Weekend Wanderer: Devils Backbone Open Space

Hi explorers! Sorry I have been gone so long, life and warmer weekends have gotten in the way of me telling you about awesome adventures and hiking trips to try out.

This weekend, Colorado is foretasted to have some amazing spring weather.  Anyone else with me that this is incredibly welcomed after the cold winter we have had??

This weekend, grab your kids, your bike, or even your dog and head out to the Devils Backbone Open Space in Loveland, CO.

This trail-head tends to get really busy and fill up fast so arrive early, or plan a hike for later in the afternoon.

The trail is pretty flat and an easy stride with a few uphill sections.
Also, you can choose a short hike or a long hike just turn around whenever you want and head back to the trail-head!

Enjoy!

Weekend Wanderer: Snowy Range

Looking to take that last minute ski or snowboarding trip before all the high country snow starts to melt?
Look no further than Snowy Range, WY.

Snowy Range is a low-key resort located just west of Laramie, WY and easily travelable from Northern Colorado for a day or weekend trip.

Things I love about snowy range:
No I-70 traffic
No lines at the lift
Afforable lift tickets, rentals and even a shuttle from NoCo
Its a fantastic place to learn, hone or skills or just escape the big resort feel

There are only a few weekends left but the snowpack is still great! So head on up to Snowy Range for the weekend!

If you choose to spend the weekend, check-in at The Mountain View Historic Hotel in Centennial, WY.  Its a great place to stay, has a lovely breakfast and is just minutes from the ski area!

Weekend Wanderer: Pineridge Natural Area

To me, Pineridge Natural Area is one of Fort Collins best kept secrets.  Which is really no secret at all, but it seems to have less traffic than the A-Hill and the atmosphere makes you feel like you've been relocated to somewhere far, far away from the city traffic and noise.

Pineridge NA is located adjacent to the Maxwell NA in Fort Collins, CO.  There are 3 loops; a small loop around the pound that is about 2 miles, a longer loop that is a little over 3 miles and a loop that extends from that.

With the recent snow, pack your snowshoes and take a trip out to Pineridge this weekend to take in some amazing views, a little snow and the great outdoors!

As always, check the Fort Collins Natural Areas website for closures before heading out!

Weekend Wanderer: A-Hill

Its supposed to be a lovely weekend in Norther Colorado so take the quick hike up the A-Hill for some amazing views!

A-Hill Trail: Fort Collins, CO:

You can start at one of two trail heads.  Either the Maxwell Parking area, just past Hughes Stadium.  Or you can start at the trail head off of Banyan and Prospect, just west of Overland Trail.

No matter your starting location, you will head out up and over a few small hills before you start to really climb.  One the climb starts, the trail does some long switchbacks across the hill, making the climb less steep.

Keep in mind, this is a multi-use trail!

Once you reach the top, take in the amazing views of Fort Collins and beyond.

Don't miss the opportunity to cross the road and take a look a Horsetooth!

Always check the natural areas website for trail conditions and closers before heading out.

Trail Rating: Moderate
 

Weekend Wanderers: Purgatory Trail

I have decided to start a "Weekend Wanderers" feature, where every Friday I will post a short hike or activity to enjoy this weekend with friends, family and loved ones.

This weekend, try out the Purgatory Trail!

This trail is located at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC.  As you come into the NC Zoo, look for the North American parking lot and head to the north end, where the trail begins.

The trail is broken up into sections, with the first 1/8th of a mile being a wide paved path before the trail continues on for another 1 1/8 miles.  There is also the option to split off of the main trail and follow the mile long trail, Moonshine Run.

Pack a picnic for before or after your hike, or make it a day and enjoy part of the Zoo as well!

Trail Rating: EASY

Side Trip: The Hoover Dam

Making a trip to Las Vegas? Spending a few days at the Grand Canyon? No matter your situation be sure to make a stop at the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

Lake Mead from the top of the Hoover Dam

We recently took a family trip to the Grand Canyon.  Since we were all flying into Las Vegas we made our stop at the Hoover Dam part of our trek from Las Vegas to Williams, AZ.

Some members of our group had an early morning flight into Las Vegas, so we met them with the rental car at the airport around 9am to head to the Hoover Dam.

The dam is a easy 40 minute drive from Las Vegas, so even with a stop for coffee and a quick breakfast, we were at the dam by 10am.  One of the KEYS to this trip is arriving early, even in the off season.  This is a major tourist attraction and with its proximity to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon it stays busy!  Also, on your way to the dam you will pass through a security checkpoint, be sure to read this document so you are aware of the Hoover Dam Policies!

When you arrive the parking deck will be on your left, just before the dam.  Its $7 to park here or you can continue on for other parking options.  Just pay to park here, its easy and gives you direct access to the dam.
The dam offers a few tour options, listed on the website.  However, when we arrived taking the Power-Plant Tour ($11) was our only option. We were a little disappointed as we really wanted to take the Dam Tour ($30).  After buying your tickets, you are filtered through a line where they take the groups photo in front of a green screen then load you into a theater with everyone else on your tour.

After the movie is over, you are broken up into two groups for the tour.  Tours take an elevator down into the dam, so the second group will have to wait a bit, just a few minutes nothing intolerable.  From there, you follow your tour guide through the tour of the powerplant before they drop you off at the dam overlook.

Here you can take your time and start doing the tour at your own pace.  They will be selling photos. (remember posing in front of the green screen) we found them to be pretty affordable for a tourist attraction.

When your group is finished at the overlook, make sure to head across the street to an older building.  There is a short program on all the dams on the Colorado River.  I always think it is interesting to see the view of dams at the facility, verses the view of dams at National Parks and environmental organizations.

From here take some time and walk across the dam, snap some photos and continue on your way.
Back on the road be sure to stop at the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge access.  It gives great view of the Hoover Dam and the bridge is pretty cool itself.

NOTE: They are VERY strict about the speed limit on the dam road, so watch that lead foot!

 

The Memorial Bridge from the Hoover Dam (Sorry for the poor quality, this photo was taken on my phone)

 

From here, if heading back to Las Vegas be sure to stop by the Lake Mead Visitors Center and take the short trip down to the water.  If you are continuing onto the Grand Canyon and other attractions; check back for the rest of our trip!

Dinosaur Trek

For me, Dinosaur National Monument is only a hop skip and a jump away so I decided to make a 3-day weekend out of the trip.  So, after work on Thursday we packed up the car and headed to Utah.
When visiting Dinosaur I really recommend staying at the Jensen Inn.  It is a bed and breakfast located minutes from the parks entrance.  The folks there are lovely, the breakfast is extraordinary and the views are amazing.

There are two sides to the Monument, the Colorado side and the Utah side.  If you are looking for fossils the Utah side is for you, however if hiking and biking are more your style you will want to plan to also visit the Colorado side.

Day 1: Tour Dinosaur National Monument and the Dry Fork Petroglyphs at the McConkie Ranch

After breakfast at the Bed and Breakfast, head down the road to the Visitors Center at Dinosaur National Monument (The fees are included in the annual National Parks Pass or $10 per car).
After touring the visitors center catch the shuttle up to the Quarry Hall.  The Quarry Hall is the "big wall of fossils".  They offer a booklet for around $1 that will help you identify exactly what fossils you are looking at, we bought it and found it to be really helpful.
Once finished at the Quarry Hall, skip the shuttle ride and hike back to the Visitors Center by way of the Fossil Discovery Trail.  They offer Ranger Programs daily on this trail but we hit the trail on our own, using one of the brochures you can pick up at the Quarry Hall.  The hike is relatively easy and will put you back out at the Visitors Center where you can continue on with your day.
Back at the visitors center, we packed into the car to continue into the monument.  Following the driving Tour of the Tilted Rocks, we headed to see the Cub Creek Petroglyphs and the cabin of Josie Bassett Morris.

Can you find the petroglyph in this photo?

We loved seeing the cabin and took a few short hikes from the cabin to see the areas where Josie Bassett Morris would pin-up her cattle using the landscape.  I highly recommend visiting this area, the drive is short and the views are worth the trip.

A view from the Josie Bassett Morris Cabin

After touring the cabin we headed out of the Monument toward Vernal, UT.  Vernal is the closets city to the park and offers lots of amenities for visitors. AT this point Vernal was just a pass through for us as we headed toward McConkie Ranch to see the Dry Fork Petroglyphs.  The ranch is about 10miles North of Vernal and fairly easy to find, they have a sign marking the turn in off, but if you miss it because you are taking in the beautiful country-side it is fairly easy to find a place to turn around.  These petroglyphs are on private property and open to anyone who will respect the area.  In the parking lot there is a small building where visitors have left notes and a place for donations.  The shorter of the two trails goes out from just behind this building.  Some parts of the trail are moderately strenuous, simply because the soil is loose and you are traveling uphill.  This trail offers some amazing views and of course the awe-inspiring petroglyphs.
Since it was an extremely hot afternoon, we had to skip the longer trail, but will return to take it in.
From the ranch, we headed back to Vernal to visit the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. Originally, we decided to go here for a break from the heat but found it to be much more than just that.  The Museum has activities for kids as well as plenty of fossils and exhibits that are on a high level too.  The Museum house are 9-5 almost daily (check the website) and the price is affordable at $6 for adults and $3 for children over 5.
After the Museum it was time for dinner, so we went across the street to check out Vernal Brewing Company.  When in Vernal, this is a must!  We loved everything about this place, from the food, to the beer, to the decor!
With our hunger satisfied, we went back to the B&B to rest up and prepare for Day 2.

Day 2: Flaming Gorge

With the Monument under our belt we wanted to explore something different so we hit the road and headed for the Flaming Gorge.  Its just under an hours drive from Vernal.  We drove to our first stop, the Flaming Gorge Dam Visitors Center.  Her you can view the Green River, the dam and even take a dam tour.  We chose to take a tour of the dam and found it to be totally worth our time.  The tour is free, but you will want to pack some quarters to feed the fish!

 The Green River from an overlook in the Ashley National Forest

After the damn tour we headed back up the Green River stopping along the way whenever we saw a spot with a good view.  We spent most of the day exploring this area before heading back for an early dinner in Vernal.
We spent our last evening at the B&B sitting on the porch, looking at the stars.  It was a lovely and relaxing way to wrap up our mini-vacation.

Day 3: The Slow Road Home

Time to head back home, but not without a short stop on the Colorado side of the Monument!
We had to drive right past the Colorado entrance to the monument to get home, so we took a short stop to quickly check things out before hitting the road for home.  Since we were short on time there was no hiking or biking for us just a short drive.

We had a really amazing time on this short trip, but there is so much to do in this area I am sure we will return.
From hiking, to whitewater rafting, to simply taking in the view, this area has it all!


DISCLAIMER: Prices, locations, tours, policies and attractions may have changed.  Please use websites listed for the most up to date information.

Trek South Dakotas Black Hills in 5 days

For us, the Black Hills of South Dakota are only about a five hour drive away, so we planned a windy drive through Wyoming to go visit all the Black Hills have to offer.

Day 1: Arrive in Rapid City, South Dakota and visit Mount Rushmore

Since our arrival time was early afternoon we stopped at Mt. Rushmore.  Mount Rushmore is about 20 minutes from Custer, SD and around a hour from Rapid City.  Parking at the site is $11.  

NOTE: National Park Passes DO NOT cover the cost to park at Mt. Rushmore.

For us, it took us about a hour to walk around the Memorial, check out the bookstore and gift shop.  Those with children can take advantage of the Jr. Ranger program.

Note: Mt. Rushmore is lighted for 1.5 hours after sunset each night, with a nightly program.

Day 2: Jewel Cave National Monument (13 miles west of Custer and 53 miles from Rapid City) and Wind Cave National Monument (20 miles south of Custer)

We chose to have a cave packed day and explore both the caves in the Black Forest Area.  The first stop was at Jewel Cave.  Since it was the winter season only the Scenic Tour was offered for $8 a ticket.  You can call and reserve tickets for this tour up to 7 days prior to when you plan on visiting (1-605-673-8300)  This tour is great for those who have a little fear of caving or those who are not as sure footed.  The tour is completely on a raised metal pathway and an easy walk.  As someone who has been caving before, I thought this tour was way to commercialized, although I still enjoyed the opportunity.  One of my goals is to return and do the Wild Caving Tour.  Although this cave wasn't my favorite, I still recommend the visit and have had friends take other tours who had a 100% positive experience.

What to expect?  The tour starts at the visitors center where you load up an elevator and head down into the cave.  From here you are let out onto a platform for your first look at the cave before continuing on the tour.

Note: The caves stay at 49°F (9°C) so you might want to bring along a jacket.

From Jewel Cave, we headed to Wind Cave, having a picnic lunch in the car.  Again, since it was winter season, only one tour was offered, the Garden of Eden Cave Tour (Tickets for this tour are $7 per person). However, when we arrived they upgraded our tour due to the number of visitors that day.  This tour is also very accessible.  For this tour we took a walkway down into the cave with numerous stops along the way.  I thought this tour was a much better and even if we were on a paved path the cave seemed much more natural.

What to expect?  From the visitors center you head out down a paved path toward the cave and enter the cave through a set of doors.  At the end of the tour, we left the cave through another set of doors and headed back down a path to return to the visitors center.

NOTE: At Wind Cave you have the opportunity to see tons of wildlife!  We saw deer, tons of birds and BUFFALO!!

Day 3: Visit the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and Mineral Springs, SD

Our first stop of the day was the Crazy Horse Memorial.  At $10 a person, I thought the entry price was steep; until we went inside.  Not only do you get to view the memorial, there are rooms and rooms of things to look at.  Everything ranging from artist drawings, to details about construction to handmade items.

After Crazy Horse we headed into Custer State Park, although there is tons of hiking we just did a scenic drive since it was snowing.

Due to the snowy weather, we ended up skipping the hot springs and decided to try out some of the Wineries we saw along HWY 385.  If time permits during your trip and wine is your cup of tea, I recommend trying one of South Dakota's Wineries out!

Day 4: Badlands National Park, Minuteman Missile Site and Wall Drug

Badlands National Park is a little over a hour drive from Rapid City due east on Interstate 90.  We chose to enter the National Park via the West Entrance and drive the main road stopping and taking short hikes at areas that peaked our interest.  When you come out on the other side stop at the Visitors Center to look at the museum then continue on HWY 240 toward I-90 and stop at the Minute Man Missile Silo Visitors Center.  We found this to be a little hard to find but with only a few other buildings in the area, its easy to regroup and figure out where you should be.  The visitors center has an informative video and will provide tours and directions to the actual missile site.  This site can be accessed on your way back to Rapid City on I-90.

After finishing up at the Missile Silo, head back on I-90 with a stop at Wall Drug, an iconic symbol and stop for those traveling in and around the Black Hills.  

Wall Drug Fact: Wall Drug started as a drug store in 1931 and survived the depression by offering free water to travelers.

While we chose to focus our time on the natural things the Black Hills have to offer, there is so much more to explore.  HWY 16 from Rapid City into the Black Hills has numerous tour attractions from Bear to the reptile center.  A little further away are the well known towns of Sturgis and Deadwood, two towns that would be worth a visit.

Day 5: The slow return home and a stop at the Mammoth Site

On our way home we decided to stop at the Mammoth Site, only to find they weren't open on Sundays.  I usually check all those things before we head out on our trip, but this one slipped through the cracks.

DISCLAIMER: Prices, locations, tours, policies and attractions may have changed.  Please use websites listed for the most up to date information.