summary Archives - Page 5 of 9 - ETB Travel Photography

Awesome Fourth of July Weekend at Estabrook!

Estabrook

David and I made it up to Estabrook on Wednesday and set out for a short reconnaissance hike since we had heard all the bridges along the creek had been knocked out by all the high water this spring. The first two bridges made of a steel trellis and wood planks were washed aside. At the first bridge we waded through the cold creek which was still a few feet higher than normal. At the second bridge, other logs got knocked into what could be used as a crossing so we carefully stepped across the logs to one of our old kids’ campsite. The next bridge was out as well, so after searching for edible mushrooms, we turned around and took the logging road up to Eagle’s Rock and an overlook over Johnson’s Gulch. The road was intermittently marshy sometimes with a light stream of water flowing down the slope.

The meadow beneath the aspen stand was home to countless wild flowers and a cool looking yellow spider. I think we found seven varieties of mushrooms. David knew that a few were edible, but without his mushroom book we stuck with one variety which he knew the name. They went quite well on pasta! I supposed the bear wanted some mushrooms too as it visited us for the fullmoon night.

Upon our return, the rain began falling harder with every step. The road even wetter, we didn’t even bother removing our shoes to wade through the creek. By the time we reached the porch, we were soaked and cool, but it made for a nice afternoon by the fire.

dinner

Brian, Erin, and Ellen arrived Thursday night while Mike, Mario, and Moria arrived Friday afternoon. David and I, along with our Thursday guests found a nice hike for Friday morning, Silver Dollar Lake. It is only 1.5 miles one way to the lake and 2.2 miles one way if we wanted to extend the hike to Murray Lake. I have wanted to complete this hike for sometime. I tried this winter, but the trail wasn’t decipherable.

Silver Dollar Lake and Murray Lake

After an hour drive with David speeding along the dirt roads, we arrived at the trailhead. We began the hike climbing a few switchbacks through the evergreen forest. Soon we reached treeline as we overlooked Naylor Lake. The trail turned to a muddy mess at times from the recent snow melt. We slowly made our way to Silver Dollar Lake after stopping along the way to admire more magnificent wildflowers. With all the spring rain, the wildflowers will just get even better this summer!

At the lake, a young boy was flying a drone around! It was sort of cool, since he had a camera, but we were in the wilderness for some peace and quiet so we kept climbing to Murray Lake which was lovely. Only one other person sat along its shore, and he joined us for lunch as the approaching clouds cooled us off. It was time to head back to the cabin. We hung out on the porch, enjoyed happy hour, and eventually settled in for a tasty BBQ dinner prepared by Moria in honor of July 4th!

Naylor Lake

Silver Dollar Lake

Murray Lake

Eagle Rock and Johnson’s Gulch

Our next day’s hike was an adventurous one. Everyone was game to at least wade through the creek twice, so we took the same hike as Thursday morning up to Eagle Rock and the Johnson’s Gulch overlook for magnificent views and a bonus spotting of wild turkey. Some of the boys wanted to venture up the creek without the bridges, so a few folks headed back to the cabin while the rest of us looked for creek crossings. We waded across not far from the next bridge that was out and made it to the bear’s cave. If there is anything positive to say about the flooding waters is that they knocked the ugly logs that were stuck in the creek near the bear’s cave down river which made for a much prettier view at my favorite place in the world.

Finally we found a few newer bridges in tact, but one crucial one was out. The creek was just low enough to cross. Any higher it may have been harrier than it already was as we David had to rescue Mike’s dog, Marley ten down the creek. After stopping for a few photos at the hanging bridge, we waded through the water once more at Johnson’s Gulch to take a higher path along another logging road back to the house.

I think we probably logged 8 miles, enough to work up an appetite for taco and margarita night at Estabrook, a must! Dessert of S’mores, cards, and some dancing followed for a fun night! What a way to spend the Fourth of July, in the mountains with great company! ETB

SHOP

For notecards and key chains, visit My Shop on this website.

Backpacking Through the Lost Creek Wilderness

We arrived at the Goose Creek Trailhead around 11:30 after a long winding drive along a well maintained dirt road. We were surprised to find so many cars in the parking lot as upon calling the ranger station it sounded like some of the trail conditions would be challenging with high creeks, mud, and snow. We took that sign as a glimmer of hope we could make it across the ridge between Bison Peak and McCurdy Mountain, both above 12,000 feet.

After chatting with a few fellow backpackers, we set out on Goose Creek Trail, and immediately found a group of six backpackers that had just finished the loop along Brookside-McCurdy Trail and Hankins Pass Trail. The young college-aged group said they used snowshoes for about half-a-day, but thought most of the snow would be gone by now as they passed through the area a few days ago. They also said they were able to cross the creek on a submerged log with a line tied across the creek. Things sounded somewhat promising given Colorado’s crazy spring weather.

With our late start, we planned to hike around 5-7 miles. The trail took us along side the raging creek that looked more like a river of brown rapids that in places left its banks and watered down the trail. We walked through the shade of conifers before we began climbing the granite path. Soon we reached a volunteer group who was attempting to improve the water damaged trail as large rock outcroppings and snow-capped mountains came into view.

We took our first break a few miles into the trail, as my fellow flat-landers weren’t quite used to the altitude at roughly 8,000 feet. I certainly had an unfair advantage. In intermittent showers that stayed around just long enough for us pull out our rain gear only to strip it off minutes later, we followed the undulating trail to a junction, where we could detour to see historic buildings and mining equipment. The girls weren’t interested in “old stuff” and I doubt if I was at that time, so they chilled out at this four-mile stop while David and I went for a short exploration after leaving our packs with Heather and Jaz.

The buildings, constructed for employee housing in the early 1900’s by The Antero and Lost Park Reservoir Company when the company attempted to build a reservoir by damming Lost Creek were just a short distance from the trail junction. A quarter mile down the path was some rusted machinery. Of course, upon leaving our packs, storms threatened again with dark clouds rolling in, thunder, and a few rain drops falling, thus our visit to the historic sites were quick.

We continued, this time following the steep path up and down over a few ridges before we finally settled on a campground located between the trail and the creek. Our dehydrated camping meals couldn’t come fast enough after setting up our tents. David, the master chef, boiled our water for our nourishing meals.

With nightfall, the air cooled and the stars shined magnificently in the sky. The big dipper twinkled right above us. I feared I would freeze, and I can’t think of a time I haven’t while camping, but David brought a two person bag that goes down to ten degrees. Admittedly, I sweat all night long, but I am not complaining because as soon as I sat outside the next morning eating my oatmeal, I was already cold.

With frozen toes and fingers, we set out on our next days hike around 8 am. We started with trouncing through some muddy terrain. Soon we crossed the creek and began climbing. It didn’t take long to strip out of our “winter” clothes. The trail led us through open views, neat rock formations, a couple gorgeous aspen groves and past some sparse wildflowers. Each hiker and camper we met this morning had turned back from the creek crossing. Some had found the submerged log and thin line, but felt it was too difficult to pass. Others never found this spot. And others had heard one guy fell in while trying to cross…hmmm.

We met a couple who had hiked the loop numerous times, and they said they had never seen the creek so high. They tested the log and decided it wasn’t worth the consequences should something go awry. In their description, we learned of some nice campgrounds, so we forged forward, temporarily claimed a campsite as we left our packs with the girls, and went to scout the crossing. Just as we arrived, we met a couple that made it across the eight-inch wide log that was slightly submerged in water. They claimed the log moved slightly, but it was passable. We felt encouraged, and with it only being around one pm, we decided to plow ahead so we could tackled the next five uphill miles faced us on the way to McCurdy Park.

As he held onto the line, David stood on the log first. It bent and sunk significantly under the weight of he and his pack while his arms moved back and forth with the flimsy line. Though he made it across and back. The way he made it was enough of a sight for me to chicken out and say “no way”! Grabbing hold of the line required us to lean upstream. If we fell forward, we could have easily gotten trapped against the log in the water which was at least five feet deep. If we leaned back, chances were we would land on a submerged boulder. Finally, the log really wasn’t connected to the other side. It was being pushed up against the willows by the force of the water. Fortunately, the girls sided with me, so I didn’t have to be the spoiler. We each stood on the log without our packs, and didn’t feel safe, so we opted out and returned to a shaded camp for an early day.

We had only hiked six miles today, so we chose to hike out twelve miles tomorrow and spend a few days at our cabin in Estabrook. We didn’t feel too disappointed as we probably could have brought a little more food too. While we had enough for every meal plus snacks, Jaz and I have high metabolisms, and I think we would have wanted larger portions by the end of five days on the trail.

Since we were packing out the same way we came in, the girls wanted to do a “solo”. They were packed up and ready to go by 6 am. After we cooked oatmeal for breakfast, the girls headed out. We made plans to meet up at our old campground six miles down the trail. The girls got an hour head-start before we got the camp cleaned up and enjoyed some Taster’s Choice Instant Coffee (better than Via and regular brew)!

The girls took their time, and we moved quickly in order play a little catch up. At our morning lunch spot, we gave them some food, a lighter and compass just in case they got lost, though it seemed unlikely. Since they didn’t have much of a head-start, David and I strolled along the trail taking photos, restroom breaks, and filtering a bit more water. Other hikers had seen the girls along the way, so all was going as planned until the trail that the volunteer group was working on was closed and re-routed. When we arrived at the car, the girls weren’t there!

We had discussed the Hankins Pass/Goose Creek Trail junction located at the end of the trail and thought perhaps the girls continued. It was 1:30. I told David to go down the Hankins Pass Trail for 1 hour and then turn around to be back by 3:30, as without a pack on, he would have caught them. In the meantime, I waited at the trail junction in case we somehow missed them. At around 2pm, the couple that crossed the log yesterday finished their hike. They hadn’t seen the girls, but about fifteen minutes later the girls, hot and sweaty, showed up. What a relief! The trail closing confused them as the trail they were on didn’t seem familiar so they turned around to find us, but somehow ended up on a different fork, and we missed each other. After some mis-direction from some guys down by the creek, they eventually found their way safely after crossing a log twice.

I told the girls to wait at the trail junction, which they happily did, while I went to get David. I felt like he would feel much better the sooner he knew his girls were OK. The Hankins Pass Trail with several creek crossings was significantly different than Goose Creek Trail. He kept going to try to find another hiker on the trail just to confirm no one had seen them as the trail was so different they would have known they had gone too far. After an hour, as we discussed he turned around, I caught up to him and we were back to the trailhead to meet the girls before 3:30 pm. Needless to say, the final hour put a slight damper on our three day camping trip.

But we made up for it at Estabrook. Upon arrival Jennifer and John had a “kitchen sink” salad ready for us. Fresh vegetables hit the spot after multiple days of dehydrated food. The salad included two cheeses, broccoli, avocado, two types of tomatoes, apples, dried cranberries, seeds and more. I think we all had two or three servings!

The next day, we took the classic Estabrook hike to the Bear’s Cave and the hanging bridge. Craig Creek was out of its banks and soaking the trail in a few locations, but we made it to some of my favorite spots in the whole world. After lunch in town and quick stop at the Knotty Pine for some clean T-shirts, we enjoyed a lazy afternoon playing Settlers of Catan. When the evening arrived, it was time to celebrate Heather’s 16th birthday. Car keys, a watch, and tickets to the Violent Femmes and Barenaked Ladies playing at Red Rocks the following night complemented amazing s’mores and charades for a fun celebration. We bought jumbo marshmallows and Jaz had the BRILLIANT idea to stick the chocolate in the marshmAllow and then roast it. YUM!! Jaz even roasted marshmallows on the woodstove after breakfast the next day!

We capped off Heather’s birthday at Red Rocks the following day. One of her favorite bands is Violent Femmes, and one of my favorite bands is Barenaked Ladies. And of course, watching live music at Red Rocks is epic. Even the bands get excited about playing at the venue. We had a fun five days before hanging out in Denver for the rest of the week. ETB

Shop

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, mountain goat in colorado — MOUNTAIN GOAT

Fredericksburg, Texas and Beyond

What a wonderful early birthday and Easter weekend rendezvous! David found a cute little apartment over one of the shops on the main street of Fredericksburg and planned a fun two night stay.

Fredericksburg holds a special place in my heart from winning my first medium pony championship at the Gellespie County Fairgrounds to spending time around that area when I attended camp Mystic as a kid. I was so excited to return as an adult, especially given the last time I tried during my road trip around the USA the weather was lackluster at best. Sleet blew sideways, and VANilla’s doors froze closed!

Admittedly, the forecast called for dreary weather this weekend, so I hoped my luck would be slightly better than February 2011. It wouldn’t take much as we headed northwest from San Antonio beneath cloudy skies. Our first stop was outside of Boerne at the Cave Without a Name.

The Natural National Landmark is a limestone, solution cave which is created by a combination of water and acid that erodes the rock. The cave is tens of thousands of years old as evidenced the remains of prehistoric animals, though the cave went largely unnoticed until the 1920s when a moonshine distillery was installed in the uppermost cavern during the Prohibition. It wasn’t until 1935 when local children found the cave and were the first to enter its main chamber 90 feet below ground!

The owner of the property, Jim Horn, decided to open it to the public in 1939. As part of the opening, Mr. Horn held a state-wide contest, offering $250 for the best name. A young boy suggested the cave was too beautiful to have a name and was awarded the prize.

As we followed the 126 step staircase to its main cavern, I couldn’t help but think of the children who clambered down and back up the walls with only the light of a lantern. We took an hour tour of six chambers which covered only 0.25 miles of the 3.5 mile cave. Researchers are still exploring the cave which requires diving in the underground extension of the Guadalupe River which runs through it. They still haven’t found its end.

I expected the continuous 66 degrees would feel cold, but the cave was a nice temperature for us and several cave critters including bats, cave frogs, and salamanders. I loved seeing these species as I think it is fascinating that an animal evolves to be blind or are born blind since the darkness provides no use for eyes.

The cave is home to a variety of formations including stalactites, stalagmites, cave bacon, soda straws, draperies, columns and more. I particularly liked a dome structure, not because it was the prettiest formation, but because it was a type of formation I hadn’t seen in other caves. It is truly amazing to realize how long it takes for the formations to grow. We saw a small blob on the ground, not even an inch high, and it is 80 years old!

Another awesome feature in the cave is the rimstone dams. One area looked like terraced rice fields in China only the small dams held crystal clear water in pools. The water was so clear that at times we couldn’t see it, and at other times we thought a four-foot deep pool was only one-foot deep.

It was nice that cave tours took place upon arrival as well. There were not any scheduled times so the group was really small, just four of us. To see the cave on a scheduled time, however, it is possible to go in the evening for a concert like Italian Pops. Apparently the acoustics are great.

Upon finishing up our tour, we continued north to arrive in Fredericksburg for a late lunch. We squeezed into thebuzzing bar area at the Fredericksburg Brewery. That is about the best description I can give to the place. We should have heeded the TripAdvisor reviews. The room temperature beer was fair and the food not much better, maybe worse. I ordered the fish tacos which were decent, but David ordered the fish and chips which frankly tasted like a fish dock. I don’t know how he ate them. Overall, I suppose it didn’t really matter. We were both hungry and just trying to get some sustenance before we wandered along the crowded main street with a German influence.

Window shopping is our cup of tea, so we weaved between the shoppers as we glanced through the glass. Occasionally we found a boutique interesting enough to stick our head inside, including the fudge shop and a gallery owned by an artist David knew. What surprised us the most, however, was to find the National Museum of the Pacific War in such a small Texas town.

In 1971, the Nimitz Foundation was founded to establish the original Nimitz Museum in the former Nimitz Hotel. These efforts slowly evolved into the museum today. Not being a World War II history buff, I didn’t know anything about Nimitz. A Fredericksburg native, Nimitz was serving as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation in Washington, DC when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He was handpicked by President Roosevelt to relieve Admiral Kimmel at Pearl Harbor. He commanded an aggressive combat team that made all the right moves in the Battle of Midway which is considered the Navy’s greatest victory to this day. In 1944, he was promoted to Fleet Admiral, only one of four at this time. He also signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the United States while stationed on the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. I can only believe I have never heard of him because I couldn’t stand history as a kid, as he seemed like one impressive guy.

The skies had cleared and with the weekend forecast sounding dreary, we didn’t want to spend any time inside the museum’s walls. We thought we might have time for that later in the weekend, so instead, we simply enjoyed the sun while walking around the peaceful courtyards. We also checked out the massive propeller, canons, a mast, and submarine that lined the front of the building. Soon after our stroll, it was time to check into our cute apartment, The Angel Inn, and relax before David took me for a lovely early birthday dinner at the Vaudeville Supper Club a block away.

Dressed up a little more than necessary in Fredericksburg (or Denver for that matter), we walked to the restaurant to be seated for our 6 o’clock reservation. The entry to the Supper Club is through a lovely courtyard complete with a fireplace and fountain that we enjoyed after our five course meal. The tasting menu included a variety of dishes that I wouldn’t have expected to go together and even included some items I probably wouldn’t have ever tried. That being said, the fusion worked well, and the meal was spectacular…especially the pork belly ravioli topped with lobster and resting in an asian broth. What a way to cap off a great day!

menu (forgot to take picture of the sweetbreads)

toasting

tuna

pork belly ravioli with lobster

short rib croquette and tenderloin

pineapple cigar and pistachio ice cream

the bill

Our next day included another adventure to a cave, only this time an entirely different kind of cave. We joined the masses at Enchanted Rock State Park as we waited in rather long traffic line just to get in the park. Since neither of us enjoys crowds on the trail, instead of following everyone up the path to the top of Enchanted Rock, we chose to take Loop Trail to Echo Canyon Trail and then find our own way to the top of the rock. Plus, walking around the weathered dome, which was thought to possess magical and spiritual powers by several Indian tribes due to its night-time creaking and groaning noises, added some distance. I think we were able to get in a full 3 mile roundtrip.

This route was lovely. We probably only ran into ten people as we meandered along the wildflower lined trail past Moss Lake and the climbing areas to a place on enormous pink pluton batholith that looked scalable. For the most part, we could scramble up with relative ease and didn’t need our hands to help. Therefore, make-shift route turned out much easier than I expected. There was no way avoid the crowd on the top of the rock, though fortunately it is quite large, so we settled for an area slightly protected from the wind if that exists. The last time I was on top of this rock my hair was blowing sideways.

First picture ever of me in the bluebonnets

On the west side of the rock, we found the sign that pointed to the “cave” entrance. It wasn’t hard to spot as the ranger said, “Just follow the 10,000 people going up to the top and then follow the 5,000 that go to the left!” The cave was more like a giant crack in the rock which required some flexibility. We entered after a group of four who weren’t prepared. The area was pitch black, and a headlamp is highly desirable. Worst case, the flashlight on the cell phone comes in handy, but maneuvering through the cave definitely requires both hands at times.

Not everyone in the group ahead of us had lights and one person had significant problems laying on her back and sliding through holes not much bigger than David. We waited so long, I felt like we’d get trapped in between groups. With a slight tendency toward claustrophobia, I found myself uneasy at times while wishing they would speed up! Fortunately, no one caught up to us until the very end so we got play around with photos and even enjoy an apple in the middle of the narrow cave. A little wet and dirty with a few bumps on our heads, we eventually exited cave near our make-shift path.

the entrance

the exit

Instead of turning down, we returned to the top of the rock along our previous trail and finished our lunch before following the masses to the parking lot. It was awesome, and we finished in time to enjoy some wine and the view of Fredericksburg’s bustling main street from our balcony.

For dinner, we tried the “second best” restaurant in Fredericksburg, Cabernet Grill, on Saturday. Its outdoor atmosphere with a water wheel and fish pond was neat. The cuisine was tasty, though the difference between the #1 restaurant and #2 restaurant on TripAdvisor is substantial! Regardless it was a fun day and lovely atmosphere.

We had to wave good-bye to Fredericksburg on Sunday, but not before we enjoyed a fantastic lunch at the Vaudeville Bistro. I had the lump crab quiche while David devoured buttermilk fried chicken. Both were excellent, especially David’s jalapeno cornbread. I ate most of it off his plate.

Before we reached San Antonio, we stopped at Guadalupe River State Park, a place where David sometimes rafts and kayaks. With the drought, the water has been relatively low, so he hasn’t gotten to do too many river sports of late. The water level didn’t affect us today, however, as we just hiked along the river banks on Bald Cypress Trail. The river was lined with enormous trees whose roots and trunks were smoothed by the river’s flow during rainier times. In jeans and a sweater, we weren’t dressed for a big hike, so we weren’t at the park long. We were really just planning to take a look at the river because for some strange reason I wanted to check it out. Of course, I always find it peaceful to walk by water, I can’t say I have too many fond memories of actually swimming in the Guadalupe while at camp. The lovely spring, aqua color turns mossy green by summer and it is home to snapping turtles and water moccasins! I took free swim at camp just for a free period, not to actually swim. Being near the water, however, did give us the idea to go to Texas Coast on Monday though.

I was surprised to find out Corpus Christi and its beaches are only two hours away from San Antonio. After a leisurely morning, we packed up David’s paddle board and headed to the coast. We stopped for lunch at Snoopy’s and chowed down on some tasty fried seafood platter before we set up our chairs on the beach just ten minutes away.

I enjoyed a book and a walk on the beach while David surfed the waves. I would have walked farther, but the beach was peppered with Portuguese Man-O-Wars. Anyone who has grown up going to the Gulf in Texas knows to stay away from those guys as they deliver a super painful sting while alive or dead! Though its appearance resembles a jellyfish, it is a siphonophore and its stings leave welts on human skin for three days. Discovery on man-o-wars washed up on the beach can lead to a beach closure! I suppose we were lucky as I passed at least 100 of them and was careful not to step on their long, venomous tentacles.

David could have paddled boarded for hours (and probably much longer than I could have sat on the beach), but we needed to get back home for dinner with the girls. Delicious sushi and Rice Krispie Treat Eggs (that we made Easter night) called our names. What a great weekend in the surrounding areas of San Antonio, especially given how bad the weather was supposed to be (we hardly saw a sprinkle)! ETB

Shop

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.

BNP Paribas at Indian Wells

What a great trip to Palm Springs and Indian Wells with my mom! We arrived on Sunday and after getting a tour of our boutique hotel, Hotel California with bikes, a lounge area, pool, fountains, and public kitchen, we toured the streets of Palm Springs. It didn’t take long to find the candy store. I’m not sure why we decided we needed a bunch of salt water taffy and “old-timey” candy, except we were hungry. We were trying to just eat a few pieces to tide us over before a very early dinner at Spencer’s, but that wasn’t enough as we stopped for a snack at one of the restaurants on the strip. Continue reading “BNP Paribas at Indian Wells” →

A Weekend in the Texas Hill Country

So David planned a special weekend for us in the Texas Hill Country. All I have to say about it is we both really enjoyed it, and I thought if anyone else is looking for nice, fun, cool places to go, I’d provide a list.

We stayed at Petite Mason at Rock Harbor Hill Country Lodge located in Sisterdale, TX about 45 miles north of San Antonio. The cabin was decorated in a mix of american and french. The cute bungalow sat on a larger piece of property with lots of pets. The cats were very friendly. If you are allergic to felines, I might suggest another place. Otherwise the hammock, fire pit, tree full of cardinals, deer, guinea, and hot tub are all added bonuses.

cabin

living room

bedroom

bath

kitchen

guinea

cardinals

lodge

The surrounding properties were interesting as well. We saw goats, buffalo, horses, donkeys, and old cars!

Our lunch and dinner spots were fun too! Good atmosphere and food.

The Welfare Cafe…Cute country place with a lively atmosphere in the front room. The board of specials included lamb, which we both ordered along with fried oysters. The lamb was one big chunk of meat (and fat). It was good, but I think it would be worth looking into other items on the menu.

Maywald’s Sisterdale Smokehouse is supposed to have some tasty BBQ. They must, given they only open the first and third weekend and sell BBQ until they run out! We’ll have to try it another time as we were there the second weekend. On the flip side, we got to enjoy the Cypress Grille in Boerne. Everything we ordered was delicious and the place was packed!!

The Creek (also in Boerne) was outstanding! The crab and shrimp cocktail, butternut squash soup, fish, scallops and chocolate cake were all cooked to perfection.

shrimp and crab cocktail

butternut squash soup

scallops

fish

chocolate cake

Another cool place to visit is the Majestic Theatre, located in downtown San Antonio. The theatre, designed by John Eberson in a Spanish Mediterranean style, was built in 1929 and refurbished during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The 2,264 seat theatre is home to San Antonio’s symphony and broadway. It also features several other events such as Rain.

Small Texas towns are quite something. ETB

Shop

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, cowboy boots on fence — BOOTS

The Beauty of Brainard Lake

The forecast called for a sunny day with a high of 50. That happened around 4 pm, but most of our hike took place beneath the clouds with gusting winds! Donning a t-shirt, ski sweater, and down jacket, I was already frozen before we even reached the trailhead.

Thankfully, the cover of the evergreens blocked the wind, so it only took a mile for my hands to thaw. The trail was snow packed, so our snowshoes were unnecessary. Microspikes were the perfect tool for our stroll through the woods to Brainard Lake, a hike I have wanted to do for the last two years.

We reached Red Rocks Lake first, a small ice covered pond. We continued along the trail, across the road, and through the campground before eventually we came to Brainard Lake with a backdrop of snow-covered peaks. The wind, so strong, moved my camera as I was shooting. And when on the slick surface, it nearly blew me backwards!

Red Rocks Lake

Brainard Lake

So much for warming up! I was frozen again while waiting for the group, and I didn’t want to take off my jacket to add a fourth layer. Lucky for me, Bernard had a fourth layer that I could add over my jacket. Somehow I was the only person that was cold…imagine that!

We took the same tree covered trail back to the parking instead of following the road. I warmed up again, just in time to spot a white rabbit. So cool! We enjoyed a lovely 5.4 mile out and bike hike with little elevation gain at 10,000 feet. ETB

Shop

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, iceberg in Antarctica — ICEBERG

Painted Mines, the Incline, and Christmas at the Broadmoor…A Cracking Time in Colorado Springs

I had the greatest day. While I got off to a slow start, my day was action packed once I reached Painted Mines Interpretive Park in Calhan, about 20 miles East of Colorado Springs. I heard about the park from a photography group that takes an annual trip to shoot the colorful formations. I thought I had signed up to go, but then realized I failed to RSVP, so I was on my own.

Sometimes I think going alone is better anyway. I tend to hike faster than photographers and slower than the average hiker as I go off into lala land while admiring nature’s wonders. Today was no exception. The group of forty was going very early. All morning the sky was covered by a large, grey cloud…like a snow cloud that I’m certain blocked the sunlight and the vibrant colors it brings out on the rocks. While many times, an overcast day is the best time to shoot, in this instance it wasn’t, and by the time I arrived the skies were clear! I’m so glad I went alone and delayed my arrival.

Painted Mines Interpretive Park was slightly farther out of the way than I expected. My planned hour drive was closer to an hour and a half. Occasionally I wondered if I really should trust my GPS as I passed through very rural farm country. After miles, I finally came up Calhan, a very small community with a few shops and gas station much to my relief. The park was just a few miles away.

The map of trails indicated hikers could follow a few loops to historic areas where Indians and early settlers once lived and to geological areas. I opted for the geological area. 55 million years ago, the area was a hardwood tropical forest which was later covered by white sandstone known as the Dawson Arkose Formation. Its stone and clay layers have been weathered by wind and rain to produce the current badlands and hoodoos.

It didn’t take long to reach the formations with very narrow walking paths. This solidified my awesome choice of going alone. I can’t imagine fitting three people in certain areas, much less forty, especially having to maneuver on uneven, snow-covered terrain at times. And I had a ball using the contraption my mom brought to me from China. I could take a selfie from several feet away with a collapsible metal pole that held my phone and extended!

Each badland area, located on either side of the main, sandy trail was unique. Some areas were larger than others. Some displayed an array of pink, orange and white hues, while others did not. Hoodoos, unusually shaped spires towered above vibrant layers of colors in some areas and didn’t exist in others. The only constant were the bunnies that hopped from one hiding place to the next as I wandered through the formations.

After spending close to an hour on this 0.6 mile trail, I decided to follow another trail that climbed to an overlook. At this point, the park seemed like mostly prairie land and not too exciting, but the information board suggested hikers could spot wildlife, so I decided to follow one of the loops. While the sign posting is good, I might caution that there are two parking areas. When I looked at the map, I only saw one, and the loop I was following seemed different from the picture I remembered. This was because I focused on the wrong parking area. It certainly didn’t cause any problems, it just seemed weird until I noticed the other parking area on a different road as I followed as I strolled around the loop.

I can’t say the rest of the park was terribly interesting, though it did provide an amazing view of the snow covered Pikes Peak, and I got in a decent walk. I didn’t follow the other 2 mile loop that passes by a small lake as while I was down near Colorado Springs, I wanted to try my luck at the Incline in Manitou Springs.

Boy does the Incline have a reputation. It was once a cog railway, built in 1907 and used to access water tanks at the mountain top that provided gravity fed water pressure to the cities of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. Soon after its construction, it also became a tourist attraction. The railway operated until 1990 when a rock slide knocked out the tracks. Since the Pikes Peak Cog Railway opted not to repair the tracks, the trail steadily gained popularity as a hiking destination and fitness challenge. Due to the land which the Incline traverses being owned by three entities and the challenges of limited parking which costs $5, the Incline was part of several legal battles which were finally settled in January 2013 after reaching the US Congress!

The trail remained open until August 2013 when it was closed for repairs. It just reopened a few weeks ago. Honestly, as my heart beat rapidly beneath my heavy breath, I couldn’t understand the draw of this trail. It gains 2,000 ft, from 6,600 to 8,600 in less than 1 mile and the view ahead of the climb was of not terribly aesthetic railroad ties and an occasional rusted barrel. I could tell when the trail increased in steepness just by seeing double stacked railroad ties and opposed to singles that I to scramble over. At times, I could reach my hand out in front of my chest and touch the next step up! It was important to lean forward and step on the ice carefully as to not sail backwards down the stairs.

I hiked for 25 minutes before I looked at my phone to see the time with the looming summit in my view. Good grief, how long was this going to take me, I thought. I didn’t have the luxury of stopping as I began the trail at 2:30, thus I only had two hours of daylight! I finally bothered to turn around and look at the view when I reached the “bail out” point three quarters of the way up. This was when I realized why people might want to torture themselves for something other than exercise. I have to admit, I don’t generally enjoy city views in the mountains, but this view was spectacular! Just looking down the hundreds of stairs I had climbed was cool.

The whole time I was slowly stepping up the Incline, I couldn’t help but wonder how many floors I had climbed. Just the previous day, I had climbed 53 floors in 13 minutes on the revolving stairs at the gym. I also wondered how my two hundred squats and lunges in my PiYo class twice a week were helping me. Further I thought of the firemen who climbed up the World Trade Center with all their gear in the smoke. I sure felt a lot a respect for them. I had a lot of time to think given it took me 1:03 to summit. The decorated Christmas tree brought a smile to my face as I heaved to catch my breath. You’d think after climbing multiple 14ers, it wouldn’t be that hard at half the elevation and less than a mile, but I have to say it was a good challenge. My time was a far cry from Olympian Apolo Ohno’s time of 17:45 which is a whole minute behind the fastest time. I suspect if I were still playing soccer or if I tried the climb during my marathon training, I would have finished much faster. Now a days, I’m just happy to complete the things I try.

I remained at the summit for about three minutes before I decided to take the Barr Trail down. This is the common route down as the Incline can be very crowded. I suppose one benefit of going at 2:30 is that not too many hikers were attempting to tackle the climb in the late afternoon. Only five people were at the summit when I arrived, and one guy told me it would take about an hour to get down, whether I returned down the railroad ties or followed the 2.5 mile path. I’m actually not exactly sure of the path’s length. He said 2.5 miles. The sign at the bottom of Barr Trail said 4 miles to the summit. Most of what I read said 2.5 to 3 miles with a round trip of 3.4 to 4 miles including the Incline.

Regardless, I expected the trail would be easier to descend than the icy Incline. Since I was by myself and strapped for time, I began jogging down the trail. The views of the snow dusted mountains to the southwest with the pink clouds overhead were lovely. I wished I could have gone slower to enjoy it a bit and take out my good camera which was packed in my backpack. Instead I snapped a few shots on my phone, though I think some random filter was on given the pink sky and red rocks look blue! As I descended, I soon reached some icy patches where I slowed to a walk. It didn’t take long for me to take a step and do a pirouette.

While my dance move may sound graceful, I can promise it wasn’t. Most of my turn was around my right knee (ouch), until it gave way enough for me to catch myself with my left hand as I fell. I think I would have scored a half point higher than a fallen ice skater! I continued on passing many which was not the case on my ascent as I was being passed. One girl was cursing as she was trying to maneuver the ice and rocks. I mentioned that I nearly bit it (my butt never hit the ground), and she and her two friends replied, “We already have.”

I reached some more ice, and thought I better hold on the wood railing. I wrapped my hand around the log, took a step and did the splits. Whew, my body was not made for that much stretching. It felt like I pulled every muscle in my left leg! Admittedly, I had my microspikes in my bag, and I could have strapped them on, but each time I thought about it, I’d get to a long dry stretch. I’d think oh there can’t be much more ice as I’ve descended over 1,000 feet. Of course, there was more ice, and I finally met my demise with me feet sliding out from under me and landing on my side. Funny, falling hurt far less than saving myself! I popped up as fast as I fell in order to get my hand out of the snow. I didn’t feel too bad about falling though, as each person I spoke to on the way down fell at least once! Gluttons for punishment I suppose.

It took me just under an hour to descend at my slow jog and penguin walk. Toward the end, my legs were tired and unfortunately on the ice I had to keep all my muscles from waist down tensed to take tiny steps and stay upright. The good news was I finished and my day was far from over. I swung by 24 Hour Fitness for a shower and treated myself to visit at the Broadmoor decked out in Christmas lights. I walked along the lake surrounded by trees decorated in white lights. I admired the gingerbread houses in the upstairs lobby. And I enjoyed an amazing fruit and cheese plate at The Hotel Bar while meeting a few nice ladies, Lynn and Judy.

The Broadmoor’s displays were wonderful, and I think I found a new favorite place and winter tradition (minus the Incline). I liked the Incline, and I can see how it would be a draw to locals because climbing stairs outside beats the gym, but coming from 80 miles away, I think I have other trails to explore. All in all, my day was spectacular, and I will definitely return to enjoy the Broadmoor and to check out the cute town of Manitou Springs among other things! ETB

Shop

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, yosemite falls — REFLECTIONS

Castlewood Canyon State Park

Posted this hike on my AroundTown5280 blog, because the park is close to Denver (30 miles). I enjoyed the ruins, the rim, and the deer! ETB

Visit Castlewood Canyon State Park

Emerald Mountain on Thanksgiving

What better way to make room for Thanksgiving calories than to hike up to the quarry at Emerald Mountain in Steamboat! I followed the snowpacked road to its summit with no need for snowshoes or microspikes now that I have some new hiking boots from North Face. Anyone with a narrow foot should try North Face boots!

Emerald Mountain is clearly a place for locals to go exercise and socialize. Some folks were running the trail while others were letting their dogs run free. I don’t recommend this location for any hiker who is afraid of dogs. There were more dogs than people, none of which were obeying the “leash law.” I got to greet several happy mutts!

The Emerald Mountain area offers a network of trails, though it was a bit hard for me to figure out all the options, so I followed Blackmer Drive almost two miles to a spectacular view of the town of Steamboat and it’s snow covered, ski slopes.

Afterward, I got to dive into turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing and a variety of pies with my family and friends. I doubt if I burned as many calories as I ate, but at least I exercised a little. Happy Thanksgiving to all. ETB

Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Well, I’ve been trying out tennis lately and have been remiss about going to the mountains, especially with travel to sea level as of late. It’s amazing how quickly I got out of hiking/altitude shape, and I only went up to about 8,800 feet!

Today I joined a group at Golden Gate Canyon State Park located probably 25 miles west of Denver. I had only been to the park once before and hiked some trails on the western side. Today we aimed to hike Mountain Lion Trail, a 6.7 mile loop described as difficult in the park’s pamphlet on the eastern side.

After some confusion about where to meet, as many trailheads lead to Mountain Lion Trail, we finally turned into a cohesive group at the Nott Creek parking area, the most eastern side of the park, around 10:20 without our hike organizer. We soon set off to tackle the trail that loops through the only hunting area in park during hunting season…great! After having bullets whiz by me in September on the Colorado Trail, I wasn’t entirely enthusiastic about visiting a marked area for gunfire, though I suppose we had safety in numbers.

The weather forecast called for 65 degrees by noon and we warmed up quickly as we began our climb on an open path beneath a sunny sky. Soon we entered the trees and followed the creek along a path dusted with snow. As we continued climbing, the hikers spread out, thus we stopped to regroup. Breaking a sweat and then stopping in the shade and snow chilled us to the bone…the temperature was far from 65, especially with the wind!

We reached a trail intersection where we could continue on Mountain Lion or follow Burro Trail that passes by an offshoot to Windy Peak. A few members of the group wanted to climb Windy Peak, so we bailed on our original plan and turned left to follow Burrow Trail. At the junction for Windy Peak, the wind was whipping and that was at the base.

Being cold, I opted to skip Windy Peak and all but two guys followed my lead. We walked slightly further to a rock outcropping for a short lunch, but I didn’t stay long as I needed to warm up my toes! A few others were in agreement to get moving again. The trail led us downhill to a few different junctions where we connected to a service road to make it to the parking area. It was a nice hike. I would have liked to do the whole Mountain Lion Trail. By taking Burro Trail, we probably shaved off a mile or so as we finished up in less than 3 hours.

Congregated in the parking lot, we enjoyed the warm sun! I’m dreading this week of ten degree temperatures as frankly, it was a lovely day in Colorado and I felt frigid!! Regardless, it was good to out and enjoy the mountains. It’s been far too long. ETB

Shop

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, snowy waterfall in oregon — SNOWY FALLS