Denver Weekend - My World

We spent the past couple weekends in Denver.

The city is quite a bit hotter

than the High Country where we live,
but it's fun to have a change of pace.

We do lots of strolling,

spending time with our Grandchildren.

We enjoy the beautiful gardens.

We take time to smell the flowers!

If we see an interesting bug,

We examine it closely.

We also like to:

Dig

Swing

and

Tunnel.

Sometimes we

talk to the animals.

If we're lucky,

they respond.

"Hello little girl."

"How nice of you to visit me!"

"Hello Monkey!"

"You're very colorful!"

Life in the City is definitely a whirl!

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Storm Threat - Sky Watch

Storm clouds form above Imperial Peak.

Breckenridge's Imperial Express Super Chair,
the highest chairlift in North America ,
reaches an elevation of 12,840' above sea level.

(Enlarge to see chair lift.)

We are caught unexpectedly above tree-line
with a storm fast approaching.

A veil of rain flutters across the valley.

Lake Dillon is in the distance.

Rumbles of thunder echo off the peaks.

Clouds and snowfields meet.

We hunker on the tundra
and wait for the storm to pass.

Thankfully, mountain storms often begin
and end in a matter of minutes.

When it's safe to move,
we depart quickly, too!

Here is one of my favorite quotes.
I realize not everyone can climb mountains.
However, I think the "summit" referred
to in the quote is a fitting metaphor
for the high points
in each of our lives.

"You cannot stay on the summit forever;
you have to come down again.
So why bother in the first place?
Just this:
What is above knows what is below.
but what is below does not know
what is above. One climbs, one sees.
One descends, one sees no longer,
but one has seen.
There is an art of conducting oneself
in the lower regions by the memory
of what one saw higher up.
When one can no longer see,
one can at least still know."

-Rene Daumel-

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Climb Every Mountain - My World

We're hiking at high altitude.
You can come along -
but be prepared.

We aren't young, except at heart.
We range in age from mid 50's to 72.

However, don't make the mistake of thinking
we're taking a stroll in the park.

We hike for
the exercise,
the camaraderie
and
the enjoyment of Nature.

We're women with a purpose:
we're serious about having fun.

We start near Copper Mountain, CO.

The morning temperature is 40 degrees
when we cross Ten Mile Creek at about 9,400.'

Wildflowers grow amid lush greenery.

Immediately, the trail gains elevation.

We carry packs with snacks, water,
jackets, gloves, hats, sunscreen,
and first aid items.

Hiking poles help with balance and stability.

Breaks in the dense forest show
blue sky and the ski trails
of Copper Mountain to the west.

We start shedding warm layers
as our exertion raises body heat.

We keep an eye on the western horizon
as we gain altitude.

Storm clouds are forming.

Rocks on the trail demand concentration.

We're finally above tree-line.

Wildflowers, though fading,
still add patches of color to the tundra.

Our high point of the hike
is at 12, 460' above sea level.

At 12,000' (3,658 meters), there are roughly 40% fewer oxygen molecules per breath. In order to properly oxygenate the body, breathing rate (even while at rest) has to increase. This extra ventilation increases the oxygen content in the blood but not to sea level concentrations. Since the amount of oxygen required for activity is the same, the body must adjust to having less oxygen. For reasons not entirely understood, high altitude and lower air pressure sometimes causes fluid to leak from the capillaries, which can cause fluid build-up in both the lungs and the brain. You need to acclimate before you can safely exert or altitude sickness is a real danger.

Unfortunately, as we descend
off the first summit,
we realize a storm is also moving
toward us from the north.

Looking at our trail
which appears as a thin line
running south, there is still some blue sky.

(Enlarge to see trail.)

We begin descending a few hundred yards,

coming into a bowl before climbing again.

The sky becomes more threatening.

The wind is whipping as
graupel coats the trail white.

Gentians close in response
to dropping temperatures.

We start layering coats, gloves, and hats
to conserve our own body heat.

After a hike through these willows,
we backtrack and huddle for awhile.

Thunder in the distance signals
that climbing higher
onto an exposed ridge
isn't safe.

Creede waits patiently,
sitting beside one of the cairns
marking the way to the saddle.

Finally, the storm passes south,
down the valley.

We continue over the ridge.

We descend on steep switchbacks,
passing snowfields that remain
all summer.

We see Crystal Lake
in the distant cirque.

Trout make their home
in its icy waters.

Still bundled against the wind and cold,
we move toward the tree-line.

It's a long way down -
even Creede is getting tired.

When we reach the dirt road,
we walk another
two and a half miles
to my house.

The entire hike covers nearly 10 miles,
gains 3,000' of elevation,
and ends at 10,200' where I live.

We're on the trail 7 hours.

I hope you enjoyed
the adventure.

We'll all sleep well tonight.

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Lake and Mountain - Sky Watch

Summit County, CO,
where I live and play,
is a paradise
for outdoor enthusiasts.


The county normally has
over 300 days of blue sky
and sunshine each year.

So far, there is no airborne pollution.

Surrounded by towering mountains,

Dillon Reservoir

is one of the county's
most scenic landmarks.

The lake spans 3,300 acres
and has 25 miles of shoreline,
most of it accessible by bike path.

We like to pedal from our home
in Breckenridge
to bike around the lake.

Dillon is a cold-water mountain lake
fed by three water sources:

the Blue River, the Ten Mile Creek,
and
the Snake River.

It is the city of Denver's main water source.

Swimming is prohibited.

However, people can rent canoes or kayaks.

(This picture of a red canoe is
for my blogger friend, Christine.)

Since the lake is at 9,017,'
boating is weather-dependent.

Typically, from early June to early September
there are boats using the lake.

Often there is a stiff breeze blowing down the valley -
good for sailing but not so good for biking!

Can you see the Flamingo on the rowboat?
I hope he doesn't fly away!

On this windy day, the clouds remind
me of big fluffy balloons
being held aloft by strings.

You need to keep a sharp eye
on the horizon whether you are
playing on land or on water.

Our blue skies sometimes change to
storm clouds in a matter of minutes.

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Anniversary Adventure - My World

In the blue haze
of a cool early morning...

We pedaled our bikes
out of Breckenridge,
through Ten Mile Canyon,
up and over Vail Pass.

We decided to
stop and relax for awhile
at Beaver Creek Resort.

The village was quiet.

Deserted

except for these lone dancers,
endlessly twirling...

As Beaver Creek tumbled along,

we hiked shady paths all alone,

enjoying afternoon shadows

on solitary strolls.



No hurry at dinner...

there was plenty of time
to enjoy a celebratory dessert!

When mist hung low,

we spent time resting and reflecting.

Early Saturday morning,
we woke before dawn to
drive across foggy mountain passes
to the tiny mining town of Leadville, CO.

We wanted to see Lance Armstrong compete
in the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race.

(Lance is in white riding toward
the starting line just before dawn.
He passed within a couple feet of me,
but I wasn't expecting him
to come from that direction,
so I wasn't ready with the camera!)

The racers started in the pink glow of dawn.

Soon, however, it began raining hard.
Here, local favorite and 6 time winner, Dave Wiens,
is in the lead with Lance just behind him.

Six and a half hours
after the start,
Lance Armstrong won the race,
17 minutes ahead of the rest of the field.
Dave Wiens came in second.

One of my favorite memories
of our anniversary weekend
is the rainbow that appeared
just after the start of the bike race.

I hope it portends the

Promise

of more adventures to come!


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The video features the rambling of Beaver Creek,
which we could hear from our hotel window.