Blown Away by Fire Tower Experience

We recently spent a night at the Squaw Mountain Fire Tower to celebrate my Sweetpea's birthday.  Between the remote location, views, and incinerating toilet (more on that later), I was as excited as a kid heading to Disneyland.  If you were a raven in the clear blue skies that day, you may have even witnessed a little happy dance when we arrived.

It's only a two-mile hike up to the tower (one mile in the summer), but at least 1,000-foot elevation gain.  Since we read that you can only get there by snowshoes or cross-country skis in the winter, we took snowshoes, although they really weren't needed this time.  Looking like complete tourists, we snowshoed up the mountain with loaded packs.  We are NOT backpackers.  Even for just the one night, we carried 35-45 pound packs.  You have to bring your own food and water, and they recommend winter camping gear.  Since we are both photographers, we just couldn't leave home without the most basic of camera gear - (2) digital SLRs, (3) lenses for SLRs, (1) medium format camera, (4) lenses for medium format, (1) pinhole camera, a full-sized tripod, a gorilla-pod, and loads of film (some that expired 42 years ago).

The sky was deep blue and it was unusually warm for January in Colorado.  Stunning views surrounded us on the way up.  When we approached the summit, we passed the last two people we would see until almost noon the next day.  The mountain was ours.

It was uncharacteristically calm at the summit when we first arrived.  After dropping off our packs, we bouldered around the top ridge.  Shortly, the strong breeze that we expected at 11,000 feet caught up to us.  We made our way back to our 14'x14' home for the night.


The fire tower was surprisingly clean and well-stocked.  On a future visit, we may even take our chances and dine on the leftovers from previous guests.  We could have feasted on penne pasta and marinara, pancakes, tuna, chana masala, and even beer!  Since there is only a small window facing South in the downstairs room, we cooked our dinner and headed upstairs to enjoy it with a view.  The upstairs room is surrounded by windows, and it is actually difficult to decide which way to face, since it is spectacular in all directions.

By dinnertime, the summit breeze had become a stiff wind.  Overnight, that wind rivaled tornadoes.  It doesn't help that we had read the history of the fire tower in the provided guide book, and discovered that the roof had to be replaced after it had blown off during a storm.  Neither one of us got any sleep that night, but I have new respect for the windows and new roof!  You can watch the ceiling shake from side to side, while the windows actually lifted up in the frames.

We set the alarm to wake up before sunrise, but it wasn't necessary.  When the room started to brighten, my Sweetpea nudged me and pointed to the East.  Under a thick band of clouds, the sky was blazing orange on the horizon.  We have hundreds of pictures of the view from the following hour, but almost every one of them is marred by reflections in the windows.  Finally, I decided to brave the wind and ran around the catwalk snapping pictures as fast as I could.

I promise, it was a blizzard

Once the rising sun slipped behind the clouds, we tried again to get some sleep.  I must have dozed off, because when I woke up it was a blizzard outside.  The wind was as strong as ever, and fat flakes were zipping past the windows - sideways and upward.  This continued for most of the morning, and we were cursing ourselves for not bringing the coffeepot upstairs.  The only way to get between floors is to go outside, go completely around the building on the narrow catwalk, then down a flight of stairs and around the corner.  The guide book warned against venturing out to the catwalk during high winds, for risk of blowing over the rail, so we stayed put.  I was wondering if we would have cell phone signal to contact our petsitter to let her know that we would have to stay another night.

Sketchy scramble to the "incinolet"

Finally, Mother Nature paused between breaths and we were able to go downstairs for coffee and breakfast.  Afterwards, we were packing up our gear and preparing to hike back to the car when a head popped up into view.  Nicole with the Forest Service had hiked up to check on the place in between storms.  Luckily, this also meant that we wouldn't have to deal with the required maintenance on the incinerating toilet (the "incinolet", according the guide book).  I have to admit, my excitement to use the incinolet had waned after reading mixed reviews in the guest log.  I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the outhouse actually was for our visit.  Nicole said that she wouldn't go as far as saying that it smelled like a campfire, but that was what I thought.

Even with the schizophrenic weather, we both agreed that it was one of the best things that we have ever done.  It definitely ranked in one of the top three places that we have stayed.  Five-star hotels have nothing on a hundred-billion-star fire tower on top of Squaw Mountain.

View of the Big Dipper out one of the windows

For more pictures, click here.

First Day Hike

What better way to start a new year than to get outside and enjoy some quality time with Mother Nature?  If you were in Colorado for New Year's Day, that meant that it was below freezing, but why let that stop you?  First Day Hikes have been an official thing for more than 20 years. 

We picked Reynolds Park for our First Day Hike.  The temperature was in the mid-20s when we started the hike, but probably was below zero in the canyon.  The numbness paid off, though.  The cold weather created perfect conditions on the Oxen Draw Trail (that we renamed "Icebox Canyon") for some amazingly huge frost. 

As we hiked out of the canyon, the sunshine was finally able to reach through the trees and help thaw us a little bit.  The view at the top was spectacular.  The best part of the hike, though, was that there were very few people on the trails.  We were able to enjoy quiet solitude at the summit - shared only with the birds.

If you missed the First Day Hike this year, then mark your calendar for 2017.  For us, 2016 is off to a fine start!

More Than Skiing

There's not much else besides skiing and snowboarding to do outdoors in Colorado in the wintertime, right?  Wrong.   There are lots of outdoor activities you can do, and most of the time you will warm up quite nicely doing them, too.

Apex

Go for a hike.  Traction devices come in quite handy during winter hikes.  They range from $15 yak-trax to $60+ ice blades (and then there are the full-blown crampons, for some serious ice hiking / climbing) to keep your footing secure on slippery trails.  With a little added traction on your feet, your options are endless.   There are trails all around town.  On the West side, there is Apex trail, Eldorado Canyon, Alderfer / Three Sisters trails, and lots more.  On the East side, there is the Platte River trail, Cherry Creek trails, Castlewood Canyon State Park, Barr Lake, etc.  Want to get out of town?   Hanging Lake is amazing to see when the falls are partially frozen and the winter wonderland surrounds you between the red walls of the canyon.

 

Try snowshoeing.  Did you know that snowshoeing burns almost 500 calories an hour?  That's about as much as cross-country skiing.  You don't have to go far to snowshoe, either.  There are multiple places around town where you can rent snowshoes, or check Craigslist for deals, too.   While the roads are mostly empty on a snowy day, you can just walk down your street to the nearest park and walk around.  Take the pups, they will thank you for it.  Deer Creek trails are popular with the snowshoeing community after some of the fresh, white stuff falls.  The views from the summit are worth the extra effort it takes to get there.  Even if you don't make it all the way to the lookout point, there are breathtaking scenes all around.  Just remember to look up from your feet every once in a while to take it all in.  For a shorter trek, Green Mountain is just a little over one mile to the summit, but it is steep.  Want to go a little further from the city?   Head to Kenosha Pass near Bailey, or Mayflower Gulch near Breckenridge.

Take a spin on ice skates.  When was the last time you went iceskating?  There is no place better for iceskating than Evergreen Lake.  They have both figure skates and hockey skates for rent, and eight acres of groomed ice on this 40-acre lake reserved for skating.  Check with them before you go, since they are known to close on occasion when the ice warms up too much to be safe.   Otherwise, they are mostly open from November until the end of March.  (Opening this year is scheduled for December 19th, due to the late arrival of winter.)  Bring your own skates and save.

Options to play outside in the Colorado winters are endless.  State parks tend to be less crowded this time of year, too.  Whether your thing is cross-country skiing through Rocky Mountain National Park, or ice fishing on gorgeous Gross Reservoir, just get outside.  This beautiful state has so much more to offer in winter than just skiing and snowboarding, so why not give it a try?  Wear layers and bring sunglasses and get out and explore!

Bug Monitoring

If you spent any of your childhood in the eastern half of the US, then you probably spent a few summer evenings chasing fireflies. It was always a challenge to try to catch them (without squishing them into glowing guts), put them in a jar, and not release any that you had already captured. I can remember running around in the grass, barefoot, chasing these magical creatures.

It seemed to me that fireflies, or lightning bugs, weren't as abundant as I got older. This indeed is the case. Their populations are dropping due to a myriad of reasons. Here in arid Colorado, fireflies are almost as elusive as Bigfoot. Most native Coloradans have only heard of these scientific wonders, or have only seen them when visiting other states. Our climate proves to be too dry for the bioluminescent insects. It is a rare summer when they make an appearance in Colorful Colorado.

The plentiful rain we've had this year has a silver lining – or, rather, a greenish-yellow glow. Lightning bugs have been spotting some grassy fields in Boulder recently. I received a tip on their location from the crazy, awesome folks with Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. Since my Sweetpea and I volunteer with OSMP as bat monitors (I should tell you more about that sometime), we got the inside scoop. We traded our bat monitoring for bug monitoring last weekend and spent the evening trying to catch fireflies. This time, instead of trying to net them and carefully put them in a jar to observe up close and personal, we were trying to catch them on camera. With their dwindling populations, this seemed like a better choice; plus, I was a little wary of rattlesnakes in the tall grass.

Yes, we are technically adults, but we spent a couple of hours on a Saturday night watching in wonder at the glowing critters. Why can't we still enjoy simple pleasures that we did as kids, just because our birthdays are adding up?  We even returned for an encore performance the next night.

If you want to escape from adulthood for a brief time, then try hunting for fireflies. Look for tall grasses in an undeveloped and undisturbed area. They like rotting wood and moisture, so even small pools of water will do. Bring a camera, or just your sense of wonder and imagination. Afterall, when was the last time that you saw glowing animals (without mind-altering chemicals)? If you do spot them, you can even be semi-adult-like and report them here.

May your summer nights glow!

And It Snowed

“Look at those big, beautiful snowflakes!” I arrived in Colorado exactly three hours before the official start of Spring. And, it snowed. As I pulled my loaded car up to the curb, exhausted from the 10-hour trip with ancient kitty and my Pyrenees-mix and the remainder of my things, it snowed. I think I was still wearing a tank top and flip flops, because it was much warmer when I left my former home. Here I was, starting a new life in Colorado – which boasts of 300 days of sunshine per year – and it snowed.

In April, we were getting ready to go look at what would become our new home together, and it snowed. Six inches of the fluffy white stuff covered everything by morning. I offered to go start the car so that it could defrost and be easier to scrape the windows. My Sweetpea suggested that I just dust the car off with the broom he kept by the garage. What?!? It doesn't work that way where I come from. Sure enough, the dry snow fell off the car with no effort at all. “This is awesome! I've never seen snow like this before!!!”

May 12, 2014 - that's right - MAY

It was Mother's Day weekend, and it snowed. Not in the mountains. Right in town. Noticeable snow. Accumulating snow. We actually considered loading the kayaks and hitting the lake while the giant flakes fell. Problem was, it wasn't just falling, it was blowing sideways. Scratch that plan. I'm hibernating. When will summer get here?

September it started again. Briefly. Just a light dusting – but geez, it was only September! October made the record books with no snowfall in town. It actually held off until mid-November. A measurable amount of snow hit the Denver area the week before Thanksgiving. I'm a little bit weird and actually LIKE to shovel snow. I didn't have to go anywhere or drive in it, so it was kind of fun. I can do this whole winter thing.

A few flakes escaped throughout Christmas morning. By mid-afternoon, the predicted dump of snow was falling. We are west of town, close to the mountains, and ended up with around 10 inches of the white stuff by the time it quit. A few days later, we got another four inches. Did I mention that our driveway is steep enough to kill a sledder? And, is in the shade? My new ICEtrekkers came in the mail just in time. Without them, I couldn't get up the driveway. And it snowed, again. I don't love shoveling as much as I thought I did.

Until last March, I had lived almost my entire life where summers are in the triple digits for triple-digit number of days and winter might not bring any snow at all – but there were the deadly ice storms. All the Coloradans would just laugh if you mentioned that you could never live in Colorado because of all the snow. “It melts the next day,” they said. “You'll be in a t-shirt even before it melts.” Snowy Colorado is just an anti-tourism ploy to keep the masses away and keep the breathtaking scenery to the natives. Those bastards can come shovel our driveway.

Then, we went ice-skating. On a real, frozen lake. In the middle of postcard-perfect mountains. An eight-acre section of Evergreen Lake is dedicated to ice skating and stays frozen solid through at least March. Solid enough to drive a Zamboni on it.

Then, we went for a snowy hike, or three. I saw waterfalls half-frozen under a brilliant, blue sky. I saw trees laden with snow so thick they looked like white palm trees. I trudged through foot-deep snow to scenic overlooks. I witnessed the magic of the dry snow sparkling in the sun as gentle breezes shake the branches.

I hiked in my Xtratuf Alaska boots with my new ICEtrekkers...and a tank top.  And a grin brighter than the snow in sunshine.

And then, there were snow-garitas. Snow ice cream was a rare treat when I was a kid. Snow-garitas are dangerously available, especially since our porch is in the shade. Let the other side of the street get the melting rays of sun. We will sip our snow-garitas and warm our bellies with home-cooking.

And it snowed, again. I learned the two-shovel method of clearing the driveway from watching the neighbor. I love shoveling snow again. And, I am loving the Colorado winter.

Ask me again next month...

Bee Tree

A group of us hiked part of Segment 1 of the Colorado Trail recently.  The trail meandered along a sandy/ rocky area until it entered the trees.  From there, it was a long series of switchbacks that teased the mountain bikers within us.  It got my gray matter thinking and I wondered about the history of the CT.

Snowshoeing on the CT at Kenosha Pass

As a newby to the state, I knew next to nothing about Colorado in general, and definitely nada about the Colorado Trail.  Some quick research uncovered years of ugly board member battles and even more years of hard labor - mostly volunteer.  From inmates to executives on week-long "vacations", the trail was built at a pace of just a few miles a year.  These "vacations" could be had for just $10 and covered overhead, meals, and some camp provisions.  "Vacations" started on Saturdays, with Sunday designated as a day of rest and Wednesdays traditionally reserved to summit the nearest 14er.

The trail was intended to link Denver to Durango and provide almost 500 miles of moderate trails for families to enjoy.  It was supposed to merge existing trails and reduce overuse and overcrowding.  The goal was to allow people of all skill levels to be able to enjoy the outdoors.  It was NOT intended to be the fastest way from Point A to Point B.  It was an "adventure in discovery" - the ultimate outdoor classroom.  Even 40 years ago, the people of Colorado could see that there needed to be a change for and by the people.  A change to "use less energy and take more time."

Almost all of the segments of the CT allow dogs

In addition to being a purely recreational trail, the CT also is about conservation.  One of my favorite stories I found in my research was from the 1984 article, Trail to Nowhere.  Near Middle Cottonwood Creek, there was a large, rotting tree in the designated path where the volunteers were building the trail.  As one of the workers poked at it, a large swarm of bees fought back.  A quick discussion declared the bees to be the winner and an unplanned jog in the trail was added.  So-called Bee Tree was spared.

Of course, no story about the CT would be complete without giving credit to the "Mother of the Colorado Trail", Gudy Gaskill.  Her lifetime commitment began at the initial meeting in 1973 and continued even after her "retirement" in 1998.  She never accepted a cent for her work and the trail would not have been completed without her tireless dedication, including much physical sweat on the trail itself.

Where will you go on the CT?

The stories I have read and the few miles of trail I have experienced have made me already fall deeply in love with the Colorado Trail.  Knowing the history of the trail and the land itself adds dimensions to the adventure.  If you spend some time discovering the CT, be the hiker described by outdoor recreation planner, Dr. William Reifsnyder, "He merely passes by and the only sign of his passage is his spoor."