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| Mt. Alice reflected in Lyon Lake |
With 100+ degree temperatures looming in Fort Collins this past weekend, the mountains were calling. Saturday started with a 4:30 am departure to Wild Basin in Rocky Mountain National Park where Katie and I met up with three of my favorite Special Idiots, Rob, Chris and Misty, and later with Pete and Young Nick to run a 19 mile alpine loop that included
Ouzel Falls, Lion Lake, Thunder Lake and the
13,310' summit of Mount Alice. It was a great day in the mountains with some great trail running, rock hopping, snow climbing, swimming and shoe skiing with some good friends and lots of laughs. Wild Basin is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful parts of RMNP. Wild flowers bloomed in abundance, the tundra was green, creeks and water falls flowed freely and the alpine lakes were ice cold and crystal clear. The wild breathtaking beauty of this run was all the reassurance I needed that life is good. I am thankful for good friends and wonderful escapes in the mountains.
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| sitting on top of Mt. Alice |
The weekend only got better from there with dinner with Nora at
Maza Kabob, a new Afghan restaurant in Fort Collins. They have a
great story and
delicious food. I recommend the Burani, an eggplant dish, and the Aashak, vegetable dumplings that can be ordered with a veggie sauce in place of ground beef if you prefer.
Sunday began with another sunrise departure from Fort Collins and a drive through Boulder and up past Nederland in to the Indian Peaks Wilderness via the Rainbow Lakes Trailhead. Nora and I hiked through the trees and out to the tundra above Arapaho Glacier and scrambled to the top of
South Arapaho Peak. From the top we were able to look out and see Winter Park, Longs Peak, Mt. Audubon, Mt. Evans, and a wide stretch of the Continental Divide. It was a beautiful day and an amazing hike. A stop at Oskar Blues in Lyons on the way home for pizza and beer topped off one of the best days I've had in a very long time.
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| South Arapaho Peak |
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| Nora says, "Sure I'd ski that." |
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| Standing on the summit |
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| A reclining view of Arapaho Glacier |
Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
Sweet! How did the ridge to N Arapaho look -- clear of snow?
ReplyDeleteNow that's Colorado livin'! I bet that water was cold.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had such a great weekend!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great weekend! So happy for you!
ReplyDeleteGlad my sis has found a hiking companion! Beautiful photos, too.
ReplyDelete