Waterton Canyon: A glorious “in between a rock and a hard place”

October 29, 2013 By

October 2013 has been one of my favorite months ever. The reason? I’ve been in between a rock and a hard place…in a figurative and literal sense. I’m between projects, have more time to myself than usual and am learning the value of how to just slow down time; that leaving the house at 6:20 a.m. for boot camp and going at warp speed ’til my head hits the pillow is not an optimal way to live.

I’m impatient, I admit it. I feel like The Next Big Thing is around the corner but I’m not sure when or how it will manifest itself. I’m torn between valuing my rare free time while the kids are in school and the nagging guilt of helping our financial situation.

Spring and fall are called the “shoulder seasons” in mountain country…a sort of in-between before the main events of winter and summer. I’m experiencing an in-between season in my life, which is both unsettling and gratifying. But I always have to be moving so I’m trying to remind myself that any progress, no matter how slow, is still progress.

In the interim, I’m seizing the day and knocking off as many bucket list items as possible. One of those is biking the entirety of Waterton Canyon in Littleton, Colorado. This 7-mile-long canyon marks the beginning of  the famous 486-mile Colorado Trail, which roller-coasters its way through six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges from from Denver to Durango,  topping out at 13,271 feet.

The year before I met Jamie and still lived in Utah, I biked the very end of the Colorado Trail in Durango (read about that adventure and my first 14er in Solo in the San Juans: Exploring Colorado’s Highway to Heaven). Fast-forward 12 years and I biked the beginning of Colorado’s premier long-distance trail. I’m great at beginnings and endings; it’s just the middle stuff that gets murky sometimes.

My family has hiked a portion of Waterton Canyon a couple of times and I attempted to bike it a couple of years ago but didn’t get far on my heavy, outdated mountain bike. But I had no problems last week navigating the wide, relatively flat gravel road beside the South Platte River on my new 29er. A fair number of people were hiking, fishing, running and biking the lower portion of the canyon but the crowds dispersed the further I rode and my only companion was a lone bighorn sheep.

I monitored my distance by the six rest areas, all named after different animals that live in the canyon: Mule Deer, Blue Heron, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Rattlesnake, and Bighorn Sheep. Signage at each outpost educates you about each of them.

October is such a generous month with its fall colors on display. Everywhere you look the world is giving back.

Upon nearly reaching the Strontia Springs Reservoir (which is closed to the public) and Denver Water buildings at mile 7, the flat, multi-use road arced upward, leading to a much narrower singletrack to the some of the wildest inaccessible backcountry in the Rocky Mountains.

I hid my bike behind a tree and started hiking the Indian Creek Trail. While Waterton Canyon was expansive and broad, I was inundated with trees–making me feel a bit nervous in this inaccessible wilderness.

I’ve spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours by myself on the trail but for some reason, this felt different. Though it was beautiful, I felt nervous to be so completely alone. I’m used to hearing the subtle movement of hidden animals in the trees but after about 40 minutes of hiking, I heard breathing. I called out, hopeful for a human voice but was greeted by silence. Bear sighting signs littered the canyon and I deemed that as my sign to high-tail it back and collect my bike.

I arrived at the car three hours later after biking 14 miles and hiking about 3 miles. I then proceeded to get hurt (wait for it) on the hitch while I was putting my bike in the car.

You win some, you lose some when living between a rock and a hard place.

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Getting there: From Denver, take I-70 west to C-470. Take C-470 east to Wadsworth Boulevard. Take a right at the bottom of the exit ramp and drive 4.2 miles. Turn left on Waterton Road. The parking lot will be about a quarter of a mile down and on your left.

Filed Under: biking, Colorado, hiking, outdoors

The mountain, the bear and the gun-toting Tennessean

October 23, 2013 By

Though I relish any time spent on The Broadmoor’s opulent grounds, I love escaping to North Cheyenne Cañon, a gorgeous red-rock, evergreen forest with scores of hiking trails.

Many of the trails start at the Starsmore Discovery Center, just over a mile from the resort so most of my explorations have been reserved for the gorgeous neighborhoods and Lower Columbine trail. But then, I learned The Broadmoor runs a complimentary shuttle to the discovery center, which would give me a jump-start on my desire to hike further up the canyon to the Upper Columbine Trail.

We had planned to spend an afternoon at the pool but when rain clouded our plans, I enrolled the kids in the resort’s children’s club, Bee Bunch, while Jamie booked a massage. That meant I had three glorious hours to explore!

But remember that rain? It would have deterred some but not me. I grabbed my waterproof gear and hopped on the shuttle. Within minutes, I was winding along the trail and ran into a family.

“Bear up there,” one of the woman casually commented as I hiked by.

“Umm, did she say there is a bear?”

Her traveling companion divulged there was, indeed, a brown bear directly off the trail about a half-hour ahead. “He didn’t bother us,” he assured me. Gee, swell to know.

I kept hiking and each subsequent hiker issued the same warning. By this point, I was starting to get paranoid. I was, after all, hiking by myself and I had just polished off The Broadmoor’s tasty 10,000-calorie brunch. I’d be some good eatin’ for a hungry bear in the rain. Plus, I’ve never run into a bear in Colorado’s backcountry.

As I was forging up the mountain, I was passed by a 30-something, fit tattooed hiker from Tennessee who was a bit rough around the edges but friendly. I informed him about the bear and he nonchalantly said, “I’m not worried. I’ve got a pistol in my backpack.”

Now, any other day such a confession would have steered me in another direction but it became one of Bode’s famous “would you rather” games: Would I rather hike by myself under threat of a bear OR hike with a gun-toting, tattooed Tennessean?

I opted for the latter and we quickly fell into a good clip up the mountain.

I may-or-may-not have snapped this picture as evidence in case my dead, lifeless body was found.

The trail was steep, the views stunned, the rain dripped, the sun persisted, the conversation entertained and it was one of those beloved hikes where  I felt powerful and never wanted it to end. When we reached the Upper Columbine trailer marker four miles later,  we parted ways as he continued going and I reluctantly headed back to pick up the kids.

View of The Broadmoor from the Upper Columbine Trail

The bear was long forgotten on my return trip but I had a new-found fondness for gun-toting Tennesseans. Just your average day in Colorado’s backcountry.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors, travel Tagged With: , , ,

The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley: Glamping Redefined

October 21, 2013 By

I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into writing what is my equivalent to a work of art for The Broadmoor’s Magazine about our trip to Emerald Valley Ranch over Labor Day weekend.

For the quick, dirty, fun yet much less eloquent version, I’ll include my article I wrote for Travel Mamas.

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Glamping at The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley

I am often torn between two worlds when my family stays at Colorado’s ultimate luxury resort, The Broadmoor. I love to be pampered but I’m also an outdoor lover; those worlds just don’t often mix. Until now. Set on 15 acres deep in Pike National Forest, The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley offers glamping at its finest.

Glamping at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Glamping at the Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley

Glamping at the Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley

The Broadmoor opened its newest venture, the Ranch at Emerald Valley, in early-August of 2013. The Ranch offers luxurious woodsy accommodations in nine beautifully restored cabins. Gourmet meals are prepared three times a day in the lodge. It’s romantic, awe-inspiring, whimsical and family-friendly all mixed into one great glamping vacation.

Playing horseshoes at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Playing horseshoes

I was asked to do a write-up for The Broadmoor Magazine so my family spent 24 hours in this wilderness enclave. The Ranch is not accessible to the public so we checked in at the Broadmoor and then were escorted via shuttle 30 minutes into the mountains up serpentine Old Stage Road. When I first arrived at the property, I was stunned by the hypnotic ever-changing play of light on Hummingbird Pond and Penrose Lake.

Archery at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Channeling Merida at the Ranch

Relax or play?

The wonderful thing about the Ranch is you can do it all or do nothing. While some guests kicked back on the deck soaking in the views and reading. My family, on the other hand, did it all.

My kids raced over to the expansive lawn where my son’s first item of business was playing horseshoes.

My daughter opted to channel Merida the Brave with archery. After mastering the targets, she and my husband moved into the woods to attempt to bag the deer and boar statues that stood sentry.

And what would a mountainside retreat with a lake be if  you were not able to canoe?

Canoeing at Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Dad and the kids out for a paddle on the lake

My kids had never been fishing and I worry that fly fishing at the Ranch may have spoiled them forever. With two bodies of water fully stocked with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and brown trout, it was almost like the Broadmoor had those fish under contract to delight us with their out-of-water acrobatics. It also helped that the fish were easy to hook and, as a bonus, the chef cooked up our catches for us!

Fly fishing at the Ranch at Emerald Valley in Colorado

Our practically perfect day of fly fishing

Horseback riding is included as part of your stay at the Ranch. We’ve been on a few trail rides as a family but nothing quite as challenging or scenic. With the Gray Back peak towering above us, we climbed around Mount Vigil and down Emerald Valley Road.

Riding horses at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

A scenic and challenging trail ride

The terrain was often steep and narrow. I looked at Bode nervously and often. He had just barely met the 7-year-old age requirement. Thankfully the horses were pros. Unlike me.

Beignets at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Normally, my son is a key part of my picture-taking, but here he’s photobombing my beignets

A mirage of tasty goodness greeted us after our hot, sweaty ride. Two staffers tracked us down to present the mid-afternoon snack: fresh beignets oozing with Colorado Palisade peaches.

Cowboy tunes by campfire at the Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

Cowboy tunes by campfire

An evening of refined relaxation

In the evening, we played board games provided by the lodge, enjoyed fine dining (yes, kid-friendly items are available upon request!), and listened to live cowboy tunes by a blazing fire.

Later, we built a campfire at the gazebo. Then we soaked in the adjacent hot tub under the liquid-blue moonlight.

Fire at The Broadmoor's Ranch at Emerald Valley

My husband and daughter laughed as they changed into the robes from our cabin and sashayed to the fireplace at the gazebo

The next morning, my family arose at dawn to hike a network of trails deep into Pike National Forest. We ate the best cinnamon rolls ever at the breakfast buffet, fished, did more archery, climbed the property’s waterfall and literally went into mourning when we took the shuttle back down the mountain.

The Broadmoor

Our only solace? We spent the next two days at The Broadmoor‘s main property in Colorado Springs. That’s pretty much the only way you’ll ever come down after the Rocky Mountain High you’ll receive at the Ranch. Built in 1918, this AAA Five-Diamond resort in Colorado Springs features an award-winning spa, championship golf, an incredible infinity pool with waterslides, a luxury-retro bowling alley eatery, and much more.

The Ranch at Emerald Valley is open seasonally May through October. For more information on area activities and rates, visit the Ranch at Emerald Valley’s website.

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In case you missed my other blog posts:

The Glorious Broadmoor: In Pictures

and

The mountain, the bear and the gun-toting Tennessean

http://www.themilehighmama.com/the-glorious-broadmoor-in-pictures/

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors, travel

Four (Funny) Reasons Why You Should Ski This Winter!

September 16, 2013 By

We had a summer of non-stop travel and capped it off with a glorious trip to AAA Five-Diamond The Broadmoor over Labor Day. At a recent party, our neighbor queried, “So, when is the next big trip?”

Silence. Chirping crickets.  Could it be–the very bane to our existence (travel) and we had no future plans?

But then I remembered: Ski season is in a few short months! As we prep for back-to-ski season, I’ve compiled four fun(ny) reasons why you should hit the slopes.

Our family’s first time at the “top of the world” together

1) The Best Family Bonding Happens on a Ski Vacation

There is nothing my family loves better than cruising down the slopes in a Wonkaesque world of white–we’re like the Cleavers on skis, only cooler (literally and figuratively). Last year was the first time we were able to ski together  as a family with then-6-year-old Bode and 8-year-old Hadley and it was epic!

But here’s the thing: you don’t have to even hit the slopes to have a memorable time together. Many people dismiss a winter vacation in the mountains because they don’t ski or snowboard. All you need to do is love the outdoors and cozying up indoors.

Most resorts offer so much more than skiing. Last year alone, we hit hot springs and hot tubs, ziplined, tubed, raced down an alpine coaster, played in a snow fort, skated on a lake, snowshoed, took a sleigh ride to dinner, indulged in gourmet foods, played games by the fire, roasted s’mores and got pampered at the spa.

OK, maybe I didn’t do the last item but you’d better believe it’s top priority this year.

 2. You Win Parent of the Year Award (if they survive)

Daughter’s first difficult terrain

I’m all about teaching kids to do hard things and learning to ski can be hard at first. But after years of ski school, a few meltdowns and even a faked injury (yes, Bode I’m talking about you), both of my kids are good skiers and on track to becoming great.

A couple of years ago, my daughter and I were taking our last run of the day when I took a wrong turn. Instead of staying on a nice, easy cruiser, I led us to the point of no return with an intersection that had three options: a double blue advanced intermediate and two double-black black diamond (expert terrain) trails.

Haddie was a solid intermediate skier but as I looked down at the double blue’s steep, bumpy terrain a feeling of dread came over me. I didn’t let her in on my trepidation and explained our predicament.

“OK, let’s do it!” she fearlessly said.

“Really?”

I don’t know why I was surprised since we didn’t have any other options, other than being carried down on ski patrol’s stretcher. And so she gunned it down that mountain, never complaining and even squealing with glee.

That was the beginning of the end and soon she’ll be dragging me down the mountain. Hopefully stretcher not included.

The kids three years ago when I found my packing sanity

3. My Best Organizing Tip and the Day I Lost My Sanity

Winter sports get a bad wrap because there is a lot of equipment to remember: goggles, long johns, gloves, scarves, helmets, socks, ski pants, jackets…the list goes on. I’ve become a master of organization and now put all of their accessories in an over-sized Ziploc bag, which cuts down on the chaos when it’s time to get up and go.

Except for the first day of ski season last year when my son’s glove was nowhere to be found. I was positive I had set it out in his bag the night before so its whereabouts was a real head-scratcher. Had Fat Kitty eaten it? Was I officially out of my mind? Bode had lost his back-up pair of gloves and touque (Canadian word for ski hat for any uninformed Americans) the week before so it was a do-or-die situation.

Or rather, a find-it-or-freeze-your-hands-off scenario.

After about 20 minutes of looking, my wise husband investigated Bode closer.

“Bode, what is that?”
“What is what?”
“That lump underneath your ski pants!”

Bode looked down and sure enough, there was a subtle lump near his calf. Sheepishly, he removed his ski pants to discover the MIA glove. The velcro on the straps had deviously attached to the inside of his ski pants.

Even the best plans are not fool-proof. Obviously. Signed, -The Fool.

4. Skiing/snowboarding=the best kind of stupid

Last year, we took my husband’s brother Chris skiing at a local resort for his birthday.

As we huddled together for warmth on the chairlift, we gazed down upon the wind-whipped chutes, marveling at the forests that were forever slanted from the gusts. Snow swirled around us and as we climbed higher, our world was temporarily blotted out completely white.

I turned to the birthday boy. “Chris, can you even believe we’re doing this?”

He paused, laughed and then uttered what will become my motto on all such bitterly cold days on the slopes: “Yes, but it’s the best kind of stupid.”

Hear, hear.

Bring on the 2013/14 season.

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I am participating in the Back to Ski campaign, which was started by family travel blogger Mara Gorman in 2012 as a way to get families off the couch and on the slopes.  During Back to Ski Week 2013 from September 16th to September 20th you can enter to win some fabulous skiing prizes at the Back to Ski website.

 

Filed Under: Family, Family travel, outdoors, skiing

St. Mary’s Glacier: A Disastrously Fun Day

September 2, 2013 By

Every year, our family has climbed St. Mary’s Glacier, one of the top tourist destinations in Clear Creek County. Well, with the exception of last year when I got really sick on the day we were supposed to climb it. And then there was the time Jamie drove over Hadley’s foot at the trailhead so that didn’t exactly work out, either.

So, it’s a family tradition barring whatever disaster comes our way.

This year, we were delighted when our friends, the Carrolls, decided to join us. With six kids, they are a mobile party wherever they go so we knew we’d have a blast! The drive from Idaho Springs to the trailhead is full of hairpin turns and, after a steep, rocky 3/4-mile hike to the base of the glacier, we were at about 10,500 feet.

Jamie and I hiked ahead with the quicker kids and reached the lake at the base of the glacier in record time.

We threw rocks and scaled logs while we waited for the rest of the group but they didn’t come. After a half-hour, I started to hike back down but they were nowhere to be seen so I called them. Their daughter Maeve was struggling with car and altitude sickness so they were turning around and would wait for us in the car. The rest of us hiked to the base of the glacier where we played and played and played.

The quickies

We were delighted to see Maeve toward us a half-hour later, fully recovered after leaving a piece of her misery on the trail (I’ll leave that one to your imagination). In fact, it was a near-perfect afternoon and we practically skipped down to the car.

One of our other traditions is to stop for some epic mountain pies at nearby Beau Jo’s pizza in Idaho Springs. As we were waiting for our lunch, we received a text from Eva:

“Hey, our car won’t start. Are you still at Beau Jo’s?”

Just as we were getting ready to go back up the mountain to retrieve them, I got another text assuring me their car had started and they were on their way.

It was one of my family’s smoothest trips to St. Mary’s Glacier but our friends weren’t so lucky.  Turns out, disaster is contagious.

Just a forewarning for anyone who wants to come play with us anytime soon.

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Getting There: Take I-70 West from Denver, past Idaho Springs’ three exits. Take the next exit marked “Fall River Road.” Just past the bottom of the ramp, take a right (north) on Fall River Road. Follow this road up approximately 9 miles to one of two parking areas for the clearly marked trailhead to St. Mary’s Glacier. Parking is $5.

Filed Under: Colorado, Family travel, hiking, outdoors

My Evil (Murphy’s Law) Twin

August 27, 2013 By

We’re trying to navigate the road of being a one-car family since the accident. I thought it would be easy with both of us working from home but between driving kids around, meetings and errands, I’m finding how much I’d just get up and go whenever I wanted.

And confirmed I’m really really not a homebody because I’ve been stuck at home more than I’d like.

Fortunately, my neighbor Monica saved me from the house and suggested I show her the Ralston Creek Trail on our bikes today. I woke up bright and early this morning to pump my tires, which, as I’ve mentioned before, is one of my Top Five Least Favorite Things To Do right after moving, dieting and dying.

We loaded up our bikes into her SUV and drove to the trailhead. And then,

“Uh oh.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Look,” she said, pointing to her two flat tires.

She encouraged me to go without her but I stubbornly said I’d wait while she drove back home to pump her tires (it was too much of a pain to load both bikes in the back of her vehicle again).

And so I waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Eventually, she showed up…with her husband’s bike.

“What happened?”
“I couldn’t get the air compressor to work. It needs a different valve.”
“You have a road bike like mine and need a presta adapter to pump the tires.”
“I called Jamie to come help but he was busy. So I called my husband (who is out of town) and he said to just take his bike.”

In the end, we had a great ride but leading up to that point? It was hanging out with myself.

And not in a good way. :-)

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

Our son: Age seven going on 70

August 16, 2013 By

We bought both the kids new mountain bikes this summer (well, new-to-us from Craigslist). We’ve done a ton of hiking and adventuring but not much biking these days. One night, we decided to take them out for a spin and Hadley proposed we take the boys to our secret swamp in an Open Space park near our house.

Actually when we got there, she was mad about revealing our secret spot. Though she said “swamp,” she didn’t mean swamp and had intended for us to go on a secret trail and “why aren’t you a mind reader, Mom?”

Girl drama aside, she quickly recovered from our misunderstanding and took us on on an adventure that wound over dirt, rocks and plenty of bumps. It was Bode’s first off-piste trail on his new bike and he was not. Happy. About. It. Over and over again, he shouted out:

“I AM GOING TO REGRET 60 PERCENT OF THIS!”

And my favorite: “CURSE YOU!”

Good thing the other 40 percent of him had a great time.

Filed Under: biking, Bode, Humor, outdoors

Oh Canada Part IV: Jumping Into the Abyss

August 8, 2013 By

This was my kids’ first extended trip on the water so I wasn’t sure how they’d react to our week of boating Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. I suspected Hadley would love it because she’s a fish but Bode only recently started really swimming after we had to pay for private lessons last year.

Judging from some of his dock jumps, the dude is finally enjoying the water.

He wasn’t the only one to try new things. Because my brother Pat’s new boat is weighed down by fat sacs when we surf, it creates a huuuge rooster tail at the back of the boat. One of their favorite activities is jumping into it. Water Adverse Amber of yesteryear would’ve said NO FREAKING WAY but Water Loving Amber gave it a try. It’s a scary sensation when you first get sucked under, almost like you’re in a swirling toilet. But then it shoots you waaay back like a cannon and you pop out behind the wake. We went one right after the other so there was minimal distance for my brother to come retrieve us after.


This picture of Hadley launching into the rooster tail for the first time is my favorite picture I took on the entire trip.

Taking flight

Not only does it represent boldly trying new things but if you look closely you can see a line of heads bobbing up in the background, representing our supportive family who had gone before.

Speaking of trying new things, both kiddos enjoyed kneeboarding.

But no one was more accomplished than dear ol’ Dad. Not only is it tough getting up from your stomach but his kneeboard somehow got turned sideways during his run so he was fighting the current the entire time. The dude is strong!

I tried to convince Hadley to wakeboard but she had no interest. We called Jamie and he tried to up the ante: “Tell her I’ll buy something special for her when she gets home.” I relayed the message, to which she responded, “Unless it’s a pony, I’m not doing it.” And. She. Meant. It. Welcome to our world of having the most unbribable kid out there (and a glimpse at why potty training her was such a nightmare).

My niece Emily just graduated from high school and Ashton is a mama of two in her 20s. I never thought my kiddos would be the same age as hers but that’s how it worked out.

Mom with gorgeous deck views

Our daily schedule (if you want to call it that) was the same. Each morning, I’d get up early and go kayaking while Pat and Co. went for a morning wakeboard while all the kids slept. Around 10:30 a.m., we’d have Jane’s huge ‘n delicious breakfast and then everyone would load up on the boat for several hours. We’d head in mid-afternoon, grab some snacks, play on our beach and off the dock and then have a huge dinner. In the evening, we’d sometimes head back out or have a great time playing on the lawn of our cabin. Soccer got pretty heated as Ashton’s husband Fred and I battled out the glory days while pretending to teach our kids how to play. :)

But nothing was more fun than disco soccer by strobe light.

Hands down, my favorite day was when my brother took us all to the more cossetted west side of Okanagan Lake. Not only were the houses bigger but the water was warmer. Pat cut the engine and we played all afternoon–from diving contests (Ashton beat Pat, a huge upset; or rather, he was hugely upset) to splashing around to races around the boat.

Hangin’ on the boat

Soarin’

I came away thoroughly converted. Maybe I am a water person after all.

Here’s for Vernon, British Columbia 2014!

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Oh Canada Part I: My Home and Native Land

Oh Canada Part II: Home on the Range (errr, boat)

Oh Canada Part III: How Not to Die When Surfing Behind the Boat

Oh Canada Part IV: Jumping Into the Abyss

Filed Under: Bode, Canada, Family, Family travel, Hadley, outdoors, Uncategorized

Oh Canada Part III: How Not to Die While Surfing Behind the Boat

August 7, 2013 By

Surfing machine Emily

I already established in my last post that I’m not a water lover. But guess what? I really really enjoyed our five day adventures on Okanagan Lake, B.C., so much so that I may consider myself a quasi-water lover (baby steps, people).

My history with water-skiing hasn’t been pretty. Growing up, my family never went boating enough for me to actually improve so I’d usually look like a decrepit 100-year-old as I got dragged around the lake (when I was lucky enough to get up, that is). I tried wake-boarding years ago and found that a lot easier but I had pretty much discounted water sports from my repertoire.

Until I saw my brother Pat surf.

Though I don’t fear the water, the thought of real surfing terrifies me and I want to take surfing lessons to get over my fear of getting trampled by the waves. But when I saw Pat surf behind the boat, I was enthralled. It was like poetry in motion as he smoothly cut in and out of the wake, rocking out to the tunes blasting on the boat (I learned your playlist whilst surfing is almost as important as the board you’re using).

Turns out, surfing isn’t as easy as just throwing a rope behind the boat. In order to create a big wake, a proper ballast is required to make the boat sit lower in the water on the side you will be surfing on. My brother’s new Mastercraft has “fat sacs” to weigh it down even more.

And yes, you can insert fat jokes here.

Hadley and Bode both fell in love with surfing.

Hanging loose with Aunt Jane

“You can do it, Amber,” my sister-in-law Jane encouraged me. “It’s a lot easier than water-skiing or wake-boarding.”

I didn’t believe her but because I wanted to set an example for the kids in trying new things that scare us, I decided to try. I made the goal to get up by week’s end.

Coach Jane joined me in the water. The process:

1) Float around like an idiot trying to get your feet in the right place on top of the board while swallowing a gallon of water. Since it’s a surfboard, there are no foot holds so positioning is key.

2) Call out to your brother who is driving the boat to give you a little drag. That is in reference to slowly starting to move  the boat forward, not to smoking. Though both can kill.

3) Holding the rope between open knees, flip the board toward you by pushing down with your heels so that the edge of the board further from the boat is under water and the edge closet to the boat is up slightly in the air. Ingest more water.

4) Pull back on the rope to make sure it can support you (at least in your dreams), then lean waaay forward so your hands are between your feet. And yes, this looks as awkward as it sounds.

5) Yell “hit it” and fighting, fighting, fighting against the water, point your board toward the boat’s prop and begin turning toward the wake by putting more weigh on the edge of the board.

6) Freak out because, my GOSH, you got up on the first try! And then you react as any surfing professional would do: you jump off.

“You got up!” Jane yelled. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I didn’t know what to do next!”  I’d been so focused on watching how everyone got up, I hadn’t paid attention to how they actually surfed.

Second try, I popped back up and once I was stabilized, I slowly started pulling myself closer until I reached the sweet spot right before the boat. I was surfing!! And it was glorious!! The learning curve was huge and each time, I’d get better at shifting my weight to surf the wave.

Next summer’s goal: drop the rope and surf without its support.

Because after getting up the first try, I believe in miracles.

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Oh Canada Part I: My Home and Native Land

Oh Canada Part II: Home on the Range (errr, boat)

Oh Canada Part III: How Not to Die When Surfing Behind the Boat

Oh Canada Part IV: Jumping Into the Abyss

 

Filed Under: Canada, Family travel, Humor, outdoors Tagged With: , ,

Summer hiking group fun and why Bode can stay in his BOY corner

July 16, 2013 By

One of my favorite things in the entire world is exploring and discovering trails, particularly in my own backyard. So imagine how thrilled I was to recently stumble upon some new-to-me sites intermingled with my long-time favorites.

The Hike

My church friend Dawn organized a summer hiking group on Tuesday mornings. Early-June, Dawn decreed our first hike would be the Castle Trail at Mount Falcon Open Space, which is is a great, moderate trail for younger kiddos.

One of my favorite memories is when I was REALLY pregnant with Bode, we decided to go for a hike and picnic. We were only a few minutes into our hike when our little 2-year-old cherub decided she was not walking another step. And when stubborn miss doesn’t want to do something, she will not do it. Nice parents that we are, we didn’t give in to her meltdown and so she threw herself onto the middle of the trail and raged for about 10 minutes.

We walked a safe distance away. No, we were not worried about her safety (because who would take her in that condition?) but rather, ours. We pointedly ignored the other parents who judged us while we let her scream it out. If she’d been in a store, it would have been another matter but since we were in the great outdoors, we let her roar with the mountain lions. It ended up working. She eventually gave up, jumped up, dusted herself off and kept on walking. She was a delight the rest of the day.

Here Hadley is seven years later at the scene of the crime. Doesn’t she look so much more docile?

We’ll compare notes again at this spot during the hormonal teenage  years.

The Castle/Meadow Trail had all the makings for a perfect outing: a wide trail, beautiful wildflower-strewn meadow and rocks for climbing. The boys reenacted being chased by Orcs in Lord of the Rings while I tried not to take offense of being mistaken for a sallow-skinned, fanged humanoid.

Our final destination was the stone-wall remnants of the John Brisben Walker family castle that boasts stunning views of Denver. Though the ruins are fenced off for climbing, we were fully engaged as we read about his rags-to-riches story that included the fire that destroyed this early-1900s dream home.

Parmalee Gulch

The easiest route to Mount Falcon is via U.S. Highway 285. Take the Indian Hills turn-off and follow the open space signs up Parmalee Gulch Road. On our return trip, my kids and I were stopped in our tracks at a stunning property just outside of Mount Falcon with a white fence that stretched as far as the eye could see. When we saw the “For Sale” sign, we pulled in.

Because we just happen to be in the market for a multi-million-dollar property.

As we dreamed of having a mountain retreat, we eventually wound back down to a new-to-us part of Parmalee Gulch Road, happening upon a fantastic playground within Parmalee’s town limits. “We HAVE to stop!” my son announced and I agreed.

For the next hour, we scaled logs, climbed rock walls to the top of the slide and climbed on bears at this awesome playground.

Turned out I wasn’t too good at the latter, which is probably a good thing.

Bear Creek Canyon

I frequent Bear Creek Canyon regularly when en route from Denver/Morrison to Evergreen. After driving down the canyon,  we landed in the funky mountain town of Morrison, devoured sundaes at The Blue Cow, threw rocks in Bear Creek and I then told the kids we were crossing the street to visit two shops I’ve driven past a hundred times but have never set foot.

Both were love at first sight: Sundance Sensations appealed to my Bohemian side while La Boutique des Bourdreux was a whimsical, vintage gift and clothing shop where Hadley and I were enthralled at every turn and could have spent an hour in there.

If it wasn’t for Bode.

As every minute passed, he grew increasingly inpatient. When Hadley and I started trying on the large selection of hats, I cooed, “Hadley, I want this hat.”

Bode interjected. “Mommy, WANTS ARE NOT NEEDS.”

It would seem he’s been taking lessons from his father on more than just pumpkins.

Filed Under: Bode, Colorado, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, Humor, outdoors, pumpkins, travel Tagged With: , , , ,
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