a former gymnast with a neverending case of wanderlust
The Flatirons are a prominent facade of five slanted rock slabs that rise above the town of Boulder and are probably one of the most recognizable features in the entire region. Their outline and/or name appear all over logos and businesses in Boulder and their sharp profile is visible from many miles away on a… Continue reading Colorado Destinations: Chautauqua Park
Located on the southwest edge of the Denver Metro area, Deer Creek Canyon Park is open to hikers, bikers, and equestrians. The park isn’t huge, but there are 14 miles (22.5 km) of trails including routes to the park’s two highest points: Plymouth Mountain and Bill Couch Mountain. Like all Jefferson County Open Space parks,… Continue reading Colorado Day Hikes: Deer Creek Canyon Park
A while back, I put together a post about a handful of short hikes near the Colorado mountain town of Evergreen. Today I’ll be doing the same thing for a different – but nearby – location: Conifer. The town of Conifer is located along Highway 285 about 30 minutes west of Denver. As 285 is… Continue reading Day Hikes in: Conifer, Colorado
I’m not going to sugar coat it: this was not an overly enjoyable hike. It was a combination of factors. The snow conditions were terrible; it was soft and squishy and slippery, and at times it felt like we were walking on sand in our snowshoes. We also hadn't been at such high elevation in… Continue reading Colorado Day Hikes: Hartenstein Lake
Pat and I haven’t had a lot of luck with this hike. The first time, in August 2018, we began our hike under blue skies, but as soon as we sat down at Lake Helene to eat a snack it began to rain. Between the precipitation and the low-hanging clouds obscuring the mountains, it wasn’t… Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Two Rivers Lake & Lake Helene
I have a terrible tendency to discount shorter or easier or lower elevation hikes because I'd much rather be above tree line on a summit or way in the backcountry at an alpine lake. I'm certain this bias has caused me to overlook many hiking opportunities over the years. But Colorado continues to remind me… Continue reading Day Hikes in: Evergreen, Colorado
Three years ago, Pat and I attended Upslope Brewing’s annual Backcountry Taproom and had a blast. After one year off due to Covid, the event was resurrected last year and we attended again. In the aftermath, I was telling my mom about it and she mentioned she’d like to come with us sometime. So this… Continue reading Colorado Fall Colors: Backcountry Taproom and Caribou Ranch Open Space
On September 24, 2022, two of my travel goals collided when I summited my eighth Colorado 14er… which also happens to be the highest point in Colorado! A few days later, as I sit down to begin writing this post, I’m conflicted about whether to title it ‘Colorado 14ers’ to match my other 14ers posts… Continue reading On Top of Colorado (and Colorado 14er #8): Mount Elbert
Up until June 2022, Lake Haiyaha looked like this. Image source On June 28, 2022, there was a rockslide on the mountainside above Lake Haiyaha. On this peaceful, sunny morning, a large section of the landscape broke free and began to tumble down Chaos Canyon. Rocks ranging in size from small pebbles to apartment-sized boulders… Continue reading Rocky Mountain National Park Hikes: Lake Haiyaha
Two years ago, Savannah and I made plans to hike to Tuhare Lakes with our husbands. Two years ago was also an absolutely awful summer for wildfires in Colorado; forest closures, evacuation zones, and suffocating smoke thwarted many plans… including this one. The original plan was to reschedule for summer 2021 instead, but we just… Continue reading Colorado Day Hikes: Tuhare Lakes
Handstands Around the World 