I wasn’t a fan of John Denver, but he nailed it with his signature song. High altitude, high attitude — that would best describe our recent seven day road trip through the Rocky Mountains.
Soon you will have the opportunity to read about this trip, but until then, enjoy some photos.
The highlight of the first two days, in Boulder, was a downhill mountain bike ride on the Switzerland Trail.
(all of these photos were taken by Kim Farin from “Visit Boulder”)
This, my first mountain biking experience, was challenging, to say the least, but I did manage to finish upright and unbruised. The guide says I was the oldest person he has ever guided on the trail.
Following the bike ride (and serious re-hydration at lunch) we took a short hike to check out the Flatirons, the picturesque rock formations just outside of Boulder).
From Boulder we drove through Rocky Mountain National Park to the town of Grand Lake, situated, as you might guess, on the shores of Grand Lake. Just outside of town, we spent several minutes gawking at a moose by the side of the road.
Grand Lake (the lake, not the town), is quite scenic.
The highlight of our three days in Grand Lake was a two hour kayak paddle that took us around Grand Lake, then through a narrow inlet to the even more scenic Shadow Lake
Our final stop was in Winter Park, a popular destination for skiers. On the way to Winter Park, we took a side trip to Monarch Lake for a hike around the lake. Unlike Grand and Shadow Lakes, there are no houses or other developments on the shore of the lake so our hike felt almost like an authentic wilderness experience, despite the other hikers and people fishing and canoeing on the lake.
We were only in Winter Park for a little over a day, so we didn’t have time for more than a 3.5 mile up and back hike along the Fraser River Trail
and a visit to the Headwaters River Journey, an excellent water and wildlife museum on the Fraser River Trail, which highlights the critical role that Colorado’s rivers play in our environment.
Its great to be back on the road again, literally and figuratively. This was my fourth trip in the last three months (American SW, San Juan Island, and the SF Bay Area), so I will be taking the summer off to enjoy Venice Beach, my home, and recover from partial knee replacement surgery. In the fall, I will resume my pre-pandemic peripatetic life style with trips to Europe, the Middle East and Asia over the next year. Stay tuned….
What to do in Boulder
Mountain bike on Switzerland Trail — Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides
Goat Yoga — Growing Gardens
Where to eat in Boulder
Gemini — on Pearl Street Mall
Salt — on Pearl Street Mall
The Kitchen — for brunch, on Pearl Street Mall
Blackbelly Market — all of our meals were excellent, but this place was extraordinary
Where to stay in Boulder — Hyatt Place Boulder/Pearl Street
What to do in Grand Lake
Boat Tour Around Grand Lake — Headwaters Marina
Kayak on Grand and Shadow Lakes — Mountain Paddlers
Where to eat in Grand Lake
Where to stay in Grand Lake — Western Riviera Lakeside Lodging
What to do in Winter Park
Where to eat in Winter Park
Where to stay in Winter Park — Stay Winter Park
(this trip was hosted by Grand County Colorado Tourism Board and Visit Boulder, The Convention and Visitors Bureau)
Sorry to miss you.
Great photos Don. We have happy memories of a year in Denver in the mid-nineties. I climbed twenty-five of the 14,000ers and would love to return to do the rest. Unlikely now I’d say!