photography Archives - Page 5 of 19 - ETB Travel Photography

Surprise Lake…Sort Of!

Tanya, Ann, and I set out to enjoy the fall colors today. We had some time restrictions, so we thought we would just take a short 2.25 mile hike to Lower Cataract Lake and then grab lunch somewhere in Silverthorne.

Lower Cataract Lake Trailhead and Surprise Lake Trailhead are both off the same dirt road and probably only 100 yards apart. Unfortunately, we weren’t sure of this at the time we arrived at Surprise Lake Trailhead that also leads to Upper Cataract Lake. Tanya’s book was more official than my directions so we ended up stopping slightly short of Lower Cataract Lake Trailhead. Usually, the lower and upper lakes with the same name are on the same trailhead which is what caused the confusion.

In the end, it didn’t matter, except we never made it to a lake because Surprise Lake was too far to hike with our time limitation. Our goal, however, was to see fall colors and we were rewarded with lovely yellows, reds, and greens along the path and on our drive out to the hike. In addition, we got some extra exercise…always a plus for the long drive from Denver. We logged 5.5 miles instead of 2.25 while making our destination a junction at two trails.

Lunch was quickly kicked out of the equation as we took a leisurely stroll through the aspen groves and pine forests. There was a bit of an incline as well, so the hike turned out to be a bit harder than we expected, but nothing too bad. The wind was cool, the air crisp, and the sun warm; so needless to say, we seemed to layer and unlayer regularly over the 3 hours on the trail.

I love the fall and am looking forward to more leaf peeping over the next week! ETB

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photographic note card, fall colors in connecticut — FALL COLORS

Lovely Fancy Pass Loop

Well, I have to say, hikes to alpine lakes in Colorado are just spectacular. This was my third hike in the last ten days to an alpine lake and each one has been awesome. Today David and I decided to tackle the Fancy Pass and Missouri Pass Loop. We left the house at 6:30am to make the 2.5 hour drive to the trailhead. It was a bit disconcerting when we ran into sprinkles before we even reached Bakersville. We hoped that once we made it over Vail Pass the weather would change to the forecast…cloudy, with a high of 67.

At first it seemed like the drive was a bit long and wished we stayed the night or weekend in or around Vail. But the beauty of this hike more than made up for the five hours of driving. In fact, the beauty started soon after we exited Highway 24. Neither of us had driven through Minturn which was a cute little town. And the 8.5 mile drive on Homestake Road #703, a dirt road that passed through meadows and several camping areas was lovely.

Eventually we reached Fancy Creek Trailhead. Several cars lined the road. We expected the trail to be busy, but we actually enjoyed a quiet beginning as we followed the path though the conifer forest. We gained about 500 feet in elevation the first mile and probably 800 feet the second mile as we climbed the switchbacks. The dirt path turned to a flat rocky terrain as the creek cascaded through a narrow gorge.

Soon we made it to Fancy Lake, though we were traveling at a somewhat slow pace. What a picturesque lake tucked beneath the granite crags. Utani, the dog we are caring for, David and I stopped for a quick snack by the placid water before it began sprinkling. The cool weather encouraged us to continue on to keep warm. Upon reaching the trail junction we turned left up the rocky pass. We gained 1,200 feet over the next mile while marmots and pikas chirped and scampered around their nearby homes. The rain picked up and by the time we reached 12,400 feet it turned to sleet.

Despite the wet weather and low clouds, the view of Cross Creek Valley dotted in wildflowers and lakes on the other side of Fancy Pass was incredible. We maneuvered down the wet rocks and followed the path nearest the closest lake, Treasure Vault and admired Blodgett Lake in the distance. Here, the trail turned up Missouri Lakes pass, far less steep than Fancy Pass. Remnants of mining equipment peppered the surrounding peaks.

The view from Missouri Pass didn’t disappoint. We passed by a small patch of snow before we headed down to the largest of the lakes surrounded by patches of trees where we snacked again as the rain and sleet stopped momentarily. We sat there until the thunder boomed. This was our sign to mosey.

We passed by several more lakes of all sizes. The Missouri Lakes basin was quite a treat. And it didn’t stop there. The path crossed the creek down the mountain. We stopped several times to admire the tumbling cascades. The rain started again toward the end of our hike, but amazingly for walking through the rain or sleet for probably 3-4 miles of the 8.1 mile hike, we weren’t that wet.

On our way home, we detoured to Red Cliff and stopped for dinner. It was surprisingly good. Then, we decided to take the ten mile drive over Shrine Pass back to I-70. The dirt road was watered down and the surrounding peaks were enveloped in fog. I suspect we may take a weekend trip out this way again sometime. There was so much to explore in this alluring part of the state. ETB

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photographic note card, cowboy boots on fence — BOOTS

Fantastic Forest Lakes!

Wow…we are two for two for picking good hikes on Thursdays recently. Last week, Mohawk Lakes was amazing, and this week Forest Lakes was a pleasure!

Diana, Tanya, and I made it to the trailhead of Forest Lakes shortly have 9:30am. For some reason it seemed like forever to get to the East Portal of Moffat Tunnel. We went through a short construction zone, drove behind a hay truck, and finally reached the long dirt road at Rollinsville which led to our destination.

It was slightly nippy in the parking lot, so we added a few layers before we started up the trail. The path took us through an aspen grove, past an old house, and across a creek at during the first minutes of our hike. In about a mile, we reached a junction where we could turn right to go to Forest Lakes or go straight to Crater Lakes.

After shedding a layer and indulging in a few wild raspberries, we took the right turn up the mountain. We gradually gained altitude as we criss-crossed log bridges over beautiful waterfalls. A few purple and yellows wildflowers dotted the green, lush forest. The mushrooms were profuse. We worked up a sweat as we continued climbing through the evergreens draped in moss on this humid day. We were surprised to reach the lower Forest Lake so quickly. I suppose we hiked 30 minute miles which is normal, but last week we took so many detours it took forever to reach the lake. This time, 1.5 hours later, we were enjoying the reflections of the mountain peaks in the placid waters, as a nearby fisherman cast his line in search of a hungry trout.

From the lower lake, we hiked another 0.75 miles to the upper lake. We were admiring the contrast of the green forest, blue sky, and gray boulders when we suddenly noticed the upper lake. It was so big, it was kind of funny we didn’t even see it at first, but now we know why they are called Forest Lakes. The lakes were really tucked in beneath the pines and camouflaged by the greenery.

After stopping for a few pictures, we climbed up on an awesome boulder with a lovely view of the lake for lunch. The only downside to our lunch spot was having to watch the only other hikers at the lake fly a drone over their friend who was fishing. I don’t know if they were trying to spot fish or to just capture the action, but the constant buzz was a bit disappointing. We had just discussed how tranquil it was on this hike. It was far less crowded than Mohawk Lakes…in fact we had most of the trail to ourselves.

Fortunately, they only made a few passes with the drone, but in the short time we snacked, the clouds rolled in and socked down. While it was amazing to watch the surrounding peaks disappear in minutes, we also knew we shouldn’t admire the change of weather for long. We were already chilled from the sweat on our backs, the overcast skies, and cool 50 degree temperatures. I found myself in a puffy jacked, wool hat and gloves as I finished up lunch!

Soon, a sprinkle started, which turned into a steady drizzle. The tree cover didn’t seem to keep us clear of the rain, but we stayed dry enough with our raingear. It’s funny because the only other times Tanya and I have ever hiked in this area, it was cold and damp too. We wondered if this location attracted more moisture. Despite the early rain, we enjoyed another great hike. ETB

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photographic note card, moose in wyoming — MOOSE

Mohawk Lakes is a Must See!

Mohawk Lakes
Fees: Free
Website: http://www.protrails.com/trail/368/summit-county-eagle-county-clear-creek-county-mohawk-lake-and-lower-mohawk-lake
Elevation: 10,390-12,073
Distance: 6.7 miles roundtrip

The trail to Mohawk Lakes is a must see! We had the best hike today. We started out on Spruce Creek Trail which I can’t say is too pretty. In fact, I felt slightly disappointed. Many trees had fallen to the beetle kill, thus the forest wasn’t the best. But after about 1.5 to 2 miles, things changed in a hurry. We reached another parking area which I recommend driving to if your car allows and starting the hike at this point. That way most of the ugly part of the trail can be skipped.

We checked out the diversion mechanism at the creek before we crossed it just after leaving the parking area. Over the 3.35 miles to reach Upper Mohawk Lake at 12,073 feet, we had to gain just under 1,700 feet from the trailhead mostly over a gradual incline. We quickly reached the junction for Wheeler Trail, where we stopped to look for a moose in the pond. While we didn’t find any wildlife, we certainly enjoyed the magnificent reflection on the still water.

From the pond we carried on until we detoured to Mayflower Lake, another lovely stop. We were only just beginning with these side trips. In this area there were remnants of old cabins which we explored. After returning to the trail intersection, we faced our first steep climb. It wasn’t too bad and at the top we were rewarded with an awesome view of Lower Continental Falls and another cabin relatively in tact with a roof and make shift stove.

Mayflower Lake

Continental Falls

From here, we started another steep climb near the waterfall. There were two ways up the mountain at this point, straight up via an old mining cable or along some switchbacks. We opted for the cable route because it was so unique and not very hard. I highly recommend this way. It was so much fun to pull ourselves up the cable to the cog.

From the cog, we gradually ascended out of the forest and followed the switchbacks just above treeline to Lower Mohawk Lake. This lake was truly gorgeous. It had to be the shallowest alpine lake I have ever seen. Rocks popped through the water’s surface and the water was so clear we could see the rocky bottom. The surrounding landscape with another cabin and greenery as opposed to just rocks at most alpine lakes was breathtaking as well. Unfortunately, the sky appeared ominous, so we only stopped briefly to admire the lower lake before heading to the upper lake where black clouds loomed overhead. The storms were coming early today…it was only 11:00.

Lower Mohawk Lake

We sort of wondered if we wasted too much time exploring all the side trails and cabins given it took us at least two hours to go 3.3 miles and now we found ourselves racing over the final 0.4 miles to the upper lake in a light sprinkle. The upper lake, despite being lined by rocky peaks, was hardly protected from the wind, so our stop here was short at best. We decided it would be better to enjoy our snack at the lower lake which we thought was more picturesque and protected from the wind. We rested on the rocky shore until larger raindrops began falling which encouraged a quick departure.

Upper Mohawk Lake

For the next mile or so, zipped up in our rain jackets, we carefully maneuvered over the slick rocks at a quick pace. We wanted to get to tree cover for relief from the steady drizzle. While many storms blow over in twenty minutes in Colorado, this one seemed like it would last. Fortunately, we ended our hike during a dry pocket. While it took us three hours to ascend, it only took us one to make it back to the car! Before heading all the way back to Denver, we treated ourselves to a decadent cookie at Mary’s Mountain Cookies in Breckenridge.

In Breckenridge

It was such a fun hike and what made our outing even better was heading up to Breckenridge the night before and staying at the Schussbaumer Ski Club. We got to enjoy a nice dinner and relax for the evening before our hike in the morning which made it feel like a mini vacation! The only thing I would have changed about the day, is I would have driven up the rocky road to skip the first part of the trail to add additional mileage after Upper Mohawk Lake, as I read the are several other lakes beyond. With the rain threatening, we had to skip exploring them. I might have to repeat this hike though to give myself more time to enjoy it…this would be a rarity for me as there are so many trails in Colorado to hike. ETB

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Genesee Park: Great Place to Hike Near Denver

So Belinda and I set out to hike at Genesee Park off I-70. The 2,300 acre park was Denver’s first mountain park (1912) and is just a short jaunt along the highway west of the city. For the limited amount of time we had on Saturday, it was a perfect spot to explore. I had planned on connecting the Chavez Trail and Beaver Creek Trail to make a 3-4 mile loop. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring the map with me and just typing Genesee Park into Google Maps didn’t get us to the correct location.

Upon exiting the highway, the sign pointed us to the left or the south side of I-70. I turned to Belinda and said, “That’s funny. I always thought the park was on the north side of the highway.” We later found out the trail we were searching for was on the other side of the highway, so we will have to try that out another time.

On the south side of the highway, however, we followed Genesee Mountain road that gradually wound around the mountain to a parking lot, picnic tables, bathrooms, and shelter. Several trails left from this area, none of which showed on the map we found online. In addition, we didn’t find a sign nearby with any description of the trails. It’s no wonder there was hardly so soul there on a Saturday morning, despite a lovely forest so close to downtown Denver.

We started at the Genesee Mountain Trailhead and then others split off from it. We had a choice to climb up to Genesee Peak or to keep following the Genesee Mountain Trail. We stuck with the Genesee Mountain Trail because it seemed like it was going to be flatter, and we were just out for a nice stroll with her dog Deacon in the beautiful weather.

Soon we reached the American Bison Trail. This time we followed it. We left the forest and ended up on a dirt road before we eventually reached a fenced area with the bison. I’ve seen them from a distance on I-70 in the past, but it was nice to get a good look up close. This park was home to the first buffalo and elk herds reestablished in 1914.

From the secured area, we turned up hill onto Genesee Mountain Trail again, and wandered through the woods once more. We ended up walking for about three hours, but if I had to guess we were slower than our usual 30 minute mile pace. We probably meandered five miles before returning to Denver.

I was pleasantly surprised by this area, because it was one of the few parks near the city that really made me feel like I was in the mountains. We hardly ever saw a view of buildings. It was all evergreens and pine needles. I vowed to come home and do more research on these trails. I still haven’t found a map for them. I’d like to know the distances because if I ever want to go for a short hike near Denver, I think I’d pick here! ETB

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Soloed Segments 11-13 on the Colorado Trail

Day 1 – Segment 11 (Miles 0-2.1)

Tonight I started my first solo backpacking trip. I did a practice run with some of my new stuff and the help of David the prior weekend at Conundrum Hot Springs. I felt good about everything except for the possibility of getting lost and hanging my food bag in a tree and away from bears.

The trail is well marked in these sections, and it is also well traveled, so getting lost likely wouldn’t have been an issue, but it always feels better to know there are backups in place. David gave me a short lesson on his GPS, and I had the Colorado Trail app on my phone with a battery that required regular charging. I decided to purchase an Ursack to protect my food, so I was good to go, as I had already arranged a shuttle to the trailhead.

ON THE CT!

Aspen and Conundrum Hot Springs

For David’s birthday weekend, we visited Aspen and backpacked to Conundrum Hot Springs. I left earlier than he did so I could wander the streets of the quaint mountain town. I took the longer scenic drive from Denver which took me over Independence Pass. I made my first stop here. I parked the car in the lot at the pass and followed a trail to the edge to view the lovely surrounding mountains. The cool breeze sent me back to the car relatively quickly where I continued on to Aspen.

I stopped at a sandwich shop, Grateful Deli, for lunch. I thought I might be able to find something for a reasonable price. The meal deal which included a turkey sandwich, chips and a drink was $13…Ha! That sounds about right for Aspen. The shops were nice as well, Van Cleef and Arpel, Ralph Lauren, Rag and Bone among other fancy retailers.

David and I got a great hotel for the night. Hotel Durant was a few blocks from downtown and the ski mountain…easy walking distance to both. The room was spacious with a nice view. We were able to squeeze into the bar after a short wait for a nice dinner at Wild Fig. From there we tried out the brewery before turning in for the evening.

Conundrum Hot Springs is a popular destination. The hike in from the parking lot is about 8.5 miles. We slept in until 7:30 and grabbed a quick free breakfast at the hotel before we made our way toward the trailhead. We knew with our late start, the parking would likely be a challenge. Of course the small lot was full, so we dumped our packs by the start and then drove a mile back to the main road where we parked on the shoulder.

So our day started by adding a mile to our hike. At least it was without a backpack. The next 8.5 miles led us mostly uphill over a rocky path. We passed through beautiful aspen groves, intermittent forests, and fields of wildflowers beneath a sunny sky. Fortunately, there was a light breeze that kept us cool in the unseasonably warm weather.

The wildflowers were nice though the dry, warm weather seemed to take a toll on them just as the biting flies took a toll on us. I’m not sure why I felt like this hike was so hard. It was my first time to carry a full backpack for the season, and it was steep in places, but it didn’t seem like I should have been struggling so much.

I will say I didn’t find walking across a boulder field or balancing on a log in the beaver pond to be too exciting. The variety on the trail, however, did provide nice changes of scenery which was quite enjoyable. About half a mile from the hot springs, we set up camp around several others. This area is so popular privacy is tough to come by and campfires aren’t allowed.

We hiked the rest of the way carrying a small day pack which included our swim suits, towel, sunscreen, off and the like. There were two hot springs, one larger than the other. Ten or so people sat in one that was a touch warmer than the smaller one which fit 4-6 people comfortably. Both springs were very muddy.

David could have sat there all day. I, on the other hand, tried to sit there for a whole hour. Once I had shriveled up, I was ready to go. Actually, probably before that, but it was his birthday! We hiked back down to camp to cook dinner and have a nap. He mentioned he might head back up there in the morning. The morning came around 2am for him. He hiked up in the dark and sat in the pool with a few others who didn’t bring a tent so they just slept in the springs! He stayed until the sun came up and then some!

Once 7am rolled around, I figured I should check to see if he was alive. I hiked up to the springs and probably ruined his fun when I reminded him we had to cook breakfast, pack up, hike down, and drive four hours home. Though I think he enjoyed a night under the stars.

The hike down wasn’t too bad though with all our ailments between the two of us, we realized our backpacking days might be replaced with easier activities in the next five years. Upon reaching the parking lot, we wished we didn’t have to walk the extra mile to our car. Fortunately, a couple of guys picked us up.

After treating ourselves to a deserving lunch at the White House Tavern, we took a slight detour to Glenwood Springs before heading back to Denver. I wanted to see the historic Colorado Hotel where my mom used to stay as a kid. It is neat. I will have to stay there one day. Of course, the metering at the Eisenhower tunnel was in force, so the drive home took a while, but it was a nice getaway to the mountains. Aspen is a beautiful place! ETB

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Oslo, Norway and the Outskirts

We got into Oslo a bit later than we had hoped for after a delayed flight, but the process upon landing was pretty simple. We found the Flytoget Express Train and took it to the Nationalthetret station. All we had to do was swipe our credit card at the turnstyle. We didn’t even get a ticket.

The train was quite full, so we sat on our luggage until we arrived 20 or 30 minutes later, I think after about three stops. We walked a few short blocks along the side of the park to our hotel, Hotel Christiania Theater that was in an absolutely perfect location. I really scored on this place, especially given the price. The only downfall was that there wasn’t any A/C, and it was unseasonably hot in Norway, but I suppose a lot of hotels don’t have A/C in the nordic country.

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Great Hike Around Walker Ranch Loop

Walker Ranch Loop
Fees: Free
Website: http://www.bouldercounty.org/os/parks/pages/walkerranch.aspx
Elevation: 6,500-7,800 feet (we walked downhill)
Distance: 7.8 miles for loop, 1 mile on connector trail
Hours: daylight

The Walker Ranch was once one of the largest cattle ranches in the region. The original 160 acre homestead grew to 6,000 acres between 1882 and 1959 when the Walker Family sold its property. After a succession of owners, the county began purchasing the land in 1976. Now it is a part of the Boulder County Parks & Open Space.

Tanya, Diana and I set out to hike the 7.8 mile Walker Loop Trail. After about an hour drive from Denver, we arrived at Ethel Harrold Trailhead, a new access point into the park. What we didn’t know, is this added a mile to our journey, so our total distance traveled turned into 8.8 miles in just over four hours.

The trail started by descending through the evergreen forest. Our first thought was that we would be finishing going up hill. It didn’t take long, however, to get distracted by all the wildflowers. Several varieties lined the trail and sometimes blanketed the hillside. This trail will be gorgeous in a few weeks.

We dropped 300 feet in the first mile of our trek where we crossed a narrow creek. Over the next 2.5 miles we climbed 900 feet. Some of the ascent included rock and log stairs overlooking the now raging creek. We passed a fisherman and asked if he caught anything. He replied, “No, they must be letting water out from the dam. The water is murky, and it is running twice as fast as normal.”

Little did we know there was a dam nearby, but we ended up spotting it after we rounded the lush, green hillsides and admired the snowcapped mountains from afar. The Gross Reservoir was completed in 1954 and receives water through the Moffat Tunnel.

By this point in our hike, we had descended another 700 feet in 1.5 miles and climbed 500 over the next mile. Being so close to Denver, I thought the trail would be undulating through the foothills. Instead it was somewhat steep. I suppose it was good warm-up for hiking the part of the Colorado Trail this summer.

With at least half the hike complete, we stopped for lunch in the limited shade. We continued down through the forest to the creek again before we reconnected with the Ethel Harrold Trail to finish the last half mile. The loop provided lovely views, both rocky and smooth terrain, open space and forest for a dynamic hike on a super, sunny day. ETB

butterfly on Diana

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Action Packed Memorial Day Weekend!

We had such a fun weekend! We drove down to Cañon City beneath ominous clouds. Fortunately for us, we missed almost all the rain. Based on TripAdvisor and the menu, we picked 8 Mile Bar & Grill for dinner. Little did we know, the restaurant is located nearly across the street from the turn off to the Royal Gorge. Colorful flags flew around the perimeter…it screamed tourist trap in our minds. Surprisingly, we were all happy with our food! We wanted a little more “town” atmosphere, so we stopped off at the Royal Gorge Brewing Company before calling it the night.

canon city

Due to weather (both wind and heat), hot air balloons have to launch at sunrise. The launch at the Cañon City Balloon Festival was scheduled for 6am. Sixteen balloon teams were expected to make an appearance. We arrived at 5:45am so we could set up our chairs to watch. None of the balloon teams were preparing to launch. Only one balloon was stretched out on the lawn. Everyone else kept their balloons in their trailers. Apparently there was a weather hold as the wind was too strong. While the wind usually increases as the day goes on, the forecast called for it to die down.

After an hour delay or so, balloon teams started blowing up their balloons. I learned from the Albuqurque Balloon Festival a few years ago that ballooners don’t mind spectators getting close, so David and I walked up close to a team from Lewisville, Texas so I could snap some photos. Much to my surprise, the balloon pilot turned to David and asked, “Will you help us? Put down your coffee.” This was David’s dream come true! With a wide grin, he jumped in and held on to the unruly balloon. He helped keep it still in the wind while the crew blew propane in the balloon.

Eventually, we helped turn the basket and rig upright. The balloon was ready to launch, however, all teams decided it wasn’t safe, so we only got to see the balloons get blown up. Normally, I would have considered not seeing the hot air balloons launch a bust, but we ended up getting to spend a ton of time with the balloon team and learn so much about ballooning. Our balloon pilot even got interviewed by the news while we were holding the balloon down, so I supposed we were on the news!

The Sky Gypsies, the team we talked to, have ballooned all over the world. Generally, balloon flights last about an hour though can last a little over two. The distance traveled depends on the weather, the size of the balloon, and the amount of propane being carried. Just the balloon portion of a rig’s starting cost is $18,000 used. The entire rig used starts at $32,000. Not a cheap sport! The pilots are subject to FAA regulations too. It was very interesting.

After a few hours at the balloon festival, we moved on to the Royal Gorge. We got so lucky. We arrived at the Cañon City Royal Gorge Park around 9:45am. Since the rides didn’t open until 10am, we got tickets into the park for a reduced entrance fee. We wandered across the bridge, snapped photos, and watched the train and rafters go by on the river below.

gondola at the Royal Gorge

Royal Gorge Bridge

Upon reaching the other side, we went directly to the Skycoaster, one of those swings sometimes found at amusement parks. We filled out the waivers, put on our suits and took turns on the ride. The girls went first. We could have gone outside and taken their pictures, but the employees said we’d have to take off our suits, retrieve our belongings, go outside, and then come back. Without a line, we should have done this. What a joke. We stood right outside anyway in our suits, but didn’t have our cameras since we weren’t allowed to have anything in our pockets. It was a great way for them to get an extra $35 in addition to the discounted price of $25/person for the ride since there were four of us!

skycoaster

about to pull the ripcord

beginning of first swing

middle of first swing

end of first swing

Check out the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccF_Vkuv1O8

The girls had a ball. We were up next. Nervous, we climbed up the stairs and positioned ourselves to be clipped in. The higher we were pulled up to the tall post, the more anxious we got. I was happy that the staff told us to lock arms and not let go for the first pass. David was in charge of the ripcord. He had to pull it on the count of three. To his credit, he did! The initial drop was breathtaking. Passing through the middle was fun. Ending up high on the other side for a moment felt like we weren’t attached to anything…that was scary. Since we were quite different in weight, we got to spin a lot more than the girls. With each swing, it was more fun and less scary, so we could let go. David wasn’t too keen on doing that.

just before pulling the ripcord

beginning of first swing

middle of first swing

end of first swing

Check out the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlNekngLkuc

After the swing, we moved on to the zipline that ran across the gorge. Here, we found out there was a combo ticket. The staff at the swing didn’t tell us this, so the guys at the zipline were nice enough to only charge us for two tickets. We just didn’t get to take home four souvenir tickets which we didn’t need. The zipline was fun because we got to look down into the gorge. It wasn’t as much of an adrenaline rush as the swing though. Having said that, any zipline I have ever done didn’t seem like a big adrenaline rush to me. This zipline was a little different. We sat in a flexible seat as opposed to wearing a climbing harness.

Check out the videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q903MbX76OU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqIUdsnmp3k

Both rides were worth it. Kids under 18 needed an adult to go and everyone had to weigh over 100 pounds. We fit the criteria. The park was so different from the last time I visited about thirty years ago. There wasn’t a zipline or a sky coaster. I didn’t think there was an aerial tram back in the eighties either, but according to wikipedia there was. Much of the park was redone after a wildfire destroyed many buildings and lines across the gorge. The bridge, however, wasn’t badly damaged. The suspension bridge, originally constructed in 1929 for $250,000, stands 1,053 feet above the gorge. Up until 2003, the bridge was the highest suspension bridge in the world. It has since been surpassed by many bridges in China.

After a surprisingly good lunch at the restaurant in the park, we drove to Buena Vista to check out the paddle fest. We watched kayakers do flips in the rapids for points. It was pretty amazing! I think we finished all of this by 3pm. At such time, we followed the dirt road named Colorado through tunnels to find a campsite. Most of the campsites by the river were taken, but we found a quiet road that turned into a meadow and enjoyed a secluded campsite with several deer and a rabbit hole. When we woke up, someone had camped ten feet away from us despite having countless choices on the road. Funny how that works!

in the middle of a flip

glamping

rabbit at our campsite

view from camp

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It didn’t matter. We packed up and headed to the river for a day of rafting Brown’s Canyon. We shuttled the cars between Fisherman’s Bridge and Stone Bridge for our “put in” and “take out”. These are public access points, though it seemed like commercial outfits used them most. If we were to put in again, we would maybe go to Ruby Mountain Campground. Regardless, we set ourselves up for 13 river miles of class II and class III rapids. The river level at 1,000 cfs was perfect for our 14 foot boat. Any lower, we may have been dragging bottom. Any higher, we might have needed a few more people in the boat to paddle!

Pumping the raft

Our put in spot

David set his raft up as an oar rig as opposed to a paddle boat. I didn’t really understand the difference until we started paddling. Fortunately we started out on smoother water and class II rapids, as with an oar rig, he goes backwards more often than forward. Heather and I hadn’t experienced this in our paddle raft adventures, so it took us a while to adjust. The first 5.5 miles or so of our jaunt was quite simple. We decided we’d pull off for a light lunch. Fortunately, we did. We clued in that the next six miles would be full of bigger water when we watched kayakers go scout the rapids.

our lunch spot

David the oarsman!

Jaz took the oars!

From the map we reviewed prior to setting out, we knew there would be about six rapids in a row. We hit all the rapids smoothly except one which was a bit of a mess, but we made it out unscathed. The narrowest, hardest rapid, we navigated like champs with the exception of Heather get thrown from the bow to the middle of the raft when we hit the big hole. Once the rapids died down, Jaz took the helm! Toward the end of our run, we started looking for our take out. The stone bridge that crossed the river was a good clue since we were taking out at “Stone Bridge”. About ten minutes before we were taking out, we were enjoying a relaxed float when we hit a small bump, and Heather fell in. It was smooth shallow water, so she was safe but very cold!

We got off the river by 2pm after a 4 hour float in mostly sunny weather. The dark clouds and wind came soon after we loaded up! It was a perfect weekend of activities with Monday being a rest and study day for school finals. ETB

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Check out the photographic note cards and key chains at my shop. Each card has a travel story associated with it. 20% of proceeds are donated to charity.

photographic note card, western tiger swallowtail butterfly — WESTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL