Telluride, CO

Our latest family reunion took place in Telluride at the beginning of October. Tom and I caught an early two-hour flight to Denver on Thursday morning. From there it was a 30-minute flight to Montrose. My parents, who had arrived earlier that week from Pittsburgh to explore southwest Colorado, picked us up at the small airport early that afternoon.

   

An hour and a half later, we arrived to our spectacular alpine chalet rental in Mountain Village.

In need of some fresh air after traveling, I strolled around the village. I was pleasantly surprised that we hadn't missed the fall foliage. In fact, much of the colorful aspen groves seemed to be just past their peak. Telluride had quickly become a favorite when I lived in Denver, so I was excited to spend more time here; part of me always feels at home when returning to Colorado.

That evening, Anna and Alex arrived from Denver, along with Rita, who had flown in from Tampa. It was wonderful to be reunited! We shared a home-cooked family dinner, accompanied by drinks brought from our respective parts of the country.

We took our time getting ready on Friday morning before heading out for a hike. The small town of Telluride is a short gondola ride from Mountain Village, nestled in a box canyon. The scenic ride provides expansive views of the San Juan Mountains, and is the first and only free public transit of its kind in the country.

The Bear Creek trail is one of Telluride’s most popular trails, and is easily accessed from town. A steady two-mile climb on a rocky dirt road leads through Bear Creek Preserve to upper Bear Creek Falls. Though it only gains 1,100', I was challenged by the elevation at 8,750'. It was worth it, however, to walk through an aspen wonderland.

  

Afterwards, we grabbed beers and grub in town at Smuggler's Brewery. Later that evening, we returned to Telluride for drinks at Last Dollar Saloon. While we had hoped to soak in views from the rooftop bar, a rain/wind front moved in and urged us indoors. Dinner at Wood Ear Whiskey Lounge.

We woke up on Saturday to a dusting of snow on the surrounding mountain peaks. Temperatures fluctuated between the 30s-50s throughout our trip, but the high elevation sun made it feel much warmer. I went for an easy jog to stretch to my legs.

Afterwards, Tom and I took the gondola to the St. Sophia station at 10,540', and walked back down to Mountain Village on the two-mile Ridge Trail. The trail was rocky and coincidentally being used by a Spartan race. Family dinner and board games that night.

On Sunday, Rita and Tom joined me on a hike to Bridal Veil Falls--the tallest free-falling falls in Colorado. Leaving on foot from Mountain Village to Telluride via gondola, it was a scenic two-mile walk to the trailhead at the east end of the box canyon. From there, the two-mile trek climbs 1,650' to a historic power plant at the top of the falls. This serves as a trailhead for several hikes in the Bridal Veil Basin.

 

 

 

 

 

On our way back to the village, we picked up a few pies from Brown Dog Pizza to share for a cozy afternoon together at home. From the deck, we noted how much the landscape had changed from just a few days earlier as the trees quickly lost their leaves.

On Monday morning, we shared one last breakfast together before parting ways. Goodbyes are never easy, but we made sure to mark our calendars with the next reunion before ending this one. Family really is everything.

  

October 7-11, 2021

Cairn Basin

So the saying goes, rain in Portland means snow on the Mountain. Thus, Mt. Hood has once again become snowy. Fall in the northwest is unpredictable, so it's wise to take advantage of the beautiful days when they arrive. Kyle and I recently repeated the 42-mile Banks to Vernonia Trail on bike. I also paddled to the Willamette Narrows, a unique area of small islands and channels near West Linn; looking forward to spending more time here in the future.

 

Cairn Basin via Vista Ridge is a 7.6-mile lollipop loop (1,560' gain, 5,920' max) on the north side of Mt. Hood that visits three alpine parks: Eden Park, Cairn Basin, and Wy'East Basin. The scenery on this loop is some of the finest on the mountain, with lush wildflower displays in July and early August. Note that the trail contains several downed trees and two river crossings. This was my second attempt due to unfavorable weather conditions; still cloudy, but I enjoyed the early fall foliage and solitude of the area. 

 

Vista Ridge Trailhead is located two hours from Portland via Hood River or Lolo Pass. The trail gently climbs through burned snags from the 2011 Dollar Lake Fire for the first two miles. After a brief steep section, the Eden Park Trail drops in short switchbacks and passes several steep meadows with views that include Lost Lake nestled in the forests below. This section requires the first crossing of rushing Ladd Creek.

From Eden Park, the trail climbs a series of short switchbacks before reaching the Timberline Trail at four miles. Turning left enters Cairn Basin, with its stone shelter and mountain views. Then, it's the upper crossing of the glacial stream.

On a clear day

From Ladd Creek, the route traverses through more meadows and rounds Vista Ridge at a viewpoint that includes Mts. Hood, Adams, and Rainier, as well as farms in the Hood River Valley and the entire Vista Ridge route below. The Timberline Trail connects with the Vista Ridge Trail just west of Wy'East Basin at five miles. The primitive trail to Barrett Spur continues up from Wy'East Basin--potentially a future endeavor.

10:30am - 1:30pm on 9/22/21