Explore Refresh

by Kate Gray

Since we’ve moved to Colorado I have become a hiking fanatic. Like the song, I just can’t get enough. Since it is my very first post on this new blog, you’ll learn that I have songs in my head all of the time. There will be song references. Now that we have that out of the way, let us continue.

Although, I’ve been traveling to Colorado since I was a kid, exploring here never gets old. I have always enjoyed hiking and being in nature, but doing it here just hits differently. Something about the fresh mountain air, the smells of the sage and pine needles warming in the sun, and the incredible beauty feels so healthy and rejuvenating. Because of this, ahem, addiction, I mean passion, my family is getting used to our weekend day trips.

We go to bed early the night before our chosen adventure and get up early the next day around 6 am. Everyone dresses in layers, grabs a backpack with various items such as phones, binoculars, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, band-aides, hand sanitizer, granola bars and reusable water bottles. We have extra blankets, bags and jackets in the car as well. Also, lip balm, gotta have lip balm. The air is dry here so it’s important to drink lots of water and stay moisturized.

Once we’ve had coffee, eggs and toast and make a travel mug with coffee for the drive, we hit the road Jack.

I read and heard from friends that the Kenosha Pass would be an excellent place to see the fall color, especially for the aspen trees. I’ve also been paying attention to the weather and local news to determine the best times to get into the mountains for “leaf peeping.” Last weekend when we were at the Guanella Pass it started snowing and raining, and during the week the mountain peaks got 7” of snow. So, I knew the window for leaf peeping would be short. From what I gather, the last two weeks of September and first week of October are the best. I had also seen in the news that traffic would be backed up on I-70 highway into the mountains. Because of this, we decided to take the windy and scenic back roads and then highway 285. It was smooth sailing, but once we arrived to Kenosha Pass, wow, was it busy! There were hundreds of cars, camper vans, and motorcycles parked in the lots and along the road. Despite this, we found a place to park right by the entrance to the Colorado Trailhead! VIP!

Looking all around us, as we got out of the car, the mountains were blanketed in bright yellow aspens and patches of hunter green from the conifers, set against the bluebird sky. Gorgeous. The trail was clearly marked, a little rocky with exposed roots and uneven ground in places, but had a mellow incline and seemed like a wide range of people and dogs were enjoying it. There were also bicyclists, runners, and families with little ones toddling along or on their backs. People wore sneakers, hiking boots and Tevas. After walking for a while, and shedding layers of clothing, we stopped for a snack on a fallen log on the side of the trail. I’d say we hiked about 2 miles out and back, but the trail continued for many more miles. We loved walking amongst the yellow glow of the aspens, in the dappled sunlight, with pink granite and sparkly mica rocks underfoot.

Once we were out of the woods the view was breathtaking. We spent a lot of time soaking it up, taking pictures, and sat down on the ground gazing into the distance. Although it was a busy trail, it seemed that the further you went, the less people there were. We had pockets of alone time and the quiet of nature was peaceful and relaxing.

Once we realized we were getting hungry for lunch, we headed back from whence we came. I had read reviews that the “Shaggy Sheep” A Casual Mountain Cookhouse was highly recommended. Within approximately 20 minutes we were there. It was also very busy, but only a short wait and the flow of people seemed to be moving at a steady pace. We loved it! The food was delicious, the customer service was excellent and ambience was charming, rustic mountain cabin vibes. We’ll definitely be back. With full bellies we climbed back in the car for the ride home. The kids quickly fell asleep. We listened to soft bluegrass music, which just goes so well with the incredible Rocky Mountains. We took the windy road along the South Platte River which was glistening in the sunlight, passing meadows, hikers, horses, more swaths of yellow aspens, towering pine trees and jagged granite canyon walls. What a wonderful day exploring nature and feeling refreshed.