Colorado, Colorado Hikes

Colorado Day Hikes: Hartenstein Lake

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

Colorado, Colorado Destinations

Colorado Destinations: Mount Princeton Hot Springs

Until I moved to Colorado, I wasn’t aware of its plethora of hot springs. But if you spend any amount of time in the state – or do a google search of ‘best things to do in Colorado’ – you will quickly discover the popularity of the state’s many hot springs. While there are a… Continue reading Colorado Destinations: Mount Princeton Hot Springs

Colorado, Colorado Destinations

Colorado Destinations: Chalk Creek Canyon, St. Elmo, & Salida

I’m trying something new this year, which is to do a little less research related to our travels. I’m still doing some; I like to know at least vaguely what’s going on and be educated enough to ensure we aren’t going to find ourselves in a situation we’re not prepared for. But I’m learning it’s… Continue reading Colorado Destinations: Chalk Creek Canyon, St. Elmo, & Salida

Colorado, Colorado Destinations

Colorado Destinations: Cottonwood Pass & Buena Vista

Memorial Day weekend in Colorado is a total crapshoot, weather wise. Some years it’s cold and rainy. Some years it’s warm and sunny. Some years it snows. And some years it does all of these things and then some… which, to be honest, is kind of what happened this year. But I digress. Despite the… Continue reading Colorado Destinations: Cottonwood Pass & Buena Vista

Colorado, Colorado Destinations, Colorado Hikes

Colorado Destinations: Twin Lakes

The combination of living in Colorado and having a winter anniversary always makes it difficult to figure out how we’re going to celebrate. You just never know what the weather has in store, especially in the mountains. This year we actually had the opposite problem from what we expected: it was going to be too… Continue reading Colorado Destinations: Twin Lakes

Colorado, Colorado Hikes

Colorado Day Hikes: Hope Pass

This one is being filed in the category of hikes I will probably never do again. It was pretty. It was definitely really pretty once we emerged from the trees. But it was also brutally steep and, frankly, there are less challenging hikes that will get you above tree line. There are two ways to… Continue reading Colorado Day Hikes: Hope Pass

Colorado, Colorado Hikes

Colorado Day Hikes: Timberline Lake

As is often the case, I mistakenly assumed that because this hike was only 5.5 miles (8.9 km) round trip, it probably wasn’t going to be that great. And, as is often the case, I was wrong. Timberline Lake is beautiful! In mid-July 2020, Pat and I headed off for a weekend camping adventure near… Continue reading Colorado Day Hikes: Timberline Lake

Colorado, Colorado Hikes

Colorado Day Hikes: Browns Creek Falls

In late June 2019, my mom and I were lucky enough to snag spaces on a Women Who Hike overnight backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. She’d already purchased her plane ticket to come visit me for the week, so it worked out perfectly when this hike was scheduled for the very weekend she’d… Continue reading Colorado Day Hikes: Browns Creek Falls

Colorado, Colorado Destinations

Colorado Destinations: Royal Gorge Railroad

For people who like to celebrate by doing something outdoorsy, February isn’t the optimal time of year to have an anniversary. Sure, we could have gone skiing… if we felt like dropping $200+ for a single day and spending hours sitting in traffic. (We didn’t.) So instead, we settled on a scenic train ride through… Continue reading Colorado Destinations: Royal Gorge Railroad