First 14er of the season

We have this thing in the mountains called MTO- Mandatory Time Off. I don't know for sure, but I think it stems from when Vail Resorts HQ was in Avon and they encouraged non-mountain employees to work on the mountain during busy holidays. In any case, I love it! It is like an extra 5 days off a year and due to my lack of planning usually amounts to me taking Fridays off in the month of July in an effort to use up my MTO by the end of the fiscal year.

This year, I am taking advantage and planning my hikes for Fridays. This last Friday I decided to head up to the Missouri Gulch Trailhead (just S of Leadville) and summit Missouri Peak. I got a good night's sleep Thurs and woke up at 4am Fri to make a big breakfast and then drive up to the trail (about 1 hour from my house in Minturn). I arrived at the trail at 7:00 am and was greeted by a full parking lot and parked cars on the county road. Nor surprisingy for this time of year as most hikers favor this trail as an access point to Mt. Belford and Oxford (also 14ers that I knocked off last year).

After trekking the common first 1 mi of trail up a series of switchbacks I opted for the right turn on Elkhead Pass Trail towards Missouri while I watched about 100 people scuffle up the switchbacks towards Belford. Sometimes it is nice to break from the crowd. 3 1/4 hours after leaving the trailhead I found myself at the summit overlooking the Continental Divide Trail depsite the haze from wildfires on the western front.

Saturday, I got together with a couple of my girlfriends for a picnic at the local Bravo Music Festival held at the outdoor amphitheater in Vail. It was a perfect evening- sunny, warm, with a slight western breeze. We enjoyed the Philadelphia Philharmonic's rendition of a variety of classical pieces. While I admit that I am not a huge classical fan, I really enjoyed the entire evening and plan on taking advantage of the additonal performances this season.

Ready for hiking season

After a phenomenal ski season with over 30 feet of snow, the trails and mountain tops are finally drying and everything is blooming. The rivers are still pretty high (and scary at some points) but according to many we have hit peak run-off meaning that the waters will be clearing soon.

Over the weekend my friend, Amanda; dog, Tia; and I went for a quick hike up Cougar Ridge trail from the Minturn trailhead just behind the house. We made it up to Lionshead rock in a little over an hour. For such a quick hike it really boasts some great views of the valley. Tia thought she was pretty tough stuff, standing out on the edge of the rock. That is Notch Mountain (left)- a 13er- a Mount of the Holy Cross- a 14er- in the distance behind her.

Mountain Bike Camp

This past weekend I attended a mountain bike camp here in Vail. It was an all ladies camp which made for a lot of fun. Going into it I was a total chicken mountain biker- anything narrower than a Jeep road made me cringe. I signed up for the camp to hopefully learn some skills and improve my confidence.

After two days on my bike and um-teen number of falls (I have the bruises and scabs to prove it) I think I am on my way. Single track isn't as intimidating, nor are rocky crossings and loose gravel, however switchbacks continue to plague me. Why can't I commit to the turn? In any case, it was a great experience and one that I would recommend to anyone who felt the same way I did when I started.

Snow in June?

It snowed today. After 10+ days of beautiful warm summer skies, the clouds and precip rolled in and it snowed. I have to admit that I wasn't stoked to see it, but to be honest, it's Colorado...there is always a chance that it may snow regardless of month or weather two days previous. And for the record- I'll take an occassional snow shower in June or July over 90+ degrees with humidity and mosquitos.

P.S. I have yet to get a mosquito bite in Colorado. Lovely!

Dogs love skiing

I took my year old golden retriever, Tia, camping for the first time this weekend. We drove out hwy 9 going south out of Breckenridge over Hoosier Pass. About 3 miles south of Alma, CO we turned west on a dirt road and headed up to the back side of Mt. Sherman. The minute she jumped out of the car she was amped...checking out every bush, tree, and stick. Much to my surprise she was very respectful of the campfire (despite her innate need to chew on sticks) and took well to the tent.

The next morning we got up and hit the trailhead to ski a line off the backside (east side) of Mt Sherman around 6am. Always the snow lover, she loved the hike. Unfortunately, things warmed a little quicker than expected and we had to start our ski descent before reaching the summit. On top of that, we kind of lost the trail on the way back and did our fair share of bushwacking. All and all it was a good trip and I think Tia has found her niche in the Rocky Mountains.

Welcome to life in the mountains

There are certain things that you learn to accept when you live in the mountains, namely the idea that spring may or may not come and that even it July and August its best to travel with a shell jacket and pants in the event of a sudden snow shower. This week is no exception. After a beautiful weekend and great spring skiing at Aspen Highlands on closing day, temps are predicted to drop later this week to levels reminiscent of mid-January. I guess I can put off getting that pedicure and pulling out my flip-flops for at least one more week.