Weekend Recap, Vol. 2

Good morning, friends! We had another eventful weekend a few days ago, so I thought I’d share some of our adventures with you today.

We were originally intending to do a long hike on Saturday morning, but ended up having to change our plans at the last minute. No worries though! We are in Colorado and there is beyond plenty to do here. We just needed to decided what. Challenge accepted.

If you followed along last week, you know that I climbed my first 14er at Mt. Bierstandt! You also probably remember that I experienced pretty terrible altitude sickness. I thought before I climb another 14er, I ought to train at altitude to prepare my body for the conditions. So we decided that Saturday we would drive up Mt. Evans (14,130 ft) as a means of altitude training (and driving through pretty scenery too!). The road that leads to the top of Mt. Evans is actually the highest auto road in North America, so we knew we had to do it at some point anyways!

As is our tradition now, Allen and I stopped at Einstein’s Bagels on our way out of town. Last time I tried the rosemary and olive oil bagel with garlic and herb schmear, and let me tell you…in a rosemary-lover’s opinion, it was amazing! Unfortunately because we got a late start, they were all out of rosemary bagels. So I ended up going with my second favorite, the 9-grain bagel with veggie schmear. Allen tried the apple crisp bagel and let me have a bite. It was warm and delicious, with real cinnamon apples on top. I might just have to opt for the sweeter choices next time around.

We made a quick stop at a gas station to fill up and Allen came back to the car with a surprise–our favorite roadtrip drinks! If you haven’t tried Arizona teas yet, you really should! I personally like the raspberry iced tea, green tea, and Arnold Palmer Peach (half peach lemonade, half sweet tea).

The drive was beautiful. And yet, even the word beautiful is still an understatement. Mt. Evans is right next to Mt. Bierstadt which we climbed last week, so I knew that we were in for some spectacular autumn colors and gorgeous views.

Driving can be really great because you can cover a lot of different scenery quickly and from the comfort of your car. However, driving can be really terrible for the same reasons. We made sure to stop every so often to genuinely take in the scenery around us–from the colors of the trees to the smell of the crisp mountain air, we wanted to soak it all in.

Also, I’ve never seen so much wildlife on any one trip. We saw mountain sheep, goat, and even a marmot! These sheep were so intrigued by me. I’m amazed at how well sheep and goat are able to maneuver on steep slopes and jagged rocks. I’d love to feel that stable on rocky ground, both literally and figuratively.

After a few hours of driving, we finally arrived at the summit of Mt. Evans, and the views did not disappoint.

I’m slowly becoming more adventurous when it comes to sitting on edges. Don’t get me wrong, I still cling to the rocks  with a death grip, but I’ve made it out to the ledge and that’s a success in my book! The top of Mt. Evans is a little busier than other 14ers because of the road accessibility. Luckily I was able to escape some of the crowds on this little ledge and have some time for thoughts on my own. It was very peaceful and serene in this moment.

Allen, of course,…he’s a natural. No fear. If you look closely at the panoramic picture of the mountains above, Allen is standing on the right ridge in the distance. I told you I saw a mountain goat, didn’t I?

These views, though. They really put things into perspective. Out there, up here, everything seems right with the world. There’s no fighting. No comparing. No judging. All your fears and worries disappear in that moment. It’s so much bigger than any single person or idea. There’s just you and a great big world out there waiting to be explored.

Being the nerd I am, I would of course find an astronomy observatory on the mountain we were climbing . I was so excited!

I love seeing Allen light up when he finds something interesting on a trail. Something I love about Allen is how curious he is about the world. He’s actually taught me quite a lot about life and living fully. When Allen and I were just friends, I remember getting messages from him with pictures of the vibrant flowers he had seen while playing frolf. I remember thinking it was slightly silly for a guy to take and send pictures of flowers.  But you know what? I’ve come to realize that I was the silly one. Allen’s appreciation of the Earth and curiosity for life is something every human being should cultivate. I know I’ve worked hard to incorporate into my own life since meeting him. Allen’s curiosity constantly reminds me to not quiet the kid inside of me who is excitedly asking questions about the world around her. It’s the little things, right?

 

On our drive down the mountain, we stopped to let the mountain sheep cross the road and pass right outside our car. This big daddy sheep was my favorite. Aren’t his horns beautiful?

The yellows and oranges and reds of autumn never cease to warm my heart and soul. I can’t describe in words how happy getting back to nature has made me. I really have fallen in love with Colorado. I’ve come to believe that in this moment, I am meant to be here.

On our way back to Boulder, we stopped by the house of one of my best friends from college to watch the Aggies BTHO Arkansas (in overtime of course). J is one of those friends who you can go months without talking to and then pick right back up from where you left off. I truly value our friendship more each day and I’ve grown to realize just how lucky I am to call him one of my best friends. The older I get, the more I realize that best friends, true best friends who love you inside and out, no matter what the circumstance, are few and far between. But if you find one, or maybe even a couple, hold tight to them. Cherish them and never let go.

Allen and I were starving after our time atop Mt.Evens (typical really for any day, mountain climbing or not), so we decided to grill burgers at J’s house. After undergrad, J worked at Fitzwilly’s  in College Station, so the man knows how to make a burger. And burgers he did make. He spoiled us.

  

After watching the Aggie victory, we drove back the rest of the way to Boulder with my tummy full and my heart fuller.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to climb Bear Peak  with one of my newest best friends here in Boulder. Bear Peak is only a 10 minute drive from my apartment, so it is very accessible to us. The closeness also allowed us to sleep in just a tad bit longer than normal since we’ve been pulling early mornings for all of our adventures. Bear Peak (8,461 ft) is the highest peak in the middle of the picture below. We took Fern Canyon trail up the peak and Bear Peak West Ridge trail on the way down.

The trail itself was really beautiful. But don’t let that pretty staircase fool you–it was a fantastic glute workout, to put it optimistically.

Apparently it was more of a workout for some of us than others…

When we reached the final half mile of the trail, it became very vertical very quickly.

Almost there M! After this sign post, the trail became a scramble. It was one of the steepest scramble’s I’ve done so far, but then again I’ve just begun my hiking experience. I’m learning that heights do scare me a bit, when the “potential” (as in potential energy) to fall is high enough. Get it? I’m a nerd sometimes.

Bear Peak is one of the longer trails here in Boulder (it took us around 5 hours round trip), but the views are well worth the effort to get to the top.

We had a small snack at the top (and goofed around some too) before heading down on the West Ridge trail.

The down trail was largely a burn zone, and the trees were all black and barren. I actually really liked the eeriness of the place. The dead flowers and black branches, juxtaposed with the yellows and oranges of autumn reminded me of the Halloween season.

Allen being adorable, per the usual.

The down trail was much longer than the up trail, but that is the price to pay when you want something flatter. The views were still just as pretty.

At the very end of the trail, I found these gorgeous sunflowers blossoming. Can you believe there are still blooming flowers? It’s almost fall! But I’m not complaining, I’m in awe. Just stunning. I love it when nature surprises you.

At this point, I probably don’t even need to remind you that we were hungry, right? Our second favorite post-hike food is Cafe Mexicali, second to Bob’s Atomic Burgers in Golden, CO. I always, always get the sweet pork burrito smothered in creamy habanero sauce. The contrasting sweet and creamy flavors just work. No need to change it up for me from visit to visit. I know what I like. We splurged with some guacamole since the 5 hour hike was a bit draining (and we were starving).

He’s just the best. Always so happy, especially around food. He gets me.

After finishing up lunch, we headed back to the apartment to relax for the rest of our Sunday. I think this next weekend it is supposed to rain, so I’m glad that we have been exploring as much as we have while there is still lots of sunshine.  Did you do anything fun last weekend? I’d love to know!

 

In case you are interested, here is last week’s weekend recap. As always, feel free to leave comments below! If you’re interested in getting posts sent straight to your inbox, subscribe in the sidebar with your email. Or follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Bloglovin’.