For those of you whom I haven’t had a chance to tell…I’m getting married!
Huh? Whaaaaa? But…but…but…you barely told us you’re dating someone!
It’s true. This has been nothing if not fast. As one friend told me, “Alli, you’re not a rash person. I’m going to have to trust you here.” He’s right. I’m not one to make decisions quite this quickly, especially since Maya’s arrival nearly two years ago. But here we are, and Mike and I will marry in November.
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You know, Maya looks so happy sitting up at a higher altitude (Mike’s 6′0″ compared to my puny 5′3″) that I might develop a complex. That, or I’ll start to reassure myself that she’s happier because she can actually see more of me than the back of my head.
Mike and I explored Waldo Canyon over the weekend, and it was a picture perfect day for a “family” hike. I’ve always envied the families I’ve seen hiking together, and now I find myself becoming part of one. Ah, bliss.
With the removed weight of the backpack, I found myself suddenly light on my feet, and I even *ran* down a good portion of the trail approaching the trailhead at Hwy 24. Man, I forgot how good it feels to run!
As I mentioned before, Maya and I recently took a roadtrip through the Southwest to return Clay to his breeder in Tucson. The exchange went very well, and when I left the dog park, Clay was racing in circles with a large group of other basenjis. It was a sweet (if bittersweet) parting vision.
Maya and I also picked up a travel companion along the way, Mike, who is now the “man in my life.” Cute couple, no? “Inseparable” would be the best way to describe how we are with each other, and that’s a happy, happy thing.
Driving home from a hike at Templeton yesterday, Maya gave him the sort of adoring looks she usually reserves for her grandfather, and I knew instantly that I’m in trouble. At least it’s a good kind of trouble.
Anyway, before I left Santa Fe, Mike, Maya, his dog Bonnie, and I got to wander through a portion of the Santa Fe National Forest on a 4-1/2 mile trek that took us on some pretty soggy trail. Since I was wearing trail runners (rather than hiking boots), I searched for a means of crossing the first big water without getting wet. Those attempts fell flat, and I resigned myself to a soggy final 2 miles. As it turned out, we crossed unavoidable water perhaps a dozen more times before the trail dried out, and it was great to not worry about getting wet — I already was. My new trail runners (3 weeks old, maybe) have already had their first washing. Ah, well.
Maya has a thing for Bonnie. Well, honestly, Maya has a thing for all things furry and four-legged. It just happens that Bonnie enjoys (tolerates, at least) Maya’s attention, and they’ve quickly become friends. After our hike, Bonnie curled up on the seat against Maya’s carseat and allowed Maya to catalog her face:
Eyes. (accompanied by a poke)
Ears. (with a sharp tug and Maya! Gentle! from me)
Nose. (with a kiss from Bonnie)
Awwwwwww.
(grin…that’s just my way of saying “I never got around to blogging last week’s hike!)
Last Saturday:
Joy and I gained a new hiking partner, Fred — he’s relatively new to the area and needs to be let out of his cage from time to time. Hiking provides a good, safe way for him to commune with other human beings, as scientists sometimes forget to do that.
This weekend:
This weekend was a repeat of one of my favorite local trails, Section 16 / Palmer-Redrock Loop. I’ve always wondered how long the trail is in reality after accounting for the time on High Drive and Gold Camp Road. According to localhikes.com, it’s six miles, total. I think we did nice work on it, all things considered, then — we completed the circuit within three hours. In the rain.
Oh, guess I didn’t mention that — while the hike started out cloudy, it ended with a progressively heavier spitting from on high. Fortunately for us, the rain never got hard enough to annoy the kidlets, just to dampen the adults!
I finally got on the ball and downloaded Joy’s photos from our hike this past weekend…here are a few I particularly like.
This one should give you an idea why this is one of my favorite hikes. The scenery is spectacular along the top portion of this trail.
The first time we hiked together, Dominic walked right up to Maya and gave her an enormous hug. Joy and I, no camera between us, were sad to miss capturing the moment for posterity. Here, Dominic gives Maya a stealth hug at the top of the trail.
Ah, removing the backpack is SUCH a relief, if even a temporary one. Maya stayed on my lap for approximately two seconds before jumping off to explore the surrounding area.
I found the Pancake Rocks trail in a local guidebook shortly after I moved to Colorado, and it’s still one of my favorite hikes — one I typically hit at least twice per summer. Like Section 16, the beginning section is a steep (brutal, at times) ascent, and I find myself early on wondering, “why do I like this one, again?” Once I hit the top of the switchbacks, that’s no longer a question. The views are stunning, and the relatively flat walk through aspen-lined meadows is idyllic.
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Maya and Dominic play at the top lookout among the rocks. Joy and I were in the background, constantly herding the kidlets away from any sharp dropoffs. A relaxing stop, this was NOT.
View from the top, looking toward Cripple Creek.
Maya, two-fisting her snacks.
Whew, what a workout! We celebrated with a late lunch at The Loop in Manitou Springs afterward, and plan to repeat this one during September, during the Fall color explosion.
(Note to self: when hiking at 11000 feet, it’s pretty fool-hardy to forget the sunscreen — even if the trail is mostly shady. Can you say, “farmer tan”?)
Length: About 4 miles from the Starsmore Discovery Center to the Upper Columbine trailhead.
Elevation: Lower Columbine trailhead 6250’, Mid Columbine trailhead 6500’, Upper Columbine trailhead 7300’
General Description: This trail makes its way up the Canon from behind the Starsmore Discovery Center to the Upper Columbine trailhead near Helen Hunt Falls. The Mid Columbine trailhead is about 1 mile up the road from the main park gate by the Starsmore Discovery Center. The Upper Columbine trailhead is about 350’ east of Helen Hunt Falls. Hikers, cyclists and equestrians can use this trail.
We started out earlyish, but because Joy had plans (the first real “date” with her husband in a long time), we couldn’t go far today. All of the signs on the trail say that this one is 3 miles, not 4 — but 4 sounds more likely. We were still a good 1/2 to 3/4 miles from the upper trailhead when it came time to turn around and return to the Starsmore (2 hours in). Even though we didn’t finish the trail, I’m reasonably sure we DID do all of the elevation gain. Whew, I’m ready for the weather to cool!
This one offers phenomenal views of the Broadmoor and its golf course, but it’s still just not one of my favorites. For right-in-town trails, Section 16 is still the best, IMO.
Next weekend, with a little more time available, we’re off to Pancake Rocks (more here). I am so thrilled to have a hiking buddy!
(Mine, that is — I hit the big 3-5 on Monday)
Trail Description: Forest Service #640, 7-mile balloon loop, including about 2 miles to beginning of 3-mile loop, then 2 miles return. Elevation gain 1,280 feet, rated steep at first, then easier. Features scenic route through wooded canyon.
Joy and Dominic joined Maya and me for an early-morning 7-mile hike through Waldo Canyon. Compared to my last hike of this trail (just under a month ago), what a difference! We’ve had rain! Last time, the creekbeds were barely damp, much less flowing. This time, we had to scramble over small rocks to get across the creek each time it crossed the trail.
Photos coming, once Joy gets them uploaded.
Photos: I still can’t get over how much more water was on the trail. We’ll do this one again before the season is over, for sure.
Maya and I have picked up some hiking buddies! Joy’s husband doesn’t hike, and although Dominic is five months younger than Maya, he’s about the same size as her.
Both Maya and Dominic were utterly fascinated by the faces Joy’s friend Tim made at them. What a kid-magnet.
St. Mary’s Falls sits at the southern edge of Gold Camp Road @ Cheyenne Canyon. The full hike runs about 5.5 miles, but we cut out just the very top section, which seemed to be a bit too full of scree for safety with kids on our backs. It was a beautiful spot, but I’d like to see the view from the top (which I hear is incredible) somewhere along the way . Ah, next time.
I’ve been remiss posting hike reports this summer. We continued to visit the Templeton Trail at Palmer Park through the winter, as weather and trail conditions permitted, but really only started going frequently in April/May.
Since the beginning of June, we’ve done Section 16 (my favorite standby) and Waldo Canyon, and this weekend, a visit to Seven Bridges up in Cheyenne Canyon. Seven Bridges trail is a smidge short since I can only go a bit farther than the seventh bridge before the trail turns into a boulder field…not good for a baby. So, my hiking partner and I decided what the heck — we’d try the cutoff that *appeared* that it would edge Gold Camp Road until we were closer to the parking area. Ha.
The cutoff trail was great — quiet, more uphill, and just the added distance that Lizann and I wanted. The problem came when we arrived at the turn to head toward the parking area. Um…yeah. All of that uphill that the cutoff gave us? We had to head back down. Fast. Our return followed what seemed to be some combination of drainage/steep hiking trail/double black diamond mountain bike trail. It would have been challenging enough to head down this scree-ladden path on my own, so doing so with 35 pounds on my back was fun. We made it and managed to do so sans injury…then celebrated with Margaritas and Mexican at the Loop. Mmmmmm.
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