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Wanting to sneak in a fun, family vacation before Chloe's school started and Peg's work travel ramped back up, I planned a little surprise trip for me and my ladies this past weekend out to Glenwood Springs (about 3 hours west of here.) We spent a short day here last year when we were in the area for a multi-day bike race I was doing, and kept it on the radar screen as a town and area we would want to visit again.
Anywho, with bikes on the rack, cooler loaded with our roadside picnic area lunch (enjoyed up on Vail pass, thank you very much), and back of the car stuffed with other various pieces of luggage, we made our way out I-70, arriving in Glenwood Springs around 3:00p on Thursday.
There wasn't a lot of downtime after our arrival -- we had about 90 minutes to unload/unpack, check out the house, and relax for a bit -- as I had a surprise waiting for Peg and Chloe. It involved getting back in the car for a 20 minute or so drive to Carbondale where, on every Thursday summer night, they have a rodeo. A rodeo is something we've always wanted to see since we moved out here, and this "local" rodeo was awesome. It had a little bit of everything... bull riding, team roping, barrel racing, mutton busting (kids riding sheep) and some events you probably wouldn't find in Cheyenne or Calgary. We got there a little early on purpose and lucked into a parking space right along the fence; actually, right next to the corral where the calves were kept after they had their moment of fun in the roping contest.
It was what one might expect at a rodeo... men wearing cowboy hats because they wear them everyday, Wrangler jeans, pickup trucks, old bleachers filled with families, Johnny Cash's "Ragged Old Flag" being played over the PA system, and public recognition of current and past military personnel. While we hardly blended with that (with our Keens, foreign built SUV, baseball hats and shorts) we felt part of something that was very Western America-esque.
As for Friday, well, once Chloe realized on Thursday where we were going for the weekend, I had a pretty good hunch that the lion's share of Friday's dance card would be filled by the Glenwood Hot Springs pool (and its slides and diving board.) And my hunch came to be. We spent about 7 hours there, alternating between the 90-degree main pool, 104-degree "therapy" pool, water slides and chaise lounges.
We came into the weekend with Saturday unplanned, but once we got there and a) saw what the weather was going to be like (beautiful) and b) what potential activities were available to us, we built up for ourselves another active day. The morning consisted of a whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River and through Glenwood Canyon. Even with the lower-than-average flow rate (due to the lower than average snowpack from last winter) there was plenty of fun to be had. And right off the get-go at that, for shortly after we dropped in -- I mean within a matter of minutes -- we encountered some Class III rapids. We survived those with smiles on our faces, and then spent a good bit of the next 2 hours on a gentle float down the river and through the canyon. Ironically, it was during this stretch that provided perhaps the most action of the day.
Since it was calm, the guide said Chloe could be our "bow rider," meaning she could sit on the front lip of the raft, facing front with feet hanging over... as long as she leaned back a little. A little while later, we were taking the raft between two rocks in the middle of the river and lined it up perfectly. Little did we realize until they were upon us the size the drop on the other side of them... it wasn't huge by the day's standards, but large enough to propel a 9 year old off the bow of the raft and into the Colorado River. She fell to my side of the boat, and despite being scared and startled, did everything right once she was in the water -- turned and faced the raft, kept her feet up, and swam towards the raft as best she could. Within a matter of seconds, I handed the T-grip from my paddle to her, pulled her next to the raft, and hoisted her in by the shoulder straps of her life vest.
For sure, she was pretty rattled by the experience initially. But being the gamer that she is, said she would want to go rafting again someday. (Big grins from Peg and I when she said that!)
There was some down-time after rafting to get some lunch and relax a bit before we headed off to our next activity... a sunset horseback ride. Unfortunately, due to a later start than planned, our 2-hour ride was more like 1 hour. That aside, and though I'm not as much into horses as Peg and Chloe, but I would definitely consider doing this ride again. The views were great, as we climbed up to some high pastures and were able to look up and down the canyon as the sun was in the early stages of setting. After the ride, it was dinnertime on a rooftop terrace near the river... a simply splendid way to end the day.
For our last day, we traveled south to Aspen to do a short hike I planned in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area. The Maroon Bells are some of Colorado's more famous 14ers, and some of the most photographed... if one were to pick up a photobook of Colorado, there's a good chance these peaks are not only in it, there's also a fair chance they are on the cover. Our hike, of course, wasn't taking us to their peaks; instead, it was the 1.8 mile one to Crater Lake that sits at their base. The weather cooperated with us yet again, and the trail afforded us some great views at points throughout (and, with a lot of sun exposure the previous 2 days, some much welcomed shade at other points.)
After completing the hike, we went into the town of Aspen to grab a late lunch at a great ribs and BBQ place. We couldn't linger in Aspen after lunch as much as hoped, so we jumped back in the car and headed East over Independence Pass, and ultimately Boulder. The heavy traffic on the way back couldn't take away from the fun we had together for the previous 72 hours, and gave us ample time to think about what we might want to do the next time we visit Glenwood Springs and environs.
Here is the slideshow of pictures from the trip.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
8.06.2012
12.25.2011
6.21.2011
Latest Goings On
Despite my intentions of keeping this thing more up to date, June was a bad month to have that happen. Bad only because we had (and have) such a fun-n-busy month that my little blurbs here had to take a back seat. But it's currently a little before 7:00 this morning and I have some time to jot down some details about what's been going on over the last couple of weeks.
- Birthday & camping: On the first weekend of the month, friends (some as far away as IL) joined us for a little camping outing in Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate my 40th birthday. It was such a wonderful, relaxing and fun time just sitting around with snow covered peaks in the background, elk walking through the campsite and family and friends nearby... not a bad way to close out one's fourth decade. (Picture to the right: Sprague Lake and environs.)
- Railroads, running and rafting: A couple days after the camping, my parents came out to visit for several days. They've seen Boulder already, so we spent most of the time with them out in the mountains: we took a mine tour in Breckenridge, a scenic train ride out of Leadville, and the highlight (at least for me)... a whitewater rafting trip. If was the first time doing rafting for my parents (mid-70s) and Chloe (8) and it was a pretty good introduction to the activity. For one, the river we rode had some pretty good Class III rapids on it... nothing too nutsy, but definitely plenty enough bouncing around to get some walls of water splashing into the raft at times. As for the water, it was moving pretty good and was frigid... due to the high snowpack and therefore prolonged melt-off, the river water had a good pace going and was only about 34° F. Accordingly, wetsuits were donned by all. It was about a 70 minute flo
at, and we all had a great time... my parents would consider doing it again (which is awesome!), though would want to try a longer trip on Class IIIs and in warmer water before considering some Class IVs.
Another reason we spent some time out in the mountains is that Peggy was signed up for a running race. For the months leading up to it, she had been training for the half-marathon option. During the last 2 weeks, though, she came down with some kind of cold or virus infection that left her really congested and she wasn't able to keep up with her training. All wasn't lost as the race organizers had a 10K option as well. Given she was still not 100% and not breathing the best, and over 4,000 feet higher in elevation that what she's used to, she opted to run that and was able to beat the time she set for herself (another "awesome!") 
(Pictures in this section, top to bottom: My Dad taking in the views during the train ride; KnPnC 900 feet underground in the Country Boy Mine; Peggy in the final steps of her 10K; and my Mom and Chloe prepping for some rafting.)
- Bike Racing and Fathers Day: And just this last weekend, we again found ourselves traveling to another part of the state so that I could take part in 3 days of bike racing. During this trip, we called Carbondale, CO home for a couple of nights so I could do a 12-mile time trial on Friday evening, a 45-minute criterium on Saturday, and 54-mile road race on Sunday. I won't go into details for each race; rather I finished near
mid-pack for the TT and road race, and near last in the criterium (the reason being I had to avoid a crash on the closing laps and lost contact with the lead pack.) During our stay out there, we also visited the hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs and had a great time. The main pool is quite impressive: it's 405 feet long and 100 feet wide, contains 1,071,000 gallons of water, and is kept at about 90° F.
With Peggy still in "Summer of Peggy" mode and Chloe not having anything going on the following day, we decided to spend an extra night out there, but switched hotels, staying in Snowmass Village so we could relax from a busy weekend and have a Fathers Day dinner in nearby Aspen. The relaxing was great... we spend some time pool- and hottub-side by ourselves and enjoyed the quiet. Then we headed into Aspen for dinner at a
restaurant that Peggy read about (and what she read about it was that Lance Armstrong frequents it, and has so recently.) As coincidence would have it, guess who was walking out as we were walking in? That brush with celebrity aside, it was a great night... the food was awesome, the service fantastic, and we spent a couple of hours together just laughing and having a great time. (Pictures in this section, top to bottom: Me before the start of the crit; Chloe and I at a wonderful Fathers Day dinner.)
Other Goings On...
- The Summer of Peggy now has an end date: July 24th. On the next day, she'll be an employee of Parexel, another pharmaceutical consulting company. She received an offer from them a couple of weeks ago. Not wanting to accept it as is (even though it was more than she expected) she counter-offered on three of the conditions and they were all approved! So, she has a little bit more than a month to work on her summer bucket list.
- Chloe completed a week of soccer camp that was led by the CU women's soccer team. It was fun to hear her talk about all of the skills her camp leaders had and she was SO excited to have the CU players sign her soccer ball.
- I know I've written a lot about the weather out here, but it still impresses us. After our stay in Snowmass Village, we were planning on doing some hiking at the nearby Maroon Bells. But a late-spring storm moved in, along with some fog and precipitation. The temperatures dropped quite a bit and we weren't prepared – or inclined – to walk around in such conditions so we drove home. The route we took took us over Independence Pass (12,095 ft), parts of which received a couple of inches of snow overnight, and some flurries were still coming down as we drove it. (Picture: some new-fallen snow on our way up and over Independence Pass.)
The Month of Fun isn't over.... in a few short days, we head to DisneyLand!
- Birthday & camping: On the first weekend of the month, friends (some as far away as IL) joined us for a little camping outing in Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate my 40th birthday. It was such a wonderful, relaxing and fun time just sitting around with snow covered peaks in the background, elk walking through the campsite and family and friends nearby... not a bad way to close out one's fourth decade. (Picture to the right: Sprague Lake and environs.)
- Railroads, running and rafting: A couple days after the camping, my parents came out to visit for several days. They've seen Boulder already, so we spent most of the time with them out in the mountains: we took a mine tour in Breckenridge, a scenic train ride out of Leadville, and the highlight (at least for me)... a whitewater rafting trip. If was the first time doing rafting for my parents (mid-70s) and Chloe (8) and it was a pretty good introduction to the activity. For one, the river we rode had some pretty good Class III rapids on it... nothing too nutsy, but definitely plenty enough bouncing around to get some walls of water splashing into the raft at times. As for the water, it was moving pretty good and was frigid... due to the high snowpack and therefore prolonged melt-off, the river water had a good pace going and was only about 34° F. Accordingly, wetsuits were donned by all. It was about a 70 minute flo
at, and we all had a great time... my parents would consider doing it again (which is awesome!), though would want to try a longer trip on Class IIIs and in warmer water before considering some Class IVs.
Another reason we spent some time out in the mountains is that Peggy was signed up for a running race. For the months leading up to it, she had been training for the half-marathon option. During the last 2 weeks, though, she came down with some kind of cold or virus infection that left her really congested and she wasn't able to keep up with her training. All wasn't lost as the race organizers had a 10K option as well. Given she was still not 100% and not breathing the best, and over 4,000 feet higher in elevation that what she's used to, she opted to run that and was able to beat the time she set for herself (another "awesome!") 
(Pictures in this section, top to bottom: My Dad taking in the views during the train ride; KnPnC 900 feet underground in the Country Boy Mine; Peggy in the final steps of her 10K; and my Mom and Chloe prepping for some rafting.)- Bike Racing and Fathers Day: And just this last weekend, we again found ourselves traveling to another part of the state so that I could take part in 3 days of bike racing. During this trip, we called Carbondale, CO home for a couple of nights so I could do a 12-mile time trial on Friday evening, a 45-minute criterium on Saturday, and 54-mile road race on Sunday. I won't go into details for each race; rather I finished near
mid-pack for the TT and road race, and near last in the criterium (the reason being I had to avoid a crash on the closing laps and lost contact with the lead pack.) During our stay out there, we also visited the hot springs pool in Glenwood Springs and had a great time. The main pool is quite impressive: it's 405 feet long and 100 feet wide, contains 1,071,000 gallons of water, and is kept at about 90° F.With Peggy still in "Summer of Peggy" mode and Chloe not having anything going on the following day, we decided to spend an extra night out there, but switched hotels, staying in Snowmass Village so we could relax from a busy weekend and have a Fathers Day dinner in nearby Aspen. The relaxing was great... we spend some time pool- and hottub-side by ourselves and enjoyed the quiet. Then we headed into Aspen for dinner at a
restaurant that Peggy read about (and what she read about it was that Lance Armstrong frequents it, and has so recently.) As coincidence would have it, guess who was walking out as we were walking in? That brush with celebrity aside, it was a great night... the food was awesome, the service fantastic, and we spent a couple of hours together just laughing and having a great time. (Pictures in this section, top to bottom: Me before the start of the crit; Chloe and I at a wonderful Fathers Day dinner.)Other Goings On...
- The Summer of Peggy now has an end date: July 24th. On the next day, she'll be an employee of Parexel, another pharmaceutical consulting company. She received an offer from them a couple of weeks ago. Not wanting to accept it as is (even though it was more than she expected) she counter-offered on three of the conditions and they were all approved! So, she has a little bit more than a month to work on her summer bucket list.
- Chloe completed a week of soccer camp that was led by the CU women's soccer team. It was fun to hear her talk about all of the skills her camp leaders had and she was SO excited to have the CU players sign her soccer ball.
- I know I've written a lot about the weather out here, but it still impresses us. After our stay in Snowmass Village, we were planning on doing some hiking at the nearby Maroon Bells. But a late-spring storm moved in, along with some fog and precipitation. The temperatures dropped quite a bit and we weren't prepared – or inclined – to walk around in such conditions so we drove home. The route we took took us over Independence Pass (12,095 ft), parts of which received a couple of inches of snow overnight, and some flurries were still coming down as we drove it. (Picture: some new-fallen snow on our way up and over Independence Pass.)The Month of Fun isn't over.... in a few short days, we head to DisneyLand!
11.03.2008
Halloween weekend recap
Friday - Even though Chloe's school was closed today (staff professional development day), she was a busy girl. From late morning until mid-afternoon she had some friends over for a playdate. And then after they left, it was some scheduled down time before trick-or-treating. Well, as "down" as we could get her a couple of hours before going out.Around 5, we headed over to the Finks, friends/neighbors who have 2 girls – 1 Chloe's age – to hang out and then make the T-o-T rounds with them. I'm not sure what time we started, but when we left, we were in a sea of kids and costumes... it was great! After a while, I went back to the house to see what kinda of traffic we were receiving. And it didn't take long to notice we had some while we were gone... the once-full bowl of candy we left on the porch was nearly empty. I refilled it, hung out with Chamberlain, and greeted about 20 more T-o-T-ers over the next 30 minutes. I then joined Peggy and Chloe at another friend's/neighbor's house for a post T-o-T-ing get-together. Peggy was tired, so she left after a while, and Chloe and I followed about 30 minutes later. When we got home, Peggy said she had about 
another 30 T-o-T-ers come!
another 30 T-o-T-ers come!One activity we didn't take part in on this night was this.
Saturday - It's been nearly 3 months since we've been here, and we haven't really visited Denver as a family. So after lunch, we drove in to see some sights. The first stop was the zoo. It was deceivingly big... in the nearly 4 hours we were there, we didn't get to see all of it. We had a great time, though Peggy and I think Chloe's favorite part was the soft-serve ice cream with sprinkles.
After the zoo, we made our way over to the 16th Street Mall, a popular pedestrian mall in downtown, for dinner. We walked around a little bit, but it didn't take long for all 3 of us to realize we were hungry. We checked out a couple of places and ended up going to a place called, coincidentally, "Earl's." After dinner, we realized we had a pretty tired girl on our hands so we headed back to Boulder.
Sunday - Our 3 month "anniversary" of being Boulderites. So how'd we spend it? By doing some Boulderite things. We went to church in the morning (not sure if that is uniquely Boulder-ish or not). But after coming back and changing around, Peggy and Chloe rode their bikes down to Pearl Street to stroll around and get some shopping done, and I jumped on my road bike for a 59-miler, which put me just shy of 1,200 miles since moving here.
(Pictures, from top to bottom: Chloe the Genie; Peggy and Chloe on Halloween night; our pumpkins.)
10.19.2008
Weekend Recap - He Ain't Heavy...
Thursday - The weekend got off to an early start as my brother Eric arrived this morning. We grabbed some lunch on Pearl Street (a popular pedestrian mall in town) and I gave him a brief tour of the neighborhood and surrounding hills. He had been up for quite a while, so prior to heading out for tonight's "fun" he caught 40 winks. After catching some zzzzs, he and I headed into Denver to watch the Flyers play the Avs (and hopefully put an end to their losing streak.) Well, those hopes were quickly dashed, and the guys in black and orange were, well, embarrassed. Final score: 5-2. We left hoping the rest of the weekend would provide cheerier times.
Friday - Today began with another trip into Denver, this time to take a tour of the US Mint there. We arrived in downtown a little early, so we took a walk around Civic Center Park and up the steps of the State House (where, on the one step, is the marker indicating 5,280 feet above sea level.) What we found surprising was the monument to Colorado's Civil War dead. It not only had quite a few names on it, but also on it were where the various regiments had engagements... New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri were all listed. Who knew Colorado had troops in the Civil War and that fighting took place this far West? Certainly not two East Coast-raised kids.
After that brief history lesson, it was time to tour the Mint. We got in line, and after being inspected for any contraband (weapons of any kind, cameras, aerosols, combs or hairbrushes... not kidding about the last two) we were given time to look around their exhibit on the history of money. We both found the following three related items to be the most impressive:
- A coin minted by Pontius Pilate
- A Roman coin similar to the one shown to Jesus which prompted his response: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”
- A Shekel of Tyre, which is widely believed to be the same kind of silver coin paid to Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus.
As for the tour of the actual coin-making facilities, they, too, were pretty impressive. Everywhere one looked were coins at some point of the production process. Interesting fact: it costs about 1.5 cents to make a penny, and nearly a dime to make a nickle. For the numismatists and budding capitalists alike, the tour must be akin to walking through Wonka chocolate factory. Unfortunately, though, there were no opportunities to sneak off with a sample or two.
After the Mint tour, we toured another local landmark: the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO. Unlike the tour earlier in the day, there were free samples. (However, at the risk of offending the occasional reader and Coors consumer, let me just say, that given my druthers and assuming free samples are provided, I think I'd much rather prefer a tour of the Guinness brewery in Ireland.) The best part of this tour was the "kettle room." It's where the various grains and ingredients proceed through various steps (which for the purpose of this blog, aren't important.) What made this room so great was the smell... no it didn't smell like beer; rather, a huge, warm loaf of freshly baked bread.
After the Coors tour, it was a scenic drive up Lookout Mountain (which is the final resting place of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody), and then back to Boulder to have a birthday dinner (Happy 42nd Eric!)
We were lured to downtown Boulder tonight to witness the CU Stampede (a pep rally/parade that takes place on the Pearl Street Mall the night before home football games.) What lured us there if we're not CU alums? Peggy had read earlier in the week that Ralphie (the living buffalo mascot) was to make an appearance. After listening to the various school songs and walking behind the band to where Ralphie was to be penned up, we had our expectations dashed — no Ralphie. So, to soothe our sorrow, we went home and had birthday cake and ice cream!
Saturday - This morning was Chloe's last soccer game of the season. She and the TigerBears played well, and were able to score a couple of goals. It was a great way to wrap up the season. After the game and end-of-season cupcake and juice box mixer, we went home and changed around for an afternoon visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. For mid-October, the weather could not have been any better... upper 60s/lower 70s at the park's entrance, and sunny upper 40s/lower 50s at the higher elevations. The aspens were a little past peak but the clear skies provided some outstanding views. As for wildlife, we saw some HUGE bull elk resting outside the park, and a Steller's Jay.
Sunday - It was back to the airport again this morning to send Eric off back to PA (not without some gentle lobbying first to have him move out here... he'd get to see the Phillies at least once a season, right?)
Friday - Today began with another trip into Denver, this time to take a tour of the US Mint there. We arrived in downtown a little early, so we took a walk around Civic Center Park and up the steps of the State House (where, on the one step, is the marker indicating 5,280 feet above sea level.) What we found surprising was the monument to Colorado's Civil War dead. It not only had quite a few names on it, but also on it were where the various regiments had engagements... New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri were all listed. Who knew Colorado had troops in the Civil War and that fighting took place this far West? Certainly not two East Coast-raised kids.
After that brief history lesson, it was time to tour the Mint. We got in line, and after being inspected for any contraband (weapons of any kind, cameras, aerosols, combs or hairbrushes... not kidding about the last two) we were given time to look around their exhibit on the history of money. We both found the following three related items to be the most impressive:
- A coin minted by Pontius Pilate
- A Roman coin similar to the one shown to Jesus which prompted his response: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”
- A Shekel of Tyre, which is widely believed to be the same kind of silver coin paid to Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus.
As for the tour of the actual coin-making facilities, they, too, were pretty impressive. Everywhere one looked were coins at some point of the production process. Interesting fact: it costs about 1.5 cents to make a penny, and nearly a dime to make a nickle. For the numismatists and budding capitalists alike, the tour must be akin to walking through Wonka chocolate factory. Unfortunately, though, there were no opportunities to sneak off with a sample or two.
After the Mint tour, we toured another local landmark: the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO. Unlike the tour earlier in the day, there were free samples. (However, at the risk of offending the occasional reader and Coors consumer, let me just say, that given my druthers and assuming free samples are provided, I think I'd much rather prefer a tour of the Guinness brewery in Ireland.) The best part of this tour was the "kettle room." It's where the various grains and ingredients proceed through various steps (which for the purpose of this blog, aren't important.) What made this room so great was the smell... no it didn't smell like beer; rather, a huge, warm loaf of freshly baked bread.
After the Coors tour, it was a scenic drive up Lookout Mountain (which is the final resting place of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody), and then back to Boulder to have a birthday dinner (Happy 42nd Eric!)
We were lured to downtown Boulder tonight to witness the CU Stampede (a pep rally/parade that takes place on the Pearl Street Mall the night before home football games.) What lured us there if we're not CU alums? Peggy had read earlier in the week that Ralphie (the living buffalo mascot) was to make an appearance. After listening to the various school songs and walking behind the band to where Ralphie was to be penned up, we had our expectations dashed — no Ralphie. So, to soothe our sorrow, we went home and had birthday cake and ice cream!
Saturday - This morning was Chloe's last soccer game of the season. She and the TigerBears played well, and were able to score a couple of goals. It was a great way to wrap up the season. After the game and end-of-season cupcake and juice box mixer, we went home and changed around for an afternoon visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. For mid-October, the weather could not have been any better... upper 60s/lower 70s at the park's entrance, and sunny upper 40s/lower 50s at the higher elevations. The aspens were a little past peak but the clear skies provided some outstanding views. As for wildlife, we saw some HUGE bull elk resting outside the park, and a Steller's Jay.
Sunday - It was back to the airport again this morning to send Eric off back to PA (not without some gentle lobbying first to have him move out here... he'd get to see the Phillies at least once a season, right?)
9.30.2008
One If By Land...
For the last 5 days we've been giving a big ol' Colorado welcome to my Uncle Skippy and Aunt Dotty. They're here from PA visiting us as part of their 3-stop (MO, WY and CO) tour. Tour by car, that is. That's right, they put about 2,500 miles on their car between leaving PA and arriving here, and have probably about 1,700 miles ahead of them beginning today on their return home. At the risk of sounding like ageists, Peggy and I feel that the traveling they've done (and are about to do) is a good amount for anyone (who isn't a truck driver). But when you factor in that the younger of them is a septuagenarian, well, we feel that's pretty darn special. Our (terry cloth) hats are off to both of you! Now, on to their visit...
Their visit got off to an unceremonious start on Thursday as within a couple of hours of arriving, we were at the local Emergency Room. My aunt had been experiencing some heel pain for several days and wanted to get it looked at. After being unable to set something up with local podiatrists, we set off to Boulder Community Hospital to have someone look at it. After seventy five minutes and an X-ray or two, she was told that she has a bone spur and that she'll need to take it easy over the next couple of days. So, we adjusted plans to accommodate and things worked out really well.
On Friday, while Peggy worked and Chloe went to school, I took them for a driving tour of Rocky Mountain National Park. Trip highlights were the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park (which inspired such pop icon phrases "Redrum" and/or "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"), the Old Fall River Road, reaching the Continental Divide, and Trail Ridge Road (which, if you remember from a reference in a previous post, is the highest continuous highway in the US.) Except for the occasional snowflake and/or rain sprinkle, the weather cooperated quite well, as did the aspens and some of the local elk.
On Saturday, we took a quirky local bus tour of Boulder in the afternoon, and went out for a nice dinner.
Sunday was another road trip, this time to the cog railway near Colorado Springs of that summits Pike's Peak. As was the case on Friday, the weather couldn't have been better and the aspens in the higher elevations were brilliant. Taking the cog railway up to the summit is wonderfully relaxing and educational way to get to the 14,110 foot summit, even if some of the 25% grades made it tricky trying not to slide out of one's seat. And the views... well, after seeing them, it's no surprise Katharine Lee Bates penned those famous words back in 1893 when she saw the same views we saw today.
Yesterday day was a day of rest and prepping for the trek back East.
The visitor's center sign where Old Fall River Road meets Trail Ridge Road.
Poudre Lake at Milner Pass & The Continental Divide
View of Horseshoe Park (grassy area in the center), the Alluvial Fan (fan shaped boulder field at the bottom end of Horseshoe Park) and part of Trail Ridge Road (bottom right of picture). The bright yellow trees are aspens.
An RMNP elk.
Looking West at the Continental Divide.
Aspens near Hidden Valley
Pike's Peak Pictures
View from Inspiration Point
Your's truly...
Peg atop Pike's Peak, with spacious skies, purple mountains and fruited plains as a backdrop.
Their visit got off to an unceremonious start on Thursday as within a couple of hours of arriving, we were at the local Emergency Room. My aunt had been experiencing some heel pain for several days and wanted to get it looked at. After being unable to set something up with local podiatrists, we set off to Boulder Community Hospital to have someone look at it. After seventy five minutes and an X-ray or two, she was told that she has a bone spur and that she'll need to take it easy over the next couple of days. So, we adjusted plans to accommodate and things worked out really well.
On Friday, while Peggy worked and Chloe went to school, I took them for a driving tour of Rocky Mountain National Park. Trip highlights were the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park (which inspired such pop icon phrases "Redrum" and/or "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"), the Old Fall River Road, reaching the Continental Divide, and Trail Ridge Road (which, if you remember from a reference in a previous post, is the highest continuous highway in the US.) Except for the occasional snowflake and/or rain sprinkle, the weather cooperated quite well, as did the aspens and some of the local elk.
On Saturday, we took a quirky local bus tour of Boulder in the afternoon, and went out for a nice dinner.
Sunday was another road trip, this time to the cog railway near Colorado Springs of that summits Pike's Peak. As was the case on Friday, the weather couldn't have been better and the aspens in the higher elevations were brilliant. Taking the cog railway up to the summit is wonderfully relaxing and educational way to get to the 14,110 foot summit, even if some of the 25% grades made it tricky trying not to slide out of one's seat. And the views... well, after seeing them, it's no surprise Katharine Lee Bates penned those famous words back in 1893 when she saw the same views we saw today.
Yesterday day was a day of rest and prepping for the trek back East.
RMNP Pictures
The visitor's center sign where Old Fall River Road meets Trail Ridge Road.
Poudre Lake at Milner Pass & The Continental Divide
View of Horseshoe Park (grassy area in the center), the Alluvial Fan (fan shaped boulder field at the bottom end of Horseshoe Park) and part of Trail Ridge Road (bottom right of picture). The bright yellow trees are aspens.
Looking West at the Continental Divide.
Views from Trail Ridge Road
Aspens near Hidden ValleyPike's Peak Pictures
View from Inspiration PointYour's truly...
Peg atop Pike's Peak, with spacious skies, purple mountains and fruited plains as a backdrop.View from cog railway (note track zig-zagging from left side of picture.)
9.07.2008
Weekend Recap
Saturday
Today was the beginning of a very active weekend. We got up around 7:30a and got Chloe ready for her 1st Soccer game (and mine as assistant coach... a stressful role, indeed.) Unlike in PA, the league she's in here is co-ed (although her team happens to be all girls), and the games are 5-on-5 (including goalie) and are played on a much smaller field. Chloe and her team played well... Chloe scored two of her team's goals, and made some saves when she was the netminder. The most important stat, though, was that the TigerBears (Chloe's team) and the Squirrel Girls (the opponents) had a fun time.
Upon returning from the game and having some lunch, I went on a short, but climbing-intensive ride. It was just a shade over 27 miles long, but involved almost 3,200 feet of climbing. I would have liked to go for a longer ride, but there were important matters to attend to...
Tonight, Peggy and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary by going out to dinner at a great restaurant in Boulder's West End. Not having lined up a babysitter, we had Chloe join us and a great time and meal were had by all. Afterwards, we strolled around the Pearl Street mall to get some ice cream (for Chloe and I) and coffee (for Peg). We couldn't make it too late of a night, for there was more in store for tomorrow.
Sunday
Today is the second day in a row where the alarm clock went off at 7:30a. After topping off the stomach's with fuel and getting the right gear on our bodies and loaded into car, we headed to the CU campus to participate in the Buffalo Bicycle Classic. The ride raises money for scholarships that go to students within the CU College of Arts and Sciences. Since it's inception 6 years ago, it has raised over $800,000 and is the single largest source of scholarships for CU's CAS. Like many charity rides, this one offered routes of varying length. We opted for 14-miler, which had its own nickname, the "Little Buffalo."
For our first, big family ride, things got off to an inauspicious start. We got to the Start/Finish line about 30 minutes before our ride started. So we checked in, got ourselves a course map and read that there is a rolling start (meaning we can leave when ever we want too, versus a mass start for everyone riding a particular route). Rather than wait the 30 minutes, we decided to venture off on our own.
We left the Start and followed the directions given to us by the
volunteers manning the intersections. Right off the bat, we were pointed in the direction opposite of where I knew we needed to go, but I figured it's early, maybe we'll head back the right way after a block or two. As we approached the first intersection, I asked a volunteer if this was the way for the 14 mile route. He said "Yep." I wanted to make sure because I knew if we made this turn and it was wrong, it meant going down a short but moderately steep hill, and that we'd have to go back up said hill to correct things. (Normally, I don't mind climbing hills, as my brief cycling comment for Saturday attests to. But it's a COMPLETELY different ballgame when I'm also pulling around a 45 pound girl on a 15 pound trail-a-bike. In these situations, hills are considerably less attractive.)
We make the turn, go down the hill and continue on for a couple more blocks, still not heading in the direction we need to go. At this point, we pull to the side of the road, consult the course map again, and begin to think the ride organizers don't have the swiftest volunteers manning the course. We turn around, head back up the aforementioned hill and make our way back to the Start/Finish line. By this
point, more "Little Buffalo" ride riders have amassed to begin the ride, so we decided to wait a bit and leave with the group. As luck would have it, we met up with friends, Jordan and Baylor, who were also doing the ride with their kids, and pedaled away most of the morning with them. (I can't complain too much about my setup with Chloe... Baylor has a tandem trail-a-bike for his two sons attached to his bike.)
We crossed the finish line around 11:00a, parked our bikes and took in some lunch. And talked about what (longer) route we wanted to do next year. (Photos, top to bottom: Taking a break at the first rest stop; At the finish line; Chloe nearly getting stampeded by a raging buffalo.)
Today was the beginning of a very active weekend. We got up around 7:30a and got Chloe ready for her 1st Soccer game (and mine as assistant coach... a stressful role, indeed.) Unlike in PA, the league she's in here is co-ed (although her team happens to be all girls), and the games are 5-on-5 (including goalie) and are played on a much smaller field. Chloe and her team played well... Chloe scored two of her team's goals, and made some saves when she was the netminder. The most important stat, though, was that the TigerBears (Chloe's team) and the Squirrel Girls (the opponents) had a fun time.
Upon returning from the game and having some lunch, I went on a short, but climbing-intensive ride. It was just a shade over 27 miles long, but involved almost 3,200 feet of climbing. I would have liked to go for a longer ride, but there were important matters to attend to...
Tonight, Peggy and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary by going out to dinner at a great restaurant in Boulder's West End. Not having lined up a babysitter, we had Chloe join us and a great time and meal were had by all. Afterwards, we strolled around the Pearl Street mall to get some ice cream (for Chloe and I) and coffee (for Peg). We couldn't make it too late of a night, for there was more in store for tomorrow.
Sunday
Today is the second day in a row where the alarm clock went off at 7:30a. After topping off the stomach's with fuel and getting the right gear on our bodies and loaded into car, we headed to the CU campus to participate in the Buffalo Bicycle Classic. The ride raises money for scholarships that go to students within the CU College of Arts and Sciences. Since it's inception 6 years ago, it has raised over $800,000 and is the single largest source of scholarships for CU's CAS. Like many charity rides, this one offered routes of varying length. We opted for 14-miler, which had its own nickname, the "Little Buffalo."
For our first, big family ride, things got off to an inauspicious start. We got to the Start/Finish line about 30 minutes before our ride started. So we checked in, got ourselves a course map and read that there is a rolling start (meaning we can leave when ever we want too, versus a mass start for everyone riding a particular route). Rather than wait the 30 minutes, we decided to venture off on our own.
We left the Start and followed the directions given to us by the
volunteers manning the intersections. Right off the bat, we were pointed in the direction opposite of where I knew we needed to go, but I figured it's early, maybe we'll head back the right way after a block or two. As we approached the first intersection, I asked a volunteer if this was the way for the 14 mile route. He said "Yep." I wanted to make sure because I knew if we made this turn and it was wrong, it meant going down a short but moderately steep hill, and that we'd have to go back up said hill to correct things. (Normally, I don't mind climbing hills, as my brief cycling comment for Saturday attests to. But it's a COMPLETELY different ballgame when I'm also pulling around a 45 pound girl on a 15 pound trail-a-bike. In these situations, hills are considerably less attractive.)We make the turn, go down the hill and continue on for a couple more blocks, still not heading in the direction we need to go. At this point, we pull to the side of the road, consult the course map again, and begin to think the ride organizers don't have the swiftest volunteers manning the course. We turn around, head back up the aforementioned hill and make our way back to the Start/Finish line. By this
point, more "Little Buffalo" ride riders have amassed to begin the ride, so we decided to wait a bit and leave with the group. As luck would have it, we met up with friends, Jordan and Baylor, who were also doing the ride with their kids, and pedaled away most of the morning with them. (I can't complain too much about my setup with Chloe... Baylor has a tandem trail-a-bike for his two sons attached to his bike.)We crossed the finish line around 11:00a, parked our bikes and took in some lunch. And talked about what (longer) route we wanted to do next year. (Photos, top to bottom: Taking a break at the first rest stop; At the finish line; Chloe nearly getting stampeded by a raging buffalo.)
8.24.2008
1st Family Hike
With it being another sunny day here – a quite often occurrence as Boulder typically has 300+ days of sun per year – Peggy organized our first family
hike. With lunches, dog treats and camera packed, we got in the car and headed to Bald Mountain (insert joke about me here), which is at 7,160 feet and just 5 miles outside of town. Soon after arriving, we found that it is a
pretty popular place for families with younger children, as we saw several within steps of the parking lot. We parked on the East side of the mountain, but once we made our way around to the West side, we got a
much better view of the Back Range. We could also see the very distinctive roof of Denver International Airport, which is about 38 miles away. It was a short hike (listed at 1.5 miles) but a great way to introduce Chloe to hiking.
Not wanting to head home, Peg consulted her guide to good hikes with children, and we made our up way up Boulder Creek Canyon to Boulder Falls. (Pictures, top to bottom: the warning sign that awaits you at the trailhead; Peggy, Chloe and Chamberlain
breaking trail; view of the Back Range; Chloe by Boulder Falls; and Chloe in Picture Rock.)
Also, I added a picture of Chloe getting off the bus on her 1st day of school. Visit the "One Giant Step" post to see it.
hike. With lunches, dog treats and camera packed, we got in the car and headed to Bald Mountain (insert joke about me here), which is at 7,160 feet and just 5 miles outside of town. Soon after arriving, we found that it is a
pretty popular place for families with younger children, as we saw several within steps of the parking lot. We parked on the East side of the mountain, but once we made our way around to the West side, we got a
much better view of the Back Range. We could also see the very distinctive roof of Denver International Airport, which is about 38 miles away. It was a short hike (listed at 1.5 miles) but a great way to introduce Chloe to hiking.
Not wanting to head home, Peg consulted her guide to good hikes with children, and we made our up way up Boulder Creek Canyon to Boulder Falls. (Pictures, top to bottom: the warning sign that awaits you at the trailhead; Peggy, Chloe and Chamberlain
breaking trail; view of the Back Range; Chloe by Boulder Falls; and Chloe in Picture Rock.)Also, I added a picture of Chloe getting off the bus on her 1st day of school. Visit the "One Giant Step" post to see it.
8.17.2008
A Trip on the Highest Paved Road in the U.S.*
With the rain of the previous two days seemingly behind us, the sun shining brightly and the temps in the mid 60s, we thought it would be nice to take a drive and see some more of our new home state. So after lunch, we jumped in the car and headed to Mt. Evans (14,264 ft), which is just west of Denver. After about 75 minutes, we arrive at the ranger station, only to see the sign "Mt. Evans road - Closed." Are you kidding me?!?
I went into the station to find out if the sign out front was right. The ranger said it was, kind of. She told us we could drive up about 20 miles, but the last couple miles of the road were closed because road crews were up there trying to clear away the 6 - 9 inches of snow and ice they received last night!
Not remembering the last time we saw snow in August before, we drove on up as far as we were allowed. The drive up was pretty interesting... the temps were dropping as we ascended, and there was no guardrail. Nonetheless, it was a pretty amazing sight once we got above tree line to see the snow accumulation.
(Picture: Chloe and I at Summit Lake [12,800 ft.] In 32 degree temperatures. In snow flurries. In August.)
* The road to the top of Mount Evans is the highest paved road in North America but reaches a dead end at the summit. Trail Ridge Road in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest paved continuous highway in the United States and reaches a maximum elevation of 12,183 ft.
I went into the station to find out if the sign out front was right. The ranger said it was, kind of. She told us we could drive up about 20 miles, but the last couple miles of the road were closed because road crews were up there trying to clear away the 6 - 9 inches of snow and ice they received last night!
Not remembering the last time we saw snow in August before, we drove on up as far as we were allowed. The drive up was pretty interesting... the temps were dropping as we ascended, and there was no guardrail. Nonetheless, it was a pretty amazing sight once we got above tree line to see the snow accumulation.(Picture: Chloe and I at Summit Lake [12,800 ft.] In 32 degree temperatures. In snow flurries. In August.)
* The road to the top of Mount Evans is the highest paved road in North America but reaches a dead end at the summit. Trail Ridge Road in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest paved continuous highway in the United States and reaches a maximum elevation of 12,183 ft.
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