed like things leveled off. I didn’t have the focus or mental fortitude to check the map at the time and make those kinds of logical decisions, so I decided to turn around and start heading back down.

Granite? Quartz? I just thought it was really cool in the middle of all the other rocks

This was the view that made me freeze. Something about the way the trail disappeared I think, because it’s really not that steep looking at it..

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt that level of disappointment on a hike before. I think there was a part of me that was disappointed that I was going to have to admit I failed to summit Old Baldy yet again and a part of me that was disappointed that I realized I probably won’t ever be a 13er/14er type of person, and had effectively eliminated a lot of trails from the list of trails I felt like I could do.

Feeling this disappointment is what propelled me to take a detour on my descent. I reached the turn off for Diamond Lake, and knew that it was another trail that I wanted to do in the area, but wasn’t sure if I would make it back to this trailhead anytime soon. So I checked the map and determined that the extra distance wasn’t going to kill me, and just went for it. At least this way I wouldn’t feel like my trip was a total waste.

The trail started downhill, venturing further into the surrounding forest, and I was met with the lower portion of the streams that I had encountered further up. I started to feel my spirits lift again. I guess I’m not a heights person, but I really enjoy the forest and the water – and started to feel lucky that there are plenty of alpine lakes that I haven’t explored yet, and there was plenty of hiking left for me to do in this state without having to go over 13,000 feet.

Exhausted, I made the final uphill push to Diamond Lake, and it emerged in all of its glory. Diamond Lake is one of the largest mountain lakes that I’ve seen and it had campsites dotting the shore all around. By this point, my legs were killing me and I didn’t really take the opportunity to walk around the lake too much. Instead, I found an inviting rock sticking out of the lake that was asking for me to come take a break on it. I sat looking over Diamond Lake for a while, as I rested and rehydrated for the hike back to the trailhead. Without the attempt at Old Baldy ahead of time, the hike to Diamond Lake wasn’t too terribly difficult, and I could see us returning at some point to camp on the banks.

I had already spent way more time on the trail than I had planned to, so I started the trek back. My mood had completely changed from before I decided to take this little detour, feeling a sense of accomplishment at making it to Diamond Lake, and I’m glad that I didn’t let the disappointment of Old Baldy ruin an excellent hiking day.

Taking the detour to Diamond Lake also turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise, because it was perfect timing for me to spot this moose as I was leaving the trailhead! It was one of the largest moose I’ve seen and it was so peaceful watching it walk through the trees, taking bites of underbrush as it went.

While I will never say that I can’t climb a 13er or 14er, I think I finally came to the realization today that those aren’t the types of hikes that I really enjoy. I’ll continue to challenge my fear of heights on trails at lower elevations, but throwing myself into something that is clearly going to be uncomfortable isn’t my idea of an enjoyable way to spend a weekend. It’s funny, when I starting writing this Sunday night, I had “Final Attempt at Old Baldy” in the title, but now it’s been changed to just second attempt. I could see myself returning at some point once that comfort level has increased with heights, but I think it’s safe to say that I’ve crossed Old Baldy off my “want to do” list for quite some time now.

What I was reminded of, though, was that no matter what happens on a hike – it’s really the journey that keeps bringing me back. If I had let my disappointment get the best of me, I wouldn’t have seen Diamond Lake and I wouldn’t have seen the majestic moose. I can’t wait to see what awaits me on my next journey!

Booth Lake Trail – Near Vail, CO

Some people might say that waking up at 4am on a Saturday morning to go hiking is crazy, but I say it’s the only way to experience the best of some of the more popular trails in Colorado. That’s especially true when you get into the I-70 ski resort area of Breckenridge, Copper, Vail, etc., because most of the people hiking the popular trails are tourists staying at those resorts, and they don’t have a 2 hour drive!

Eager to beat the masses, I packed up, headed out around 5, and arrived at the trailhead at 6:45 or so, met by about 8 cars. Because there is dispersed camping on the trail, at least a couple were surely campers from the night before still, but the parking lot is pretty small and I imagine it wasn’t too long after me that it was full. There was an overflow lot a little ways down the road, but that would just add more mileage to an already long hike.

From the very beginning, the trail made sure I knew what kind of a day I was in for today. It started out steep, as if to say, “are you sure you want to do this?”. The first mile was brutal, climbing over 775 feet of elevation, which is pretty steep for me considering I use 500ft per mile as my benchmark of what I personally consider “steep”. My body wasn’t ready for this so early, but luckily for me, the forest around me was awakening with me and it was breathtaking, with the trail winding it’s way through groves of quaking aspens and more wildflowers than I’ve ever seen in my life.

I’ve thought some hikes we’ve been on had a lot of wildflowers, but this particular trail was in a different class altogether. You’ll have to forgive me, as I think I probably could’ve taken 1,000 pictures easily trying to capture the perfect shot of the flower-filled meadows.

I have to admit that my plan was to hike only to Booth Falls, a 4.2 mile round trip journey, but as the sound of rushing water grew louder and louder, I still couldn’t see Booth Falls. So I kept hiking, assuming that I would get my amazing view just around the next bend.

There were certain parts of the trail where you would come around a corner, and could only say “really?”

As the sound of rushing water turned to the trickling of a stream on my left, I knew that I had likely done something wrong. The hike up until this point has been one of my biggest challenges yet this summer, and I wasn’t about to go home without getting some sort of a payoff – though one could argue that all the wildflowers were payoff enough.

I liked to imagine that the gold color of the water was the gold lining the bottom instead of the sun’s reflection

My first sign of sun today!

I’ve written before that sometimes I don’t know when to stop when I’m hiking by myself, and this turned into one of those days. The trail beyond where the falls were presumably at was unrelentingly steep, continuing upward constantly, with few flat areas to offer a break. I kept glancing nervously at my watch as the elevation passed 2,000 feet and kept going.

I thought this was so cool! Mother Nature at work, breaking down the tree to feed the new growth to come.

As the miles wore on and I passed 2,000 feet elevation gain, I started to wonder if this was a good idea. If it weren’t for the views and the wildflowers spurring me on to see what treasures might be around the next corner, I don’t know that I could’ve completed this, but it’s funny how the sense of adventure kicks in and I start ignoring what my brain is telling me.

Columbines are definitely my favorite wildflower – so I was really excited to come across this bunch!

More Columbines!

The last push to the lake is probably the most challenging section of the entire hike, so it’s a good thing that I emerged over the crest of the final ridge to a spectacular mountain lake vista. The sheer faces of the surrounding cliffs, carved out by years of snow and ice building up all winter and melting each spring, yielded to the crystal clear, ice cold lake. There were a few people dotting the shoreline and I made my way around to the other side of the lake where I could find a place to myself.

The water was so clear and so calm that it made for a magical experience.

I wasn’t in my spot along the lake for very long, when I noticed some commotion with the people that I had passed. I’ve been doing enough hikes lately to know that commotion like this, at such a peaceful mountain lake, could only mean one thing – wildlife. A review on AllTrails mentioned running into a herd of mountain goats, so that’s exactly where my thoughts went. I hopped up to see what was going on.

Sure enough, I was looking at the first mountain goats I’ve ever seen – though they were quite a ways up on the ridge. As I stood there and watched in amazement, more and more of them emerged, with eventually 10-15 or so coming into view. They made their way down the mountainside towards us curious humans, searching for the perfect plant to snack on in the cracks of the rocks. The closer they came, the more I realized just how large mountain goats actually are – and also how large and pointy their horns are. They didn’t seem to really care about the humans taking pictures, but when one seemed to find a plant that they all craved, little skirmishes would break out within the herd, as they would charge at one another for a chance to eat first. Whenever the big one would look you in the eye though, it made you think twice about how close you were.

Soon, they had come down the mountain so far that they were blocking the trail back. I made my way around them, keeping my eye on the big ones that were keeping their eye on me, making sure that I gave them as much space as they wanted. I took this incredible opportunity so close to these animals to take as many pictures as I could. Much like it was when I had my moose encounter on the Chicago Lakes Trail, it was almost impossible to pull myself away from the mountain goats and start down the trail. I wanted to cherish it for as long as I could, but extending my hike to the lake had already added a lot of time to my journey.

It was so hard to pull myself away from the lake, especially after the effort to get there, so I perched on top of a rock overlooking the lake to snap a few more pictures and take in the beauty for a few more moments before heading out.

On the way up to the lake, I was very aware that I was climbing a pretty serious incline from how hard I was breathing and how much my legs were burning, but when I started to go back down, there were some parts that I couldn’t believe I had made it up. The trail was rocky, which helped with the traction going down such steep sections, but the constant decline was exhausting. When I did reach one of the few flat parts, not having to fight the pull of gravity almost made me feel like I was floating for a brief moment, before starting back downwards once again.

Down and down and down I go….

I passed a lot of groups on my way down, and it was yet another reminder of why I wake up so early to do these hikes. There were a couple hours on the way up that I didn’t see another person, and it allowed me to take my time to enjoy the beauty of this majestic trail. I chuckled to myself every time I passed people that were clearly not prepared for such a grueling hike, clutching empty water bottles with miles left, and wonder if they were going to actually make it all the way to the lake. I think this hike challenged where the limits to my physical abilities were and I’ve been consistently hiking for the last few months now. I can’t imagine trying it while visiting from out of town, as so many of the people seemed to be.

On my way back down, I did my best to search for Booth Falls, and it did seem to be close to where I thought it was based on the congregation of people in that area; however, I never did actually get a good view of it. I think there must be a turn off the trail that I missed both times, so I’m glad I didn’t turn around earlier searching for it, and instead conserved energy for the push to Booth Lake.

I had to do some serious searching to even get this shot…

At 10.5 miles and 3,100 feet of elevation gain, this trail isn’t for everyone, but the abundant wildflowers, waterfalls, streams, views, mountain lake, and wildlife catapulted it to be one of my favorite hikes I’ve done! I can’t wait to explore more of this area and see what other treasures it has to offer!

Hiking the Second Creek Trail to Twin Cones

My hike Sunday and this post are dedicated to my Grandma Branch that passed away on Friday. When I was little, I used to write one or two page stories for her to read, and almost every time I talked to her growing up, she would bring them up and how much she enjoyed them. I started writing about my hikes again in large part because I wanted her to be able to read these stories and stay up to date with what I was doing. I’m sure every time I write from now on, I’ll be thinking of her.

I was either really excited for this hike or I’m starting to get the hang of this early morning hiking thing, because I woke up at 4am, left around 5am, and arrived at the trailhead by 6:30 Sunday morning. There were 3 or 4 others cars in the parking lot already, but one of them looked like he was packing up to leave from camping there the night before. With the archway of trees that was the trailhead leading me into a magically lush forest, I was looking forward to the upcoming hike in solitude.

If the two cups of coffee this morning weren’t enough to wake me up, the first mile of this hike certainly was. The first quarter mile or so was peaceful, with the stream on my left babbling a morning melody as I made my way along the damp trail.

It rained the night before, which actually turned out to be quite the benefit once it started to turn steep. What would typically be loose gravel and dirt on a steep path was packed down and offered much more grip. From the quarter mile mark to three quarters of a mile was a fight. The humidity in the air combined with the elevation made it hard to breathe, and I was sweating despite the 40 degree temperatures.

Once I reached Broome Hut, I took the opportunity to admire the beauty of the morning sun rising over the valley surrounding me, sparkles of light touching the pine needles holding onto the rain droplets from the night before. Let’s be honest… I also took the opportunity to let my heart rate come back to a normal level and catch my breath, but the views were incredible.

Maybe I was warmed up or maybe it was just a tiny bit flatter, but after Broome Hut, it definitely seemed like it was easier. I was greeted by another mountain stream on my right, cascading it’s way down the canyon to lower elevations. The freshly melted snow gave life to the wildflowers growing on the banks of the stream. They would be my companions as I pushed my way higher and higher, never leaving my side.

That is, they never left my side until I reached their source. The snow fields were still intact and I joked to myself that the water pooled at the bottom of them was my alpine lake for the day. I was approaching 12,000 feet elevation by this point, and it was time for another push to the top. The challenge in this steep section was the thin air. There was one section where I stopped two or three times, just to try to catch my breath.

Once I made it to the top, I was presented with a magnificent plateau-like feature, where the land stretched out around me was flat – at least as flat as it gets at the top of a mountain. Because it was so flat, I could see for the mountains surrounding me for miles and miles on every single side. There’s no way that the pictures will ever do it justice, but I’m certainly going to let them try.

I continued on this flat part of the trail, content with the exercise I had already received to enjoy this peaceful stroll. The wind was oddly quiet today for being above the tree line. I could hear birds chirping and the streams below rumbling. In the distance, I spotted a hot air balloon below me, floating along uninterrupted in the neighboring valley until it disappeared into the clouds. Remind me to never get on a hot air balloon.

If you look REALLLLLLY close, you can see the hot air balloon in the white clouds below me.

The trail continues onward, gradually becoming more and more faint, until it disappears altogether. I saw one other person on my way up, but he took a different route when he reached the mesa, so I was by myself at the end of the road so to speak. I was almost eye-to-eye with a ski lift on the neighboring peak. After some research, that is the Parsenn Bowl at Winter Park – I’ll have to try to remember that if I ever find myself at the top of Winter Park snowboarding.

I found a nearby rock to sit on, taking this opportunity at solitude afforded to me to reflect on the past couple of days. As I sat there and the clouds swirled all around me, I was hit by an overwhelming feeling that I was about as close to heaven as I could get. It was surreal and powerful at the same time. I decided I should take this opportunity to send up a prayer to my grandma, and tell her all the things that I wish I could and all the ways that I’ll remember her. It will never be the same, the way the clouds were this morning as I sat there all by myself, but I think this will be a hike that I’ll come back and do when I’m missing her in the future. For me, the place where I was sitting will always be tied to the memory of this moment, where I felt like I could talk to her one last time.

I spent about 20 minutes by myself before I could see the next group of people meandering their way down the trail towards me. I took in the scene around me one more time, and it was time to head back down and let them enjoy this perfect place for themselves. As I worked my way back down, the clouds started to put on a show. It started with one column reaching upwards from the ground well below me.

Smallest alpine lake ever. Or is that considered an alpine puddle?

The trickling start of a creek that will eventually feed and build into a major river.

The wildflowers didn’t disappoint today!

Can you spot the chipmunk amongst all the flowers?!

As I kept going, I stopped several times, marveling as the clouds crept ever closer, gently, as if to ask permission before enveloping me. I pressed onward letting the clouds know it was okay, and for a brief moment, I was completely surrounded. The closest comparison is flying through a cloud when you’re in an airplane, and it was like that, the way the sun was blocked out, but you could also feel the difference. I could suddenly see my breath as it turned to water vapor. It’s hard to describe, but it was an incredible experience. Almost as if heaven recognized my efforts to get as close as I could, and had come the rest of the way down to let me and my grandma be together one more time.

As hard as I’ve tried to put it into words, it’s impossible to describe how much this hike meant to me today. It’s a memory that I’ll always remember and hold onto. One more memory in a long list of many when I reflect on how much my grandma meant to me. I love you and I miss you!

Stanley Mountain Trail – Berthoud Pass

Waking up early and heading to the mountains for a morning hike has been my escape of choice over the last couple of months. There’s something about breathing the cool mountain air and getting some exercise that brings about a feeling of freedom and accomplishment to my weekends. I think that’s what keeps bringing me back. I think that’s also what pushed me to get back out on Sunday this weekend, after our hike to St. Mary’s Glacier on Saturday, even though I was feeling a little bit tired. I woke up really early without planning on it and decided that I was going to get up and feel some accomplishment this morning.

We’ve made the drive to Grand Lake numerous times, going up and over Berthoud Pass on the way. The first few times I made the drive, I was so nervous going around the bend that I was just happy to be going back down the other side. The last few times, though, I’ve noticed the parking lot at the top and the trail that people were hiking up, and thought to myself that looked like fun.

I arrived right around 7am and there was still plenty of parking. It wasn’t because there weren’t any other cars, but the parking lot was actually quite a bit bigger than I had envisioned driving around the curve and past it so many times before. I also hadn’t ever noticed the building there, which turned out to be a “warming hut” – presumably for back country skiers in the winter. It also had clean bathrooms – another plus at the trailhead.

Most people seemed to be heading up the Mount Flora trail that was directly connected to the parking lot, but I was interested in the Stanley Mountain trail that required me to jog across the street, hoping that nobody came around the corner too fast.

The trail began as a fairly steep incline through the trees, with some meadows filled with wildflowers sprinkled in. The wildflowers were one of the best parts of this hike because they were so plentiful, and seemed to mix in intriguing colors and patterns. The trail also offered views of the surrounding peaks and glimpses of the destination as you worked your way up. I’ll let the millions of pictures I took do the talking!

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When you emerge above the tree line, that’s when the views of the taller peaks further to the north emerge.

A little bit further up the trail and a little higher still, you come to a fairly flat saddle with 360 degree views of the mountains and the trail up ahead. It’s one of the most breathtaking views I’ve seen here in this state. Although this split view is south on the left and north on the right, it still felt a little like I was on the continental divide.

It was when I reached a point where you had to briefly make your way along a cliffside that I realized maybe I wasn’t quite as committed and determined as I should be today. I turned around the first time I reached this spot, content to call it a day, but I talked myself up and decided to dip my toe into the uncomfortable to see what was on the other side. I could see that the stretch along the cliff wasn’t very long and the trail was decently wide for most of it, so I went for it. I’m sure it wasn’t something that most people would think twice about, but it was big for me this day. I walked a little further, to try to get a better view of the small mountain stream cascading down from the melting snowfield.

I love the mountain stream starting from the snowfield. As always, it’s hard to tell when there’s a cliff, but this is where I turned around the first time.

It was in plain sight the entire time I had been on the saddle, but when I started up the steep series of switchbacks heading to the next ridge, that’s when I decided this wasn’t my day.

I promise I made it to the second switchback before turning around. This was just the best picture I took of the incline.

The trail from here was steep, with loose rocks and dirt, but it wasn’t really my fear of heights that took over this time. I think I simply realized that maybe I had pushed it too far and I wasn’t up to doing two hikes in one weekend, even if neither one of them was particularly long or challenging. My knees and ankles were hurting and I didn’t want to head up even further. I’ll admit that I was beating myself up a little over the fact that I didn’t have the desire to finish the hike, but I sat down, taking in the views around me, and had an epiphany. This was my lesson today. I was sitting at over 12,000 feet on top of a mountain, taking in one of the most incredible views I’d ever seen, and it was okay to be content with what I had accomplished. I absolutely will be back to finish this on a day that I’m feeling up to the task because it did challenge my fear of heights at times – something that I need to expand the possible peaks I can tackle in the future. That day just wasn’t today.

The view as I was sitting down looking back down the trail that I had just crossed. This was good enough for me today.

You can kind of see the cliff on the left side of the trail

I never got a better view of the mountain stream the further up I went, but at least you can tell I climbed higher than the point where I turned around the first time!

I headed back down, appreciating the wildflowers and the birds chirping. I kept my eye out for moose or deer, never seeing any, but I was still oddly content with my journey today. I plan on taking the week to rest up and making the most of one day of hiking next weekend.

A bit of an inside joke between Carly and I, but couldn’t believe I came across half of a “butt tree”

Looking up at the Mount Flora trail. I definitely plan on tackling that one someday too.

View of the parking lot as I came down at 9am. The lot is big, and I think most people just stay to get pictures of the sign at the top and leave, such that parking didn’t seem to be an issue, despite being nearly full.

Pocket of rain moving in. Glad that didn’t hit me when I was up on the saddle!

Returning to St. Mary’s Glacier – 2020

Carly and I have been dating for over six years and married for just under three now, which seems like such a short time when I write it like that, but we’ve packed a whole lot of adventure into those 6 years. In that short time, we’ve also started to develop some family traditions. There are traditions that will surely grow in the years to come, but some that I hope will never change. For anyone that’s read a few of my posts, I’ve written about it a couple of times before, but one tradition that I hope never changes is returning the same weekend to the spot of our engagement every year. The first time we came, we were still living in Oklahoma; however, now, the tradition has been made easier since moving to the Centennial State. Leading up to this weekend, I couldn’t believe it was already time for our fourth trek up to St. Mary’s Glacier.

We’re starting to learn our lesson when it comes to parking at the trailhead, and arrived just before 8am. We found parking no problem, but I’m sure it filled up not soon after. As is part of the tradition, I’m entrusted to carry the cooler full of food and drinks to the top of the rocky climb. The way back down is always easier once my backpack has been emptied.

There were a few people surrounding the lake when we finally emerged from the forest to the full glory of St. Mary’s Glacier. There was also more snow that we had ever remembered seeing before. I’m wondering if it hasn’t been quite as warm there this year, because at the same time, the water was also much lower than we were accustomed to. The rock where Carly was sitting when we got engaged is typically right along the edge of the water, but today, it was sitting much further back.

The view never gets old up here. Truly one of my favorite places in the whole world.

I mean.. how can you beat this?

Our favorite picnic spot around the edge of the lake was open, and we staked our claim by spreading the blanket. We settled in to relax and sink into the serenity surrounding us. It was here that we spent the next couple of hours – neither of us with a care in the world. Other people came and went. They took their pictures and moved on. We stayed unmoving, almost as if we were part of the landscape itself, content to have the breeze and the sun on our faces.

There’s no better place for a picnic, in my opinion!

The sunlight diffusing through the clouds and creating a rainbow was a treat today

There’s nothing quite like coming across a perfect wild Columbine

Eventually, though, we got the urge to go exploring. We hadn’t been over to the glacier itself since the year we got engaged, and with all that snow looking down at us, it was calling us back this year. Since there were people near it on our way in, we also stopped on the way to the glacier to take some pictures on “our rock”.

No digging for the ring in my backpack today – or “snacks” as I tried to convince Carly that day.

Where the magic happened!

We continued on around the lake to the side that resembles more of a beach setting, with a lot more people spread out. Today, there was even a group of paddle boarders exploring the lake and shouting “encouragement” at the cliff divers.

I don’t remember ever seeing this many people here, but we also don’t usually explore this side either

The crowds had arrived by this time, and we found the trail off the beaten path that we had taken 4 years ago for some peace and quiet away from everyone to enjoy ourselves. It proved just as peaceful this year.

After spending a few minutes in the quiet, we scurried our way back up to the main trail and made our way to the glacier itself. I climbed up as far as was necessary to get past the throngs of people having their snowball fights and sledding down the glacier. The view is incredible from up there, and it really is worth it to work your way past the people for a quick peek.

Looking like a tourist!

One day I’m going to have to join the skiers coming down this in July

As is the case every year, it was hard to eventually pull ourselves away from the peaceful lake and make our way back down to the parking lot. It’s easier knowing that we can come back anytime we want. It’s also easier knowing that there’s a 100% chance that we’ll be back again this same weekend next year for our 5th time!

Expedition to Emerald Lake

During my parents visit over the Fourth of July weekend, the plan was for us to visit the main part of Rocky Mountain National Park that my mom, despite her many trips to Colorado already, had not visited. Unfortunately, we realized too late that you needed a reservation for a timed entry, due to COVID, and we hadn’t planned ahead for that. Our only option at that point was to wait until Friday morning, when we could try to secure a spot at the park for Sunday; however, we knew the day after the 4th of July was going to be insane trying to get back to Denver after our day at the park. So while we did briefly wander into RMNP last weekend, we didn’t reach the part of the park that my mom was really wanting to explore.

After all the research and anticipation last week, though, Carly and I decided that we were going to go try out the trail that we had intended to do the week before. We already picked out the trail to Emerald Lake and we had enough time to get our reservation at the park this week. The reservations are in 2 hour increments, starting at 6am, and since we had a 2 hour drive to get there, we decided 8am was the earliest we were going to make it. We packed up our gear the night before, so that we could get an early start and make it right at the beginning of our two hour window.

We arrived to the entrance of the park around 7:50am, just before our timed entry, and we were greeted with a line of 20-30 cars on the side of the road that were clearly also waiting for 8am. We pulled off to the side and got in “line”, though I put it in quotes because it was far from orderly. There were only 65 reservations available at 6am and it felt like we were pretty close to the front of the line for the 8am reservation; however, upon entering the park, we were directed to the park and ride because the Bear Lake parking lot was already full! I certainly had hoped to avoid any situations where I’m packed in an enclosed bus with the pandemic going on, but it was looking like today that wasn’t going to be possible. We parked at the park and ride, waited about 10 minutes for the bus to arrive, and then made our way to the Bear Lake trailhead. As we got there, the parking lot was indeed full, and my only assumption is that most of the 65 people at 6am had wanted to come here.

I’m clearly still trying to figure out how to wear this thing…

We quickly realized that, despite this being the third most popular national park in the country, it was still really easy to get off the trail that you intended to be on. It took us a couple different restarts before we were finally on our way up the trail. It did allow us to take a few pictures around Bear Lake, so it wasn’t a total loss that we couldn’t figure out where to go.

Throwback to us standing out in the middle of a frozen Bear Lake!

I don’t think I’m going to be able to stand on it today…

We actually didn’t follow the sign with the arrow pointing to Emerald Lake that had numerous people heading up, but instead took a side shoot off the Bear Lake Trail to Nymph Lake. It proved to be much more difficult terrain, but I didn’t mind, and it helped us to avoid the masses moving up the other way.

We went right instead of left, walking along the Bear Lake Trail for a little bit, until we reached trail marker 30

It was a quick hike to Nymph Lake, even taking the more rocky path that we took, and we quickly realized the type of day that we were in for. Looking across Nymph Lake at the yellow water lilies perched on top of the water, with their stems visibly reaching down through the clear water to the bottom, the family of ducks gliding gracefully across the lake, and the imposing peaks standing behind it all, it was a serene location that you don’t often come across. This is why this place was designated as a national park and this is why this place is so popular. It was breathtaking.

Family of ducks without a care in the world.. I mean, look at where their home is!

I honestly think we could’ve spent all day at Nymph Lake, but soon the crowds came to push us along further down the path, and we had to peel ourselves away from this precious place. This was another time that we were glad that we had the AllTrails map downloaded because it took a little bit of searching to find the trail to Dream Lake.

Wait… is this the trail?

This section of the hike was probably the most challenging, with a couple of different spots where we had to wait for people to get up a steep part of the trail or stop to take pictures. The challenge was rewarding, with the many different sights to take in, but this is when I started to think we should’ve found a way to make the 6am window work. Imagining being here with less than half the people around made me want to come back even more.

Even looking at this picture now, it doesn’t seem real!

Carly found a side trail to go get a closer glimpse of this waterfall and wildflowers!

Waterfall from up above. There were too many people around it to get a better shot from below!

We eventually made it to Dream Lake, which is the largest of the 3 lakes that we would be visiting on our journey. The trail follows along the edge of the lake, and we took every opportunity we could to go down to the water and check it out.

We were greeted by a couple of rainbow trout at the first spot that we stopped at, and they were kind enough to come close enough for me to take some pictures and videos of them. Even though the fishing is catch and release, I tried to keep my two new friends secret from the fly fishermen walking by searching for a spot to drop their line.

The water is so crystal clear that it doesn’t even look like it’s there!

As was so often the case on this hike, it was truly hard to make yourself keep moving to the next location because of everything there was to see and explore, but knowing that the 10 o’clock group would be hot on our heels was the motivation to reach Emerald Lake before they did.

The route from Dream Lake to Emerald Lake followed a similar pattern from the earlier portions of the hike, with a steady incline, some stair like features, but overall not that much of a challenge for those that are looking to reach the last lake on this leg. There were no steep drop-offs or sketchy river crossings, but the trail certainly wasn’t boring. I really enjoyed this part of the hike and being forced to explore a little to make sure that you’re on the trail still. I actually prefer this to the way-too-defined trails that I follow sometimes, I guess because it makes me feel like I’m in the wilderness just a little bit more.

When we arrived at Emerald Lake, there were several groups that had beat us there and had already staked out their spots. This was the only lake that there wasn’t really a route to walk around it and find your own private place to park. As the lake comes into view, there are some rocks on the left that I climbed up, thinking I was the only one with this idea, only to be greeted by more people on top of the rocks looking out over the lake. Giving up on the idea of a private viewing location, I found a spot on the rocks next to the others where I wouldn’t be obstructing anyone’s views, and we sat down to take pictures, relax, and take time to refuel with the few snacks that we had.

These are the kinds of views that I live for. As anyone that has read my posts knows, the natural mountain lakes are my favorite. The snow fields were still clearly visible on the mountainsides, though the intense sound of rushing water you could hear cascading down the cliffs to the lake below clearly indicated that there was a lot more snow melting than the eye could see. I wondered if this snow ever truly melted all the way, as it was already the middle of July and fresh snowfall comes to these elevations much earlier than others.

Did somebody say snacks?

It was obvious from the deep emerald color how the lake came to be named as such. Despite all the other people enjoying the views, it was still peaceful, and I felt like I was all alone with just Carly and the lake for a moment as I took it all in.

With all the sight seeing and picture taking on our way to Emerald Lake, we had spent enough time on the trails and knew we needed to get back to the car. I took mental notes of the other lakes that I would come visit the next time I came. With so much to explore in the national park, I’m sure it will take many visits before I finally see all the things I want to check out, but I’m definitely okay with that!

We came back down a different route than we had gone up (the way that the sign pointing towards Emerald Lake would’ve taken you), and this is when I realized why everyone was going this way. It was a much easier trail, with most of it paved to Nymph Lake, but it certainly wasn’t as interesting or exciting as the way we took up from Bear Lake. If you’re up for a challenge, I’d recommend that “trail marker 30” route, but if you’re exploring with folks from out of town, take the trail marked as going toward Emerald Lake.

The other side of Nymph Lake on our way down. It was just too magical to not capture one more picture!

On our way out of the park, we passed a picnic ground, and honestly, I don’t think either of us were quite ready to leave yet, so we stopped to check it out. The picnic tables were right along Glacier Creek and it afforded some fun opportunities to climb around on the rocks and check out the flowing water from up close.

This was yet another amazing adventure in the great Colorado wilderness, and I’m already starting to think that my Top 5 hikes near Denver needs an update! I’m also already looking forward to where my adventure next weekend will take me.

Top 5 Hikes Near Denver – Way Too Early Edition

I’ve explored a number of different hikes in the front range near Denver, and I decided to put together my list of personal top 5 hikes – even though as the title suggests, there’s way too many more places to explore for this to be anything but a “way too early top 5”. I’ve had my share of hikes that have surprised when I wasn’t expecting much, but unfortunately there has to be some that disappoint, as well. In putting this list together, I’m hoping this could potentially help someone as they’re deciding what hike to take when visiting Denver the next time, or maybe a local will see it and feel inspired to try one of them they haven’t before. Or maybe someone can give me a suggestion on where to go for my next adventure! I fully expect that some on this list will be replaced as I go to new places and take in new sights, but for now, here goes!

5. Glacier Gorge to Loch Lake – RMNP

Number 5 on the list feels a little bit like cheating, because it’s in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is beautiful no matter where you look or where you go. It was a long hike made more difficult by the snow, but knowing that there was a payoff at the top kept us going. It certainly didn’t disappoint and made us feel like our efforts were well worth it.

This hike was one that I’ll never forget, and made the top 5 for a few reasons. To start us off, it was the first time that Carly or I had ever gone snowshoeing, which proved to be quite the adventure. We didn’t need them for most of the time, until the last half mile or so, which started to get deep, but we looked really cool carrying them on our backs!

Beginning of the hike, so we didn’t have our snowshoes on yet!

The next thing that made this an unforgettable journey for me was that my brother came to visit and went on this hike with us, which of course makes it more memorable for me.

And lastly, how can you beat these views?! I felt like I was on top of the world standing there on Loch Lake, with the majesty of the national park around me.

I could definitely see us coming back to snowshoe this one again, or maybe visit in the summertime to see what the lake actually looks like under all that snow and ice!

4. Adams Falls Trail – Grand Lake, Colorado

This hike will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was the hike that everyone took at our welcome picnic for our wedding. The hike to the falls is short and something that most everyone could do, and the waterfall didn’t disappoint, though it was a bit more impressive when we hiked it last weekend in July and there was more water flowing than there was in September for our wedding.

If you continue up the trail a little bit further, you’re presented with what I have called one of the most amazing views I’ve seen in Colorado, and it still holds true. There’s a meadow, with a creek flowing through it on its journey to Adams Falls, and huge mountains as your backdrop. It’s one that everyone should try to see. This spot is also special for me, as it brings back memories of being there with my friends and my fiancée just days before becoming a married man.

We’ve never gone too far down the trail, but there are camping sites further along and I’m sure some day we will have to check out what that has in store!

3. Chicago Lakes Trail – Mt Evans Wilderness

This is a hike that I did recently for the first time, and it was one of the hardest workouts I’ve done, but it made the list because of several different features that make it stick out to me. It all started very near the beginning of the trailhead, when I was met with the challenge of a steep dropoff and a very narrow trail. I turned around a few times due to my fear of heights, but finally was able to push past it and overcome the situation.

From there it was an uphill battle, literally and figuratively. I passed the first lake and was underwhelmed with what I had found, so I continued on well past what I thought were my limits in terms of distance and elevation gain combination in a hike.

I eventually reached the second lake, and my legs were tired before I even started the descent. I took some time to enjoy the peacefulness of the surrounding landscape (and to give myself a rest) before starting on my trek back down.

This trail already would’ve been in my top 5 I think, but I had a lucky break on my way down when I ran into a couple of moose right off the trail! I stayed and watched them for quite a while, and it was honestly hard to walk away even when I did.

This is another highly recommended hike if you’re up for a challenge! The views are spectacular, and there’s even a third lake if you continue the hike past where I forced myself to turn around.

2. Mt. Bierstadt – Guanella Pass

There’s no way that I could put together a top 5 hikes without including the only fourteener that I’ve ever tried and completed. For anyone that doesn’t know, a fourteener is a 14,000 foot peak, of which there are quite a few in Colorado (58 to be exact). Mt. Bierstadt is generally considered to be one of the easier ones, though any time you’re hiking at 14,000 feet, it’s not going to be easy.

We were also treated to a couple of moose on this hike, thought we didn’t get nearly as close as I did on the Chicago Lakes hikes. There were also quite a few more people.

I was also confronted with my fear of heights when we got up to the top. There was a saddle with a little patch of snow right before the scramble to the top. I was fine all the way up to the saddle, but after it turned into a scramble with the multitudes of people crawling over the rocks like ants, it was enough to make me really nervous!

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If you’re properly acclimated and in the right shape, I can’t recommend this hike enough. Not only can you say that you hiked to the top of a 14,000 foot peak, but the trail is nice the entire way and you truly feel like you’re on top of the world towering over the surrounding peaks.

1. St. Mary’s Glacier – Near Idaho Springs, CO

The number one hike on my list has the most meaning to me of any other hike in Colorado, but that doesn’t diminish the beauty that awaits everyone. This one is particularly special to me, because this is where I got engaged to my amazing and beautiful wife. I was so nervous that day, digging in my backpack for the ring alongside the lake and forgetting everything I was going to say. It was an even more beautiful setting than the pictures I had seen online, and it couldn’t have been more magical. We’ve made it a tradition to return and do this hike on the anniversary of our engagement every year, and we haven’t missed a year yet!

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  Someone realized what was going on and snapped a picture for us! I’ll be forever grateful for this!!

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The hike up is rocky and steep, but it’s also short at under a mile to the lake. When we visited from Oklahoma and did the hike, we were definitely struggling for air, but now when we return, it’s no problem carrying up a picnic. We find a spot along the lake to relax and enjoy a lunch, while watching the crazy people jump into the ice cold water from the cliffs above.

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Even if you didn’t get engaged here, I think this is the best hike near Denver because of the combination of a short hike for a huge payoff, being able to touch snow year-round, and also for the ability to have a picnic and relax by the lake.

Many More To Come!

There are so many amazing hikes near Denver that it was hard to leave some of them off the list. What I love about Colorado is that there are still so many trails nearby that are on my “want to do” list, that this list will continue to be updated for years to come. There are some that will never be able to leave my top hikes because of the special meaning to me, but maybe it will have to expand to a top 10 soon, to capture all the incredible adventures that are in store! Also, if you have a favorite hike in Colorado that I should check out, definitely let me know!!

Family Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

With the pandemic taking its toll on everyone, it’s been a while since Carly and I have had much contact with anyone other than each other, so it was nice when my parents decided to come to Denver for a long 4th of July weekend. Planning a visit from my parents during this, though, proves difficult, because most of the things that we want to do involve going out on the town and being near crowds of people, which obviously isn’t a great idea right now. We’ve been spending a lot of time hiking around in the mountains, as it allows us to get out and about, but still be in the open air and able to space out from others. So we decided to take our parents up to Rocky Mountain National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado, but not the busy parts that you have to drive into.

We left the house around 8 in the morning and stopped once along the way to enjoy the views from the mountain pass and snap some pictures by the waterfall cascading down the mountain. It was also a pretty good halfway point to get out and stretch our legs.

This waterfall is just at a stop off on the side of the road heading up Berthoud Pass

We don’t usually have someone to take a picture for us!

The parking lot of the East Inlet Trailhead is extremely large to accommodate the traffic that Adams Falls regularly sees, so it wasn’t too hard to find a parking spot, even when we arrived around 10:30 on 4th of July weekend. It was warmer than we expected, about 70, so we took a few minutes to properly equip ourselves for the journey ahead before starting on our way.

Mom leading the charge up the mountain and setting the pace!

The hike to the falls is fairly easy terrain and not too far from the parking lot, so we quickly made our way up, but went counter clockwise on the loop, avoiding a large group of people. This meant waiting until our way back down to go to the outlook for the falls, but avoiding large groups of people was more important at this point, and we knew we could still see it on the way back.

We made it to the meadow with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountainsides, and our journey slowed down for the many pictures that had to be taken. It really is hard to describe how incredible this spot along the creek is in real life, but it’s one of the most spectacular views that I’ve found in Colorado, rivaling some views from being on top of a mountain.

One of my favorite spots in the world

We were keeping our eyes peeled for any wildlife that we could find, especially being in the national park. While we didn’t spot any moose, elk, or deer that we hoped to find, we did run into a family of geese trolling around on a pond and a tiny chipmunk along the way.

“Is that a deer?! No maybe that’s just a person… I can’t tell…”

Family of geese floating peacefully on the pond. A little bit jealous of their home.

We made it about a mile down the trail before deciding to turn around and head back towards the lake. It was my parents first day in town and taking them too far at elevation didn’t seem like a good idea, plus we were ready for our picnic and to take the kayak out on the lake.

We took the other route on our way back to go past Adams Falls, which was much more of a waterfall than it had ever been when we have been here before. We’ve always hiked this trail in September when the snowmelt isn’t nearly as abundant, and it was amazing to see it much closer to full strength!

A lot more water than we’re used to!

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We made it back down to the lake and had some snacks and drinks that Carly had prepared, relaxing after our journey. This particular picnic area is where we had our welcome picnic for our wedding, and it holds a special place in our hearts. The warm weather today is what we were hoping for 3 years ago, but it was nice to enjoy it on this afternoon.

We’re a lively bunch…. Either we’re exhausted or not sure if we knew there was a picture being taken!

The picnic area also happened to be the perfect place to drop the kayak into Grand Lake, something that we’ve never done before. Carly and I took the kayak around the bend first, quickly realizing how much we were having to fight the wind on the lake.

The open seas ahead of us…

I promise we went further than this! This was just us coming in for a landing on the beach

Next, it was my dad’s turn to take it out for a spin, but we let him go by himself to explore wherever he wanted to!

My dad with nothing but open waters and mountains around him!

After our hike and being out on the water, we were all pretty exhausted, and it was time to make our way back to Denver to let the dogs out. After our wedding, every time we come to Grand Lake it has a special meaning, but this will be a day that we will all remember for a long time to come!