Colorado: Hanging Lake Trail

On my way home from Aspen, I found paradise.  Hanging lake trail starts right off of the interstate highway as it winds along the Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon. 

My sense is that during the summer weekends the trail is packed with people for single file hiking all the way up.  But I arrived on a rainy, cold morning and saw maybe twenty people (only four at the top when I arrived). The trail gains 1,000 feet in about a mile--equivalent to climbing stairs for a mile.

I couldn't stay long but it was worth the steps.  And then it was time to head back home to my own little piece of paradise.

Colorado: American Lake Trail

Having hiked the Maroon Bells in previous years, I decided to take up a hike where I anticipated a much lower concentration of people.

Maroon Lake (2015)

Just beyond Crater Lake towards West Maroon Pass

I was on the trail to American Lake by 7 AM and only saw two people on my way up but, as annoyed as I was by the crowds at the Maroon Bells, I wish I had selected a different hike: maybe Conundrum or East Snowmass.  The trail to American Lake was peaceful but tough, almost two miles of up, and just not as spectacular...

Next year I'll do Conundrum or Lost Man Lake.

Colorado: the Grottos

Just up the road from Aspen is a day-use area called The Grottos.  There isn't much parking or many picnic tables but across the bridge, which traverses the Roaring Fork River, about half a mile down, the path takes you to a maze of smoothly carved rock tunnels. They reminded me of what we could only hear and glimpse in the depths of the rocks of Jasper and Banff (think Maligne Canyon).

My visit to the Grottos was at the end of the day and the sun was almost gone.  But the aspens were still bright.

the big move

Grandma and Papa moved out of their house of 17 years. 

We moved and moved and moved all day long (and this was day 2). 

 

 

Moves are truly awful.

 

 

But eventually the house was empty.  Welcome Grandma and Papa to your new, temporary home...with us!!

 

a winning day

The day started with an intense wind.

It was SO windy that Tucker had to hide. Well, actually, he was practicing rolling down the hill.

 

Kenedy took cues from the wind and ran as fast as the wind.

And the day ended with two victories!

Tucker (4-1), Kenedy (7-5)

Kenedy celebrated by climbing a tree after eating two empanadas.

journeys stored in my heart

Each new adventure brings back billions of memories.  To me, these trips are epic: new and revisited places, often off-grid and/or full of adventure but, most importantly, together.  Below I've shared a few memories. They are trips tattooed on my heart, memories to last a lifetime.

8,000 miles to Alaska and back

Root beer inlets up north

Sleeping out on the Main Salmon

England to Ireland in the middle of (almost) Brexit.

Space

New Year's Day is for the chickens in Little Havana

Snow dog in Castle Valley

Go! Volcanoes

Goofy, crooked salutations from the rugged, wild Sawtooths. 

Banff. So far away and up so high.

Extra large Ross Cedars

Majestic Bristlecones in wild and weird Great Basin

Freedom! A quintessential road trip pit stop.  

The amazing journey of salmon

Sick-os: Glacier National Park is a beautiful and peaceful place to recover in the tent. Just go with it.

Jasper = we contributed so many rocks to the glacial waters and drank so much Wicked Cup.

Pick them up and hug them while you can, because picking them up now, for me,...nope, no more.

A sacred and magnetic Tower

So many tents that went kaput.

Nature's Architecture and History

Our big family adventures have said hello and goodbye to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon, California, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, Washington, Arizona, Texas, British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon, Alaska, England, Ireland, Hawaii, birds, buffalo, beaches, glaciers, bears, two electric vehicles, three well-used Volvos and too many hearty, family-sized tents. Let's GO!

a night at the lake

Kenedy opted to skip a night of climbing practice so that we could go fishin' with Grandpa. We needed a break from the constant 'go.'  Hoping this is not the last warm evening to go out on the lake.

dusk at the soccer field

Another dusk at the soccer field...not so bad.  The light turned the beat up shed pink.

 

The basket ball hoops were very still while the clouds moved fast and threatened.

toothless

Yet another school morning.  We are slowly getting back into the groove.

flag football

We added yet another activity to our weekly calendar: flag football on Sundays. 

Tucker was thrilled that signed him up and tracked the minutes to his first practice like kids track the minutes to Christmas morning.

Kenedy was happy to sit in the shade with her book. Very lady-like.

best commute of the year

What a beautiful day for a train-bike commute, even if it's not on a trail or my own bike.

Does make it hard to park and go inside.