Colorado - Our Home Away from Home...

Colorado is probably our favorite state in the lower 48.  Todd has been skiing in Colorado for about 27 years and introduced Shonah to Colorado and skiing 12 years ago.  Not only is winter in the mountains a blast with skiing and snowshoeing, summer is also pretty awesome with mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding and an abundance of summer festivals.  Our home away from home in Colorado is Copper Mountain Ski Resort where we used to own a condo and where Todd's Aunt still owns condos which allows us to get free or discounted access to a variety of activities.  We're lucky to be able to park for free in the Copper parking lots and enjoy the resort amenities at little or no cost.




Todd and Chip doing some single track mountain biking at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado.  Since dogs aren't allowed on the lift, Todd and Shonah had to get uphill the old fashioned way - pedal power, rather than chair lift.

Todd, Chip, and Shonah resting after the ride up the mountain at Copper Mountain Ski Resort.  The ride up took us 1 hour and 39 minutes to ride the 4.33 miles with an elevation gain of 1,489 feet.  We were excited that we made it considering we hadn't been in the mountains for more than a couple days and that we hadn't exactly been riding our bikes much during our time in Ohio.

Shonah, Chip, and Todd posing for a selfie during mountain biking.  Chip is sporting his new sun visor which helps to keep the strong Colorado sun out of his eyes.

Shonah and Chip posing for a picture during our 33-mile ride from Copper Mountain Ski Resort to Vail Ski Resort and then back to Copper Mountain Ski Resort.

Todd, Chip and Shonah posing for a picture on our return ride to Copper Mountain Ski Resort from our day of exploring the Vail Farmer's Market in Vail Ski Resort.  The paved path was a 33-mile round trip that required cycling over the Vail Pass from 9,712 feet of altitude to 10,662 feet of altitude.

Chip and Todd hiking part of the 486 mile long Colorado Trail that passes through Copper Mountain Ski Resort.

 

Chip and Shonah posing in front of one of the Bike Zoo bikes during a festival in Breckenridge, Colorado.  The Bike Zoo is dedicated to creating human-powered performances that enlivens urban green-spaces and celebrates the most energy-efficient mode of transportation ever invented.  Featuring larger-than-life creatures powered by pedals, the Bike Zoo is a one-of-a-kind blend of puppetry and cycling.

 

Shonah introduced Chip to his first experience on snow while exploring the mountains in Breckenridge, Colorado.  Chip seemed to enjoy running around in the snow, then again, he's still a puppy and enjoys running around anywhere.

Todd and Chip kayaking on Lake Dillon in Dillon, Colorado.  Dillon Reservoir, sometimes referred to as Lake Dillon, is a large fresh water reservoir located in Summit County, Colorado, south of I-70 and bordered by the towns of Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon. It is a reservoir for the city of Denver, and its waters are under the control of Denver Water.

 

A panoramic shot of Todd and Chip kayaking on Lake Dillon with the Rocky Mountains in the background.



The Village at Copper Mountain was packed with people enjoying Copper Country, a Labor Day weekend tradition at Copper Mountain Ski Resort with free live music and a fine arts exhibition.



Where else can you ski or snowboard in the heat of Summer?  Colorado of course.

Todd and Chip enjoying another hike in the mountains.

Sunset colors over Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Colorado.




Chip and Todd on another portion of the Colorado Trail that passes through Copper Mountain Ski Resort.

Chip and Shonah on the Colorado Trail.



Todd and Chip posing in front of a waterfall near McCullough Gulch, part of the White River National Forest.  We stumbled across this hiking trail while looking for a dispersed camping spot on the eve of our first 14'er hike of Quandary Peak.
 



 More waterfalls near McCullough Gulch, part of the White River National Forest. 

Pikas are small mammals, with short limbs and rounded ears and are native to cold climates, mostly in Asia, North America, and parts of Eastern Europe.  Most species live on rocky mountain sides, where numerous crevices in which to shelter occur.  These little guys were quite common above the tree line as we climbed Quandary Peak in Colorado.

These animals are herbivores, and feed on a wide variety of plant matter, including forbs, grasses, sedges, shrub twigs, moss, and lichen.  Pikas do not hibernate, so they generally spend time during the summer collecting and storing food they will eat over the winter.

The mountain goat, also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a large hoofed mammal found only in North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs and ice. 

Mountain goats are protected from the elements by their woolly white double coats. The fine, dense wool of their undercoats is covered by an outer layer of longer, hollow hairs. This parent and child kept their distance, but followed us up part of our climb to the summit of Quandary Peak in Colorado.

Mountain goats are the largest mammals found in their high-altitude habitats, which can exceed elevations of 13,000 feet (4,000 m).  The animals usually stay above the tree line throughout the year but they will migrate seasonally to higher or lower elevations within that range.

 

This picture gives you some idea of the type of terrain and angle these wild animals navigate with ease.



A panoramic view from the Summit of Quandary Peak.  Quandary Peak is the highest summit of the Tenmile Range at an elevation of 14,271 in the Rocky Mountains of North America.  It lies in Summit County and within the White River National Forest about 6 miles (10 km) south-southwest of the town of Breckenridge.

Todd and Chip on the summit of Quandary Peak, their first Colorado 14er (peak over 14,000 feet).  For his first high-altitude hike, Chip hiked the entire way up and exhibited no problems with the altitude.

Todd, Chip and Shonah posing for a family photo on the summit of Quandary Peak, Colorado.

After the long and strenuous hike to the summit, Chip enjoyed a ride down the mountain in his new backpack (a.k.a. carrier) with Shonah.



Some people ask why you want to climb a mountain...  Well, besides the challenge and exercise, check out the view!



Taking some of the roads less traveled is one of our goals and Colorado is full of them!  It allows us to find some great camping locations with awesome scenery and very little traffic. 

Our EarthRoamer on the Weston Pass in Colorado.  Weston Pass is a 27 mile long former Indian and wagon trail between Fairplay and Leadville, Colorado.



The east side of the pass is a very easy dirt road, while the west side gets a little more complicated.  The Weston Pass tops out at 11,921 feet in altitude.

Our EarthRoamer (and Todd) enjoyed plowing through the large puddles of water along the Weston Pass.

The common pheasant is a bird in the pheasant family. It is native to Asia and has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird.  Ring-necked pheasant is both the name used for the species as a whole in North America and also the collective name for a number of subspecies and their intergrades which have white neck rings.

The female (hen) is much less showy than the male, with a duller mottled brown plumage all over and measuring 50–63 cm (20–25 in) long including a tail of around 20 cm (7.9 in).  We encountered these pheasants on the early part of our hike to the summit of Mt. Elbert in Colorado.

A marmot atop his sentry post on Mt. Elbert near Twin Lakes, Colorado.  Marmots are large squirrels  and live in mountainous areas, such as the Rocky Mountains in North America.  Marmots typically live in burrows (often within rock piles), and hibernate there throughout the winter.

Todd, Chip, & Shonah at the summit of Mt. Elbert the 2nd of our 14er hikes in Colorado.  Mount Elbert is the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado and the entire Mississippi River drainage basin. The ultra-prominent 14,440-foot (4,401 m) fourteener is the highest summit of the Sawatch Range and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney. Mount Elbert is located in the San Isabel National Forest, 12.1 miles (19.4 km) southwest (bearing 223°) of the City of Leadville in Lake County, Colorado, United States.



Shonah and Chip enjoying some cuddle time after reaching the summit of Mt. Elbert.



Chip posing for a picture at the summit of Mt. Elbert.  It's fun to look DOWN on all the other peaks in Colorado.

Todd and Chip enjoying the views on top of Mt. Elbert.

 

Our summit of Mt. Elbert was on a beautiful sunny Colorado day.  Check out that panorama!

Todd, Chip, and Shonah taking time for a jumping photo on the summit of Mt. Elbert, Colorado.



Shonah stand-up paddle boarding on Twin Lakes Reservoir near Twin Lakes, Colorado.



Todd and Chip stand-up paddle boarding on Twin Lakes Reservoir near Twin Lakes, Colorado.  Chip did very well for his first SUP experience...especially since he is only 9-months old and can be difficult to keep in a stay position for more than a minute.



Shonah, Todd, and Chip stand-up paddle boarding the Twin Lakes Reservoir near Twin Lakes, Colorado.




Yoga on a stand-up paddle board has become very popular as of late.  So of course, Shonah had to try it out.  Shonah in an upward facing dog pose.

Shonah in a downward facing dog pose.

Shonah in a one legged downward facing dog (sort of anyway).

Shonah in a mountain pose.

Shonah attempting a supported headstand pose.  He hasn't attempted one of these since we were in yoga class in Florida in April....and it wasn't on water.

Shonah wasn't quite able to get into a full supported headstand pose, but on the positive side, he didn't fall into the cold water.

Of course, Todd had to try to show Shonah up.  Todd in a supported headstand pose.

Since Todd did it, Shonah had to make another attempt.  Success.

A panoramic view of Todd and Chip stand-up paddle boarding the Twin Lakes Reservoir.  The lake was completely flat when we first got on the water, but sure changed by the time we got back to shore for our lunch break.

The view was pretty amazing from our high-alpine camping spot above Twin Lakes and at the base of Mt. Elbert in Colorado.