Adventure #12: "and I'll cry if I want to..."

Date: Sunday June 14, 2015
Location: Dillon Reservoir

An easy Sunday trip up to a new lake in the mountains, complete with relaxing, kayaking, fishing and exploring...or so we thought.  I was up early with Fiona and was able to pack the truck and get all our food ready for the day.  I thoroughly enjoy loading up the truck.  Sometimes I look forward to the packing and unpacking just as much as I do the actual trip.  Then we timed the drive perfect and the kiddos were flawless on our 1.5 hr drive along I-70 to Dillon Reservoir which is up by Silverthorne.  It continues to amaze me but once we get on those mountain roads, an overwhelming peace comes over me.  So far the day had gone pretty much perfectly and everyone was feeling good besides Krystal and I both being tired from staying out late to celebrate our anniversary with dinner on Pearl Street and a late night viewing of Jurassic World (we loved it!).

Unpacking the kayak and getting it loaded was easy enough as well.  Our goal was to paddle out to the shoreline away from the marina and people, and find a nice spot to setup for the day and explore from there.  Well the chaos began once we loaded all four of us into the kayak.  This was Fiona's first trip in the kayak, last summer she was just too little.  Needless to say, she did not enjoy it.  She's at that age where she doesn't want to be constrained, and being confined to a life jacket and small boat is not her idea of fun.  Compound that with not pre-fitting the four of us and not sliding the front seat back to allow for room with Krystal and Fiona in her lap.  We did indeed make it to a spot and setup camp for a bit.  Enjoyed lunch, fished a little, hiked a little.  We thought perhaps with everyone having a full belly and adjusting the seats that we would load up and try the water again.

Nope.  Poor Fiona...it's just not her thing right now.  We tried to head out further into the lake but it became quickly apparent that she would not stop crying until she was on solid ground.  To everyone that knows Fiona well, she's pretty much the opposite of Logan as a baby and only cries if she means it.  She clutched onto Krystal and cried the whole way back to the dock :/  By that time all the negativity had wore off on Logan and he was being a whiney little boy.  We basically docked the boat, unloaded, called it a day and got into the truck for the ride home.

Thank goodness the kids slept pretty much the whole trip home (especially Fiona) and we had a rather uneventful drive home which included the lovely I-70 traffic which added an hour to our drive.  So ya, things don't always work out but Krystal and I worked well as a team.  To anyone that thinks we would be a spectacle as a couple on 'Amazing Race' (cough cough Amanda) I think this trip proved that maybe after nine years of marriage perhaps we've made some improvements in that area :)

Didn't get all that many photos.  The lake was huge and surrounded by beautiful mountains.  It really had potential as a good trip and maybe we will try Dillon Reservoir again next summer.  Oh well.  When you are taking 2 young kids on new adventures every weekend, it's bound to not work out sometimes.  With that said, camping Friday night all four of us (five including the dog) with Erick, Mike, Sarah and their new pup.  Keep your fingers crossed :)

 

 

Adventure #11: Season 2; Episode 1

Date: Weekend, June 5-7 2015
Location: Shadow Mountain Lake

Woohooooooooooo! It's officially Adventure Season, and while the official start of summer is still a few weeks away, the weather is nice enough to enjoy the great outdoors.  I wait all winter for the mountains to warm up and all spring for the rain to subside and the sun to shine.  Once again, what a feeling it is to look forward to summer.  After spending your whole life avoiding the heat of AZ summer, it's so wonderful to truly enjoy the warmth and sunshine.

Krystal and Fiona were away this weekend, traveling to Minnesota for her cousin's wedding so Logan and I decided that we would try out kayak camping.  The goal was to kayak out to a campsite and setup camp next to the water.  I researched and found Shadow Mountain Lake which is just north of Granby.  After calling the chamber of commerce, it looked like there were islands on the lake and while some were closed due to wildlife preserves some were open to camping.  With that in mind, I had a hectic day of getting the girls to the airport, putting the kayak on the roof solo (thanks Mom and Dad for the new roof mounts, made my life MUCH easier) and bringing Logan to work with me which all occurred after waking up at 5am to get some work hours in before everyone was awake.

Logan and I left Boulder around 2PM and had a two hour drive ahead of us.  After about one hour I was getting really sleepy and needed a caffeine/sugar boost.  We stopped at the next town and grabbed some Redbull, Swedish Fish, Sugar Daddy, and lollipops with only the lollipop being for Logan of course...can you imagine him on Redbull!?!?  As we were about to leave I did something I had never before done in my life.  I offered someone a ride.  There was this girl (maybe mid 20s) with a huge hiking backpacking sitting on the picnic bench on the phone and looked like she had someplace to go.  I asked her if she needed a ride, and after saying asking her Dad on the phone to hold on turned out she only needed about a 10 minute drive up the highway.  It was on our way so I offered to give her a lift.  She had just arrived 4 days ago from Texas and was had started a backpacking trip that would take her across all of Colorado to catch a train in Utah, and then she would hike the San Francisco Mountains.  She was doing it all solo, major props to her!  Honestly I wish we had a longer drive together because it would have been neat to here more of her story and learn why she was taking on such an epic adventure.  We dropped her at a random hotel in Idaho Springs which we both agreed "looked safe enough if you were traveling alone".  Best wishes to whomever you were, I hope you stay safe and embrace the adventure.  It was really neat having Logan be a part of helping out a fellow outdoors (wo)man and a simple way to embrace a stranger.  There is plenty of time in life for stranger danger but this time felt right to help someone out.

So about those islands, ya..wrong info from the chamber of commerce.  Says right on the sign next to the dock 'No Camping on Islands"...oh well.  There was a campsite of about 40 sites right next to the water so we deciding to setup camp there.  I'm not usually one to like official campsites but it was easy and accommodating being so close to the lake.  In all honesty I don't even remember what we did Friday night except that I read Logan a long chapter book about a little boy who runs away from home to live in the mountains on my own.  I read about 30 pages that night, and he fell fast asleep while I was reading.  I will always remember that night.  Such a pure interaction with my son, nothing complex, nothing electronic, nothing requiring any energy at all except to be immersed in the moment.

I woke up once to the sounds of "something" but took some deep breathes and fell fast asleep.  Turns out a bear came through the camp ground and ate 12 fish from someone's cooler that they left sitting out.  PEOPLE there are bear containers for a REASON...USE THEM!  Wish I would have peaked out and seen the little guy ;)  I also woke up in the morning but again was too cold and tired to peak out.  This time my neighbors tell us a male moose walked within 15 feet of our tent!  I seriously have been wanting to see a moose more than any animal.  It was so close...

Saturday!  Let me summarize this day in a handful of words:

poptarts, kayak, cheetos, fishing, kayak, cheetos, fishing, fishing, fishing

Okay so Logan LOVES fishing.   It was fish free in Colorado weekend and we took full advantage.  We fished for hours on Saturday.  We ended up being out on the lake from about 9:30 to 1:30 PM,  We (and by that I mean, me. Logan's paddling is subpar ;) paddled out to check out the islands.  On the way out in the morning, the water was so smooth.  Oh man, how I love smooth, flat, glass water.  It brings a certain calm over me, that must be from all those years on the lake as a kid.  The islands were a small grouping jetting out from the south end of the lake.  As I said, some of them were closed due to Osprey breading, so we got some awesome close ups of Osprey from the water.  After scoping out the islands, we put a fishing line and trolled it behind us in the kayak as we headed for the marina.  I'll just say it now, we caught zero fish, zero, but that didn't stop us.  We bought some worms at the marina and Logan was super excited to look at and touch them.  He is slowly getting over his gross phase and becoming more typical boy.  After leaving the marina, we had lunch on one of the other islands and opened the cheetos for the first time.  Seriously, this kid would eat the whole bag if he could!  The weather was starting to look rather imposing so I decided it was time to head back and call it a day.  There was this narrow passage between two islands and for the life of me I could not paddle us through the wind and waves that had come upon us due to the impending storm.  After a couple unsuccessful tries, we docked on one of the islands next to a motor boat and hung out for a bit (...ate more cheetos).  I figured we could wait out the storm or worst case ask someone to tow us back.  After giving my arms a rest, I was able to power through it and make it through 15 minutes of some tough upper body workout and make it back to the dock near camp.

Logan grabbed the fishing pole out of the kayak and immediately started fishing off the dock.  He is a natural.  I showed him once how to cast and he just did it!  It was hard to describe but it was like he was meant for it.  I guess some kids can throw a baseball or shoot a basketball, but man can Logan cast.  It was a very proud moment and so cool to see him embrace it.  We fished for a LONG time until I lured (pun, yes...no?) him back to camp to eat dinner.  Side note, Krystal's Dad got me one of those backpacking Jetboil stoves, and wow is that thing awesome.  It boils water so fast!  Anyway, Logan ate some more cheetos during dinner or maybe I had cut him off by then.  But after Dinner, I just wanted to sit for a bit and relax...ya like that would ever happen.  Guess what Logan wanted to do...you got it, fish!  So I took a chair and beer down to the dock and we fished for the rest of the night.  We were the last ones out there and still not even a bite.  It probably doesn't help that I know next to nothing about fishing, but that's the fun part as Logan and I get to learn together.  I really wanted to sit on the dock and watch the sunset but Logan insisted we get back to camp for some smores.  That night we continued reading the same book, but he lasted about 4 pages before he passed out and was asleep.  I slept much better that night, and after poking my head out from the sleeping bag realized we had both slept in until 9AM (how wonderful)!

After packing up the truck, we headed back to the dock and finished off our trip with none other than more time fishing :)  There was another family there that I'll just say wasn't getting along, and it made me appreciate and reflect even more on just how special my son Logan is.  He's an active, fun loving, social, intelligent little boy.  He's got a dynamic spunk of a personality and loves his family tremendously.  On the ride home, after grabbing Subway and...more cheetos, he told me that when he grows up he wants to be just like me.  He is going to have the same beard, same tattoos, same shoes, same sunglasses.  It's like he was looking at me and realized just how much he loves who I am, and starting naming off everything he saw.  After spending three days fully immersed together, he left that weekend with me on his mind.  I must say that I too, left that weekend reminded to think and act more like him.  There are so many more things we did that weekend that were a blast and I could go on for thousands of more words, but this post is already super long.  I'll end with adding that on the way home we stopped at JAX and bought him his own tackle box and picked up a fishing license for me so that we can continue our quest for our first fish.

I received a GoPro from Amanda for Christmas so I'll be updating this blog with awesome photos and videos.  Just takes me a little while to process everything and I'd rather get my thoughts down before the weekend's fresh thoughts escape me.

According to the GPS we kayaked 4.2 miles that day!

Adventure #8: Everything is Awesome

Date: Sunday, September 28th 2014
Location: Brainard Lake

An ode to summer...as the leaves change and the temperatures get cooler I am reminded how wonderful and fun the summer was.  It was certainly the most fun filled summer of recent memory and I couldn't be more thankful for the adventures and family time.

On Sunday we set out for our last kayak trip of the year.  Erick was gifted a kayak of his own from his Dad for his birthday, so we all agreed that even if it was going to be cold we (the fam, Erick and Mike) would take it out before winter storage.  We left the house around noon and headed to the familiar Brainard Lake.  It makes the adventure much easier when we know what we are getting into.  Even though it was already later-ish in the day, and we knew it was going to be cold and perhaps raining we all had a positive outlook knowing it was the last time on the lake for the year.  We only spent but a brief period on the water before the rain hit and the temperature dropped but we all soaked it up and it gave a chance for reflection on a summer well spent.  It's so easy to become fully ingrained in the moment when the moment is so simple and pure.  I am continually amazed how time in the mountains can totally reset me.  Even if it's not doing much, just being present with my family is something I hold very dear to my heart.  Part of me wishes I could have a life and career that was centered on the outdoors but perhaps then it would lose it's appeal and "magical" powers.

Even though the lake was cut short, we did happen upon beautiful fall colors.  There were a ton of people on the road pulling over and taking photographs.  It wasn't the trip's intent but catching the beauty of fall in the Rockies was a pleasant surprise.  We pulled over several times and snapped some decent photos (unfortunately lacking sun) all while being rained on.  Making the best of it in true adventure style.

During a portion of the drive, Logan started singing "Everything is Awesome!"...louder and louder...with more exuberance as every word came out.  It was such the perfect exclamation point on the summer that I'll always associate that song with our first summer of adventures.  We dropped into Fate in Boulder on the way home and enjoyed some good beer and good food while reminiscing on this past summer and planning for the next :)  On the ride home, the radio was playing some solid rock band music to which we were all jamming out and being goofy.  At some point, Logan realized how silly his parents were being and begged us to stop...I can't imagine that'll be the last time haha

We are both hoping for more fall hiking before winter settles in, and that should make for some more blog entries before winter really starts.  Who knows given Colorado's spastic weather, we may even manage some winter adventures.  I hope we ski at least once too, here's looking at you Dilley's :)

Fall colors

Of course Mike did this

Last trip out for the year

My precious baby girl

Pit stop while Krystal was out taking photos

Aspens in yellow

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 #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