Crazy Colorado Adventure...

Last year at the end of hiking season David and I had a goal to summit Sunlight, Windom and Eolus combo for this upcoming season. These are three really tough (class 3 and 4) 14er's and they are far away.  There are a few ways to get to the trailhead. One is to get to Durango...6 hours from where I live, and pay $100 per person including your pack and get dropped off 6 miles from a campsite by train OR park 27 miles outside of Durango and hike in 14.5 miles to camp. Then from camp you hike a few miles to Twin Lakes and start to hike one of the three tough 14er's. Well, we decided we didn't want to pay and we heard from others that those first 8 miles are a gorgeous part of Colorado. 

We left Thursday and drove to Durango. We stayed in a great, yet cheap motel. Friday we headed to the trailhead. 

We were hiking by 8:15am on Friday. It was gorgeous!! Although with a pack it sucks a little. I wish I just had a camel-back. That is my only complaint :)

It rained a little but it actually was nice hiking in 14.5 miles with the cloud coverage. The last mile was tough. David was beat since his pack was heavier and by now it was pouring. We hooked up with a group of three guys also camping and they had room at their campsite. So we set up camp. Those last 5 miles were tough. If we took the train that is all we would have seen. I loved the 9 miles before along the Animas and we saw the train a few times and waved :)

Saturday we woke up to clouds. We left camp at 6:15 am and hiked all three! Sunlight, which at the top was cloudy and it was thundering. The rocks were buzzing.

Almost to Sunlight

A gorgeous rainbow came out afterwards!

 Then we waited it out and went over to Windom. Windom was OK I didn't like all those rocks. Headed back to Twin Lakes and up to Eolus. That was the hardest one for me but the most fun! Got back to camp about 6pm so a LONG day!

On the sidewalk in the sky heading toward Eolus.

I climbed up that!

At the summit of Eolus.

Sunday left camp at 8:30 am and got to car by 4pm. I was BEAT but it was awesome!
42 miles with everything in 3 days! I am sore but it was worth it!

Our campsite

Hike back to the car!

This was really tough for me. I am very happy that I completed it as well as I did. It is amazing what the body can do!

Mount Rushmore and Deadwood

Another fun weekend...only three weeks left of summer break :(

My husband has been having some knee issues so we decided to not hike a 14er this weekend and we decided to go to SOUTH DAKOTA!! Crazy huh? Well it's only six hours away and David had never seen Mount Rushmore. I had in 1997 and I remember that I had a great time. So we got a great rate on a hotel room and decided to stay in Deadwood. We went to Crazy horse and it's still not done...I had been there almost 15 years ago and it wasn't done then. Driving up I thought for sure it was and I was told David this is going to be soo cool....and it still wasn't finished HA. It still is a cool place to go and museum.

Onward to Mount Rushmore it was nice weather and we took lots of pics.

Then we checked into our hotel room in Deadwood and headed to downtown. What a cool town and we don't even gamble. The next day we  went to a very cool museum and cemetery in Deadwood. We are just fascinated by the old mining towns. It's amazing how they lived back then. Then we headed to another minng town, Leed.

We bar hopped in deadwood and gambled penny slots.....I won 3 bucks! Ha
We met these ladies from London and we went to the one dance club in town and danced the night away! So fun they had canned beer at the club soo funny!

Until next weekend...I wonder will we will go next?

Have you ever been to Crazy Horse?

If you have been to Deadwood where did you stay?

Token photo at Mt. Rushmore

Partying in Deadwood, SD and we WEREN'T the oldest one in there...close though

New friends from London

Updates and family visit

RUNNING:

Not too much actually. I am having a great summer though. I ran a 4k on the 4th of July in Boulder with my dad. It was really hot with a 9am start and I stayed with him for the first 1.5 miles and then he had to rest a little. It was a great time and the after party was awesome!. I even won a $25 gift certificate to the local running store by just acting crazy :)

Now that company is gone I plan to start upping my mileage.

HIKING:

Well we did it! My husband and I took my dad and step mom out to hike their first 14er! They went slow  and steady but they did it. I am so proud of them. It was cloudy out but no rain!

BIKING:

I am still enjoying biking. Went on a 31 mile ride with my folks on a hot day in July.

They had a great visit! Lots of activities and down time too playing bean bags, euchre and Farkle.

4k on the 4th

Views on the hike

The Summit!!!

Bean Bags

Bike Ride to Denver