2nd Annual Camping Trip

Thanks to the organizing efforts of our friends, the reservations, cooking, and food worked great. We are so fortunate to spend a weekend a year sharing an outdoor experience. Our group of 15 made for some exciting times.

Crazy Weather and No Bears!

The weather worsened as we headed to Jackson Lake. Dark skies, high winds, tumble weeds rolling, and hail. We even spent about 20 minutes under a bridge hiding from the hail in hopes to prevent hail damage. When we arrived, the huge lake was white-capped from the wind. Reports of tornadoes were in the area. On the bright side, the may fly type bugs weren’t swarming, yet. Also, no bears to contend with at Jackson Lake! After analyzing a burrito that was accidently left out the next night, we decided few scavengers were living in the area.

Campsites

We occupied Lakeside sites 58, 60, and 62. Of these sites, 62 was our favorite due to the row of trees for shade and the closeness to the bath house. Coin operated showers were nice after swimming.

Beach Day

The second day the weather was beautiful. The highlight of Jackson Lake is the South beach. The huge cottonwood trees tower over the beach giving protection from the sun. Plenty of frogs and snails kept the kids busy. We brought life vests for the kids expecting deeper water at the beach. With high water levels, the beach area didn’t get any deeper than about 4 ft. Canoe rides, on our friend’s canoe, around the beach and into an inlet East of the beach were really neat. Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach, so you may need to plan ahead. The short walk in camping sites near the secluded North beach looked really fun. The North beach didn’t look as sheltered from the sun as the South beach. Since one toiletry bag was left under a laundry basket at home, it was nice to be able to go to the Marina at the park to pick up a toothbrush and even a contact lens case and solution.

Something New

After six ski seasons of trekking up to Eldora Resort for daily ski lessons, we reached a family goal this weekend. We vacationed in the mountains on a multi-day ski vacation. Since we had four days, we chose to drive a while and explore something we couldn’t see over a weekend. Dad had visited Crested Butte 18 years ago, so it seemed like a nice, familiar choice. We checked out vrbo.com for condo rentals. Their prices were comparable to Elevation Spa and Resort. So, we just went with the hotel. The location is awesome. To get to the slopes in the morning, you check your skis out of the “ski valet”, walk out the door, and ski about a city block up to the Red Lady Express lift. Right next to Red Lady Express, is the Silver Queen which services the harder terrain. We tried the Silver Queen exactly once. Mom felt a little queasy with the Blue run tight turns, so we decided to stick with the Red Lady Express after that. Our favorite lift was Paradise, which was much fancier than we were used to with maps and speed changes. Overhearing skiers talk about “Paradise” made for some interesting listening.

The Terrain

The ski mountain in Crested Butte is gorgeous! We weren’t used to seeing aspen groves mixed with the pine forests. The Crested Butte “peak” was always a fascination. According to the maps, Crested Butte has the greatest amount of extreme terrain on the continent. We saw ski tracks up on the “peak” and found out you can hike to the peak and ski up there. We we couldn’t imagine anyone being able to do that!

Skiing

As a family, we managed to stick together enough not to get lost. Our group is a mix. We have conservative gentle slope enthusiasts, tree skiers, jump seekers, super pipe skiers, and terrain park lovers. We have fast skiers and slow skiers. Fortunately, we all managed to ski our own style and ride the lifts together. Christy’s Sports is at the base of the hill next to the Elevation Hotel. We made one stop there to get ski readjusted. One of our skier kept losing his ski mostly during jumps. So it was really nice to get a free binding adjustment before heading to lunch in our hotel room.

Tubing

The last evening of our stay, we bought $5 tickets to the tubing hill for the kids. They enjoyed tubing, but the hill closed early and the fun lasted less than an hour. Tubing had no lift which was a major complaint after hauling those large tubes of the hill half a dozen times.

Check-in

When we first arrive at the Elevation, we could barely pull up to the hotel to check in. They didn’t have a room for us. We unloaded our things onto a cart and left it with the Bell Service. With free drink coupons in hand, we headed to the Atmosphere’s Restaurant off the lobby. They were to call us when our room was ready. We sipped for awhile and then decided to order dinner. The grilled cheese was not a hit nor the remaining entrees. After getting our bill, we decided to take the free shuttle downtown to the grocery store and find some real food. This worked great for us. We ate breakfast and lunch out of our little kitchen setup in the hotel. Then, we took the free “town shuttle” downtown to try some local restaurants in the evening.

Restaurants

After reading restaurant reviews, we chose the following restaurants in downtown Crested Butte. Each choice was a winner. The first night, we visited, Slogar, known for southern comfort American cooking. We sat in the parlor to wait for our dinner. Dinner is served family style starting with a relish plate. The main course includes fried chicken, mashed potatoes with chicken gravy, corn, and biscuits. The decor and food felt like another generation and place in time. The next night, we ate pizza at the ,The Secret Stash, which had a Indian type theme. Luckily, we only had to wait about 20 minutes for a table and 45 minutes for our food. Most larger parties were waiting longer. Despite the waiting, we had a very nice evening. The decor was interesting, the pizza was great, and the conversation was fun. Finally, on our way out of town we stopped for breakfast at Paradise Cafe. This is known as the “best breakfast” place in town and the food was great!

Wonderful Weather

The weather this trip has been great. Last night the temperature was perfect for sleeping. We had a beautiful sunny morning. Right now, I am writing this inside the van in the middle of a thunderstorm. We see lightning. We hear thunder. The rain is heavy. This little storm will test the Maggiolina. We left the Maggiolina tent up on our van. We left the changing room up. Due to the lightning, no one is up in the Maggiolina tent above the van.

Larkspur

Saturday morning we left the house at 9:40 AM and arrived at our friends in Larkspur, CO at about 11:30 AM. We were surprised to be in stop and go traffic before driving by Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. Then, more traffic between Castle Rock and Larkspur. Thanks to our friends for a yummy lunch with an excellent Amaretto Pudding cake. We really enjoyed our fun chat with them.

Larkspur to Painted Rock Campground

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Thanks to our friends’ advice, we took an interesting route from Larkspur to Painted Rock Campground. Painted Rock is 8 miles north of Woodland Park, Colorado. As the crow flies, the two locales are reasonably close. But those mountains get in the way. So we winded our way down some blacktop, some dirt road, and many tight turns. Finally, we were in Deckers, Colorado driving on flat blacktop heading straight toward Painted Rock Campground.

Camping at Painted Rock

Painted Rock campground is a bit rustic, but listed as one of the 100 best campgrounds in Colorado. Check out my post on the book Colorado Campgrounds: The 100 Best and All the Rest. Even though there are no perks at Painted Rock, the vaulted bathrooms were clean. The campsites seem the perfect distance apart, not too close, not too secluded. The rocks dispersed through the campground are fun to look at and climb. Luckily, we ended up in one of our favorite sites, number 14. We like the site because it is close to the bathroom, has a rock view, and has shade above the picnic table. Also, site 18 looks fun with a rock in the site and plenty of shade. Our next round of choices would be site 13 or site 15. At site 13, we would need a canopy to protect us from the sun. Site 15 had a slight hill with a rock to play on beyond the hill.

Morning at Manitou Lake

About 10 AM Sunday morning, we packed up our water bottles and started jogging the biking trails down highway 67 toward Manitou Lake. After about 25 minutes we arrived at the lake without our park pass. The camp host had instructed us that our camping pass was good at Manitou Lake. The attendants were nice enough to let us in without the fee. I think they figured we didn’t look crazy enough to have run all the way from Woodland Park. The lake was busy with fishermen that did not appreciate rocks dropped in their water. We learned this the hard way. We watched the fish and ducks navigate the spillway and enjoyed a distant view of Pikes Peak.

Labor Day in Colorado Springs

At some point before day break, we heard coyotes howling. At least that is what we think we heard. Just a little reminder we were sleeping in the wild. The morning broke sunny, but cold. We ate breakfast, packed up camp, and headed into Woodland Park. In Woodland Park, we stopped at Java Junction to make a Bookcrossing book release. Next, we drove a bit toward Colorado Springs and made plans to meet friends at Chilis. They agreed to meet us even though we hadn’t bathed for over two days. It was great catching up on everyone’s activities and families. Of course seeing how the children have grown is always a treat. Finally, we wandered around Chapel Hills Mall looking for a blouse for school picture day. We were basically lost in this mall that used to be very familiar when we lived here over ten years ago. Off for home, we drove through some beautiful scenery and experienced another thunderstorm.

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To Ellis

So, the plan was to leave for Ellis, Kansas late afternoon on Friday July 27th. We didn’t get out the door until around 7 PM. On the way to Ellis, we drove on the edge of a powerful thunderstorm. We arrived at 1:30 AM the next morning.

Ellis Arrival

Tired and ready for bed, we drove slowly down main street Ellis, Kansas. We were amazed by the Ellis Travel Plaza which featured an indoor play area through a large window. The Plaza sits on the edge of the lot where the “station” sat. My grandparents and aunt/uncle owned the “station”, a Mobile Gas Station, during my childhood.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

So at 1:30 AM, I opened up the envelope with the key for the Ellis home. There was no key there! We wrestled through the carpets, the car seats, the garbage, and everywhere else we could think of. At that point, I was wishing I had put the key on my key ring earlier.

Plan B: Ellis City Park

We headed down to Big Creek to check out the camping situation. At that time of night there were many RVs and tents with sleeping campers. We couldn’t be sure if there were any empty spots. The mosquitos were swarming us. We were tired. We had over an eight hour drive tomorrow. It was time for Plan C.

Plan C: Hotel in Hays, Kansas

So, we headed down the Highway to Hays, Kansas looking for a hotel at 1:30 AM. We were optimistic. Hays is a large city. Unless there was a big event going on, we should be able to find something. We stopped at the Fairfield Inn. We were told a Shriners’ convention was in town. No hotel rooms could be found until Abilene, KS which is 120 miles away. It was time for Plan D.

Plan D: Walmart Parking Lot: Hays, Kansas

At this point it was about 2:00 AM and we were getting desperate. We had read about boondocking in Walmart parking lots. About 10 RVs and pop up tents were already parked in the Hays Walmart parking lot. I had read on the web two philosophies of doing it. One theory was just do it and ask forgiveness if they kick you out. The other theory was to ask the manager. Since we really didn’t want to be kicked out after setting up, we decided to go in and ask. We talked to an employee who was very welcoming. She told us her manager keeps both doors open for campers, it is safe because the security cameras are on, and her trucker husband does it all the time. Without many choices at this point, we set up camp in the Walmart parking lot.

On our Way to Oklahoma City

The next morning we were gone by 8:00 AM. I had read that it is good etiquette to leave Walmart Parking lots early. So we did. We went in and bought a few items, including sunglass covers for my glasses. I looked pretty beat up with a mosquito bite that swelled part of my right eye shut. I was afraid to put on my contacts and I needed to see in the sun.

Visiting Norman, Oklahoma

A certain family member who is an alumni from the University of Oklahoma had a couple of items on his list to check off. So we did a whirlwind tour of the campus, had dinner at Goldie’s restaurant, and checked out the state of the house he lived in while going to college. Unfortunately, the house was run down with weeds growing in the gutters on the roof of the house. We didn’t even think to take a photo .

Hoteling in Oklahoma City

The original plan was to camp outside of Oklahoma City. But we decided we needed to sleep well. We had with another full day of driving to Austin. So we swam, slept, and ate breakfast at the Marriott Fairfield Inn near Crossroads Mall in Oklahoma City.

Off to Austin, Texas

With all the driving excitement so far, I think we would all agree the drive between Oklahoma City and Austin was the hardest driving of the trip. On a Sunday, the traffic was non-stop all the way to Austin. We did drop off a Bookcrossing Book in Temple, Texas. To our excitement, a few days later we received news that our book had been caught. See the journal entry, for A Cry In the Night. This is our first bookcrossing release that has been caught!

Fun in Austin

We stayed in Austin for about three days and four nights. The best part of the stay was spending time with our relatives; Brother/Sister-In-Law (Uncle/Aunt), and Cousins. We had many fun and interesting chats. Also, we stayed in our Brother’s/Sister-In-Law’s beautiful new home which was a wonderful break from camping. We “helped” (as much as we help) with baby sitting our nephews/cousins. They are one year and three years old and growing fast! Swimming and being silly in the pool with our cousin was a highlight. Finally, our group broke into two and went to the movies to see “Ratatouille” and the “The Simpsons Movie”.

Food in Austin

Thanks for the yummy meals at home. Also, we were treated to some of the best food in Austin which included:

• Carino’s Italian Grill
• The Shady Grove
• Salt Lick Barbecue

A Day Trip to San Antonio

Thanks to our Brother/Uncle for taking us on a tour of San Antonio, Texas. First, we stopped at the San Antonio Zoo to feed the fish and watch the bears and flamingos. Then, we drove downtown to visit the Alamo. Finally, we had lunch on the River Walk at Rita’s on the River. Entertainment during the drive included DVDs in the car, music, and conversation.

Trip to Carlsbad National Park in New Mexico

We left Austin around 7:40 AM and arrived in White’s City, New Mexico about 4:30 PM. After getting our bearings, we reserved a camping spot, ate dinner, and headed to Carlsbad National Park visitor center. Around 7:15 PM we arrived at the amphitheater to watch the bat flight show at the Natural Entrance to the Carlsbad Caverns Cave. The Park Ranger put on a very interesting talk about the bats. Then, about 7:58 PM, the bat detector went off. The crowd was silent. We watched approximately 300,000 Mexican Free Tail Bats fly out of the cave in circular tornado fashion. It was really amazing! No cameras were allowed because electronic gadgets interfere with the bat’s echolocation.

Camping

After returning from watching the bats, we were not very comfortable in the camping area in White’s City Resort. I will never think of the word “Resort” in quite the same way again. There was RVers in one section of the park but no campers in the tent part of the park. The bathrooms were run down, and it felt too secluded. So, we drove into the city of Carlsbad and spent our second night in a Walmart Parking Lot. At this point, we learned that we need to do a better job of researching campgrounds.

A Day of Caving

The rain started about 10 minutes before we finished packing up camp. We found breakfast at a gas station in Carlsbad, New Mexico and drove the 27 miles back to Carlsbad National Park. By 9:00 AM, we had our self guided tour radios and were heading into the cave. For the next four hours, we toured the Natural Entrance and Big Room. Carlsbad Caverns is known as one of the most highly decorated caves in the world. It was just beautiful! Dad had toured these caves as a youngster about 30 years ago and remembered several of the features. So, it was very exciting for him to see it again with his family.

Eating Lunch at Carlsbad Caverns National Park

The visitor center is being renovated at the park, so several temporary buildings were set up. We ate lunch in one of the temporary buildings. At the eating area, we released another book and registered it at Bookcrossing.com.

Heading for Home

At about 2 pm, we left Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This drive had very few gas stations or stopping places. After driving about 6 hours, we reached Vaughn, New Mexico. We needed to decide if we would continue on to Santa Fe and camp another night or head home. Rain clouds loomed in the distance. So we decided to head for home. We arrived home about 2:00 AM the next morning.

Camping Group

Our camping group included 11 children and 8 adults. We camped two nights at the group campground loop of Glacier Basin at Rocky Mountain National Park. Friendship, group meals, and gear sharing are some of the highlights of camping together. Special thanks to our friends who invited us, reserved the camp site, and organized the meals.

The Maggiolina AirLand: A Roof Top Tent

For the last couple years we have considered buying a Maggiolina AirLand Roof Top Tent.
Finally, we did. Last year, we camped in the van with the kids sleeping in the front seats. But as they continue to grow, there is not enough room for them. We like the idea of traveling by car, avoiding hotels, visiting relatives, and camping a couple weeks a year. The Roof Top Tents are attractive because they are easy to set up, they have a ceiling lift to store at the top of the garage, and of course they are a little unusual.

Lessons Learned: Roof Top Tents are not considered Tents by Some

The kids did sleep the first night in the Roof Top Tent. The next day the camp host came by and noticed we had a ladder propped up against a tree. When asked, we assured him we were not climbing trees (which was against the rules). Then after some thought, he returned to ask if we were sleeping in our Roof Top Tent. We were asked not to sleep in the tent because this is a tent-only group campground. So after discussing whether we should put the tent on the ground, we decided to take an offer to sleep in a friend’s tent. In the future, we will verify we get the correct reservations when using our Maggiolina AirLand.

Sprague Lake Hike

Most of us hiked to Sprague Lake on Saturday Morning. We saw sun, clouds, and rain as is common in this country. Since the sole fishing pole we own is broken, it was very nice to have friends with fishing poles. We learned that sand walks were built into Sprague Lake so the fly fishermen can walk to the middle of the lake and fish. See the photo. The Park Ranger presented an interesting talk on beavers and showed us an abandoned beaver dam.

Castle, S’mores and Skits

The kids built an elaborate castle with rocks in our campsite. The adults were given tours of the courtyard, emperor’s and king’s quarters, knights’ quarters, wizard’s quarters, dining room, great hall, dungeon, kitchen, and more. S’mores and skits were a highlight each night. The final night skits were presented by all including “Important Papers”, “The Doctor’s Office”, “The Candy Shop”, “Echo Canyon”, and “Star Wars”.

A long Weekend: What to do?

While looking for a camping reservation a few days before Memorial Day Weekend, we didn’t find anything within a three hour radius of our home. Not to mention the work to get together a camping trip did not seem appealing. So, we decided to get out of town for one night, stay at a hotel, and check out the sites around Loveland/Fort Collins, Colorado.

Horsetooth Reservoir: Our Weekend Picnic

We headed straight for Fort Collins and drove down Harmony Road. Making a quick decision we turned onto C.R. 23 rather than C.R. 38E. Not knowing where we were going, this quick decision determined the events of the day. We drove about 5 miles, most of the length of the reservoir, before finding a ranger to talk to at Satanka Bay. He suggested turning around, picnicking on the reservoir and then driving back to C.R. 38E and Horsetooth Mountain Park. We wanted to hike to the waterfall at Horsetooth Mountain Park. A certain Uncle/Brother who used to live in Fort Collins recommended the hike. The ranger told us Horsetooth Mountain Park was under construction and new picnic facilities were expected soon. But, the hogback along the reservoir would be a better picnic place this trip.

Horsetooth Mountain Park: Waterfall Plans thwarted by rattlesnake

Our afternoon hike at Horsetooth Mountain Park was lovely. We kept hearing a sound that was either the wind blowing through the aspen trees or a waterfall. Many of the creek beds looked dry, so we didn’t expect to see a waterfall. Around the bend, we were planning to turn around and head back to the trail head. A group of hikers told us they had seen a rattlesnake ahead. We didn’t take this warning seriously. Then as we got ready to cross the bridge ahead, a young couple was climbing down the hill through thick brush. They told us to stop. They were climbing around a rattlesnake sprawled across the path. When they came down, they showed us the snake. The photo to the right shows the snake. The snake is a blur toward the right of the third farthest stair. We watched him for awhile before turning back. The young couple stayed and warned others. Then, on our way back, the young couple caught up to us. They had moved the snake off the path after we left. Next time we are in Fort Collins, we plan to hike the waterfall trail, avoid rattlesnakes, and reach that waterfall!

Old Town Fort Collins: Austin’s Grill and Walrus Ice Cream Shop

Next, we headed down town to eat dinner at Austin’s Grill and dessert at Walrus Ice Cream Shop. The grill is located at College and Mountain in Fort Collins. There are several other Austin Grill locations in the area. Walrus Ice Cream Shop is located on the South side of Mountain just West of College. Once again, these two suggestions, made by a certain Uncle/Brother, were a big hit!

To Loveland: Swim and Sleep

Finally, we headed back to Loveland, Colorado for some hotel pool swimming and sleep at the Marriott Fairfield Inn located near the outlet mall. We often stay at Marriott Fairfield Inns. The Loveland Fairfield Inn had the fanciest free breakfast we have ever seen.

Benson Park Sculpture Garden: A Classic Outdoor Art Museum

On a beautiful Memorial Day morning, we walked around Benson Park Sculpture Garden. We really enjoyed looking at the mostly bronze sculptures. A few had marble, glass, and stone material. A highlight was reading the titles and understanding a little more about the artwork. We spent all morning on the South Pond and only were able to see about half of the 100 sculptures on display throughout the park.

Swetsville Zoo: An Unusual Outdoor Art Museum

A certain Aunt and Uncle on their way from Anchorage to Austin, suggested checking out the Swetsville Zoo. We had seen photographs, so this ought to be easy to find! First, we drove by a white house with a sculpture by the mailbox. This surely couldn’t be what we were looking for. After a bit of a drive we turned around and drove back. Once again, we drove by the mailbox thinking surely this couldn’t be what we were looking for. Across the highway, we turned around, drove back to the mailbox and turned into the driveway. We had arrived at Swetsville Zoo!

An Art of Love: Sculptures made of Car Parts, Machinery and Scrap Metal

We picked up the laminated paper tour guide and walked through the sculpture garden. Each sculpture had a name, description, and comment that made the metal sculptures more interesting. We especially liked the humorous comments. Each family member took a photo next to their favorite masterpiece.

CSU Environment Learning Center: A Bald Eagle in the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program

We checked out the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program located at the East end of Drake Road in Fort Collins. More information is at the CSU Environmental Learning Center website. We saw a beautiful Bald Eagle in an injured raptor cage which was definitely a highlight. Also, we walked the Cottonwood Trail which crossed the Poudre River and connected with many other trails.

Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour: Was this a good family choice?

In one of our Colorado Family Guide Books, the Anheuser-Busch facility was mentioned. We were having allergy problems outside, so an indoor activity seemed like a good choice to end out our trip. We remember reading about the Clydesdales and thought this could be interesting. So we found our way to the tour center. As we walked in the door, the greeter behind the desk asked us if we wanted to go on the tour. We were told it left two minutes ago, and we could catch them if we hurried. So without really knowing what we were doing we were off on a Brewery Tour.

The Brewery Tour and Clydesdales

The adults in our group were really impressed with the magnitude and scope of the brew process. I believe everyone was impressed with the canning area where cans and bottles whizzed by so fast you could barely see them. Each child kept a souvenir of Beechwood used in “Beechwood Aging”. The recycling aspect of the operation was impressive. The advertising aspect was a little unnerving for our young group. The Clydesdales were a highlight. We viewed the beautiful horses in cages at the end of the tour. Although soda pop was an option, we did skip the tasting part of the tour. After rereading our family guide, we realized it recommended a 25 minute video, the Clydesdales, and exhibits at the Tour Center, not the entire Brewery Tour.

Johnson’s Corner: Finally Stopped There

So, we had heard rumors about the famous cinnamon rolls at Johnson’s Corner Truck Stop. The truck stop is located 3 miles South of Loveland on I-25 Exit 254. Every time we drove by, we were in a hurry. On the way home, we finally stopped for dinner and a cinnamon roll for dessert. Johnson’s Corner has an interesting history, claim to fame through the Food Network, and has never closed their doors since opening in 1952.

Must Sees for Next Time

• Waterfall at Horsetooth Mountain Park
• Shoreline/Horsetooth Reservoir Camping
• Middle Pond at Benson Sculpture Park
• Starry Night Coffee: located on the East side of College just South of Mountain in Old Town Fort Collins

Although this is the sixth ski season our family has spent at Eldora Mountain Resort,
I feel like this is just the beginning of the adventure. Last week, we reached a milestone. All skiers in our family ventured up to Big Mountain to ski as a group for a short time. Now, I have visions of developing favorite routes, and memories together. Perhaps we will each lead a set of runs to explore more of the mountain. The challenge will be to slow down our youngest skier long enough to wait for our oldest skier.

A Typical Ski Day

For the last six weeks, we have followed a ski day routine that worked well for us. Following is a typical schedule:

7:00 AM wake up, eat breakfast, gather supplies
7:45 AM leave for Eldora
8:45 AM arrive at Eldora
9:15 AM meet instructors for lessons
2:15 PM lessons over, ski together as a family
3:30 PM skiing is more relaxing with fewer crowds
4:00 PM runs close – time to head for home
5:00 PM return home
5:30 PM pizza and a movie at home

Challenging and Fun: Women’s Day Lessons

This year I participated in the Women’s Days program. Having just started skiing last year, this was a great program for me. Last year, I remember being uncomfortable learning to make turns outside the lodge on the two foot high hills. This year, the Women’s Days ski group started on the Green Beginner Terrain. On the last class, we skied most of a Black Expert hill. Our progress is a credit to the dedicated instructors and a solid Women’s program that has been in existence for 30 years. I look forward to keeping in touch with an amazing group of ladies I met during this session.

A Challenge: Kid’s Trek Lessons

Once again, this year our family participated in Kid’s Trek programs. At the beginning levels of Kid’s Trek, we have always been thrilled with the progress our children have made. It is so amazing to see these young children ski so naturally and with so little fear. However, this is the first year we felt disappointed in a class. In an intermediate level Kid’s Trek class, we felt the class was too large with too diverse a level of skiers to be effective. As parents, we were encouraged to be more aggressive in talking to supervisors if we have a problem in the future.

Lessons Learned: Ski lesson advice for Next Year

* Second Session Kid’s Trek is less crowded and the quality may be better.
* Kid’s Eldora Ski Team may have an option to practice once a weekend.
* Private lessons can be bought in 5 packs to reduce costs.
* You may request your favorite instructors for private lessons.

Season Passes: Should you buy them in March?

For the best prices on season passes, look into purchasing the next year’s season pass during March. Buying in the spring allows you to ski the rest of the season and next year on one season pass. This works particularly well for the five year old, who will turn six years before next season. You will be paying the five year old rate for a six year old’s season pass.

On Sale: Winter Ski Clothing

For winter clothing and ski equipment, we like to start at the SNIAGRAB Sale in Boulder, Colorado which begins Labor Day weekend (SNIAGRAB is bargains spelled backwards). This tent sale is in North Boulder at Sports Authority, which was formerly Gart Sports.

Season Ski Equipment Rentals: What is the plan?

Season Ski Rental do sell out, so procrastination doesn’t work. This year we rented skis, boots, and poles for the season from Christy Sports. Since their website is mostly concerned with short term rentals, I would suggest calling a local store in September to find out when they expect to offer season rentals. They will likely run out before the snow flies. The nice thing about Christy Sports is they have both a Boulder and Broomfield location and will do tune ups throughout the season at either location. They recommend a tune up including edging and waxing after skiing on their rental skis 5-10 times. Also, in the past, we have been happy purchasing children season rentals from Cutting Edge Sports.

Ski Deals: Start looking for Deals on Labor Day

We have never bought inexpensive ski coupon 4 packs, but they sound like great deals if you get them early. Next year, we plan to check out the Colorado 5th grade passport. This provides Colorado 5th graders with 3 free lift tickets at 25 member resorts for a total of 75 free lift tickets. The program is also extended to Colorado 6th graders for a small fee. Around Labor Day, Eldora Mountain Resort will start advertising their pre-season Kid’s Trek and Women’s Days lesson rates. Also in the Fall, we buy the Entertainment Book at our school fundraiser. They usually have good coupons for rentals, lift tickets, and lessons at Eldora.

Ski Equipment: How do Beginners get a Clue?

The equipment scene is a bit overwhelming to beginning skiers. This year we all purchased season rentals at Christy Sports. This is nice for the young skier because they will most likely grow out of gear by next year. For the older skier who wants to know more before owning, they can become more familiar with equipment before buying. The season rental is easier than a daily rental because you don’t have to worry about returning equipment by 5:00 PM after a long ski day.

Misfitted Boots: My feet aren’t that big!

At one Women’s Days lesson, they offered the use of free demo skis for the day. When, I went to try on a new pair of skis, I was told I had been fitted with the equivalent of a men’s size 13 ski boot. Basically, they told me until my boot fit is fixed, the skis won’t matter. Asking around, I heard about Larry’s Boot Fitting in Boulder. So, I decided to check it out.

A Trip To Larry’s Boot Fitting

When I called Larry’s Boot Fitting, I had a very good impression of their service. They told me they do not charge for advice, so I made an appointment. Over a two hour period, while working with many other customers, they helped me find the right boot. This involved measuring my foot and calling Christy’s Sports to reserve the correct style/size boot. Then, I drove across town to exchange my season rental boot with the boot recommended by Larry’s. Finally, I brought them back and they performed some magic to shape the lining to my foot. So, far I have been very happy with the fit of these boots. If you need ski boot equipment or advice, I would make an appointment at:

Larry’s Boot Fitting
2709 Spruce St
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 402-6733

Ski Equipment: Unforgettable Technology and Practical Ideas

* battery operated heating elements in ski boots
* pulley harnesses that relieve shock on knees
* disposable hand and feet warmers

Arriving at the Sand

We left home at 9:30 AM and arrived at the Dunes around 3:00 PM. After arriving, we stopped at the visitor’s center, watched the introduction movie, and listened to a Ranger presentation. Everyone was anxious to get to the sand, so we headed to the Dunes parking lot. The weather was threatening, so we made it across the 1/4 mile flat region to the first dune. The kids ran up and down (some rolling) three times, before we headed back to safety. Junior rangers are taught to get off the sand if you hear thunder or see lightning. So, we headed over to San Luis Lakes to set up our camp. Before leaving the Great Sand Dunes National Park, we noticed open campsites. These public campgrounds do not take reservations so we couldn’t be sure we could get a site when we left home. Since we already had reservations for two nights at San Luis Lakes, we wanted to check this Colorado State Park out.

Camping at San Luis Lakes State Park

San Luis lakes was treeless and quite quiet. The lake had beautiful boating and picnic facilities, but no one was around. We stayed in an electric tent site loop A 02 across from the campground host. As always, we chose a site close to the bathrooms. The park has both shower and laundry facilities. Across the street from our site, was the view of the lake and the mountains. For scenery, these may have been better sites.

San Luis Lake: Where are the lake lovers?

During our stay we heard from a ranger that San Luis Lakes was supposed to be a big fishing lake, but poisoning the hearty carp did not work. So, they couldn’t make the lake useful for fishermen. We were told it is very alkaline lake due to the ground water in the area. The carp poisoning left the lake unsuited for swimming and recreation.

Early Morning Arrival at Great Sand Dunes National Park

After eating camp breakfast every morning we drove 15 minutes from San Luis Lakes to Great Sand Dunes National Park. The drive was gorgeous with the Black-eyed Susan flowers lining the road. The Great Sand Dunes backed up by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains was beautiful. Both days we tried to leave the sand by noon, due to the hot sand and overall heat. Our goal was to hike up several dunes for about 1 hour and then head back.

Experiencing the Sand

It was a very unusual adventure to climb mounds of sand, get stuck in our sled while trying to slide down a mound, and finally making it back through the flat area in the heat. We watched a snowboarder have much more luck sliding down a dune than we did. We were trying to use a large a 2-3 person red sled which I wouldn’t recommend. Perhaps a smaller sled would work better.

Sand Dunes: A Picnic

We especially enjoyed finding a picnic table deep inside the Dunes Picnic Area under a large willow tree. The terrain was full of trees, and had bear warning posters. This terrain was a sharp contrast to San Luis State Park.

Sand Dunes: Ranger Programs are Great!

The kids attended a Hands On Kid’s Program which explained about kangaroo rats, magnetite in the sand, and antlers. They even touched a salamander while wearing plastic gloves.

Bookcrossing: Starting a Tradition

We are fascinated with the idea of leaving books in the wild as explained at bookcrossing.com. Before leaving the park, we stopped at the Visitor Center at the Great Sand Dunes to set a book free in the wild using Bookcrossing.com. Here is a description of the book and it’s release.

Great Sand Dunes Oasis

The Great Sand Dunes Oasis is a convenience store located right outside the park. We stopped there two times for ice. Then on the way home we ate sandwiches and hamburgers there. We were told they had an ice cream social on Saturday night for $1.50. ( bring your own bowl ). But we opted for s’mores at our campsite instead. This is the first time this summer, we had a campfire and s’mores! Rain and fire bans kept us from s’mores on previous trips.

Tips

* Gnats at San Luis Lakes are worse if you wear white socks. Wear flip flops instead.
* Avoid the Dunes between noon and 4:00 PM at this time of year.

Should We or Shouldn’t We Go?

This trip almost didn’t happen. The weather forecast was for 70% chance of heavy rain on Saturday. But, trips are hard to cancel. Would it be harder to follow through? We decided to expect an adventure. So, we set out at 10:30 AM Saturday morning.

Unexpected Visitors: Us

Failing to plan ahead, we called our Colorado Springs and Larkspur friends as we were driving through Colorado Springs and Larkspur. Visiting them was unanimously our favorite part of the trip.

The Forecast Did Mean Heavy Rain

At 4:20 PM, we left Colorado Springs, drove to Mueller State Park, set up camp, and cooked dinner. Just as we sat down for dinner, it started to rain hard! So we dashed to the van with our food and anything else we could grab. In the van, we ate dinner, watched the rain, and ran to the bathrooms when it calmed down a bit. The next morning we woke up early with the threat of rain. So, we ate and packed up camp early.

Highlights of Mueller

We walked Dragonfly Children’s Nature Trail. Then, we drove to the Mueller State Park Visitor’s Center. I was very impressed with all the wildlife exhibits and information. The fact that one third of the park’s trees are Aspen, makes this park feel like a unique Colorado State Park. Learning about Mueller Ranch and gold mining in the area was a very interesting historical perspective on this land. Winning awards for Best Campground, Best Family Camping, and Unique Cabins, this Colorado State Park is extremely well done.

The Future

In the future, I can imagine extended stay camping with the heated shower house and laundry facilities. The cabins would be fun, but the Ranger suggested reserving them six months ahead of time.

Flag Day Party

Great company, food, horse ball, and teepee interior decorating. Thanks!

Camping Location

The Lodgepole Campground is located in Colorado’s Pike National Forest. It is 3.75 miles North of Jefferson off of Hwy 285. When entering Jefferson on Hwy 285, look for the only intersection which is County Roads 35/37. Then, turn Northwest on County Roads 35/37. Follow the sign toward Jefferson Lake.

Would we Ever Leave Home?

We didn’t leave our home until 11:30 AM Saturday morning after a full morning of packing!

Expired Reservation

I made reservations at Lodgepole Campground in Pike National Forest. We really only wanted to stay one night. Since they required a minimum two night reservation, I made the reservation for the nights of June 16th and 17th. When we arrived at 8:00 PM on June 17th, we had missed a 24 hour arrival window for our reservation. So, we were without reservations and it was getting dark fast. The Lodgepole Campsite Manager suggested visiting the overflow camping area. The overflow camping area is located down a side road intersecting the main entrance to the park.

Camping in Overflow

On this trip, camping in overflow meant camping with no toilets and no picnic tables during a fire ban. We set up camp in the dark. One large cooler, a small cooler, and food box needed to be stored in the van due to Colorado law. To avoid attracting bears to camping locations, the law is a safety precaution. So, we packed all four of us and our food snugly into the van.

In the Van, A Spook?

The temperature dropped to around 30 degrees that night. We turned on the heat in the van several times. This required reaching over a couple of sleeping children to the dashboard to turn on the ignition. At one point, I heard rhythmic pounding on the van. My imagination was not thinking good things. It turned out I had accidently turned on the windshield wipers.

We Endured and Experienced

We woke up on Father’s Day. We survived a camping outing without the safety of a public camping area with site manager! The overflow area we picked had a rock campfire pit where we could lay our stove. About 15 feet from our site, was a beautiful, shallow, gurgling stream with little waterfalls. We watched in amazement as the off road vehicles and some low riding vehicles crossed that stream on a dirt road. The kids were instantly entertained by the sluice and all the natural features around the stream. By the end of the weekend, they all had names including penguin point. The daytime weather was sunny, warm and calm!

Recommendations

Know the campgrounds reservation policy if you arrive late. We had trouble finding County Road 35/37 on the way to Lodgepole Campground. At Jefferson, head Northwest on the only road intersecting Hwy 285. This should be County Road 35/37.