Best Idea Ever

I am headed back home tonight and my flight does not arrive until 10:30 p.m. I have a long day of school tomorrow followed by a long negotiating session. I was trying to figure out how to get home as quickly as possible. I was also trying to figure out how to cram all my stuff in my suitcase. Due to the weather, I had to buy some extra items like boots, hat, gloves, etc. That's when I decided I would ship home anything I didn't immediately need. This would allow me to have no checked baggage and quickly exit the airport. It also solved the problem of how to cram all the stuff in my luggage and was a convenient way to make sure I did not have to dispose of all my liquids over 3 ounces. So, this morning, I headed to the UPS store. I'd done a little comparison shopping and UPS was going to be a little cheaper than the postal service. Imagine my pleasant surprise when my total at UPS came to $20.65. The cost to check my bag? $20.00. So, for an extra 65 cents, I don't have to carry all that stuff, it will arrive on my doorstep on Thursday, and I will get home a little earlier. I recommend this method for traveling and am certain I will be using it again.

Yesterday I made my way from Glenwood Springs back to Brighton. I stopped about 20 miles east of Glenwood to hike the Burnt Tree Ridge Trail near Dotsero at the east trailhead of the Glenwood Canyon path. As I initially started up the trail, I thought this would be a good trail for families with small children. It is a very wide trail and was once used as a one lane dirt road. I quickly changed my mind however as the trail was pretty darn steep with very few flat spots. It took about an hour and a half to reach the summit which seemed pretty high. Near the top of the trail, there were lots of sheep like droppings, two watering holes, and 2 open bags of animal salt (like a salt block but not in block form). I assume there is some grazing going on up there although I saw no live animals. I did see, however, two animal skulls, one of which was somewhat large. It appeared to be larger than that of a sheep. There were some other bones and fur nearby. It was definitely fur and not wool so that was another clue that I was not staring at the skull of a sheep. There were great views from the summit although, because of trees, I could not see straight down. That was probably good as it is sometimes frightening to see how high up one is. The mountain I hiked is in the picture below. It is the peak to the left and behind what appears to be the tallest peak.



After my hike, I headed back east on I-70. Although road conditions were perfect, this is most definitely a two-handed drive . . . and I never drive with two hands. I stopped in lunch for Silverthorne again and also stopped at a few scenic overlooks. There was one scenic overlook I was going to stop at but we were going down mountain and I was going too darn fast to make the exit. It would have been a Thelma & Louise flying over the cliff moment. The picture is of Lake Dillon between Dillon and Frisco just off I-70.



On I-70 between Denver and Glenwood, there are two passes. Vail Pass is 10,700 feet and you really feel as though you are on top of the mountains and extremely high up . . . and you are. The second is Loveland Pass which is at 12,000 feet. Let me just say that these are feats of engineering and that they are best appreciated as a passenger in a vehicle and not the driver.

Before I sign off and head home, I'd like to talk a little about my gear. First, I wore Under Armour Cold Gear and I highly recommend it. It kept me warm like regular long johns but wicked away the moisture (and I was sweating LOTS) so that I never got cold. Secondly, on my feet, I was wearing Asics 2140 Trail Running Shoe. This is the same as their 2140 running shoe but made for trails. I highly recommend it as well. I had zero feet problems, blisters, etc. I can also give some credit for my lack of blisters to my Feetures socks. Finally, I must say that all the ladies here who wear stocking caps are geniuses. If you continually wear a stocking cap, it never matters what your hair looks like. Genius! If you're traveling to Colorado and have never been before, just bring your comfy clothes. You can wear fleece and running pants anywhere here. I didn't even pull my jeans out of my bag.

Until next time . . .

Two Hikes

I must say that yesterday was physically exhausting. I began the day with a hike up to Lookout Mountain. Let me back up. I actually began the day stuck in the Target parking lot with a key in the ignition that wouldn't turn. After a call to my sister and a call to Dad, that problem was fixed. I don't know how people with crummy dads function. Who tells them how to fix stuff? Who helps lift the heavy items?

Anyway, Lookout Mountain. What a challenge! It wasn't that the terrain was so tough or the trail too steep . . . it was all covered in snow. In some places I was walking in a foot of snow. I followed the Boy Scout Trail . . . or I thought I was following the Boy Scout Trail. In actuality, I was following the trail of those who had walked before me and stomped down the snow. (What would Robert Frost say about this?) After 2 hours of trekking upwards, the trail of the guy with the big feet and long strides stopped. I tried carrying on for a ways but had a tough time locating the trail. During the 2 hours up, I had seen one trail sign and I knew that there was a trail that went 3 miles to Lookout Mountain, another trail that went 16 miles to a mesa, and one that went somewhere in between. I decided for my own safety, I should head back down. I know that I can always try it again during warmer weather. That being said, when I do try it again, I think some of those hiking sticks are the way to go with this trail. On the way down, especially close to the bottom, there were some south facing areas where the snow had melted. It was slick red clay. Very slick. I almost wiped out several times (I did land on my ass in the snow twice). So, note to self for next time, two hiking sticks, two bottles of water or more, and some trail mix. The pictures below are of Lookout Mountain. The first is taken from the parking lot of my hotel which is a few miles away. The second is take from the shopping center parking lot which is a few miles closer. If you look closely or click on the pictures, you'll see towers on the top of the mountain. I think I made it to the forested area to the lower left of the peak . . . but I'm not sure.



After 2 hours up and and a little more than an hour going down Lookout Mountain, it was time to find some Mexican food. This time I ate at Fiesta Guadalajara. It was another good meal. I had the fish tacos. Surprisingly, they chopped up the fish and mixed them with a bunch of vegetables. I think cabbage was in there too. Imagine my surprise when I liked it!

After the late lunch, I headed out to check out the old neighborhood where my mom's cousin used to live. I was disappointed to find that the large empty field near them now housed condos and a school. The mountain near their house that was my first Rocky Mountain hike is now covered with a subdivision. I have a negative attitude against new development anyway so this did not sit well with me. Thus, it was time for another hike. Below is what used to be an open field. Behind it is the first mountain I hiked. On the back side of that mountain, there is now a subdivision.



For my second hike of the day, I chose to hike up to Doc Holiday's grave. He was buried here in Glenwood after he died of tuberculosis. He came to Glenwood Springs thinking the Hot Springs would be good for his lungs. They think the sulfur from the Hot Springs may be what did him in. I know it almost did me in when I was swimming the other night. So up the trail I went. I was disappointed to find a sign that said this certain area was restricted and under renovations. I took that to mean that the really cool stuff was up ahead and so I stepped over the little sign and kept on walking. The area that I came upon was Potter's Field or the part of the cemetery for the destitute, the undesirables, and of course anyone who was not white. It was there that I found the headstone of Kid Curry, who ran with Butch Cassidy. The headstone looked brand spanking new and my guess is that it was not original to his 1904 death.

I must say that I had not originally realized I was visiting a cemetery on Halloween . . . not until I saw the ghost of Doc Holliday. Ok, it wasn't technically a ghost. It was a guy dressed up as Doc Holliday or maybe Wyatt Earp (I think he had a badge on) who was going to be leading a haunted tour. I found him at Doc's grave and we chatted a little. It was a little spooky though. After a few pictures, back down the mountain I went.



I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and using Google Earth in an attempt to figure out exactly where I'd walked on Lookout Mountain. That was futile. The trail Google Earth has marked does not look like the trail I walked. And you could see that there are many many trails on Lookout Mountain. Perhaps there were signs under the snow that can guide me next time.

Today's agenda includes a drive to Boulder to watch my nephew play some soccer. I also hope to get a little more hiking in. My shoes, Under Armour, and hiking pants from yesterday are still wet so we'll see what I can accomplish without them.