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!
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colorado. Show all posts
Friday, April 4, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
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!
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!
Friday, January 31, 2014
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!
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!
Friday, January 24, 2014
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
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
Thursday, January 16, 2014
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.
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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.
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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!
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.
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.
.JPG)
Can you find the petroglyph in this photo?
A view from the Josie Bassett Morris Cabin
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
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.
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