I feel like the weekends are never long enough to fit in all the outdoorsy adventures that we plan. Even during the coldest months, there are just so many fun things to do in the mountains. Of course, we’re taking full advantage of our season ski passes! We’ve been skiing almost every single weekend since we moved to Colorado at the end of December. In addition to downhill skiing, we’ve squeezed in quite a bit of cross-country skiing and several beautiful hikes. Here are some photos from a few of our recent excursions:
In February, we went on a twilight cross-country ski tour with the Roaring Fork Conservancy. Our guides shared interesting factoids about the riparian ecosystem along the Rio Grande trail. We also learned some local history, watched Dippers bobbing along the river and even saw a frozen waterfall. It was nice to get a little exercise and eduction all at the same time. Not a bad way to spend a random Tuesday evening!
Another memorable cross-country skiing excursion was at North Star Nature Preserve. The preserve is a really pristine, peaceful open space with gorgeous views of Independence Pass. Apparently it’s also supposed to be a great place to see wildlife, although I was too busy admiring the mountains to notice any critters.
One Sunday afternoon we took the dogs to Red Hill’s Mushroom Rock trail to burn off some energy. This is a popular hike for it’s incredible views of Mt. Sopris, the Roaring Fork Valley and the town of Carbondale. It was pretty muddy on the day that we went due to snow melt, but the dogs seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. They weren’t quite as thrilled about the bath that followed once we got home, though.
One of the most scenic hikes we’ve been on recently was along Maroon Creek under the Tiehack pedestrian bridge. (As a Fightin’ Texas Aggie, I’m obviously partial to anything with “maroon” in it’s name.) We were there on St. Patrick’s Day and had the entire trail to ourselves. It still seems so surreal that we actually live in such a beautiful place where we can go on amazing hikes like this on a whim.
So, those are a few of the fun things we’ve been up to. There is always something to see and do in the mountains, that’s for sure!
