I planned this camping trip solely because DH was running Bolder Boulder and wouldn't let me plan a long weekend trip :-( I chose this campground just for its flush toilets and showers but it turned out to be so much more. Even as we were driving towards the campground in Eagle, CO we felt apprehensive seeing the mercury drop down to near freezing with rain. We were ready to wimp out of camping and searched for hotel rooms but thankfully didn't find any that were affordable. So we decided to brave it out and reached the campground close to 7PM. We had trouble setting up camp as we had forgotten how it all came together and couldn't think straight through the rain and cold. Fellow campers and the camp host rushed to help us and we got set up in no time. The ground in this campground is very hard and needs sturdy spikes to dig through. DH started the whole process of getting a fire started and cooking all while it was raining and freezing cold. By the time I was done cutting some veggies up, my fingers were numb and blue and I retreated to the car. DH says the only way he remained calm was the knowledge that we had to put up with each other in the confined spaces of the tent for 2 nights and pushing me to brave the cold would not be helping. I say good choice mate !!!
We had a sodden dinner of some patties, bread and veggies all with a horrible fuel smell since we did not have the luxury of waiting for the fuel to burn as it had started snowing.
Thankfully it let up after dinner so we could sit by a roaring fire( a glorious wintery time together) until we decided to hit the sack. Once we were all zipped up in our sleeping bags, we were comfortable without the snow and cold bothering us.
I believe the next day morning DH lay awake from 6-9 waiting for the snow to let up and almost decided to head back home. I wouldn't know all this as I was sound asleep. As soon as I woke up, we decided to head to Glenwood Springs hoping for better weather. We loved Glenwood Springs and would surely return. First we headed to the natural sauna Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves and soaked in the steam in the caves. They had a lot of therapeutic treatments there that were both tempting and wuld have cost an arm and a leg. After soaking up the natural steam, we had brunch at Rosi's Little Bavarian Restaurant which DH and I enjoyed for the warm service and great pancakes. Then we headed to the Hanging Lakes trail which was the highlight of this trip. It is one of the most beautiful short hikes in Colorado. Even the rest area is worth stopping for the Colorado River. I braved my plantar fasciitis symptoms, put on hiking shoes and arch support and dressed a tad bit warmly for the hike. In any case, the hike has waterfalls that cascaded in every bend and a beautiful lake with more waterfalls at the end. Don't miss Spouting Rock which is a short detour above the falls. After finishing the hike in 2.5 hours we drove back to Glenwood Springs to soak in the hot springs (something I enjoyed a lot) These are 2 huge pools at 2 different temperatures. It is expensive though and you even have to pay for towels. They also have a coin operated jacuzzi type setting at the corner of the pool. A couple were nice enough to donate a quarter so we got to enjoy the bubbles since we did not carry change with us.
After the soak, we could not get into Italian Underground restaurant without an insanely long wait. So we headed to Mancinelli's which has a great unusual selection of pizza but no ambiance to write home about. We did enjoy dinner and headed to the campsite just to hit the sack.
We awoke to better weather, lit up the fire and DH had to have marshmallows before we went on a walk round the lake. Today was the day we actually appreciated the scenery of the lake and mountains around the Slyvan Lake campground and vowed to favor the state and federal campgrounds over the private ones for their unbeatable location. Soon after we packed up and headed home in preparation of the running event tomorrow.
This camping trip was special as we felt we survived through bad weather that increased our confidence in our camping abilities. We also totally enjoyed Glenwood Springs.
PS. DH did great in Bolder Boulder 10k race at 55:21:03
June 13-15 2008 - Stillwater Campground
This was the most beautiful camping spot we had till date. The campground itself is in a small peninsula on Lake Granby and our campsite was in a micro-peninsula with water on three sides. The con would be that this is a crowded campground with tents very close to each other. Relaxation just seeps in taking in the panoramic mountain and lake view. This was still early in the season so most hikes were icy. SO we did an easy one to the site of Lulu city. History buffs would be disappointed since all you see are streams and grassy knolls. No interesting artifacts or hidden treasures ;-) But it is a beautiful hike. We went past the Lulu city site and looped around from the Little Yellowstone trail. These parts were icier and lonlier. Had pizza at our favorite Grand Pizza and basically hung around in the campground that night. We even listened to the ranger talk about the pine forests' battle with the beetles (thanks to not as many subsequent very cold days to kill the beetles) resulting in vast tracts of dead forests spreading west.
July 4-5 2008 Bogan Flats Campground
We had cousins visiting and we took this as a perfect opportunity to introduce them to Colorado camping. Bogan Flats Campground is past Glenwood Springs on the banks of Crystal River, close to Marble, CO. Just driving through Glenwood Springs is a great attraction for me. Even past Glenwood Springs, the drive is along the Crystal River with some waterfalls and cascades right by the roadside. Though all the campsites are on the riverbank, some are elevated well above the riverbank. The sites further east are closer to the river compared to the ones toward the west. That it has only a vault toilet should not deter you as they are better maintained than some flush toilets.
We did not explore Marble as much as I would have liked. The Penny hot springs in the river was hidden by the high water levels. So that was out. We did go to the Marble quarry but missed the hike. I so wanted to do the famous 4WD to Crystal Mill in our mid size SUV but was discouraged by locals. Good excuse to return. Had lunch in Qdoba (again I would have preferred a local joint) and did the Trail Ridge road on our way back for my cousins to gawk at Colorado's mountain glory.
Aug 1-2 2008 - Father Dyer Campground - Mt Elbert Hike
Father Dyer Campground is at 10000 ft off of Leadville by the Turquoise Lake. The campground is not by the lake like some of the other campgrounds in the area. It does have flush toilets and sinks with a mirror though. The sites are large with good spacing and enough trees to call it wooded. We only spent a few hours in the campground while we made a fire, heated up the parathas and stir fry which we had prepared in the comforts of our home the previous day, dined, had some customary marshmallows before we hit the sack. The reason was that we had a big hike planned the following day - Mt Elbert - my first fourteener. The next day morning it was an easy 20 minute drive to the trailhead part of it unpaved but driveable by 2WD passenger cars.
I doubted my ability to finish the hike within the first 10 minutes but I trudged on thanks to encouragement by DH. He forecast that I might die but I would reach the summit. I think he was dead on :-) The first part of the hike is wooded with two stream crossings right in the beginning. Though there are portions that seem hard this is just a teaser - the calm before the storm. After 3 hours of walking below the treeline, you can see the trail upto the first false summit and it is as bad or worse than it looks. The technique involves taking baby steps and walking much slower than normal but with a steady pace so as to maintain your heart rate without letting it shoot off the graph. After the first false summit you just have to believe that you will be at the summit in 30-60 minutes. My DH had been on the summit for 20 minutes before he returned to egg me on in the last bit. It was a good moment seeing his face again and knowing I would be at the summit in 5 minutes. Spent a few minutes on the summit before we had to retrace our way back. There were clouds rolling in warning us to flee impending bad weather. The portions above the treeline have some slippery steep portions. A pole and walking sideways help here. There was a steady drizzle and people behind us reported not reaching the summit due to hail and thunder which we narrowly missed. Then it was one of the slowest descents for me before I reached the parking lot after 9 hours and celebrated hiking my first fourteener. Well .. not really since I was still suffering from an altitude sickness type nausea.
Came back to the tent and decided to go straight home or rather to our friend's house to enjoy a nice home cooked meal. I think it was a good idea descending down from 10000 ft as I felt much better nearing the front range.
We had a sodden dinner of some patties, bread and veggies all with a horrible fuel smell since we did not have the luxury of waiting for the fuel to burn as it had started snowing.
Thankfully it let up after dinner so we could sit by a roaring fire( a glorious wintery time together) until we decided to hit the sack. Once we were all zipped up in our sleeping bags, we were comfortable without the snow and cold bothering us.
I believe the next day morning DH lay awake from 6-9 waiting for the snow to let up and almost decided to head back home. I wouldn't know all this as I was sound asleep. As soon as I woke up, we decided to head to Glenwood Springs hoping for better weather. We loved Glenwood Springs and would surely return. First we headed to the natural sauna Yampah Spa and Vapor Caves and soaked in the steam in the caves. They had a lot of therapeutic treatments there that were both tempting and wuld have cost an arm and a leg. After soaking up the natural steam, we had brunch at Rosi's Little Bavarian Restaurant which DH and I enjoyed for the warm service and great pancakes. Then we headed to the Hanging Lakes trail which was the highlight of this trip. It is one of the most beautiful short hikes in Colorado. Even the rest area is worth stopping for the Colorado River. I braved my plantar fasciitis symptoms, put on hiking shoes and arch support and dressed a tad bit warmly for the hike. In any case, the hike has waterfalls that cascaded in every bend and a beautiful lake with more waterfalls at the end. Don't miss Spouting Rock which is a short detour above the falls. After finishing the hike in 2.5 hours we drove back to Glenwood Springs to soak in the hot springs (something I enjoyed a lot) These are 2 huge pools at 2 different temperatures. It is expensive though and you even have to pay for towels. They also have a coin operated jacuzzi type setting at the corner of the pool. A couple were nice enough to donate a quarter so we got to enjoy the bubbles since we did not carry change with us.
After the soak, we could not get into Italian Underground restaurant without an insanely long wait. So we headed to Mancinelli's which has a great unusual selection of pizza but no ambiance to write home about. We did enjoy dinner and headed to the campsite just to hit the sack.
We awoke to better weather, lit up the fire and DH had to have marshmallows before we went on a walk round the lake. Today was the day we actually appreciated the scenery of the lake and mountains around the Slyvan Lake campground and vowed to favor the state and federal campgrounds over the private ones for their unbeatable location. Soon after we packed up and headed home in preparation of the running event tomorrow.
This camping trip was special as we felt we survived through bad weather that increased our confidence in our camping abilities. We also totally enjoyed Glenwood Springs.
PS. DH did great in Bolder Boulder 10k race at 55:21:03
June 13-15 2008 - Stillwater Campground
This was the most beautiful camping spot we had till date. The campground itself is in a small peninsula on Lake Granby and our campsite was in a micro-peninsula with water on three sides. The con would be that this is a crowded campground with tents very close to each other. Relaxation just seeps in taking in the panoramic mountain and lake view. This was still early in the season so most hikes were icy. SO we did an easy one to the site of Lulu city. History buffs would be disappointed since all you see are streams and grassy knolls. No interesting artifacts or hidden treasures ;-) But it is a beautiful hike. We went past the Lulu city site and looped around from the Little Yellowstone trail. These parts were icier and lonlier. Had pizza at our favorite Grand Pizza and basically hung around in the campground that night. We even listened to the ranger talk about the pine forests' battle with the beetles (thanks to not as many subsequent very cold days to kill the beetles) resulting in vast tracts of dead forests spreading west.
July 4-5 2008 Bogan Flats Campground
We had cousins visiting and we took this as a perfect opportunity to introduce them to Colorado camping. Bogan Flats Campground is past Glenwood Springs on the banks of Crystal River, close to Marble, CO. Just driving through Glenwood Springs is a great attraction for me. Even past Glenwood Springs, the drive is along the Crystal River with some waterfalls and cascades right by the roadside. Though all the campsites are on the riverbank, some are elevated well above the riverbank. The sites further east are closer to the river compared to the ones toward the west. That it has only a vault toilet should not deter you as they are better maintained than some flush toilets.
We did not explore Marble as much as I would have liked. The Penny hot springs in the river was hidden by the high water levels. So that was out. We did go to the Marble quarry but missed the hike. I so wanted to do the famous 4WD to Crystal Mill in our mid size SUV but was discouraged by locals. Good excuse to return. Had lunch in Qdoba (again I would have preferred a local joint) and did the Trail Ridge road on our way back for my cousins to gawk at Colorado's mountain glory.
Aug 1-2 2008 - Father Dyer Campground - Mt Elbert Hike
Father Dyer Campground is at 10000 ft off of Leadville by the Turquoise Lake. The campground is not by the lake like some of the other campgrounds in the area. It does have flush toilets and sinks with a mirror though. The sites are large with good spacing and enough trees to call it wooded. We only spent a few hours in the campground while we made a fire, heated up the parathas and stir fry which we had prepared in the comforts of our home the previous day, dined, had some customary marshmallows before we hit the sack. The reason was that we had a big hike planned the following day - Mt Elbert - my first fourteener. The next day morning it was an easy 20 minute drive to the trailhead part of it unpaved but driveable by 2WD passenger cars.
I doubted my ability to finish the hike within the first 10 minutes but I trudged on thanks to encouragement by DH. He forecast that I might die but I would reach the summit. I think he was dead on :-) The first part of the hike is wooded with two stream crossings right in the beginning. Though there are portions that seem hard this is just a teaser - the calm before the storm. After 3 hours of walking below the treeline, you can see the trail upto the first false summit and it is as bad or worse than it looks. The technique involves taking baby steps and walking much slower than normal but with a steady pace so as to maintain your heart rate without letting it shoot off the graph. After the first false summit you just have to believe that you will be at the summit in 30-60 minutes. My DH had been on the summit for 20 minutes before he returned to egg me on in the last bit. It was a good moment seeing his face again and knowing I would be at the summit in 5 minutes. Spent a few minutes on the summit before we had to retrace our way back. There were clouds rolling in warning us to flee impending bad weather. The portions above the treeline have some slippery steep portions. A pole and walking sideways help here. There was a steady drizzle and people behind us reported not reaching the summit due to hail and thunder which we narrowly missed. Then it was one of the slowest descents for me before I reached the parking lot after 9 hours and celebrated hiking my first fourteener. Well .. not really since I was still suffering from an altitude sickness type nausea.
Came back to the tent and decided to go straight home or rather to our friend's house to enjoy a nice home cooked meal. I think it was a good idea descending down from 10000 ft as I felt much better nearing the front range.
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