Casting A Line On The Roaring Fork

Yesterday was a fly fishing excursion with Outside in Aspen.  I had a blast fly fishing the Roaring Fork River with Aspen Outfitting.  We did do plenty of climbing up and down the river banks as we went for great fishing spots on the river.

I had a blast casting a line trying to hook some big trout.

After that I spent some time walking around Aspen with friends.

Ski and Snowshoe Friday

Friday was a fun day on the slopes and snowshoeing.  In the morning, my friend Jackie and I headed out to hit the slopes at Buttermilk in Aspen.  She's a green to blue every once in awhile skier and I'm a little more advanced as a green/blue skier.  This was only my second time out on the slopes this season and we had a ball.  I used the runs like Homestead Road to practice and really focus on my technique and just a day to get comfortable back on skis.  We did several runs then head in for a quick lunch and an afternoon of snowshoe.

For the snowshoeing we took the gondola up Aspen Mountain (Ajax) and then off we went with our guide Daniel on the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies tour.  Jackie's 7-year-old daughter went with us.  It's a fun thing for families to do and we had a great time.  It's a two hour outing but you do stop along this educational tour.  The views of the Highlands Bowl, Mount Sopris and the Elk Mountains, and the Continental Divide were amazing.

Nice Jog on the Rio Grande Trail

It was a chilly Sunday morning in Aspen.  I headed out on the Rio Grande Trail with temperatures in the upper 30s.  After my mega hike day, I just wanted an easy out and back to get in a couple of miles.  So off I went on the trail, through the John Denver Sanctuary, and along the trail then back.  Got in about 3-3.5 miles before heading off the Main Street Bakery to warm up with coffee and an oatmeal raisin scone post-workout treat.

Mega Hike Day In Aspen

Saturday was a mega hike day in Aspen for me.  I did two hikes.  The first one was the Ute Trail.  It's dubbed nature's stairmaster.  It's a short and steep trail with an elevation gain of 1,165 feet.  It's .9 miles each way.  It's a tight trail of switchbacks and steep inclines.  But the view from Ute Rock is worth it!

My second hike of the day was the Hunter Creek Trail to an abandoned settlement.  Several structures are still standing including the saloon, outhouse, what looks like a barn or lodging building, and a house.  One house has collapsed.  It's a great trail that has some good climbs through rocks in the beginning then the train widens out to a more dirt and small rock trail then eventually to the Hunter Valley meadow.  Round trip it was about 5-6 miles.

Trekking West Maroon Trail

Saturday was a big hike with a group from Aspen to Crested Butte on the West Maroon Trail.  This was my first time to do the hike.  Most of the group has done it before.   It's 12.5 miles with the extra 1.5 (possibly 2) you have to hike because of an avalanche near Emerald Lake that is still keeping the road closed. We start at Maroon Lake at 7:30am and by 8:11am we'd arrived at Crater Lake, which is about 1.5 miles.  We crossed two streams and had to walk through two snow areas in the first 6+ miles to the lunch stop on the saddle at 12,500 feet.  We headed down from the Saddle at 11:25am. Wildflowers were everywhere on the second half of the hike.   We got to the trailhead at 1:08pm but then had to walk the road including uphill a ways on the road to Emerald Lake. The road was closed because of an avalanche that we walked over. We were to the bus at 1:50pm and definitely ready for some R&R.  The weather was perfect and the hike was awesome!

Adventure in Aspen & Snowmass

Today was a fun fitness day with mountainboarding and biking in Snowmass then stand up paddling on the Roaring Fork River in Aspen with a hometown (Greenville, SC) friend.

First for Frank and I was mountainboarding - something I've never heard of let alone try until this trip.  Our instructor Doug was fantastic.  No falls and by end of lesson felt confident on the board.  I'd call it skateboarding on steroids or a summer version of snowboarding on wheels.  Even did what's called "dropping small" which is boarding the small ramp.  Snowmass has camps for kids where they get to do this and adults can try it too.

Next was mountain biking with another fabulous instructor Kevin.  We went up the Elk Camp Gondola then did downhill mountain biking.  The trail system in Aspen/Snowmass covers 50 miles of varying terrain.  I'd never done straight downhill mountain biking.  It's challenging - especially going through the turns and bridges.  In addition to a workout for your legs, core and arms being in the athletic stance on a bike, it's also a workout for your hands since you'll be braking on the way down.





The third outdoor adventure of the day was stand up paddling (SUP) on the Roaring Fork River in Aspen with professional skier Chris Davenport and Aspen Kayak & SUP Academy owner Charlie MacArthur.  This was such a great core workout with amazing scenery.  Plus the water felt great - yes I fell in but we all did!

Tomorrow is a 12.5 mile hike from Aspen to Crested Butte!