Crash

Greeting from the road once again. This is part 2 of a vacation that I have been taking with my family in Colorado. Part 2 takes place in Georgetown and in Glenwood Springs. On Tuesday July 29th, we left the Denver area and drove to Glenwood Springs. On the way we stopped at Georgetown and did the Loop Railroad. It is a short Railroad that loops its way up the valley between Georgetown and Silver Plume. Carter and Cara seemed more interested in the Chipmunks or ground squirrels than the train. We made it to Glenwood Springs after quite a few “how much further is Glenwood Springs” questions from Carter.


Carter next to Clear Creek at the Georgetown Loop Railroad






Cara on the Georgetown Loop Railroad





Wednesday the 30th was a busy day. We went to Hanging Lake in the morning. We barely beat the big rush. At the lower elevation, Pops was able to hike Nana (Mom) into the ground. It is a beautiful hike, but it is the most popular hike in Glenwood Canyon. So the trail is overused. There were a lot of people going up as we were going down.





Hanging Lake









Spouting Rock











After lunch, it was naptime for Cara and Pops. Carter, Stacy, Jim, and I went on a raft trip through Glenwood Canyon on the Colorado River. The first 20 minutes of the trip had some cool rapids with names like Maneater and Tombstone. The rest of the trip was mainly a float trip. Carter rode on the raft for a little while. He got knocked back into boat when we hit a rapid that had a good bump. We all went for a swim when we were at the deepest spot on the Colorado River. It is supposed to be 80 feet deep there. Later in the trip Jim and I went floating down river through some small rapids. The water was cold there and didn’t taste too good. No pictures from the rafting trip. Nobody had their camera for obvious reasons. We went to Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company for dinner. The Garfield Amber Ale won the taste test. We ended up getting a couple of growlers of it.

On Thursday the 31st, everybody went on a bike ride through Glenwood Canyon. We rented bikes in Glenwood Springs and got shuttled to the other end of the canyon. We then rode downhill (for the most part) on the bike path through the canyon. It was a 16 mile trip. The trip became a little more of an adventure than we would have liked. Nana’s bicycle skills were not too good. She could not figure out the gears and the hand brakes. Plus she was too shaky. The first injury of the day was when Pops looked back to check on Nana. He lost balance and scraped up his arm against the wall. The ride was beautiful. The interstate was noisy, but the architecture of the interstate was interesting in regards to how it was built to have a limited impact to the canyon. The ride took a turn for the worse about half way through the ride. I was riding along when I heard a crash behind me. I turned around to see my mom lying on the ground with her head up against the wall and a bike on top of her. She was not moving. Needless to say I was real scared. When I got to her, she was saying she was alright and had started to move. The accident happen when she was being passed. She got nervous and lost control. She had a bunch of scrapes and abrasions. She would eventually have a lot of bruises and a black eye. Her glasses were bent out of shape. Being the trooper that she is, she got up and finished the bike ride. We tried to get to get her to cut it short, but she refused. When she got to the bike rental place, she asked if she should do one of her famous crash landings. And then unintentionally, she did one. She got a few more bruises and abrasions, but she was alright. After that adventure, we went back to our hotel and knocked off a growler of Garfield Amber.


The bike ride through Glenwood Canyon





Underneath the I-70 on the bike path in Glenwood Canyon





And that ends the adventures in Glenwood Springs. The next day we went to Estes Park. Stay tuned for Part 3…

Vacation

Greetings from the road. For the past week I’ve had family in Colorado and I’ve been hanging out with them. I’m currently in Estes Park. This is part 1 one of the adventures with my family. This segment includes the time spent in the Denver area. On July 25th, I took my parents up Mt. Evans via the road. Pops survived. My brother’s family arrived later that day.




My Mom & Dad on Mt. Evans











Me on Mt. Evans









We spent Saturday the 26th hiking the Brother and the Sisters near Evergreen.






Carter & Cara on the Brother













Jim on top and Carter below at one of the Sisters











Carter & Jim on one of the Sisters. Evergreen Lake in the background




On Sunday we went to Red Rocks. It got hot quick. Sunday evening was spent at the Rapids game by Jim, Stacy, Carter, and me. The Rapids lost 2-0. They are now 1-3-1 in the games that I attended. Carter got a horn at the game. He has gotten good at blowing it.



The buddy salute at Red Rocks







On Monday we went the Denver Mint. They were not making any money at the time because of a mistake. It was still an interesting tour. Afterwards we went to the Wynkoop Brewing Company and tried all their beers. Nobody was impressed with their beers. After lunch, we did a quick visit to the Tattered Cover bookstore. We couldn’t stay long it was time for Cara to take a nap. We had a quick picnic that evening near my place. It was quite windy. The lightning started as we were leaving.

Stay tuned for part 2…

Moose Tracks

This weekend I went on a short backpacking trip. I met up with “Flat Feet” at Monarch Lake, which is just south of Rocky Mountain National Park on the western side of the divide. “Flat Feet” is finishing up his hike of the Continental Divide Trail. He attempted a thru-hike last year, but he got to Colorado too late in the year. Winter had arrived. So he had to skip ahead to Grants, New Mexico. This year he is finishing up the sections that he missed. “Flat Feet” is not your average hiker. He has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. Not a bad hiking resume if I do say so myself. I got to hike with “Flat Feet” south on the Continental Divide Trail from Monarch Lake for about 11.5 miles. We camped along Hamilton Creek. The next day I had to turn around and hike back to my car while “Flat Feet” kept hiking towards New Mexico. The hike was pretty easy. It was good for strengthening my knee as well helping “Flat Feet” acclimatize to the altitude. We only got to an elevation that was a little over 10,000 feet. “Flat Feet” has got some tough terrain ahead of him. It was a fun trip for me. It felt good to get the backpack on again. Here are some pictures.




Flat Feet along the CDT






Me along the CDT






Me and Flat Feet at our camp.







The makers of Moose Tracks

Life And How To Live It

I had a busy day on Sunday. I got up early and drove to Summit Lake, which is just below Mt. Evans. From Summit Lake I hike hiked up Mt. Spalding, which has an elevation of 13,842 feet. However, the elevation of Summit Lake is 12,830 feet. So the elevation gain wasn’t that bad. Most of the elevation was gained within a mile. It was a good altitude workout, which was what I wanted. I didn’t want to stress out my knee too much, but I needed to breathe in some thin air. I was quite tempted to hike up Mt. Evans from Mt. Spalding. But I purposely did this hike on Sunday because I had somewhere I had to be in the afternoon. I didn’t want to hurt myself by trying too much too soon again. I knew my plans would keep me from doing too much. Anyway, here are some pictures.




Me on top of Mt. Spalding





Looking towards Guanella Pass. The bowl on the mtn. on the left is where the lakes that I hiked to last weekend are.




Me on Mt. Spalding with Mt. Evans behind me.










Flowers














Looking down on the Chicago Lakes. (That is not the trail)








After the hike, I went home and cleaned up. Then I went to the women’s soccer game between US and Brazil. The game was ok. The US won 1-0 on a goal set-up by a defensive goof-up by Brazil. The weather was hot. I was thankful that I was smart enough to get my tickets in a shady spot. It was still quite warm in the shade. The players looked quite spent by games end dealing with the heat and the altitude.




The starting line-ups






So I hiked a 13er in the morning and went to a soccer game in the afternoon. Any wonder why I like living here.

Cheers,

-MM

Steadier Footing

I didn't do that much hiking this weekend. Last weekend was a little rough on my knee. I didn't want to press my luck this weekend. With it being a holiday weekend, it was going to be extremely crowded in the mountains. I did get out Friday morning before it got too crowded. I drove up to Guanella Pass, which is at an elevation of 11,669 feet. I think it only took an hour and fifteen minutes to get there. Naturally being that close to Denver, it is a popular trailhead. It is the trailhead for Mt. Bierstadt, which is a 14er. Mt. Evans can also be climbed from here. I didn't do either. I went in the opposite direction to Square Top Lakes. It is a five and half mile round trip hike that is all above tree line. The elevation of the upper lake was only around 12,170 feet. So the elevation gain wasn't bad. The trail was also on the south facing slopes, which meant there would not be much in the way of snow. It was basically the type of hike my knee needed. The scenery wasn't too bad either. Here are the pics.



Flowers along the trail near Guanella Pass







Me at the upper lake of the Square Top Lakes








Me again at the upper lake






Small unnamed lake along the trail. L-R: Mt. Spalding, Mt. Evans, & Mt. Bierstadt.








More flowers along the trail












Looking north from Guanella Pass

Sad

On Saturday, I gave my knee a good test. The jury is still out on how well it did. I was working on building up some distance. I went to Rogers Pass Lake and Heart Lake in the James Peak Wilderness. The hike is not suppose to be too difficult. The elevation gain is 2000 feet spread out over 4 miles. However, the hike became more difficult than I anticipated. The snow levels are still pretty high just below tree line. That made for some rough hiking. I probably added a mile to the hike because the trail disappeared. I had to get above tree line to find where the lakes were. Adding to the fun, I would occasionally hit pockets in the snow where my leg would sink up to my hip. I eventually made it to the lakes. The lakes were beautiful, but at Rogers Pass Lake, I saw a tragedy in the animal kingdom. An elk had fallen through the ice and could not get out. Its fate did not look good. Nature's way. Here are some pictures.








The snow covered banks of South Boulder Creek

The elk in Rogers Pass Lake









Rogers Pass Lake








Looking down on Rogers Pass Lake. The elk is in the center of the lake.







Heart Lake







There was sad news for the Bulldog Nation this weekend. University of Georgia's mascot, Uga VI, died of congestive heart failure on Friday. Uga VI was Georgia's winningest mascot in school history. Uga VI was a year old when he took over for his dad, Uga V, in 1999. The registered name for Uga VI is "Uga V's Whatchagot Loran." The name is a nod to the radio broadcasts for UGA football.


Uga VI at the 2008 G-Day game this past spring.



Uga VI, 1999-2008
Record: 87-27
"Uga V's Whatchagot Loran"

Minus The Bear

I climbed Grizzly Peak on Sunday. This is the smallest of the Grizzly Peaks listed on Summit Post. This Grizzly Peak has an elevation of 13,427 Ft. I started my hike at Loveland Pass. The round trip is 5.22 miles according to Summit Post, which also says that it will feel longer. I agree, it felt longer than 5.22 miles. To get to Grizzly Peak, you have to climb an unnamed 13er. And of course, you get to go over it again on the way back. Here are the pictures.


Early morning sunlight hitting the mountains









Grizzly Peak in the center of the picture. Grays Peak on the left





Me on top Grizzly Peak







Me wandering around Grizzly Peak.




Looking back on the trail, which is the top of the ridges. Mt. Sniktau is on the right. I climbed that last year.







This picture is looking towards Keystone and Mount of the Holy Cross. It also has a marmot in it.

Eight is Enough

I did a short hike on Saturday. I went to Devils Head in the Rampart Range. It is not too far from Denver and is a popular family hike. The only negative is that the Forest Service road that leads to trailhead is paralleled by a dirt bike and 4-wheeler trails. Lots of people were out enjoying the peace and quiet of their recreational vehicles. I guess four dollar a gallon gas is not enough to deter that activity. Fortunately the trailhead was off the main drag enough so that I didn’t have to eat trail bike dust or hear them as I hiked. The hike was worth the drive on Forest Service road. There are several overlooks and cool rocks. There is a fire tower on top that is still manned. The elevation at the fire tower is 9,748 feet. The view was fantastic. I could see Pikes Peak, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Mt. Evans, Mt. Bierstadt, Torreys Peak, Grays Peak, Longs Peak, and downtown Denver just to name a few of the places I could see from the top.



A view on the way up Devils Head











The Flag on top of Devils Head











Pikes Peak from the top of Devils Head

The Fire Tower Lookout and Pikes Peak

Me in front of Devils Head.

Enjoying the view on the way down.





World Cup Qualification has started for the U.S. The U.S. played Barbados on Sunday and beat them 8-0. It was not much of a game. At times it looked liked the U.S. didn’t know what to do with all the time they had with the ball. As expected, it was not like their three brutal warm-up games. They get to play Barbados again next weekend at Barbados. It is a home and away total goals series. With an eight-goal lead, I think it is safe to say that they got this series won.

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and future fathers out there!

-MM

Remember Every Moment

I went to my first concert at Red Rocks last Tuesday. I got to see R.E.M., which is one of my favorite all time bands. The set list was great in my opinion. They played a lot of stuff off of their great new album. They also played some great deep cuts off of some their classic albums from the 80’s and 90’s. The crowd wasn’t that good. There were way too many casual R.E.M. fans there. Now that R.E.M. is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I think they expected R.E.M. would be apart of the Old Timers Touring Circuit that just plays the hits. R.E.M. still considers their music relevant. I was beginning to doubt their relevance with their previous three releases, but their new album shows that they are not a dinosaur act yet. The casual R.E.M. fans did provide me with some humor. There is nothing like seeing couples embracing to lyrics like “This one goes out to the one I love. This one goes out to the one I’ve left behind. A simple prop to occupy my time…” You would think after 21 years since the song has been released, one might catch the “simple prop” line:)

On Sunday, I went up to Rocky Mountain National Park. I drove up Trail Ridge Road to Rainbow Curve. The road was closed at that point due to the weather. I walked up the road for maybe 2 miles. It was very windy. I even saw a few snowflakes. It was nice walking the road. I’m usually driving and can’t really look around.



That me on Trail Ridge Road






Looking across Forest Canyon from Trail Ridge Road.






View along Trail Ridge Road






Looking towards Horseshoe Park







Sundance Mountain







On the way back home, I stopped at Lily Lake, which is also apart of Rocky Mountain National Park. I walk around the lake. The trail is supposed to be 1 mile, but it felt like a half mile. Pops, you can handle that trail. Click here for extra pictures from this day.



Mt. Meeker, Longs Peak, Estes Cone, & Lily Lake




The US Men’s Soccer team just finished a killer 3 game exhibition schedule against England, Spain, and Argentina. They lost 2-0 to England and were basically pathetic. They lost 1-0 to Spain and were somewhat respectable for a half thanks to Freddy Adu. And finally today, they tied Argentina, the number one ranked team in the world. It was a 0-0 draw, but it was an entertaining match. The US was able to get some decent chances, but I have to give goalkeeper Tim Howard the Man of the Match Award. He was brilliant, especially in the first half. The games count for real next weekend. The US has a World Cup Qualifier against Barbados. They have to score some goals for that game. GO USA!!!

I'm Still Here

Here's a short update to let everyone know that I'm still around. I hurt my knee at the beginning of May so I haven't done as much lately. I've been doing some stretching and short walks to get it back into shape. On Sunday, I went to Mt. Falcon Open Space Park and did a short walk. Here are a couple of pictures.

Look a deer

The ruins of John Brisben Walker's home. It burnt down in 1918.