Backpacking Segment 1 of the Colorado Trail

Ready to start!

The Colorado Trail is a 486 mile long trail that reaches from the southwest side of the Denver area all the way down to Durango.  We have made it a family goal to section hike the entire trail.  Until our most recent trip, we had completed Segments 2-4.  But with the warm weather and the confidence of a snow-free trail, we were able to do a great overnight of Segment 1.

Cooling off...

Segment 1 starts out very flat, traveling down the Waterton Canyon.  The first 6 miles are busy with dayhikers and cyclists.  Ninety degree temperatures beat down on us as we traveled through the canyon along the South Platte River.  Fortunately we were able to cool off in the icy water once along the way.  As the trail is very wide (Denver Water vehicles travel the same path), the large number of people along the route were not a detriment to our hike.  In fact everyone was very friendly and were eager to encourage our boys (ages 6 and 7) as we hiked.

The Waterton Canyon is a great place for wildlife viewing.  We did get to see about six bighorn sheep as we neared the dam.  Bears also have been seen in the area.  In fact, the Waterton Canyon Trail was closed for part of the summer of 2015 due to bear activity.  Understanding this, I carried bear spray for the trip -- something I have never done before.

Soon after we passed the dam, the trail begins a single track route and the number of people on the trail diminishes.  There is a steady uphill into the forest at this point.  We intended to camp at about mile 8, near bear Creek.  Importantly, there is no camping on the trail until about mile seven.  An easy uphill led us to several campsites near Bear Creek.  We arrived early afternoon, set up the shelter and napped (parents) or played ball (kids).

After an easy dinner and dessert of marshmallows roasted over our backpacking stove (fire danger was high, so we did not have a campfire), we cleaned up and got ready for a roaring game of Uno.  And then we heard a neighbor camper yelling to us...  "Hey guys, there's a bear across the creek!"

Now, there was a time, before I had kids, when I would have been thrilled to see a bear.  But having kids changes everything.  So it was with some dread that I looked up the creek, and then I saw it...  And it was looking at me.  It looked huge!

Okay so that is not really the bear we saw. It looked more like this.

The real bear....  about 50 yards away

 And when it turned to the side, the bear that seemed so huge at first, looked smaller.  I grabbed the bear spray, since I had not shared with my husband the secrets of operating my weapon.  And Matt grabbed the camera.  We watched the bear lumber along the opposite side of the creek, willing it to stay on the far side of the creek from us.  It walked along, stopped and sniffed the air for about ten seconds.  I think it was trying to figure out what we had eaten in our Backpacker's Pantry dinners.  It must not have liked the smell of our (too spicy) Chana Masala because it moved on, and soon was out of sight.

All was well, no bear attacks during the night.  And no one swiped our food bags either.  I woke in the morning with the realization that we had a rather unremarkable night of sleep.

After breakfast and breaking camp, we had a rigorous eight-mile hike ahead.  We would gain and lose about 1600 feet in elevation over the course of the day.  While the temperatures will still hot,the shade of this forested section of trail made hiking more tolerable.  The path had a few minor stream crossings before the big ascent up to a an easy ridge and some incredible views of the surrounding area (including Segment 2 we hiked earlier this year).

After breaking for lunch and taking in the views, we descended rather quickly.  We traversed a meadow with a couple campsites and headed toward the trailhead.  In all this was a fulfilling, beautiful hike.

We will see you on the trail!

- Mama Bear

Dayhiking Colorado Trail Segment 2

Springtime is here, and that brings wonderful dayhiking opportunities.  While the ground is not free of snow, and we are not quite ready to venture into the "sleeping on the snow" scene of backpacking, we found a great day to head to the mountains.  As we studied the Colorado Trail guidebook, we realized that Segment 2's lack of water would make it a challenge for spending the night.  And thus, we were off to dayhike the entire length of Colorado Trail Segment 2.

Segment 2 is 11.5 miles long.  The listed elevation gain is 2,482 feet, ant the elevation loss is listed as 753 feet.  Hmmm.... how to manage with five-year-old and seven-year-old kids?  Well, we would start at the end and head to the beginning.  It would be downhill most of the way.  Good thing, because between the two adults we carried seven liters of water.

We started at the Scraggy Mountain Trailhead at the junction of segments two and three.  The lightly forested, rolling terrain was a familiar site.  We had hoped the warm spring temperatures would make snow on the trail in infrequent occurrence; however, we soon found ourselves stomping along a snow-covered trail.  Following the footprints of a couple trail volunteers ahead of us proved helpful.  I guess, overall, we were not surprised to see that much snow the first weekend of April.  

The cooler temperatures, however, were welcome as we quickly excited the shade of the forest into a previously burned ares.  The 1996 Buffalo Creek Fire destroyed over 12,000 acres.  We were impressed by the impact still present today.  While I am sure wildflowers are abundant in the summer, this area is quite barren  in the early spring.  But not all is lost...  The lack of trees allowed us expansive views of the surrounding mountains.

Remnants of the Quartz Mine

We returned to the forest for a few snow-covered miles, then emerged once again to the burned area.  Near the end of the burned area is an abandoned quartz mine...  A great place for the boys to explore.  Then back into the forest for a rapid descent to the car.

Taking advantage of the DOWNHILL

Still smiling at the end!

Overall this was a terrific dayhike for us.  We started on the trail around 8:00 a.m. and finished about 2:00 p.m.  The boys remained energetic throughout the hike.  And we got some needed time on the trail.

We will see you on the trail.

-Mama Bear

Homemade Backpacking Gear... For Kids

It has been a warm winter here in Colorado.   Which means not a lot of skiing...  Which means more time to think about backpacking.  As we anticipate the upcoming backpacking season, I assessed the boys' gear.  Specialty backpacking gear for kids is less than abundant.  And this has had me thinking about making it myself.

Really, I had been pondering making  our own gear for quite a while.  I have seen other people's YouTube videos showing backpacking gear they had made.  I read books about through-hikers describing their very specialized homemade gear.  But I kept putting it off.  Fears related to ill-fated sewing projects from my youth crept up as I considered purchasing, of all things, a SEWING MACHINE!!!  And then, I did it!  I took the plunge and bought a basic $80 sewing machine online.

My first project -- gaiters.  The purpose of the gaiters is to keep pebbles and thorns out of the boys' shoes.  They were to be made of spandex, lightweight and simple.  As well, they were a good starter project given their small size and relatively inexpensive material.  They basically are copies of my husband's gaiters.

The Finished Product

Well, I conquered a big hurdle when I bought the sewing machine.  But then I had to go to Jo-Ann Fabric.  Fortunately I went on a weekday when it wasn't so crowded. That place is huge!  I emerged about an hour later with lightweight polyester thread for most of the project and heavier weight Guttermann Sew-All thread for the reinforcements (as well as extra needles, fabric pencils, etc).  I must have exhibited confidence (I don't know how) as I wandered the store because women asked me questions about their own projects!

Back at the house I measured the boys and made several prototypes (after watching several YouTube videos on how to thread my machine).  And about a week after my sewing machine purchase,

I emerged from my craft table with not one, not two, but three pairs of gaiters!  Not bad for a first backpacking sewing project...  I might be hooked!

We will see you on the trail!

-Mama Bear

Wildflower Hikes at Crested Butte

Mid-July marked the one year anniversary of our move to Colorado.  And the longer we live here, the longer our Colorado "Bucket List" gets too.  Last winter we took a ski vacation to Crested Butte.  We discovered then that Crested Butte is the "Wildflower Capital of Colorado."  And thus, wildflower hikes were added to our bucket list.  Mid-July found us driving across mountain passes with wildflowers on our mind.

This summer was the end to the drought in Colorado.  And with all that rain brought endless fields of flowers.  Our first hike was Woods Walk.  This was an easy stroll a couple miles just at the edge of town.  We first ducked into an aspen grove with interspersed meadows, decorated in lavendar, white, and yellow.   And, wouldn't you know it?  All that rain also turned our wildflower hike into a mushroom hike, too.

After emerging from the moods we crossed a meadow to Peanut Lake.  Our trek across the meadow was decorated with wildflowers below and spectacular views of Mount Crested Butte to the east.  In all, this was an easy, casual stroll with plenty of time to stop and smell the wildflowers.

Day two was a similar early day stroll through aspen groves and meadows adorned in nature's beauty.  Did I mention, these were some of the biggest aspens I have ever seen???  And in the background, the peak of Mount Crested Butte.

That is one HUGE aspen!

This "Wildflower Weekend" did not disappoint!

We will see you on the trail.

- Mama Bear

Day Hike: Catamount Trail

This spring has been brutal here in Colorado.  The daily thunderstorms that have plagued us have caused us to wonder, "Does Colorado REALLY have 300 days of sunshine???"  So when the weather cleared, we took the opportunity to escape for the day to a phenomenal dayhike at Catamount Trail.

Catamount?  You know, another word for mountain lion, cougar...    Signage indicating necessary caution line the road on the way to the trailhead at Green Mountain Falls, Colorado.  After parking on the main street, we headed up Hondo Street (there is no parking at the trailhead itself), to the Waterworks Bridge.  There we were greeted by a vigorous waterfall, happily flowing down the mountain, full of all the spring rains.  From there we continued our five mile round trip hike.

In the Garden of Eden

The trail challenged us at first with a steep ascent and repeating switchbacks.  We were rewarded half-way with a short side trail that led to a spectacular overlook of the city.  Returning to the trail, we climbed a bit more to a saddle that led to the "Garden of Eden."  This rightly named meadow is adorned with surrounding rock walls, a meandering stream, and aspen trees.  We crossed the stream and ascended gently to the crest of a hill to a dirt road that led to Catamount Reservoir.  We did not what to expect as we had not seen photos of this area previously.

As we crested the hill to see the reservoir, we were thrilled with the views.  The large reservoir was lined with pine trees and Pikes Peak, all snow-covered, stood in the background.  People were fishing along the shore.  I do not know if anyone caught any fish that day but they did catch some wonderful scenery!

In all, this was one of our favorite day hikes so far.  We started out not knowing if we could complete the entire hike.  And we finished satisfied that we had seen some of the best Colorado has to offer.

We will see you on the trail...

-Mama Bear

Day hike: Red Mountain Trail

Spring has sprung in Southern Colorado.  Warm temperatures in the sixties allow for great day hike weather.  Matt and I took the boys for a day hike in the area.  We headed to Manitou Springs to hike up Red Mountain.  This was a three mile out and back hike, with 800 feet elevation gain.

Our drive to the trailhead was easy, about thirty minutes or so, with paved roads all the way.  The parking at the trailhead was a bit crowded (a Saturday morning in April) because the Manitou Incline and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway were nearby also.  We did, though, find a metered spot near the trailhead, and thus began our hike.

We passed under a gazebo, with a natural spring within.  The boys found its bubbling water quite entertaining.  After the gazebo, we headed left along little Ruxton Creek, then a short jaunt up a dirt road to continue on the trail.  We sauntered up a gentle incline through an open field, passed a small disc golf course, and began a bit of a climb to the point where Red Mountain Trail separates from the Intemann Trail.  At this point we were sheltered from the sun that, though early spring, was blazing boldly.

A Purple Pasque Flower

Now, you might notice one thing.  We haven't had to stop or take a break or have a snack or tend to whining kids.  What a difference a season makes!  Our youngest, Gus, has turned into a fantastic hiker.  He previously required a frequent dosing of sugar to make it up the mountain.  But those days are gone.  He is easily leading the family up and down the mountains now...  HOORAY!

Pike's Peak on the right

Once in the shade of the forest, the slope quickly increased.  The scree-covered trail followed a series of switchbacks up the mountain, frequently teasing us with peeks of the coming view.  As we approached our destination, the pine forest thinned out and the prickly pear cacti started taking hold.  We reached a saddle with a forested peak on our right and a red stone peak on our left.  Clambering leftward along a ridge, a tiny lizard scampered past our feet to the shelter of a nearby scrub oak.  Another fifty feet up the trail and we met our destination, the peak of Red Mountain.  To the east, we could look down on the rooftops of Manitou Springs.  To the northeast, Garden of the Gods reached toward the skies.  And to the west, Pikes Peak ruled over all the views.

Garden of the Gods to the northeast

The summit had been the site of an early twentieth century restaurant, bar, and dance hall.  What remained of its foundation was an easy place to relax, have lunch, and take in the views.

After our lunch, we headed downhill.  The steep terrain and loose scree made for a thrilling descent.  Gus, in his daredevil way, bounded down as a good trail runner should.  His new-found energy and enthusiasm to lead the way up and down the trail make us optimistic for our upcoming backpacking trips!

Post-hike ice cream -- YUM!

We will see you on the trail!

-Mama Bear

Anticipation...

For the Little Backbreakers, Friday marked the end of ski season.  The last run down the slopes in the second-to-none spring skiing of Colorado.  Blue skies.  Warm weather.  Soft, forgiving snow.  A cold beer on the deck at lunch.  And of course with the end of ski season comes the start of backpacking season.  And we have been feeling it.  Over the course of the winter, our "backpacking closet" was converted from a scavenger hunt search for gear, to a well-organized, labeled, sorted, and perfectly hung BACKPACKING CLOSET.  We have checked and reassessed our gear.  Where can we shave pounds?  What can the boys carry on their own?  How can we modify our gear to approach perfection?  Any new backpacking recipes?  We are trying them out.  

We are anticipating a new age of backpacking with the boys.  One where we can take a free-spirited, impromptu, if-the-weather-is-right backpacking attitude.  What a difference a season makes.  The day hikes of the spring, thus far, have not been weighed down by the complaints of "my legs are tired."  Instead we have a strong, energetic four (and a half) year old who can do a three mile hike without batting an eyelash

.  So it starts!  The mountains, the trails, the wildlife, the solitude, and the million stars dancing in the night skies.  It is backpacking season!

We will see you on the trail!
-Mama Bear

Introducing the West Side of the Park

Ah, the start of autumn.  Somehow our last backpacking trip of the summer turned into a fantastic showcase of the best of the fall colors and our discovery of a fantastic area of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Awesome cloud inversion

Before I delve into details of the backpacking trip itself, I must describe for you the beauty we passed while driving to the park.  Rocky Mountain National  Park has two main entrances.  The east side of the park, at Estes Park, is the area we had frequented most.  It is rather easily accessible from the front range, and I would guess, is the area most visited by tourists.  The west side, near Grand Lake, requires about one hour more drive time.  That drive took us right into the mountains, dark lush green, with golden aspens intermingled.  As we were ascending, we were blessed with a great view of a cloud inversion...  a perfect prelude to a colorful Colorado autumn!  We crossed up over Berthoud Pass, then eventually down into Grand Lake where we found our trailhead.

The East Inlet Trailhead is a great spot for both hikers and backpackers.  Not far into the hike is Adams Falls.  It is an impressive waterfall, that is easily seen from the adjacent overlook.  It was a perfect energizer for our hike ahead.

A game of Uno for evening entertainment

Our first campsite was not too far off the trailhead.  Only 1.5 miles in.  But wow!  We had never stayed at such a beautiful campsite.  This was at East Meadow campsite.  We were the only party there.  We pitched our tent perfectly, so we were perched above a meadow, with a gentle river flowing through.  The boys were able to splash in the water a bit while we did the usual camp chores like filtering water and such.  We had a dinner of lasagna and vegetables.  This was followed by apple cobbler.  Perfect to warm us up before getting into our sleeping bags for the night.  The weather report called for 29 degree temperatures, so we had to prepare well with warm bellies.

Yum!

With hats, long johns, wool socks, sleeping bag liners, and the four of us snuggled into the tent, we did quite well.  We woke around 6:30 to a frost-covered tent.  It was 22 degrees!  Immediately Matt got up and made coffee and cocoa.  Instead of the expected hot breakfast, we opted for homemade breakfast bars.  These worked quite well (recipe to be posted soon).  They delicious and filling.  And for the boys, they were easy to eat.  Added bonus, no dishes to clean.

Hot cocoa!

After packing up camp, we moved down the trail to our next campsite.  And who should we happen to see about twenty feet off the trail?  Why it is a bull moose, accompanied by his two moose cows.  We circled the wagons (Matt in front, two boys, then Robin), understanding that moose are the most dangerous animal in the park.  Respectfully, we backed away, but kept an eye on them at the same time.  The one moose cow stood up to look at us.  I guess she found us boring because she sat back down.  And the bull moose?  He definitely saw us but did not seemed threatened by us (fortunately!) and let us pass by.

One of three...

After setting up camp (also a beautiful spot, next to a less serene but still gorgeous river), we started on a day hike to Lone Pine Lake.  Now for some reason, Matt and I thought we could get there in time for lunch.  We thought it would be an easy hike.  Well, it turned out to be three miles one way, with 1200 feet of elevation gain.  We were tired but in good spirits when we reached the lake,  The hike back was a bit easier since it was downhill.  And a plethora of wild raspberries boosted our spirits.  And Jack?  Well, he was born to hike.  He probably could have gone a few more miles.  He wanted to run (for the fun of it) all the way back to camp.

A dinner of chili followed by chocolate oreo pudding readied us for a good night's sleep.  The temperature was cool but not cold like the night before.  We woke well-rested.  The hike out was lovely, and left us looking forward to our next adventure.

We will see you on the trail!  Also, be sure to watch our YouTube video:  Backpacking with Kids East Inlet RMNP

Mama Bear

Beautiful East Meadow