Adventure #5: Camping Time

Date: Friday, July 25th 2014
Location: West Magnolia, Mud Lake

I left work early on Friday and we set out for our first camping trip in Colorado and our first camping trip with Fiona.  We wanted to go someplace close and familiar, so we headed to West Magnolia south of Nederland where we took the 4 Runner on our very first adventure.  I left work at noon and we were at the campsite by 2PM, I'd say pretty dang good considering the little bit of traffic we hit through Boulder.  Logan again enjoyed the little bit of off-roading we did getting to camp.  His giggles continue to make me smile.

We found a nice spot at the top of a small hill and unpacked.  It's amazing when you're not in a group and one of you is corralling children just how long it takes to setup camp but I really enjoy that part so no big deal.  Logan is old enough such that he can help carry stuff from the truck to camp. It's not entirely efficient but it's good for him to be part of the team.  It was pretty cute when he attempted to drag the cooler, he got much further than I anticipated.

Our campsite

Prior to children you unpack, open the cooler and enjoy a beverage or two.  Well with kids, it's "hey Dad let's go explore".  But that is where all the fun is at! We took a handful of small walks around the area and Logan got a kick out of Maya joining us and being off leash.  We also gave Logan a variety of tasks which included stacking rocks, moving sticks, and basically anything to keep him busy with his endless supply of energy.  He was obsessed with the fire pit and we did all we could to keep him not entirely covered in soot.  He's also gonna really enjoy camping if he gets to eat the variety of junk food he did this time.

The highlight of the trip was once the sun went down and we lit the fire.  Due to the sun staying out till 9pm we did dinner on the camp stove much earlier and only did s'mores later in the night.  Logan of course enjoyed the s'mores but he was his usual cautious self in roasting the marshmallow.  He certainly is not the kid that plunges the marshmallow into the fire and let's it catch on fire.  During the s'mores we told stories.  Logan would start the story then Krystal or I would add another part and pass it back to him.  We wound up coming up with some sort of story about horses going to the beach with their cow friends and Logan jumping out of a cake to surprise them.  His imagination at almost four years old is just so wild and so much fun.  He really gets a kick out of telling these stories.  It probably started when we would make up stories about "a boy named Logan" when he was much younger and we got tired of reading him the same book.  He would make us keep going on and on, but I guess he soaked it in and learned a lot.  Logan had also been bugging us about flashlights since we basically arrived at camp, so once the sun went down he finally got what he wanted.  I gave him a head lamp and it was so funny watching him turn his head slowly and look up and down in amazement as the light followed him.  He must have worn one before but perhaps not since he was truly mystified. The lamp also had a red led which he called the 'red version' (seriously what 4 yr old uses that kind of language, what a goof) and it was the only way he wouldn't blind us.  I'm certain that next camping trip his first request will be the headlamp with the red version.

We also enjoyed some fun times in the hammock and got this gem of a video.  That hammock was the best $20 purchase I've ever made.

Sleeping was an adventure in and of itself.  Fiona was a mess being up for a few hours and wound up having to sleep next to Krystal.  We think she was cold, but who knows...basically everyone except Logan didn't sleep well.  He was out cold (well except for his few moments of sitting and sleep talking them passing out again).  The other fantastic bit of the evening was that the tarp I hung for shade was being slapped around in the wind ALL NIGHT! You could hear the wind rolling across the mountain (which was really neat) but once it hit camp that stupid freakin tarp was an obnoxious mess.  Oh well, note to self, don't camp on a plateau and be sure to button up for a windy Colorado mountain night.

Krystal woke me in the morning saying "there's something outside, there's something outside".  Indeed, there was, I heard it.  Alas, we peeked out of the tent and saw nothing.  Krystal was paranoid about bears (she claims there's bears in CO but wasn't in AZ) so she bought some glorified bear mace, a big purchase for her since it cost more than $24.99.  She was very proud of herself.  I simply packed the .45 :)  I will admit there was what appeared to be bear claw marks on a nearby tree.  Also as a kid you never think about these things, but once you are the parent to the kids it does cross your mind more often.  Off on the hikes with Logan I was certainly more aware of my surroundings than I ever was as a kid or an adult with no children.  But that's part of it.

We spent a short morning at camp and packed up for a quick hike at nearby Mud Lake.  It was a kid and dog friendly hike, really easy and short around a small lake.  The trail was marked with blue diamonds on the trees and Logan enjoyed guiding our way.  I will add that having Maya along with us was a really nice change of pace.  She's a really good dog as long as she doesn't see a squirrel...then it's game over, no listening, just chase mode ;)

I'd call our first trip a success.  It was fun to just be the four of us, and I think that fun will increase once Fiona gets a bit older.  Logan was a filthy mess when we got home so Krystal bathed both kids while I unpacked the truck.  Good tag team.  It's surreal to me now being the parent and going through all these responsibilities that were left to my parents growing up.  It's like a time warp where I'm reliving my childhood but from my parents perspective.

We were back by 2 or 3PM on Saturday and had a nice Sunday in town.  It was the first Saturday or Sunday in three weekends that we weren't in the mountains but we supplemented that by meeting Jenny for lunch in Denver and hitting up REI and Wilderness Exchange. We also managed some much neglected yard work...who wants to do that when the mountains are calling.

Until next weekend...

Picturesque camp site location

Hanging around at camp

S'mores!

Hammock Time

Headlamp

My sweet little baby girl

Through the trees

Mayabear

Goodnight

All asleep

Hiking around Mud Lake

What a view

Logan was about spent toward the end of our little hike

Logan's favorite "Roll my windows down and cruuuuise"

Adventure #4: All's Well That Ends Well

Date: Sunday, July 20th 2014
Location: Gross Reservoir

Another day of the weekend means another day spent out exploring.  We left as usual nice and early, and as usual had something slow us down.  This time it was Mike's front right wheel being completely unattached from the drive train with no bolts at all connecting the cv joint to the drive shaft.  A quick trip to the auto parts store and no bolts meant Mike was in 2 wheel drive for the trip, and we started about 20 minutes later than expected.  No harm no foul (at least not yet).

The plan for the day was to head out to Gross Reservoir, take some back roads to a handful of camp spots on the north side of the lake and set up camp by the water.  The drive to the lake was some fun off-roading, nothing difficult but my confidence increases with every trail taken.  There was only a couple of ascents and rutted out areas that gave me hesitation but the 4Runner handled it easily and keeps showing me I have a lot more capability than I can comfortably utilize right now...all in due time.  It was the first time off-roading with the kayak on the roof and without any dramatic events we learned to check all the straps after coming off the trails and onto paved road :)  The trail was great right up until the closed gate.  This was the gate that would take us right to the water's edge.  Option 1:  Carry the 14 ft, 70 lb kayak about a quarter mile down a trail to the water, making trips for all our stuff.  Option 2: Detour around the corner, traversing a slightly more difficult climb in the trucks and still have a quarter mile hike albeit flat.  Option 3: Admit defeat, and make the hour drive to the other side of the lake where an actual boat ramp exists.  At this point, there weren't too many happy faces in the truck and we are learning that planning these adventures properly is just as important as actually taking the trip.  Note to self: call the ranger for the district ahead of time, and if your plan hinges on certain forest road access, ask them if it's open (easy enough).

We decided upon Option 2.  Problem being, Mike's two wheel drive Pathfinder wasn't up for the task.  Luckily we didn't even get into a hairy situation.  Mike earned major kudos with Krystal by, after evaluating the difficult section, said that without 4x4 he didn't feel confident making it up.  At this point, we found a nice shady spot under some trees and set up for an hour long lunch.  Picnic style, complete with ice cold adult beverages and more cream cheese on a bagel then you can imagine.  Erick had picked us up lunch, and grabbed Logan at bagel with cream cheese.  After reducing the cream cheese thickness by half myself, Logan still thought it was hilarious to have a cream cheese mustache.  Well actually it was more like a full blown goatee.  Nevertheless sitting on top of the mountains with family (Mike is family at this point) and watching Logan make a disaster of this bagel was a fantastic way to spend time together.  I even threw up the hammock and Logan lounged while we all sat around and chatted about nothing in particular.  We all had a good laugh when Erick noticed a bee on his leg and instead of simply swatting it away, he screamed like a 10 year old girl and threw his hands into the air.  It was completely out of left field, and I'll continue to remind him of just how funny it was for a long long time.  It's amazing how good company can make a not-so-successful (up to this point) trip become much better.  After having full bellies and enjoying some laughs, we decided to make the drive around the lake and get to the boat dock.

Fiona and I enjoyed some alone time hanging at the beach while Krystal and Logan took off following Mike and Erick (Mike has two single person kayaks).  It's not often I get to give her my undivided attention so it was a nice perk of the trip to just sit around and relax with her.  And I do say relax because she is SO easy and content.  It must have been an hour plus when Krystal returned with Logan and a bunch of new blisters to show off just how far she paddled.  I swapped roles with Krystal and took off with Logan in the kayak.  Logan and I are finding this little routine that we both enjoy.  He points out a spot on the shore, I paddle us over there and he hops out to explore the area.  He's getting better at getting in and out of the kayak on his own, so I remain in the boat and watch him run about.  This usually involves climbing about some obstacle and/or throwing rocks into the lake, typical little boy stuff.  I thoroughly enjoy paddling up to shore, him hopping out and just sitting back and watching him explore a bit.  It's a rewarding experience for the both of us as I never know what exactly he's going to do and more importantly it gives him confidence going alone.  I can't wait for the day that he disappears for a few minutes only to come back and demand that I get out and come look at what he's found.  But until then, I simply enjoy and appreciate watching him grow and mature every time he steps onto shore...

Gross Reservoir (yup that's a bear in a tent)

Off-roading + yak on top + mountain views = dream come true

Perfect lunch spot

Just chillin'

Fi :)

Logan on shore exploring, he found a bench!

Adventure #3: Candyland

Date: Saturday, July 19th 2014
Location: RMNP, Upper Beaver Creek, Cub Lake

We have plans for kayaking Sunday (tomorrow) but decided on Friday that wasn't enough and that we should head into Rocky Mountain National Park on Saturday.  The usual plan of attack is to get there really early since it can get fairly crowded and any parking near the numerous trail heads fill up fast.  One of the most popular areas is Bear Lake, and rightfully so because there are several lakes in the area, the elevation is super high and the scenery is just spectacular.  We had our eye set on a lake we had never been to before, but somehow we totally missed the memo about getting there early and even though we left the house at 7:45, what should have been just a smidge over an hour trip took us well beyond 2.  Not sure what happened there, but by the time we made it up the parking lot was full at Bear Lake and we had to improvise.  The great thing about all these adventures is that we are exploring new places, but that also means that with two kids in tow, improvising when something doesn't work out as planned doesn't always go the smoothest.  Blah blah ya ya, we finally made it to a Upper Beaver Meadow trail head at 11:00AM.

Starting the hike, Logan noticed that there were a lot of down trees in the area so he decided that it should be called 'Fallen Tree Forest'.  Well done Son, very appropriate.  He got a kick out of this game, so we egged him on and kept it going for nearly the entire trail.  We had 'Horseshoe Rocky Path', 'Sandy Pass' and 'Bent Tree (with like twelve other names attached to it) Forest'.  We stopped under a tree on a big rock and squished close and enjoyed our packed lunch.  With mouths full, the forest was so quiet so peaceful.  Just a simple special moment all sitting there eating our basic sandwiches, couldn't have been more perfect.  After hearing from a fellow hiker that a small creek was just ahead we proceeded onward.  We stopped for a bit at the creek and both Logan and I went barefoot into the water.  WOW, super cold!  Like take your breathe away cold.  That didn't stop either of us from horsing around and being silly.  There were other kids in the creek so of course Logan said "Hi my name is Logan.  What's your name?"  He does this every time he meets a new kid, or an old one that he forgets.  It's super cute, and to be honest most kids just look at him with a blank stare, but he's just so outgoing and verbal that he doesn't hold back.  He does the same thing to kids when we spend our Friday mornings at Blackdog together.

So as it turns out, we ended up hiking to the trailhead for one of the lakes we wanted to see.  Only problem was that the actual lake was 2 miles away and we already had 2 under our belt, with 2 waiting for the return trip.  With Logan each mile takes about 30 mins.  Krystal really wanted to see a lake this day, so she looked at me with those sad eyes and I said "sure, throw logan on my back and lets do this."  Well well well, Logan isn't all that small anymore and after not even making it halfway to the lake and running low on water, I threw in the towel and said we should head back.  About 200 yds later, Logan was totally spent and we mixed carrying along with slow walking to get back to the creek.

Now the best part of the trip.  The car was still 2 miles away and there was no way the family was making it back.  I set off on the return trip solo, and got to enjoy 2 miles all alone in the middle of the Rockies.  It was so peaceful and I had more than one "I love this place" moment.  In all my glory I wasn't exactly paying attention to the trail, and was hoping that the turns I made felt right especially with the family waiting at the creek and only one cell phone between us (good planning I know) and almost no water left.  Then it began....wait...this is 'Sandy Pass'...then...'Horseshoe Rocky Path'...and just before the final turn there it was the original 'Fallen Tree Forest'.  I felt like I was playing a real life version of Candyland.  Going from theme to theme, all the while following the path.  I love so much experiencing life through a child's eye and I never would have considered the subtle changes in scenery, let alone found my way back without my boy's fun little game.

I made it back to the truck, returned to pick up the family and headed back home but not before stopping at a pie shop in Estes Park and picking up the most delicious blackberry peach pie for dinner at the neighbors.  The pie weighed like 5 lbs easy.

Donuts in Estes to start the morning

Start of Upper Beaver Meadow Trail

The rocks he climbed got bigger through the day

Lunchtime break :)

No wish needed, this life is perfect

RMNP

The freezing cold creek

Couldn't resist but to take a photo on the helipad when I had the truck on my own

Adventure #2: "Can we do this all the time?"

Date: Sunday, July 13th 2014
Location: Brainard Lake

Sunday started out with breakfast down in Denver to see Drea's sister, Lauren, who was in town to visit.  This meant that our trip to the lake would start a little later in the day and that we'd be heading down to Denver with the kayak on the roof.  Upon pulling out of the driveway Logan asked "what are we doing today", we responded "going on an adventure", Logan "really?", us "yes", Logan in the simplest and sweetest voice ever "Can we do this all the time?"  Yes son, yes we can :)

This was the first trip on the highway and my racking job did just fine, although I reminded Krystal that I shouldn't get dressed until after the yak is on the roof otherwise my shirt is covered in sweat.  The kayak is nearly 14 feet long and 70+ lbs, it's no small boat.  I must say driving down the highway, sunglasses on, windows down, kayak on roof felt like one of those "I love this place" moments.

We made it to Brainard Lake around 1:30 in the afternoon.  The lake was at 10,300 feet with snow covered 14er mountains as the backdrop.  Again it was another "I love this place" moment, we seem to be racking those up lately.  The weather appeared ominous but just like Colorado it never actually turned into anything.  After surverying our surroundings, Krystal and Logan hopped into the kayak while Fiona and I strolled along the paved trail to find a suitable location to setup camp (which was nothing more than a couple towels and cooler).  We packed chairs but didn't get them from the truck, but I have a feeling we'll become more familiar with the packing list as time goes on.  Krystal and Logan paddled (well Logan sat and Krystal paddled, no way we are handing a 4 yr old a paddle) and we met at the water's edge.  We spent the day alternating turns taking the yak out solo and also with Logan, while someone stayed at the beach and kept Fiona company.  We even made it out once with all three of us, while Mike was a warm body while Fiona slept.  Speaking of Mike, he's an awesome adventure buddy and is always up for whatever even with the kiddos in tow.  Logan and I did some exploring and found the snow run-off creek that filled the lake.  We had fun attempting to paddle up stream but didn't really make any progress.  That didn't stop Logan from requesting we try over and over again, it was really fun.    We scoped out the dam that helps to form the lake, hoping to see some fish but even though the water was crystal clear we had no such luck.  There were people fly fishing all over the lake so you'd assume someone had luck that day.  Krystal enjoyed the open water paddling about with no particular place to go, and we both found that the kayak was a perfect fit, well balanced, easily propelled alone and tracked nice and straight.  It was a leisurely day and the scenery was stunning.  It pretty much fully encompasses all that we love about Colorado.  Minus the mosquitoes, note to self, pack insect repellent next time :)

I can't wait to find more remote lakes and explore the creeks that form them.  Those special remote places where you load everyone in, paddle to a small beach area and setup home for the day away from everyone and enjoy time spent together.  From the beginning and in the end, that's the whole point to explore this great state of ours and make lasting memories that bring us closer as a family.  Looking forward to next summer when Fiona can join us in the kayak and we can experience everything together as a family of four.

The best part of the trip was during the 1.5 hr drive home when the kids were fast asleep in the backseat and memories of me as a child came flooding back.  After a long day on the lake, we'd crash in the back and my Dad would be driving us home.  We'd fake sleep after realizing we arrived home with the goal of avoiding all the clean-up, unpacking and boat washing.  And guess what this time, I drove us home...unpacked the car...and rinsed off the boat :)

Maiden Voyage

All smiles out on the water

Check out that view

We are ready for you Fiona...next summer my dear

Adventure #1: "This is Incredible!"

Date: Saturday, July 12th 2014
Location: West Magnolia Trail,, South of Nederland, CO

After surprising Krystal with the new truck and kayak, I informed her that we had plans :)  The first of which was returning to the trails that doomed us in the CX-9 but this time traveling on and seeing what was around the next corner.

Side tangent:  I think the thing Krystal and I both like most about off-roading is the whole concept about what's around the next corner.  When you get out into the wilderness, there's always the possibility that you'll see something you've never seen before.

We went on the West Magnolia trail south of Nederland.  It had just rained earlier in the day so the trails were covered in mud, which Logan absolutely thought has hysterical and couldn't get enough.  We went with Mike as our guide in his Pathfinder and Erick as his passenger, and Logan was laughing so hard and with such innocence as the mud covered every part of Mike's truck in front of us.  As we followed along and mud came up the sides Logan just continued to laugh and giggle while bouncing around in his car seat (meanwhile with all the bouncing Fiona was fast asleep).  We drove over some really really small creeks which again Logan thought was really neat.  We dropped the truck into 4 low and climbed what I felt were some pretty steep hills.  At the top of one such hill, there was a perfect camping spot.  Exactly what we were hoping to find, and only with our new 4x4 could we have found it.  We marked it on the GPS and headed on.

Shortly thereafter from the backseat Logan exclaimed "THIS IS...INCREDIBLE."  Krystal and I just looked at each other and were overcome with joy and couldn't stop laughing.  It's in these moments where you know that you are doing okay at this whole parenting thing.  These are the experiences I hope to provide to our children.  I have so many memories like these from my childhood and they remain with me.  That's another aspect of this whole 4Runner/kayak thing, I have this vision in my head of spending time outdoors with my family.  I hear so often from co-workers how they trek their kids from activity to activity all week long, filling them up with quick meals not at the dinner table and it all seems so chaotic and pointless to me.  I want our children to take life at a touch slower pace.  To appreciate the simplicity of being under the stars, sharing stories, eating smores and having all these amazing experiences together.  To eat a slightly burnt hotdog cooked on the campfire while half falling asleep after a day of new adventures.

After the steepest hill we came up to some old mining equipment and hoped out to take a look.  By this time Logan was in iPod mode, which meant he was really tired and it was time for the iPod to parent and give him something to focus on (oh well, can't expect a 4 yr old to stay fully engaged on an entire trip).  At this point we had reached the highest point of our little excursion and started downhill.  I had the chance to get two wheels off the ground, and (according to Mike) flex the truck.  Pretty cool knowing you can get off the ground and the truck can still carry along waiting to touch all fours again.

The second best (after Logan's giggling and general excitement) part of the trip was near the end, where the trail opened up to this beautiful field surrounded by snow capped mountains for what seemed like forever.  That was the moment for Krystal and I personally, the whole reason we (as adults, not as parents) want to explore.  Finding those special places tucked away and only found by turning the next corner.  Krystal hopped out and snapped some photos.  Unfortunately we didn't bring the nice camera but from here on out, it will be part of our travel bag for every trip.  As we were headed back onto the highway we saw some signage that indicated this beautiful area was called Rollinsville.  I imagine that we'll return to this area again and spend a weekend camping in one of the better handful of spots we found.

We finished off the evening with pizza and beer at Backcountry Pizza up in the mountain town of Nederland.  Logan ate two massive slices of cheese :)  That kid can put back pizza with the best of 'em.

Maybe this is me being too romantic but I'll never forget our first adventure and hearing Logan from the back seat "This is incredible!"

Mud Covered on Day 1

Our Guide Mike

Near the Top

View of the 4Runner in the Valley

Our Moment

Logans' Laughter

Hello New World

A few weekends ago we packed up the family in the CX-9 and went about to explore and hopefully find some good camping sites up in the Rockies for future camping trips.  This was our first adventure of this sort out in Colorado since last summer all our camping gear was in storage, and we haven't exactly adapted to the cold to where we'd want to go winter camping...who would.  Krystal and I have always liked what you call dispersed camping, where you are more off the grid, don't have amenities, no paved roads, no camp grounds, etc. so I looked up some possible locations near Nederland and off we went.

And here is where the problem began.  The CX-9 isn't exactly an off-road vehicle.  In fact, it felt much more like a stretched out minivan with no ground clearance and slippery highway tires that had very little traction.  Let's just say that we had to turn around and in doing so got stuck for nearly ten minutes.  It was a good test of Krystal and I's wonderful communication skills ;)  After that experience and not really finding what we had hoped for, we weren't all that thrilled with the CX-9.  This is where Logan comes in, he has been obsessed recently with Jeeps.  Every time we pass one on the road, he yells "JEEP!" in his usual non-volume controlled voice.  We also knew that after one winter Krystal's car wasn't all that great in the snow, which meant if it snowed then Krystal stayed home.  This would present a problem this coming winter since Logan will be going to preschool, and we don't think he's ready to walk in the snow to school just yet.  So compile all these things together and the idea of a new vehicle starting sounding more and more like something we wanted.

I'll save you the car shopping details but in the end we bought a 2014 Toyota 4Runner SR5.  Logan compromised on not getting a Jeep, and was happy that the 4Runner could still (in his words) "go off the highway and it's fun for families too".  Krystal has in fact wanted a 4Runner for awhile but in AZ our lifestyle didn't really support the need for an off-road capable truck.

There's another part of this story...Krystal's dream has been to live in Colorado (and for whatever reason) own a kayak.  I say "and for whatever reason" because Krystal doesn't exactly like water all that much.  She'll only go in a swimming pool if you beg her and generally being out on the water isn't her idea of a good time.  BUT, being on a lake surrounded by green snow capped mountains simply does it for her.  I won't complain in the slightest, it's her happy place and the water is a second home for me.  So, when I brought home the truck to surprise her I felt it was only appropriate that a kayak be mounted on the roof.  A tandem kayak that would fit us two, plus Logan right now and Fiona once she gets a little older.

So where does that put us now...well we have a 4x4 truck that can take us anywhere we want and beyond, along with a kayak to take us even further into the outdoors.  We can explore this wonderful state we live in, and take adventure after adventure.  My hope for this blog is to document all these adventures so that one day we can look back at them together as a family and appreciate all the time we spent together.

***Oh and a HUGE thanks to Erick for helping me on Saturday morning with the kids, truck, kayak, etc.  Couldn't have surprised Krystal without you, much less survived the day on my own :)

July 12th 2014: Hello New World