Hiking, day 55: Wapiti Trail

Most of my favorite local trails are still closed due to mud from the recent snow, so I'm having to travel a bit farther for my hikes.  Today I went to a different trail head at Heil Ranch in Boulder.

I got back to my car and this guy walked right in front of me.

Abandoned house on the road out of the park.

Hiking, day 53: Hygiene, CO

(Yes, there were two hikes I didn't document since my last post.) I was hoping to get back to one of my usual haunts today, but the earlier snow this week still had all of the Lyons trails closed.  So I took a turn around Pelle Crossing today instead.

These clouds are cool in their own right, but if you look closely you can see the skydivers parachuting down.

Hiking, day 50: Cigar Night

Now that the weather has improved again, I can enjoy the long walk to join my friends for dinner.

Hiking, day 49: Hiking for Scotch

We took a long walk to hang out with friends at dinner... including wine, Lagavulin, and a cigar.

Hiking, day 48: St Mary's Glacier

During my stay in Black Hawk, I wanted to use my location as a jumping off point for hiking. I didn't get out quite as often as I would have liked, but I did scratch one item off my list: St Mary's Glacier.

Even being a pretty frequent hiker - and this being a short hike - this was a bit of struggle at altitude. When I got close to the top, it was quite beautifully desolate. Loved the trees.

There's a very pretty lake at the bottom of the mountains - the glacier is in the background.

Closer view of the glacier.

I didn't stay long - the clouds rolled in and the rain started, but it was still a beautiful view.

Black Hawk, CO

For my next stop, I headed to Black Hawk for a few days so that I could be close enough to home to do some necessary meetings for work.  But I did enjoy walking around the town in my free time.

Joyful Journey

Today was a travel day from Alamosa to Black Hawk, so I was looking forward to a few hours of driving with some stops along the way.  My first stop was Joyful Journey Hot Springs. This resort is just off the highway about an hour north of Alamosa, and you can get a day pass to their three pools for $15. (They also have lodging available - you'll see a lot online about their tepees and yurts, but I have to say their regular lodge looked really nice!) I arrived around 11am, and was only one of four people in the whole pool area.  A few more arrived before I left, but still - it was a very relaxed environment with a great view of the mountains.

One of the things I liked about this place is that this is not a hot -sulphur- spring location like many in Colorado: so no rotten egg smell.  And I do have to say, my muscles felt great after my hikes yesterday, and my skin very smooth! Whether it was just the warmth on it's own, or a combination of that with the minerals in the water - either way, I'm not complaining!

About an hour north I stopped for lunch at Vino Salida Wine Cellars. They had these great light fixtures by a local artist, so I had to snap a quick pic.

A great view to go with a great selection of wine.

View of the tasting room.

So...today was supposed to be a hiking day after all of the relaxing in the morning, but...I managed to miss my turn and go two hours out of my way.  However, I ended up enjoying the great view of the continental divide at Monarch Pass in the process.  (And I don't feel *too* bad - I did stop quickly at my intended hiking spot towards the end of the day, and it didn't look like it was going to hold up to the hype.  So I'll take this day for what it was.)

I finally made it to Blackhawk a bit later than I anticipated.  I grabbed a quick bite to eat, and decided I wanted a drink or two.  Since Blackhawk is a casino town, there aren't really any traditional bars so much - rather, just *free* bars in the casinos as long as you're gambling.  Since I really only wanted a glass of wine, I put a $10 bill in the quarters machine at my hotel's casino, intending to milk it slowly for the drink.  I played once, twice, and BOOM! Won $50. I cashed out, got my glass of wine, and put a few more dollars in while I drank my glass.  I headed back to my side of the hotel complex and decided I would treat myself to another glass.  So I sat down at the penny slots at the other casino, put in $20, and BAM! Won $35.  Again, played a few more dollars while I enjoyed my second glass.  All in all, I doubled my money just in my pursuit of free wine.  Not a bad way to end my journey to my second destination on this road trip.