Powder Day in Rocky Mountain National Park

Recently I had the opportunity to spend a beautiful Friday snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park, which by my account, is a great reason to take a PTO day.

It's been pretty warm in Colorado this year so far and when we arrived in Estes Park - about an hour north of Boulder, 2 hours from Denver - and there was hardly any snow on the ground, I started to wonder if we'd be hiking. Thankfully, that was not the case.

With Mike Caldwell (father of Tommy Caldwell - who you may know as one of the guys who, along with Kevin Jorgeson, successfully free climbed El Capitan's Dawn Wall - it was all over international news January 2015) as our all-knowing guide, we headed to the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park and found snow.

Lots of beautiful snow.

Photo By: Olivia Odez

Photo By: Olivia Odez

While Matt and I took up snowshoeing when we moved to Colorado, there were a few firsts for me on this adventure.

1. I used poles. We don't have poles but by the time we were halfway up the first climb I was convinced of their awesomeness. The climbs aren't effortless with poles, but they do provide extra bit of oomph (the technical term, I'm sure) when you're pushing upwards and need some extra traction. 
2. I walked across a frozen lake. If we hadn't been following Mike, who knows the park like the back of his hand, I probably wouldn't have ventured out across the ice. Which would have been a shame because looking down through the ice was awesome and beautiful. 
3. I learned two new techniques. If you're heading down a very steep hill with deep, loose powder, turn around and dig the front of your snowshoes into the snow and step down like on a ladder. The crampons that are on the front of the snowshoe provide all the traction and according to Mike, this is the way to go. On most downhills however, you want to go down forward, with your center of gravity forward, and go with speed. Otherwise you will likely fall on your bum. Second, when you're going across a section that slopes upward, turn sideways with the front of your snowshoes facing up the slope and do like karaoke. Again, it's all about those crampons.

Photo Credit: Olivia Odez

Photo Credit: Olivia Odez

Photo Credit: Olivia Odez

It turned out to be a perfect day for snowshoeing and I had blast hanging out with Amanda (of Run to the Finish) and many other cool, adventure-seeking, nature-loving people. 

I'm definitely hoping to go back this summer with Matt for a hike. 

Thank you to SMACK! Media, Tasc Performance, Zamst, and Trigger Point Therapy for organizing this fantastic day in Rocky Mountain. And to Melissa Arnot and Jeff Evans for taking time out of their busy schedules to join us and share with us the importance of servant leadership, giving back to the community, and encouraging others to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.

What are your favorite winter sports? * 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service, do you have a favorite park?

Colorado Hike: Upper Mohawk Lake, Breckenridge

Sleeping in on the weekend for us looks like 7:15am. I'm going to guess it's not much different for a lot of you since we runners tend to get up early and get out on the roads or the trails to put in our miles. This past Saturday however, we were up before 6am so we could get on the road to Breckenridge early.

While only an hour and a half from Denver, it was Woody's first time to Breckenridge and the only time I had been there was for a Powder Day with co-workers. The aspens are reaching their peak color in a lot of the state so we were hoping to see some beautiful colors on our day trip to the high country.

After checking out a number of trail review websites we decided on the Spruce Creek Trail to Upper Mohawk Lake. The trailhead is just a few miles outside of downtown Breckenridge off an accessible dirt county road. We arrived right about 8:30am to a few other cars in the small lot and it was all of 39 degrees! Thankfully I had long pants on over capris and a long sleeve top over a tank, but I could have easily used a pair of gloves as we started off. It's easy to forget how cold it can get at night in the mountains.

The start of the hike was nice and easy. Wide and well groomed, not too much of an incline we were able to walk side by side and could breath easy, even though the trail starts out more than 5,000 feet higher than where we live.

This 6.7 mile round-trip trail reaches its highest point at 12,110 feet with a total elevation gain of 1,810 feet. To put this into some perspective, the Empire State Building is 1,454 feet tall.

While we saw a few other groups of hikers, we had the trail to ourselves most of the way out, which is how I prefer my hiking. It offers us a chance to connect, talk about random things, and also just enjoy nature at it's most peaceful.

The trails winds alongside Spruce Creek a bit, and crosses over a few streams and seasonal runoffs, and through tall pines. About 1.5 miles is a turnoff to Wheeler Trail and then marshy lake with stunning views.

A bit farther down the trail you cross Spruce Creek Road - which actually goes back to the trailhead but from what we saw, would require a truck or SUV to navigate - and a damn. After this, the trail begins to get a bit more technical and steep. Past Mayflower Lake, which we didn't actually see, but there was a turnoff from the trail, things get really serious.

First, are some old mining buildings. This place is far from town now, I cannot even begin to imagine what life was like way out here back when this mine was in action. There is a waterfall just a bit away from these buildings, which is cool to check out, before heading back to the trail.

From here on up, the trail is almost a mythical thing - it was crazy hard to find the trail on our way up and instead we ended up scrambling up steep open rock alongside Continental Falls. At the top of this section there's what's left of an old, tram building with one cable still in tact which we used when we could. To say I was a bit nervous during this section is an understatement. But it felt pretty amazing to get to the top. I wish I had some good photos of this, but I was too focused on just getting through it!

We were a bit tired by the time we got up to this point and without any shade or clouds in the sky, the temperature had jumped dramatically. We hunted around and found the trail again, which led us over a bit of a hill to Lower Mohawk Lake. I have to say, these mountain lakes are beautiful - the water is so clear it's just crazy. Each one unique, some more stunning than others, but all of them incredible.

Just about 3 miles in the lake is a perfect spot to stop for a picnic or a rest, a lot of people also seem to turn around and head back from here. It's a beautiful lake, so it's definitely a fine place to stop, but it's worth it to push on. There were only a few people at Lower Mohawk Lake when we were first there, so it was quite peaceful.

Again, it was tough to find the trail and we had to crosscut a bit through some marshy patches, but we managed to locate the trail and wind our way up a final incline and through some tall bushes. Then out of no where, you're eye level with the lake.

Super clear and a sharp shade of green, not to sound like a broken record, the lake is stunning. There was one guy fishing along the edge of the lake and two others up a bit along the other side, but for a while, they were the only other ones around. A few more hikers arrived and declared that the next two lakes beyond this are even more beautiful, but this was as far as we were going.

Not a bad view the other way either, but there were more pines than aspens. On the way back down there were a lot more people out on the trail. We had read this is a popular trail - which makes sense since it's so close to downtown Breckenridge - and it definitely was. I'm glad we got out on the trail early. Thankfully we were able to find our way down the mountain via the trail, which was still pretty steep but a good bit easier than the way we took up. Talking to some other hikers, we quickly realized we weren't the only ones who had trouble finding the way.

When we got back to the trailhead the small parking lot was overflowing with cars, which were parked along both sides of the narrow road for quite a long way. Another reason to get there early!

A few tips if you're going to do this hike:

• Get there early
• Wear layers
• Wear sunblock - the sun is harsh
• Be sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated at the high altitude
• There are no outhouses at the trailhead, so make a pit stop in town
• Take a picture of the trail map at the trailhead so you can reference it when you get of course
• Plan to spend some time in Breck after the hike, there are great places to eat and it's a cute mountain town

While we didn't see many aspens on the trail, there were quite a few in downtown Breck and around Frisco, which is where you get back onto 70 - the main highway through the mountains. This photo is from Dillon Reservoir.

What are your favorite ways to enjoy fall weather? * Any favorite hikes or drives to see the colors? 

Running to Save Lives

Now that we're a few years into our life in Colorado we're starting to find a few races we like, and doing them each year. This past Saturday was the Blue Shoe Run for Prostate Cancer which raises funds for the The Urology Center of Colorado. I'm not sure saying it's a run for prostate cancer, is quite the best description of the race - in both that it's a run and walk (I think more people likely walk than run, actually) and that the race raises money for cancer research in order to increase the number of men in the local community who are screened, and to support community programs and research.

I'm still working my way back from my injury so I didn't have any goals for this race beyond putting in a strong effort and to enjoy the experience. Woody, however, wanted to break 7 minute miles. While I sometimes struggle with the fact that running has come quite easy to him, much easier than it is for me, I do love to see him excited about running and setting running goals.

I wrote a good bit about this race last year, and since it wasn't all that different this time around I won't get into all the details here, but it is a very low key event that starts with a kids race before the 5k run start and then a 1.5 mile family walk. There are a ton of families at the event - kids in strollers to grandparents.

The race is for a good cause: prostate cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in American men, about 1 in 7 will be diagnosed in their lifetime. These numbers are pretty staggering and while it's fantastic that this event had more than 1,200 participants, events raising funds to fight prostate cancer aren't nearly as popular as those for breast cancer. I'm glad we were able to participate and we plan to do so every year we're able to.

If you are thinking about running this race - and I hope you are - I'll warn you about a long hill towards the end that goes up a freeway onramp then turns left and keeps going up. If you want to hit a certain time, like Woody did, you have to keep this in mind and save energy for it.

For those who want to give back in a meaningful way, I met a man who is a participant and volunteer for Live by Living, a non-profit organization that provides cancer survivors and their caregivers with opportunities to connect with nature and each other. The organization leads walks, day hikes, snowshoe outings, and 2- and 3-day retreats, all at no cost to the participants. To do this, they rely on volunteers to lead and support the various events.

A lot of people stick around after the race to enjoy the food, music, silent auction, and hear the presentations. There's also a large "survivors oasis" which looks like a serious party from the outside.

As for Woody's goal - he clocked a 6:44 min/mile pace! So proud of him!

Do you participate in a fundraiser race that you'd like to let people know about? * Have you reached a goal in your running recently that you want to share?

A Red Rocks Workout for Beginners

If you know anything about Denver, you probably know that it is home to Red Rocks Amphitheater, the beautiful, mostly-natural, music venue that has hosted the best musicians to tour the United States for decades. It's a stunning venue with views that reach to downtown Denver and far out into the eastern plains of Colorado. I've seen a lot of shows in my life, and if you're a live music fan, a show at Red Rocks should be on your bucket list. 

What you might not know is that during the day, the amphitheater and the park that it sits in, attracts hundreds of people looking to get in a good workout. Aside from the amphitheater, the park boasts two trails - the Trading Post hiking trail is a 1.4mile loop showcases an up close and personal view of the red rock formations while the multi-use Red Rocks Trail which connects into Matthews-Winters Park and the Dakota Ridge Trail. 

While trails are great, the big draw here is the unique access to the amphitheater. Every summer there are a number of large organized fitness activities, such as Yoga on the Rocks, and several bootcamp classes meet regularly for instructor-led torture fun, but anyone can just show up any morning and put together their own workout. 

There are countless exercises you can do here, but I thought I'd share with you the workout we did that got our hearts racing and lungs burning. Your quads will not be happy the next day, so don't plan on a long run or speed work the day after. Also, since the park sits at 6,400 feet elevation so if you're visiting, try to give yourself a day or two to acclimate to Denver's elevation (5,280) and don't give yourself a hard time when you start breathing heavy just walking up the steps from the parking lot! It's normal!

Run the Stairs Start near the top and run across a row, down the steps along the outside, across one of the front rows, and back up the other side. According to my Garmin, one lap = approximately .2 miles. I recommend at least two laps, but go for as many as you can handle!

Tricep Dips

Planks & Push-Ups

Jump Rope

Crunches

Step Ups

And after all this, be sure to take time to stretch because your muscles will need it!

While this wasn't our typical workout and I didn't get in as many miles as I usually would on a Sunday morning, it was a tough workout and great to mix things up a bit.

A few tips if you do venture to Red Rocks to break a sweat:

• Go early - it gets busy and hot
• Wear sunblock (there's very little shade and the sun is potent)
• Take lots of water
• Everyone else is working hard too, so be mindful of others - don't block the row when others are coming through if you can at all help it, if you need music bring headphones, don't bring so much gear with you that you limit access, and watch out and move aside for people running the stairs
• Don't limit yourself to just the amphitheater, take advantage of the trails and the steep inclines throughout the park for hill workouts
• The visitors center has nice, large restrooms and there's also an onsite restaurant 
• Watch out for tourists taking pictures and oogling over the view - they might not see you coming down
• Rock climbing is not allowed in the park, be kind to our national landmark and don't leave a trace

Sweaty but smiling!

Do you make more time for workouts on holiday weekends? * Now that summer is "unofficially" over, what are you looking forward to most this fall?

Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park

When I'm asked what I enjoy most about living in Colorado, my response is "the endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors." More specifically, I've been falling in love with hiking and (when not injured) trail running. This past Saturday we woke up early and headed up to Rocky Mountain National Park - which is celebrating its 100th anniversary - to get a fix of fresh mountain air and get our hearts beating. 

At the suggestion of a colleague who is working towards hiking every trail in RMNP, we decided to tackle the Mills Lake trail. This one starts at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead not far from the Beaver Meadows entrance which is just outside of Estes Park. By the time we arrived a bit before 9am (it's about an hour and a half drive from our house in Denver), the parking nearest the trailhead was full so we parked at the Park & Ride and took the shuttle - which was very easy and convenient, albeit packed. 

The Mills Lake trail is popular with families because the first section especially is a very easy hike and less than a mile in is Alberta Falls, which is quite beautiful. The trail at the start is fairly wide and we saw many families with young kids to grandparents. As you continue, the trail gets slightly more technical but it's still a moderate hike for the 2.8 miles to Mills Lake. We did lose most of those families at the waterfall, which was just fine with us. We like our space when we hike!

When we got to the lake we were blown away by its beauty. It's nestled right up against the mountain and reflects back the clouds in the sky and the rocks and trees along its edges. The edges were perfect for relaxing or enjoying a picnic. We wanted to stop but decided to press on and extend our hike to Black Lake. 

Past Mills Lake the trail gets more technical but not impossible. The crowds definitely thinned out for this portion. The trail winds through marshy areas, a section where a massive amount of trees had been uprooted during a rare microburst back in 2011, along the Glacier Creek, and across rock. You know you're arriving at Black Lake because you first hear, then see, Ribbon Falls. At the top of the falls are huge boulders that lead to a lake that is even more beautiful than Mills Lake. It was absolutely breathtaking and one of mother nature's great beauties. We lingered for a while on the rocks to take in the enormity of it all.

I briefly talked with a man who had come around the edge on a small trail who suggested we take the trail up higher to see the view as he thought it was an even more incredible perspective, and this was one of his favorite hikes that he's done several times. So, of course, off we went. This section is very steep and being above 10,000 feet it was quite difficult. Woody went farther than I did, but really, I was beyond happy with the view I had. It does look black from above, but it's some of the clearest water we've seen anywhere.

After a bit we made our way back down, spent a few more minutes on the rocks then started back towards the trailhead. This is an out and back trail but the perspective going each way is different enough we loved it. We took a break at Mills Lake to dip our feet in the water - which is so cold that it stung - and enjoy the peaceful scenery for a few minutes. Thankfully the cold water gave us a nice energy boost as we continued on. While the sky had been very blue for most of our hike, the clouds had started to roll in as we were leaving Black Lake. Weather conditions can change very quickly in the mountains and afternoon rainstorms are quite frequent during the summer. While we had our rain jackets with us, we didn't have to use them, although I wouldn't be surprised if some hikers did later in the afternoon in some parts of the park.

While we've done a number of hikes now in a number of parks, this is my favorite so far. I do like a bit more technicality, but the views are just stunning. Every turn the trail took brought into view something else that was just awesome, and there were so many beautiful wild flowers. I definitely hope to go back, and maybe make it a bit longer of a hike by doing the full Black Lake trail but also adding on a spur to check out The Loch or Lake Haiyaha. If you make your way to Rocky Mountain National Park, I highly recommend this trail - even if you only get to Alberta Falls.

If you've been to Rocky Mountain National Park, what trail did you love most? * With one month left of summer, what do you want to do that you haven't done yet?

 

Crested Butte: A Chill Mountain Town

If you read my last post you already know we spent the Fourth of July in Crested Butte. For those unfamiliar with Colorado, Crested Butte is a quaint little mountain town southwest of Denver.

Crested Butte was founded in the late 1800's as a supply center for the area before it became a mining town in its own right. In a valley at the base of Crested Butte mountain is Elk Street with a number of cute shops and delicious restaurants, flanked on both sides by several streets lined with beautiful houses - both old and new. Crested Butte is a quintessential, chill, mountain town straight out of a dream.

Unlike Vail, Beaver Creek, and other ski resort mountain towns, the downtown is separated from the ski mountain, so it's more small town, less condo buildings and resort hotels. We stayed in a little downtown cottage we found on airbnb and the location could not have been more perfect for us - steps from Elk Street but along a quiet alley. Our host was gracious and very knowledgable about the town.

Our first evening we hitched a ride on the free bus from downtown up to the mountain for the One World Music Festival and caught two bands (below, The Leftover Cuties) before we headed back down to get some sleep before the race.

After we finished the Gothic to Crested Butte 1/3 Marathon we had to take part in the 4th of July festivities. Let's just say Crested Butte takes the holiday seriously.

The parade features groups from around the area, and as far as we could tell, pretty much anyone who wanted to participate. The sidewalks along Elk were packed with spectators and the restaurants were jammed. After the parade there's a town water fight - which the fire department gets in on. The town kids loved it; we enjoyed it from afar. 

We were pleasantly surprised by all the great food and drink in such a small town! A few of our favorites - Teocalli Tamale, Secret Stash Pizzeria, Third Bowl Handmade Ice Cream (delicious vegan options!), First Ascent Coffee, and Montanya Distillery.

Sunday mornings are for the Farmer's Market. And since we always seek out Farmer's Markets, we couldn't miss this one. It's not huge but it is a good size with plenty of options including artists selling paintings, photography, jewelry and more; bakeries with sweet treats; farmers with everything you need - including one farm that specializes in all varieties of garlic - and a winery or two. We picked up a few veggies before heading out on a hike. 

Crested Butte is known for world class mountain biking trails, but the hiking trails aren't bad either! We only tried out two while we were in town but both were wonderful. Snodgrass Trail is perfect for wildflowers and a view of Crested Butte Mountain - unless it's raining like it was on our hike, but then you feel like you've been transported to a rainforest!

Lower Loop is reachable via the Woods Walk trail which starts right at the edge of downtown. You know what that means: no car needed. With beautiful valley and mountain views, and a trail right along the river, it would have been great for an easy-ish trail run if our legs hadn't been shot after the race! Definitely something we'll do if we go back. The one downside is that because it's easily accessible from town it can also be very crowded. 

From our two hikes, the two tips I'll pass on are: 1) Take layers & rain gear - we went through a rainstorm on Snodgrass Trail and the temperature varied by 10+ degrees during the hike, 2) Watch for mountain bikers - unless you're on one of the few hiking-only trails, you will encounter numerous mountain bikers and while hikers technically have right of way, it's just easier for us to move out of the way. Here's a quick list of hikes near Crested Butte.

Of course we made one last stop at First Ascent Coffee before heading out of town for some breakfast and coffee. We grabbed a half pound bag and a loaf of bread to take home with us, which did not last long enough. Thankfully we can order the coffee online and feel like we're back in Crested Butte when we enjoy a cup on our deck. If you stop here, be sure to head upstairs for a seat on the balcony with mountain views.

We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in Crested Butte and while the small town 4th of July celebrations were entertaining and the race was incredible, it would be nice to go back sometime when there isn't a big event to better experience the laid back vibe, new trails, and more great food.

What adventures have you taken this summer? * Is there a town in your state you haven't been to but want to explore?