Layover in Denver
Between selling our condo in KC, and being able to move in to our place in Portland, Andrew and I had a month to kill so we spent it with the in laws in Denver (shaving off a day from our cross country move!) Since I was between jobs, while Andrew worked remotely, I decided to take a few online classes on Coursera, one of which was Mountains 101 from Alberta University. A large portion of the class talked about how majestic mountains are. Seeing as mountains were the topic, that makes total sense, but I remember while listening to the instructor talk about all these amazing things mountains bring us, I felt resentful for my hometown and was constantly thinking to myself ‘mountains aren’t everything!’ Well, spending a month in Denver it didn’t take me long to realize that every time they were in view I was instantly drawn to them. I found myself staring more often than not – so yeah, maybe mountains are everything they’re made out to be, and I can’t wait to have at least one visible from my new hometown (even if it’s only on fair weather days).
I wasn’t going to spend all of my new found free time on the computer, so since Covid was still in full swing and I couldn’t partake in any city attractions, instead I took full advantage of the outdoor attractions the area has to offer. And conveniently, even though it was winter, Denver does not get as cold as Kansas City did. When the temperature read 32 degrees in Denver, it’s comparable to 45 back in KC, so while the number was usually intimidating for outdoor activities, it was ALWAYS nicer out than I expected and therefore made for perfect outdoor activity weather.
Spruce Mountain
December 20, 2020
Our first weekend in Denver we decided to go on a family hike out at Spruce Mountain. We hiked the upper loop out to windy point, then took a service road connector to add on the gravesite spur, and followed the eagles pass trail back to the parking lot. The hike was about 7 miles.
Mount Falcon
December 25, 2020
What better way to spend Christmas than with a 4 mile hike in a nearby park? Mount Falcon Park was perfect for a casual stroll to get our legs moving. There was a few spots of slipping and sliding until we decided to slip on our spikes but overall fairly clear trails with excellent views of downtown Denver and the surrounding mountains. We parked at the west Trailhead and meandered our way clockwise through the Tower Trail and Old Ute Trail before taking the Meadow Trail out to the castle and finally heading back to the car so we could head home and eat whatever Christmas goodies we pleased without any guilt.
Roxborough Park
December 31, 2020
Since I had all this extra free time on my hands, I decide I would partake in my first solo hike. I had chosen Roxborough Park based on its proximity to Denver, and the cool rock features I would get to see on the trail. Once I made it out to the trailhead I realized I had managed to only grab one shoe-spike, so after several minutes of deliberating, rather than drive all the way home for my other spike, I opted to continue with my plan up to Carpenter’s Peak, and simply turn around if it got too icy. Luckily the trail was snow packed enough that the spikes were not needed, so I was able to enjoy the almost 7 mile hike in peace and stay ahead of most of the crowds.
Chatfield State Park
January 1, 2021
Some of our friends from Kansas City who had recently moved to Denver invited us to join them on a ‘first day hike’ at Chatfield State Park. Chatfield is a lot more chill compared to some of the other locations we explored. After checking in at the ranger station to pick up our ‘first day hike’ swag, we meandered around near the South Platte River for about 4 miles. Enjoying the fresh air, good company, and amazing views.
Castlewood Canyon
January 6, 2021
Castlewood Canyon is one of Andrew’s mom’s favorites when it comes to nearby hiking, so the two of us opted to do this one together. We kept the distance around 5 miles needing to be home by a certain time. We parked at the main Westside Trailhead and went clockwise utilizing the Rimrock Trail and the Creek Bottom Trail with a slight out and back detour along the Inner Canyon trail at the far side. Since we got to be at both the top and the inside of the canyon, this trail had a lot of variety and there is even a historic dam near the center of the loop.
Winter Park - Jim Creek Trail
January 10, 2021
Coincidentally, we had some other friends who recently moved out to Steamboat Springs, CO. We decided to meet up halfway in Winter Park for a snowshoeing adventure along the Jim Creek Trail. Sadly the trail was so popular that the snow was all packed down, so we mostly just carried the snowshoes, only putting them on because we were tired of carrying them as opposed to actually needing them. The trail and company was definitely worth the drive (even if we did end up having to add an hour of sitting in traffic on the way home).
Beaver Brook Trail, Golden
January 14, 2021
I wanted to get one last hike in before we moved on from Denver and finally made our way out to Portland. Unluckily for me, that day I chose was one of the windiest! (20 mph sustained, with gusts over 40!). I had already chosen the Beaver Brook Trail outside of Golden because it sounded like a lot of fun with its rock scrambles and open vistas, but I only made it about a mile and a half in before calling it quits and turning around due to the wind – it’s important to know your limits, and I go out to have fun not to torture myself! I should have known it though when the trailhead is called “Windy Saddle.” I definitely want to come back and tackle this hike again next time I’m in the area on a nice day.
Biking In and Around Denver
Not only were we able to get several hikes in, but we were also able to get several bike rides in. Denver metro (or maybe it’s just the sun) does an amazing job of keeping the trails clear of snow/ice – yes there are the occasional patchy spots, but nothing that kept us from riding. This was a pleasant surprise since we’re so used to having to put the bike up for the winter.
A favorite trail was riding out to the Cherry Creek Reservoir. It was paved and well maintained, and even had a few dirt path spurs where Andrew could go ‘adventure’ while the rest of us sane people stayed on the paved bits. And at the reservoir itself, we were often able to watch ice fisherman doing their thing out on the barely frozen ice.
Another favorite ride was linking the C470 and the Centennial Link Trail to get us out to Hudson Gardens where we could take a much deserved coffee break at Nixon’s Coffeehouse.
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