Colorado Trip for the
Two Graduates 2016
Plans were underway for a summer
vacation. Both Tyler and Hannah would graduate in May, and it seemed liked it
was a must do. We didn’t want anything too far away, as Tyler could only spare a week with his full
internship schedule. We needed someplace close enough to drive, yet far enough
to experience a totally different landscape. Colorado was the best option. I started looking
at various adventures, and Pikes Peak was on
my list. I have taught about America’s
Mountain for years in fourth grade. Katharine Lee Bates penned the words to America the
Beautiful from atop the mountain. There is even a picture in our Social Studies
book, and I usually have the kids belt out the first verse of the song. I’d
always thought it would be fun to see it. In doing some research, I happened
upon an adventure that caught my eye, biking down Pikes
Peak. So the plan was born, and Colorado Springs was the starting point. Long’s
Peak is another meaningful landmark, as it was the mountain Tim Fromelt was
climbing when he fell and tragically died on the mountain in 1990. I knew white
water rafting, a little hiking, and maybe zip lining were also on the list.
In keeping with tradition, we lined
up the trip to leave as soon as school was out. School was dismissed at noon on
Friday, and we were loaded and heading out by 2:00. It had been a whirlwind the
weeks leading up to our trip with two graduations, end of the year concerts,
programs, and all that goes with May. I
actually hadn’t booked our cabins until that week, which is unusual for this
planner. But, everything fell into place, and soon we were headed for
Valentine, NE, the first layover on route to CO. We had a fine meal at a local
restaurant which supposedly closed at nine, but were more than welcoming to
late comers. In the morning, Ron & I found a walking/running path and put
in a few quick miles. Before long, Nebraska
was in the rear view mirror.
We arrived in Colorado Springs in the early afternoon, and
took time to visit Ron’s aunt Margie, who is living with her daughter Karen and
her family. We had time to chat and catch up with Margie, who turned 90 in
March. It was good to see that she is doing well.
The Timber Lodge was to be our home
for the next four days, it was a little Mom & Pop type resort between Colorado Springs and
Manitou Springs, a tourist town. We did a little exploring in Old Colorado
City, and found our bike tour company
to set up Pikes Peak. Saturday we had supper
at The Stagecoach which remained Hannah’s number one meal. She had a grilled
chicken sandwich on sour dough bread with a raspberry cream cheese. We took a
little time to check out the sites. Once back at our cabin we broke out the
cards and played a few hands of Hearts and Whist. We were in vacation mode.
Sunday morning, Ron and I went for
a walk/run through the Garden of the Gods. Yikes, the hills are steep out here.
The kids slept in, and then we went to Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a
small church on a narrow windy street. Tyler and Hannah were given special
recognition as recent graduates, which they loved of course. After a little
lunch at the cabin, we explored the Garden of the Gods, the Cliff Dwellings and
made our reservations for Monday’s rafting trip to the Royal Gorge It was a relaxing
day to start our week of adventures.
Monday we were up early and heading
to Canon City,
for our rafting trip through the Royal Gorge, which
I later found out is where Shirley Naessig grew up. The rafting trip was
amazing! We were the only ones on the tour, so we had a raft and guide all to
ourselves. We all managed to stay in the raft through Class III and IV rapids.
Very thrilling at times! Boy a ride like that makes your heart race. It was
gorgeous with the granite canyon walls climbing hundreds of feet up on each
side. Hannah and Tyler each chose the option to jump out and take a mild rapid
on their own. They both said it was a blast and were back in the raft in no
time. We had grilled burgers cooked by
our guide and fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies. Bonus! Afterward, we stopped at the Royal Bridge
Center to walk across the
bridge and check out the gondola. The wind was too strong, so we received a
rain check for the gondola since we planned to return Wednesday for a train
ride through the Gorge. Back in Canon
City, we stopped at a
winery, The Abbey, named for the former monastery which still stands on the
grounds. Soon the weary were home again, we had snacks and beverages at the
cabin with a few hands of cards.
Tuesday morning was an early morning
with Pikes Peak Challenge Unlimited. We had a simple breakfast of bagels and
fruit at their shop. The weather looked fine, and they were just getting their
season started, so we were the only ones in our group, which meant we had our
own personal guides again. Tini, the owner, was friendly and easygoing. We each
had a bike loaded and the two guides drove us to the Cog Railway. They would meet
us at the summit of Pikes Peak with bikes,
helmets, and all the cold weather gear we’d need. As we boarded the Cog, they
talked a lot about staying hydrated and taking small sips of water which would
assist your body in acclimating to the 14,000 feet we would soon experience.
Normally, we don’t go anywhere without our water bottles, but this time, they
were left behind. We would soon discover a little taste of altitude sickness.
As the passengers were boarding, we watched a mechanic throw in some tools, a
wrench the size of a baseball bat and a tool chest to match. Apparently, there
was an issue up the track a bit, which was not the most comforting, but all was
well. The ride was scenic, but freezing cold. The people next to us must have
wanted to breathe in the crisp mountain air with the window open, so our ride
grew more brisk with each foot we gained. Finally, they relented and closed the
window after seeing our goose bumps and listening to our chattering teeth. The cog
was a wonderful way to climb the mountain. Once at the top, those who wore
winter coats zipped up with a smile and headed out. Those of us wishing for warmer
gear made a beeline for the door to the chalet gift shop passing through a ten
foot snow bank. The thermometer read thirteen degrees! Admittedly, I felt a
little out of it, like I needed to shake the cobwebs out, that’d be the
altitude adjustment. We found our guides waiting for us, and we started
layering. I think each of us had triple plus layers. I know I had on three pairs
of sweatpants, and each of us had our right ankles duct taped tight to avoid
chain tangles. After a few pictures and final instructions-number one rule,
stay in control of your bike, and always remember, brakes are your friends-we
headed down. Our fingers were numb, but eyes wide with wonder as we began the
descent. One guide was in the van behind us, and our leader was on a bike with
us. We stopped about fifteen times to take in the view on this twenty mile ride.
There were no guard rails, so it was critical that bikes don’t get out of
control. The traffic was fairly light, but with the dozens of switchbacks and
sharp turns there wasn’t a lot of time for gawking. At one stop, the guide even
smelled Tyler’s
brakes to make sure they weren’t hot. Apparently after every three trips down
the mountain, the brakes are replaced on these bikes. We started shedding layers
about two thirds of the way down. There was even a decent incline as we passed
a dam that gave everyone a chance to use all the gears on the bikes. The guides
shared a lot of information about the geology of the rocks, timberline, and
plant life. With only about six weeks when the air is above freezing, it takes
decades for trees to show any growth. Some of the pines were over 2000 years
old. We had additional mini nature lesson along the way. Before long we found
ourselves nearing the bottom of the mountain. Lunch was included in the tour,
and we enjoyed some of the best cheeseburgers at a little winery. Back at the
Timber Lodge, we stopped at Amanda’s Fonda, a Mexican restaurant right nextdoor,
for nachos and salsa with a pitcher of margaritas. A festive outdoor setting
along the creek set the tone for a fun night.
Wednesday we headed back to Cannon City to take the train through the Royal Gorge. First we stopped back at the bridge to see
if we could catch the tram, but it was still too windy, so we missed that
opportunity. The train ride was, “pretty chill” as the kids would say. We had an up close view of the gorge.
That afternoon when we returned, we hiked
the Manitou Incline, which we had heard a lot about. It’s an old railway bed,
about a mile long, with 2000 steps gaining 2000 feet in elevation. After the
first 25 steps, we were panting a bit, but after 50, it was full blown huffing
and puffing. I was literally crawling at times as the steps were 20 + inches
tall. Humbling to say the least! The view at the top was great, looking down,
that first step a mile down was just a speck. Tyler and I met up with Ron and
Hannah about halfway back down the trail, which was about 4 miles long. We
opted for the trail down because we just couldn’t face those steep steps going
down. Although we did see several people jogging up and down that beast! Even
though it was ugly at times, we made it. What an accomplishment! On the return
trip, Hannah and I had been eyeing this Goodwill store, we made a quick dash in
to see what CO buys we could find. Lucked out with several good deals, and
Hannah even saw her first read live Drag Queen, a Tranny, as they are referred
to today. Adventures at Goodwill! We treated ourselves to a fine meal for our
last night. We ate in Old
Colorado City
at Paravinci, an Italian restaurant, and
splurged on some fine food. Our tired bodies and sore knees told us we earned
it.
Thursday we departed Colorado Springs and headed north to Estes Park.
We drove through Denver
and went right past the Bronco Stadium. We arrived in Estes
Park and found a great hamburger joint
on the main drag, which was like a Keystone of the Rockies.
Lots of gift shops, candy and old fashioned taffy stores, one in particular had
the most divine caramel apples on display, which I vowed we’d need to revisit,
but somehow it didn’t make the list. Bummer. We checked into the YMCA of the Rockies that afternoon. This is a fabulous resort with
over 200 cabins for families, large reunion cabins, and several hotel style
buildings with rooms to rent. They cater to large groups, business conventions,
and families. They have mini golf, a swimming pool, basketball court, a small roller
skating rink, horseback riding, and fun game room with shuffle board and pool
tables. There are tons of lodges with huge swings, stone fireplaces, and
inviting porches just waiting for people to sit and enjoy the scenery. Snow
capped mountains, including Long’s Peak, surround the grounds. We checked out
several games, like Yahtzee, and I was thrilled to find Racko, a card game we
played as kids. We drove into the Rocky Mountain
National Park, just a few
miles down the road, and went to the park ranger station to inqure about hikes.
We found an easy one mile walk around Sprague Lake.
Friday, we took a three mile hike
further up into the mountains. Then, we drove up to Bear Lake, just to check it
out as this trail was still snow packed and opted out of snow hiking. Later in
the day, we rented mountain bikes at the Y, and Tyler and I attempted the bike
trail. How hard could an advanced mountain biking trail be? Good gravy! It was
the horse trail complete with rocks, loose gravel, and steep descents. We
walked the bikes for a ways, and then opted for the paved roads. It sprinkled a
bit, so we took a little break, and then I rode again around the resort
grounds. I was content in the resort library chilling, when a guy said snow was
on the way. Ok then. I high tailed it back to the rental shop. After supper, we
found the basketball court and rollerskating rink for some evening fun.
Saturday we took in an arts fair in
Estes Park and did our tourist shopping for
shirts and gifts. We made time for Mass at Our Lady of the Mountains, and felt
we deserved extra credit as we recited the slowest rosary ever! We walked their beautiful outdoor Stations of
the Cross path. In the afternoon, we hiked to Gem Lake which ended up to be a bit of a workout. We should have known when the park ranger said there were steps involved.
Sunday we took another rafting trip
on the Cache La Pouche river. We had to take an eighty minute bus ride to Fort Collins, but it was
so worth it. The rapids were just as exciting as our first trip, but the water
a touch colder and no wet suits. I donned a blue rain poncho which Hannah and
Tyler loved. Our guide, Anna, did a great job with a raft full. There were
about five other rafts full of thrill seekers, and once again, nobody has any
mishaps. I’m always so nervous after listening to the safety talk and worried
that I’m going to be the one trying to swim for the raft. Being a little out of
your comfort zone is good for the soul though. We all paddled hard and had a
successful run through some crazy water. To celebrate a trip full of adventure
and great family time, our last meal was at Smokin’ Daves, a great rib place. Wonderful
music and outstanding food. It was a perfect
way to end our stay.
Monday morning we ate breakfast in
the dining hall and started the long journey home. It was a full day of
driving, but we’re so glad we used every bit of time we had to enjoy CO. We
watched the last of the Rockies disappear out
of view as we moved farther east. As we crossed into SD, there were storm
clouds building, and by the time we arrived in Brown
County to drop Tyler off, the rain came down in a deluge.
Quick goodbyes were made and we made a beeline for Webster to hopefully drive
out of the rain so we could unload the vehicle and take the luggage rack off. Mission accomplished. One
more trip for the books. So blessed to have this time with the fam.
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