I flew into Denver on Wednesday, and spent the evening with my girlfriends, Sarah, Anna and Lexi. We reunited on the rooftop lounge at Linger in the highlands. For the rest of the night, I watched Parks and Rec with my niece, Aspen. Just like the good old days!
On my way to the mountains on Thursday, I stopped for a morning workout at Red Rocks. It felt great to be at elevation again. The 4-hour drive southwest of Denver became gradually more scenic as I neared my destination.
Crested Butte is possibly my favorite mountain town in Colorado. It's a special place filled with unspoiled beauty year round. I arrived at the house to be greeted by Anna. The large deck overlooking Mt. Crested Butte was an ideal gathering place for our group of 8. We were blessed with perfect weather; mid-70s with unlimited sunshine.
On Friday morning, Anna and I went for an easy hike close to town. We began on the Woods Walk, staying to the left at most junctions, which offers the higher trail and slightly better views of the valley. The first quarter mile starts through an aspen grove and then opens up to reveal a grand vista of Peanut Lake, Gothic Mountain and Mt. Crested Butte. The trail continues down into the valley with glowing aspen groves off to the left. At the end, the path splits off onto the Lower Loop or the Bud Trail, which connects to the Upper Lower Loop. Both routes continue further up the Slate River Valley. Watch out for bikers!
That evening, the group caught the shuttle into town for food and drinks. We circled through Public House, The Eldo Brewery and Montanaya Distillers.
On Saturday morning, I joined Anna and Alex for another combo hike located along the scenic Ohio Pass. Swampy Pass is an easy trek through some of the best aspens in the valley, and offers views of the iconic Castles rock formations in the West Elk Wilderness.
Just down the road lies the trailhead to Beaver Ponds--a short but rewarding hike through aspens and a forested floor covered with ferns. A dirt trail leads up to the ponds, where the view opens up to reveal the Anthracite Range mountains. It's a great spot for picnics and camping.
On our drive back to town, we stopped in Gunnison at one of our favorite breweries, High Alpine Brewing Co. That evening, we shared a family dinner and board games outside on the deck.
Everyone was sad to leave on Sunday. Despite getting an early start, we encountered a substantial amount of traffic on the drive back to Denver. I also noted the familiar haze of a nearby wildfire burn. Saying goodbye to Anna and Alex is never easy, but I felt grateful for the time spent together and for the wonderful getaway. Looking forward to our next reunion in December!
