Rocky Mountain High

Bottom line?  Yep, Colorado is still awesome.

We had an amazing 5 days out there.  I love that place- a place I have known I belong since I was 12 years old.  It feels like time goes so slowly there.  It feels healthy, it feels clean.  I feel like I can breathe in Colorado.  And the scenery is so amazing, it's like I don't even have to spend any money.  I can just walk and look.

We set up camp for three nights at Golden Gate Canyon State Park, elevation 9130 ft. The first night I ever slept in a tent was here, so it's a special place for us.  We finished up at Longs Peak Campground (elevation 9,405), since we had to set out at 3am for Friday's hike from the trailhead there.  We also stayed there back in 2006, and had a great stay once again.  I remember at one point on the trip, it was 99 degrees in Golden, and by the time we arrived up at camp, it was 71.  It's amazing what a few thousand feet can do to the air.  I had a little trouble acclimating to the altitude, but not nearly as much trouble as I had back in 2006.  The first night, I was able to set up camp and do basic tasks without getting winded.  And the sleep?  LIKE. A. BABY.  Oooooooooh like a baby.  Lows in the low 50's, perfect sleeping bag, nice breeze to rustle the trees and give me a little background noise.  Perfection.

We had a great agenda for the week...  In addition to the concert at Red Rocks, we did a few great hikes to beautiful places, and a little off-road journey to a jet crash.  This trainer jet crashed on a mountain back in 1965, and it was too remote for them to remove the wreckage.  It's a really neat little off road trip/short hike.  We ate great food, which I will outline below.  And we relaxed.  A LOT.  Which is exactly what one is supposed to do on vacation.

A few observations...
** I felt very aware of, and more intimidated by, the wildlife this time around.  I re-familiarized myself with the dangers there- mountain lions and black bears, mostly- and wasn't able to shake it off even though we did all the right things to ensure our safety.  A bear attacked a family of four in a tent in Yellowstone last year, killing all of them.  As well, a woman was attacked on her mountain bike by a mountain lion in the middle of the day, with tons of people around, and was nearly mauled to death.  Mother nature can be a tough bugger.  I believe that I approach her with the necessary humility and respect, but still.  Things happen.  I have a lot more at stake now than I did in '06, and was acutely aware of my fitness level- not nearly as high as it was when we were there 6 years ago.  So I wasn't always confident walking in the woods.  It was a bit of a strange feeling since the woods are typically my safe place.

** Along those same lines, I may be removing a solo trek from my Mighty Life List.  I'm not sure I actually want to do that.  I am a deep, deep extrovert- so much of my satisfaction in life and with my various experiences comes from the fact that I share them with others.  I can't imagine seeing the views and living the hikes without someone to share the marvel with.  I wonder if it would dull the experience for me.  I need to process this whole idea a bit more.  I'm scared to go it alone, yes.  But there are other reasons, too, that I'm not sure I want to be alone for days in the woods.

** I did a TON of planning for our two-week trip back in 2006.  We had a general outline of an agenda that we discussed for months, had pre-reserved nearly all of our campsites, and did multiple shopping trips to be sure we had all the gear we could possibly need.  This time around, I didn't have time to do that kind of planning, and D wasn't around as much to consult and to prepare and pack.  So we spent too much time this trip (which was shorter by 11 whole days) running errands and making pit stops.  It was annoying for both of us, but when you're in the outdoors, you need the stuff you need.  Like water bottles, for example.  And camelbak bladders.  And food.  And firewood.  And wifi so we could search for hikes, maps to destinations, etc.  If I had the trip to do over again, I would have really tried to be better prepared so we could have spent less time driving around and more time walking and looking.

** I am a nursing mother, and my 3-month old daughter wasn't with me.  In order to maintain my milk supply, I had to pump 8 times a day.  It was a HUGE commitment and definitely got in the way of things.  I will write a separate series on breastfeeding and will include more information and thoughts on the experience of traveling without Pumpkin.  My biggest takeaway was that nursing and pumping supplies are made with the expectation that nursing mothers do nothing but sit indoors on the couch and feed and pump.  When you try to go outside that norm, you have to make a lot of sacrifices.  It was ANNOYING.  I am honestly thinking about contacting a women's athletic supply company about making pump supplies and workout clothing for active women.  We need it.  I'm not a sit-on-the-couch-and-nurse-for-a-year kind of girl.

Finally, my breakfasts kicked booty!!  When I backpacked in Yosemite with Call of the Wild back in 2010, I talked with the trip leader/company owner Kate about how to prepare to cook in the backcountry.  She is a gourmet backcountry chef (NO. JOKE.  You would not believe how amazing the food was on that trip.) and gave me a general idea of how to pack for this purpose.  I also bought a book she recommends called Wilderness Cuisine, written by her company's first owner, that gave further tips.  So, adapted from Kate's great food, as well as some ideas from a book published on the topic by Backpacker Magazine, here are a my recipes.  Measure all ingredients and store separately in sealed sandwich bags or other sealable containers.  I put all separate sandwich bags into a big gallon-sized bag and labeled with the breakfast, then put the recipe on an index card inside.  Since we also needed to have a bear can with us. the extra gallon sized bag gives the food an extra layer of protection against rain/condensation.

Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa
Serves 3-4
1 Cup Quinoa
2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup powdered whole milk
1/2 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup dried blueberries
1/3 Cup slivered raw almonds

At mealtime, put water, milk, and quinoa into a pot and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and let the quinoa absorb all the liquid- about 15 minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients and stir.

Banana Walnut Oatmeal
Serves 3-4
1 1/2 Cup Rolled Oats (or quick cooking if you have less time)
3 Cups water
1/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4-1/3 Cup ground dried banana chips
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

Add oatmeal to the water and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients and stir.  Let sit for about 3 minutes, then enjoy.

I should also mention that I drank and thoroughly enjoyed Starbucks instant coffee, called Via.  It's not cheap- $10 for 12 packets.  But it was worth every penny, mixed with whole milk (made from dry milk) and sugar.  Delish breakfasts!!  They both definitely stuck to the ribs, in spite of the physical effort of hiking at altitude, until snack time around 11am.

Looking forward to a potential fall trip to Old Rag and a spring three or four day backpack.  In the meantime, it's time to start preparations for our family vacation to Topsail Island on August 18th.  Anyone have tips on how to make the most of a week at the beach with a three year old?