It’s a fall frenzy: in pictures!

November 4, 2012 By

My computer refuses to read my iPhone picture files so I have a backlog of pictures waiting to be uploaded. Which means I’ve had to email myself each picture and then save it on my desktop. Which means I can’t be bothered to do it.

However, fall is flying by and I’d be remiss if I didn’t make mention of at least a few things we’ve been up to. Haddie has started piano lessons and Bode has wrapped up soccer. Other activities include:

Swim team at the YMCA. Haddie is loving it and I’m loving I can go workout in the weight room during it.

Except for on Fridays when I bring Bode and his bestie Sean to swim. And yes, I said swim. If you’ve followed Bode’s swimming missteps, you’ll realize how truly miraculous it is that he’s finally swimming.

Then there was the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey’s DRAGONS.

Tennis. We’ve been playing every Monday night for FHE for almost two months. Bode, in particular, is obsessed and is begging me for lessons.  I told him he has to wait ’til spring. Even this Canuck has standards about running around the tennis court in the snow. But apparently no standards when it comes to taking over the skate park and using the bumps as a net.

Bode started basketball at the YMCA. Though all the players were a year older and a full head taller, he held his own. This is Jamie coaching nervous Bode about the rules moments before his first basketball game ever. It’s called death-bed repentance.

There was stargazing with our besties at the Pine Valley Ranch Park observatory.

That activity deserves an entire post unto itself. Which I plan to write in all my spare time.

Though I’ve been crazy-busy with work and meetings, I try to carve out a few days every week for an adventure. I’ve become moderately obsessed with biking every trail at North Table Mountain Park in Golden.
Well, in this case hike-a-biking because some parts were STEEP.

Then, there was Mount Falcon Park. Denver recently received a healthy dose of snow so my hike started with views like this. And changed to this as I reached the summit.
And yep, I was in my element.

Speaking of snow, we hit the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Expo where we skied.
If you count that makeshift ramp.

The kids also attempted the Gibbons’ Slacklines (think: hip tightrope), an insanely popular up-and-coming sport. They attempted it over and over again, only venturing out a few feet. Apparently balance ain’t our thing.

And my favorite activity of all: the Denver Curling Club brought a curling demo! As a Canuck mom, I finally felt like I was not failing my little half-breeds in the Ways of the Motherland.

Lest you think we’re all play and no work ’round here, service is always worked into our routine. Here are my boys at building clean-up day at the church. Haddie’s charter school threw a huge harvest festival that was a throwback to yesteryear with butter making, straw crowns and corn husk doll stations, chili and a charming dragon play.

My little bird

And, of course, these activities don’t even touch upon all our Halloween festivities, pumpkin patches and parties. This week, I’m supposed to go to Dallas for a conference Thursday through Sunday. Poor Bode and Jamie are sick so I’ll be nursing them back to health with chicken noodle soup and lots of snuggles the next few days.

I think we’ll all welcome the break after a fabulous but frenzied fall.

Filed Under: biking, Bode, Colorado, Hadley, hiking, outdoors, skiing

Steamboat Springs: Highlights and Lowlights in Colorado’s Coolest Outdoor Town

October 25, 2012 By

I’ve only been to Steamboat Springs, Colo. a couple of times in the summer but this recreational Mecca is chock full of memories for me. Mind you, not all of them good:

*There was my infamous hike with friend Kristy 13 years ago wherein we attempted to hike the Rabbit Ears, got lost and never found the summit. On a positive note, Kristy introduced me to “bear sticks.” She was disillusioned to believe that tapping two sticks together would scare bears away. I countered they were more like the bears’ dinner call. Fortunately, they were never put to the test.

*Then, there was my family’s trip four years ago when we had THE BEST TIME at the popular rodeo, only to come back to the car four hours later and realize we had locked the keys in the car. When it was still running. Go here for all the sordid details.

Yampa River

I was recently invited to be on a panel of the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference in Steamboat and decided this was going to be my trip of reckoning and that nothing would go wrong. Mind you, it almost did when I started on my 2.5–hour drive and shortly after I got on the freeway, I realized I forgot my mountain bike and had to turn around.

Fortunately, that was the only misstep in what became a glorious three-day trip the Yampa Valley. Unfortunately, I had missed the peak of the fall colors but the weather was glorious, crisp and clear.

Yampa River Core Trail

The vein of Steamboat Springs is the 7-mile Yampa River Core Trail. I’ve walked portions of it with my family but resolved to bike it end-to-end and back again (14 miles for the math-deficient). I started on the south side of town at the Ranger’s Station and headed north.

It was the perfect way to discover Steamboat Springs. I wound through beautiful groves.

Past the Rotary Park boardwalk, which extends across the marshes adjacent to the Yampa River with  informative interpretive signs.

Along the Yampa River Botanical Gardens and the Bud Werner Memorial Library (behind which were play structures for kids and fantastic boulders to check-out the Yampa River). I cut right through the rodeo grounds and various park sites (Steamboat has 28 of them) until the trail dead-ended at the local skate park.

As I headed back to town, I realized I was famished so stopped at Bamboo Market–an organic deli overlooking the river. I should have been tipped off this was not your average market when the products that greeted me were Mugwort Herb, Horehound Herb and Horsetail Herb.  It was right out of a Harry Potter wizard’s spell book.

I sauntered over to the deli and ordered the least suspicious thing on the menu: a turkey sandwich on pumpkin seed bread. Or so I thought.

Dude behind the counter: “Do you want mustard and vegenaise on that?”

“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?”

“Vegenaise.”

“That’s what I thought you said. Sure, why not. Just put it on the side.”

Trying vegan mayonnaise? Now that is risk-taking.

I nestled back on the outdoor patio feeling very outdoorsy-yuppy-vegan hanging and started eavesdropping on the outdoorsy-yuppy-vegan peeps the next table over. The woman was talking very loudly to her phone.

“Yes, we’re here in Steamboat and eating (long pause)….organic stuff.”

Nice to know they were as clueless as I was.

My next Steamboat Springs resolution: ski there this winter. And here’s for hoping that trip goes just as smoothly.

Stay tuned for my adventures at Upper Fish Creek Falls!

 

Filed Under: biking, Colorado, Humor, travel Tagged With:

When your family is a bloody mess (literally!)

October 22, 2012 By

They say blood is thicker than water in reference to the bonds of family. However, after seeing this picture of Jamie’s brother and sister at Denver’s 2012 Zombie Crawl last weekend, I beg to differ.

And I am more than just a little big glad we’re not blood related. :-)

P.S. Bode is still traumatized from seeing them.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family Tagged With:

Sadness

October 21, 2012 By

Colorado has been in the national media waaaaay more than I would like–between the horrible wildfire season and the Aurora theater shooting.

Most recently this little girl was kidnapped and her body was found in my community last week. I went mountain biking near the site on Friday and was touched a makeshift memorial has been set up in her honor.

An LA Times reporter contacted me last week and asked to accompany me to our bus stop to gauge the temperature of local parents. In a few words: caution, sadness and fear. (Read the article in the Sunday edition).

On Sunday after church, we went for a walk at Standley Lake, one of my favorite areas. We had a nature-exploring, log-crossing, rock-throwing good time.

But at one point, Hadley took off as she is often prone to do when we’re outside. She and Bode were chasing prairie dogs in a vast field and she was almost out of sight.

And suddenly my stomach dropped.

We were in the very epicenter of where the little girl went missing and was later found. I lost it. Started screaming for her to come back. The wind drowned out my cries. I chased after her. An overreaction? Sure.

I’m determined not to stop living and exploring as we have always done. But until this man is caught and our little community is healed, things are going to be very different around here.

Filed Under: Colorado Tagged With:

The Horrors of Biking Bear Creek (Literally)

October 10, 2012 By

Last month, I finally kicked my 10+-year-old mountain bike to the curb (or rather, Craigslist) and purchased the coolest new trend in mountain bikes: a 29er. I don’t know what it is about those 29-inch wheels but I feel invincible on my bike.

Problematic when you are indisputably mortal.

During the overheated summer months, I would hike or bike at dawn out of sheer survival.  With the glorious drop in temperatures, I’ve been reconfiguring my day and it has forced me to become more disciplined. Now, I dangle my playtime in the mountains as a motivator for meeting deadlines.

On Monday, I cranked out my Denver Post column and Travel Mamas article (both a week before deadline, ThankYouVeryMuch) as well as put the finishing touches on my PowerPoint presentation for the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference I’m speaking at this week in Steamboat Springs (more on that later).

I rewarded myself for my productive morning with a two-hour ride. A few weeks ago, I took my road bike for a 30-mile ride from Morrison to Denver along the Bear Creek Trail. I’d noticed a dirt trail “Stone House”and resolved to bring my new 29er back to attempt it. Monday was that day.

The first part of the ride through Bear Creek Lake Park was a bluebird-flaxen roller-coaster ride.


I had summited and descended a steep hill when I came upon the start of the Stone House Trail with a rather unwelcome sign:

Three river crossings? A wise person would have turned back but not me. I was on my 29er! I could do it! I was delusional! And those river crossings were referring to Bear Creek. How daunting could a little ‘ol creek be? Turns out, plenty.

I was quickly grounded when I reached my first river crossing which was, indeed a river. I calculated the water to be between 1.5-2 feet deep. I looked upstream and saw a more shallow crossing with an obstacle course of rocks and a fallen log. I dismounted and slogged my bike through the water as I skipped from rock-to-rock.

River crossing No. 1: Tackled.

What I didn’t have the foresight to anticipate: River crossing No. 2 and the fact I was now trapped between them. As I approached the second one, there were no shallow areas so I picked up speed, surged into the water and despite the fact I was slipping, slipping, slipping, my 29er’s wheels forged on.

Until about three-quarters of the way across when those slippery rocks proved uncrossable. You know those movies that use slow motion for dramatic effect? Thus describes what happened next. I started slipping, I set my foot down to stabilize myself as water shot up my leg. Before I knew it, I completely lost my balance and fell, right-side first into the drink.

That part was fast-motion.

I slogged my way to shore, ringed myself out and dragged myself to river crossing No. 3.

There were no obstacle or traversing attempts. I simply dismounted and walked straight through, cursing the city of Lakewood for being too lazy to build bridges. Following that third crossing, the dirt trail reconnected with the paved one but I was determined! I was going to stay on my dirt path all the way to the Stone House!

Then came the thorn bush.

I took the paved trail back.

I later limped into the house, bellowed to Jamie, “I FELL INTO THE RIVER!” for which he raced up to hear me download the day’s events. I went into the kitchen for a snack and saw the note I’d hastily left him to know where I’d gone:

I didn’t write, “Biking AT Bear Creek” or “Biking Bear Creek trail.” Just simply “Biking Bear Creek.” It was rueful foreshadowing for would I would literally do that day.

And make me realize semantics are everything.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: biking, Colorado, Humor, outdoors Tagged With:

The Perils of Colorado Hiking Moms

September 17, 2012 By

I’ve fallen into a pretty great routine with the kids back in school and I can’t believe how fortunate I am. I mean, I actually have time to write! I filed my column early! I’m picking up freelance assignments! I have time to respond to emails! My house is clean! I’m starting to travel this week!

I would’ve written that above paragraph in all-caps but figured exclamation marks were less annoying. #Fail

My day always starts with work before dawn and then once the kiddos are nestled away in school, I play for a bit. Thursdays are my hiking days with a few of my besties. It had rained a lot the day prior so I worried the trails would be mucky. I gave them two choices: Hike up up up up the Apex Parkor head down a paved valley.

Without hesitation, my friend Jenn pointed up and up up up we went for a pretty rigorous hike but with stunning views.

Those are my kind of friends.

And believe me, I have great ones. Last Monday, I asked my friend Tina to hike a new-to-me trail on the lower part of White Ranch Park. I’d hiked the Belcher Hill trail several times but had never attempted a neighboring trail, the Longhorn.

I do a lot of hiking by myself but try to stick to areas I know will have at least some foot traffic, just in case something should happen to me.

Which is very, very likely.

And there was something about the Longhorn that made me hold off until I had a buddy to do it with. For once, listening to my gut paid off.

I love Tina. We’ve been hiking friends since Hadley and her son Nolan were babies and she did the HealthOne Red Rocks Fitness Challenge for three months with me last summer.

That basically means she knows what she’s getting into by hanging out with me.

But we were not prepared for the Longhorn. Not only was weather REALLY hot (hopefully our last 90-degree day) with zero shade but it was steep. Really steep. As in this-is-never-gonna-end-steep. After a long while, we started to wonder if we’d missed our turn but it seemed unlikely–we were going at a snail’s pace.

See those smiles? We’re faking

After what seemed like eons, I skipped ahead a bit and saw it: a sign, just as the trail started mercifully leveling out. And you know what that sign said?

No, it was not a trail marker but rather, a testament to the journey we’d just endured:

I anticipated our loop would take us between 1-1.5 hours (the standard length of my hikes).

It took us three hours.

Forget my worries about Tina not speaking to me after that little adventure.

I wasn’t speaking to me.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Colorado, hiking, Humor Tagged With:

Hadley’s Utopia & the Incredible Hulk

June 29, 2012 By

You know those people who have an aversion to public restrooms?

Bode has the opposite problem. In fact, we often joke he’s like a dog and needs to mark his territory whenever we go. Or, as Hadley so eloquently summarized it:

“The one thing that boy knows how to find is a bathroom!”

But his latest bathroom episode lead to Hadley’s greatest discovery ever. During our visit to YMCA of the Rockies, we were at the playground when nature called for Bode. The Mootz Family Craft and Design Center was adjacent so we walked in there.

A couple of minutes later, I raced out to Hadley screaming, “YOU HAVE GOT TO COME WITH ME, NOW!!!”

The reason for my freakout? I have never seen a craft center quite like this one. I had eventually planned to wander in there with her and expected to see your basic painting or drawing stations but this place was a crafter’s dream with wood and leather crafts, a jewelry area with thousands of beads, ceramics, tie dye with a huge wall of clothing options, silk painting and basket making.

 The prices range from $3-$35 per project with most people spending around $15. We dropped $50.

Ceramics
Some of the many craft projects
More crafts
Tie dye shirt designs

 Being a dude, Bode isn’t really into crafts but he opted to make a tie dye shirt, something I had never done.

It turned our marvelously well. Here’s a photo I took of him wearing the shirt on our camping trip a couple of days later.

We left YMCA of the Rockies early the next morning so they sent home instructions for washing out the shirt after it had soaked in the dye for 24 hours. I then ran it in the washing machine twice before letting him wear it. Evidently, this was not enough because it turned his shoulders green at the campout. Quite coincidentally, his old swim trunks (seen above) literally split open.

We called him the Incredible Hulk.

But back to Hadley’s crafting utopia at the Craft & Design Center. I encouraged her to select something she would keep forever and so she, of course, selected one of the most expensive items: a mosaic kitty clock.

I was excited for her to attempt something so intricate where a qualified staff could help her out. I don’t know if you’d ever done a mosaic but envision collecting tons of glass shards and piecing them together like a puzzle without a set pattern.

I hate crafting and puzzles so basically, it was my worst nightmare. But I loved working on it with her as she came to life.

Then came grouting. I let her tackle that solo.

But the finished product? Something she will always cherish and her avowal to spend the entirety of next summer at the Craft and Design Center.

My wallet may never recover from her discovery.

=====

Other details of our stay:

Colorado’s Most Family-friendly Vacation



YMCA of the Rockies: Activity Capital of Colorado!



Colorado’s most affordable family vacation (at Mile High Mamas)

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, Humor

YMCA of the Rockies: Activity Capital of Colorado!

June 28, 2012 By

When I tout YMCA of the Rockies as Colorado’s most affordable and fun family vacation, I’ve got the goods to back it up and those include:

Free Activities

  • A new 27-hole miniature golf course
  • Sand Volleyball Courts
  • Tennis Courts
  • Indoor and outdoor basketball courts
  • Indoor swimming pool
  • Guided hikes
  • Skate Park
  • Disc Golf

    • Fee Activities

  • Zip Line
  • Rock climbing wall
  • Archery
  • Craft & Design Center

    • Concessionaires

  • Fly Fishing
  • Horseback Riding
  • Mountain Biking

    • See, told you!

    Most of the activities are included in your lodging cost (an Estes Park lodge room starts at $109, two-bedroom cabin $129 and 3-bedroom vacation homes start at $334).  The rooms are rustic and clean, though we stayed at the Longs Peak Lodge, which had been recently renovated to include granite countertops in the bathrooms. If you’re not staying at YMCA of the Rockies, you can buy an all-day activity pass for $15.

    Hands down, our latest visit to YMCA of the Rockies was the most fun we’ve ever had because the kids are finally old enough to participate in the numerous programs. Shortly after arriving, we headed over to the Sweet Memorial Building to sign up for a few of the many programs (most of which are free). Choices included Animal Detective, Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!, Aquatic Exploration, Bubbles, Capture the Flag, Family High Ropes, History Walk, Kickball, Knots, Scavenger Hunt and so many more.

    We opted for Nature Art (the kiddos made natural kaleidoscopes and rock necklaces), wiffleball and Family Adventure, a series of bonding activities with other families as we attempted to rescue ourselves from being stranded in Hawaii.

    Though I kept wondering if that was really a bad thing?

    When I signed up for the activities I put down all our names, assuming I needed to be there. With the exception of Family Adventure, most of the activities were for kids-only. And then I realized the glorious truth: I had an entire hour of freedom each time.

    And so this Mama chose to do a quick (but steep) trek up Bible Point, a 1.5-mile round-trip hike with stunning views.

    YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park
    Overlooking Rocky Mountain National Park

    The kids also had a stellar time just kicking back at the playground.

    The tire swing of death

    And we were delighted to stumble upon a cossetted playground where a heated game of tetherball ensued.

    This is my favorite picture I took of the trip, which perfectly captured our many moments of sheer joy.

    So does this one of Bode’s dirty little legs, evidence of a well-played kid.

    And we can’t forget our beloved new friends as we sang along with Cowboy Brad’s fireside program.

    Bode & Ollie
    Swayin’ to the music.
    And bringing down the house to the Hokey Pokey

    And THAT, my friends, is what it’s all about.

    ===============

    Other details of our stay:

    Colorado’s Most Family-friendly Vacation



    Hadley’s Utopia (the craft center) and the Incredible Hulk



    Colorado’s most affordable family vacation (at Mile High Mamas)
     

    © Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
    Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, Humor, outdoors

    YMCA of the Rockies: Colorado’s most family-friendly vacation

    June 27, 2012 By

    I’m a longtime fan of YMCA of the Rockies and we have been going there since Haddie was one. I mean, just look at these little cuties!

    YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch 2006

    YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch 2007


    2008

     If you’re not familiar with this family resort and conference center, it is the most affordable family and fun vacation you will have in Colorado. Period. As my friend Julie described it: “YMCA of the Rockies is like summer camp for the whole family.”


    My family has stayed in lodges or cabins at their two locations–860-acre Estes Park Center borders Rocky Mountain National Park and Snow Mountain Ranch is a 5,100-acre family ranch located between Winter Park and Grand Lake. (Go here for info on each of their properties).

    I was ecstatic when we were invited to Estes Park on a blogger retreat last week. The last time I was at that location was for a Johnson family reunion when Hadley was 3 and Bode was 1. My, how they’ve changed.

    YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park, 2012



    But YMCA of the Rockies has not and is as fun as ever. Stay tuned for the details of the many activities we crammed into our two-day stay!

    ======
     
    The Details:

     YMCA of the Rockies: Activity Capital of Colorado!
     
    Hadley’s Utopia (the craft center) and the Incredible Hulk


    Colorado’s most affordable family vacation (at Mile High Mamas)

    © Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
    Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, travel

    The silver (or white) lining

    June 26, 2012 By

    That’s right, Peeps. Denver has had FOUR record-breaking days this week with no end in sight.

    So, how have we been coping?

    An FHE jaunt to our favorite secret watering hole.

    Ralston Creek 2012
    Ralston Creek 2011
    Ralston Creek 2010

    You could say it’s a favorite tradition on sweltering days.

    And evidence I have the best friends EVER? My friend Lisa loaned me this air-conditioning unit for our bedroom window this summer. Judging me for being white trash?

    Call me “White” for short.

    © Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog
    Filed Under: Colorado
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