Day 16

Today we left Steamboat Springs for home. We made a stop at my cousin Dennis Gallinat's house for a visit with him, his wife Lydia, and son John Paul. He lives just outside of Denver in Broomfield. It was great to see them, it's been years since we have seen each other. It was a wonderful visit and we are so glad we stopped. We continued on to North Platte, Nebraska where we stopped for the evening.

Day 15

Today we hiked Rabbit Ears Peak. It was a beautiful day, sunshine and about 50 degrees when we started. Elevation at the start 9,680 ending at the 10,654 twin pinnacles looming over the Continental divide. To get there go 20 miles east of Steamboat on U.S Hwy 40 to the Dumont Lake Campground turnoff on the left(north) side of the highway. Head up FDR 315 past the campground turnoff and turn left on FDR 311 to the trailhead and parking for Grizzly Creek Road (291). The climb was not that long only about 2.5 miles but it was very steep. Well worth the climb when you got to the top. You could see for miles, including Grand Lake area and the Rocky Mountains. We could even see Long's Peak in the distance, one of Steve's favorite 14,000 peak that he climbed in his younger days.

We found a spot to sit and have lunch on the north side of the Rabbit Ears where the wind didn't catch us. It was heaven and you felt like you were on the top of the world. Good day and our last in Steamboat Springs.......

Day 14

We took a ride today to the Flattops Wilderness Area and the Stillwater reservoir. The small towns in between are something else.
We then played a little golf at the Steamboat Golf course about 5 miles outside of town. Had a great time even though we lost a few balls in the stream that winds through the course. I think I found as many as we lost so it was all good. The fairways were really narrow which is not in our best interest but we managed to par a couple of holes. End result, Steve and I tied for 18....

Day 13

Rene was not feeling well this morn- ing so I hiked by my- self. One of the highly rated trails in the area leads to Devil’s Causeway. It took me about 70 minutes to drive to the trail head at Stillwater Reservoir. The drive is beautiful going through the towns of Oak Creek and Yampa, then County Road 17 to Fire Road 400.

The temperature at the reservoir was 40º and the elevation is 10,255. The trail (#1120) follows the north shore of the reservoir then veers off to the right as trail # 1119. It winds through the woods as it gradually climbs, goes through a meadow, then climbs again to Little Causeway Lake. From there the trail becomes steeper and climbs to another meadow before entering open space above tree line and climbing steeply through a series of switchbacks. I encountered snow on the ground almost from the start. The higher I went the deeper the snow got until near the high end of the trail I encountered a waist deep drift that I had to go around. From there until Devil’s Causeway the snow was at least ankle deep. The Causeway is a narrow ledge of rock with sheer drops on either side at an elevation of 11,600 feet. Since it is only safe to cross when dry, I stopped at this point, had lunch (temperature about 25º) and turned around and headed back down. Hiking time up for the three miles was 2 hours and nine minutes and return time was an hour and forty minutes. The views all the way up and down were fantastic. The only thing missing was my hiking partner.

Day 12

Yesterday we visited Strawberry Park Hot Springs just outside of Steamboat. The roads getting there were quite narrow, and curvey. To get there, head east on Fish Creek Falls road and take a quick left at Amethyst Drive to connect to C.R. 36. You need to bring your own towels and I would recommend a beverage but make sure it's in plastic. It's kind of a rustic place, they do have a nice bathroom area for changing or a Teepee closer to the Springs themselves. There were a number of different pools with varied temperatures, try them all each one is unique. I was a little hesitant about going here cause usually the smell of sulfur is overwhelming but you could only smell a slight hint of sulfur at these hot springs. It is well worth the trip for a little eclectic adventure.

Day 12

Today we drove back out to the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness area. This will be our last hike in this area. It was snowing when we started this morning and about 32 degrees, thank goodness for Gortex. We hiked the Mica Lake trail #1162, you get to this trail via the Gilpin lake trail. When you get to the split take the left fork and follow it up the mountain to the lake. It was a little more than 5 miles of climbing and 10,460 ft in elevation. It took us about 3 1/2 hours to get there, the wind picked up and the snow was getting heavier and heavier. Our usual routine is to have lunch when we reach the top but due to the weather and more snow rolling in we took a quick break and started back down the mountain. It really was beautiful around the lake, just wish the visibility would have been better. You could see a glimpse of Mt. Agnes and little Agnes through the snow. The actual route to the lake was beautiful as well but a little less scenic in parts due to the Hinman Park Fire back in 2002. There are a number of charred trees and open areas. We were pleased that we were able to conquer this one......

Day 11

Rain, Rain, Go away.... Tried to hike today but the rain was too bad. Try again tomorrow. It cleared up in the late afternoon so we did get a bike ride in.

Day 10

Today was moving day... we switched from one condo to another one. Last week was an extra week through RCI and this week is an exchange. We are now staying at the Steamboat Grand. For anyone who has weeks to exchange I highly recommend this place. It is awesome. We have a two bedroom suite which is about 1200 ft. It is beautiful.
It is right across the street from the Gondola at the ski lift. There are a number of restaurants within walking distance as well as the Octoberwest festival going on at the ski resort. Lots of people watching. Fun times...

This afternoon we treated our tired legs to a massage. It was very relaxing and much needed. Tomorrow brings another hike in the Mt. Zirkel area. It's supposed to be beautiful, we are hiking up to a Glacier lake. Having a great time in Steamboat exploring every inch of it. I hope you all are enjoying the journey as well.
Regards, Rene' and Steve

Day 9

Today was a great day. Didn't go exactly as we had planned. We were planning on hiking a 14,000 peak today but the pass that we had to go through closed due to a landslide. It would have taken us 5 hours to drive around the mountain so we chose to do Plan B. We hiked the Gilpin Lake Trail #1161 to the Gold Creek Lake Trail #1150 all in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness area. It was 44 degrees at the start and ended at 73 degrees. We climbed to about 10,000 ft. and hiked at least 11 miles and it took around 7 hours. The view was breathtaking every step of the way. The first lake we hiked to was spectacular, the mountains were awesome, and the waterfalls and rivers kept you memorized. Steve and I both did well on this hike and really enjoyed ourselves. We will see how we feel tomorrow!

Day 7

Resting up for the big hike on Friday, a 14,000 ft peak so we didn't hike today. Took a bike ride and worked on some photography today. Went back to Fish Creek falls and took shots from the overlook. Even seeing it a second time it takes my breath away.

Day 6 September 15,2009

Another beautiful day in Colorado. We drove about 35 miles outside of Steamboat for today's hike. It was in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness area and we chose the Three Island Lake Trail #1163. Trail Beginning: 8150 elevation and ended at 10,950 at junction of the Wyoming trail #1101. At the start of our hike it was 41 degrees. The trail begins in aspen climbing gradually upward to spruce and firs with some lodgepole pine. At Lookout Rock there is a really good view of the South Fork of the Elk River Valley. It was a pretty clear day so the view was incredible. We continued our hike through the thick lush forest and were in awe of the Elk River as it was in constant view throughout most of the hike. We reached the lake in about 2 1/2 hours and decided to forge on on the Wyoming Trail to Continental Divide. We started back down the mountain and ate lunch at Three Island Lake to take in the view, the quietness, and the beauty. We only passed a couple of hunters on the trail the entire day and according to the log we were the only hikers this day.

On our way back to SS we stopped at the Clark Colorado General store. The place was a diamond in the rough. Post office, deli, general store, bakery, Dvd rentals,Liquor, you name they had it. It was a good day.........

Day 5

Two tubes of Bengay, one hot tub visit, and four Advil later we decided to ride our bikes today along the Yampa River core trail. It is a beautiful trail that Meanders along the Yampa River passing the many hot springs in the area. It was a great ride about 15 miles in total and a good way to rest our tired legs from yesterday's hike. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.....

Day 4

Started our day off with a hike in Steamboat Springs. Steve guaranteed it was a very easy to moderate hike..... Yeah right! It was just outside of town and called Fish Creek Falls trail. We hiked at least 10 miles starting at 7410 feet and climbing to 9850 feet. Did I mention climbing to 9850 feet. Tough trail but beautiful scenery. It took us about 7 hours to complete partly due to the hail storm on our trip back down. The boulders were a little on the slippery side resulting in the use of our hiking poles. I think I will pick the next easy to moderate hike.

Day 3

Ending mileage 1623. Left Topeka headed for Steamboat Springs. It was a long drive across the Plains especially when Steve wasn't willing to stop in Oakley, Kansas to see the six legged steer or the world largest prairie dog. Go Figure! We only passed one windmill field which was surprising. We ran into a huge downpour when we reached the Denver area which continued until we reached the other side of the mountain via the Eisenhaur Memorial Tunnel. Reached our condo after about 12 hours on the road. Note: Steve survived.

Day 2

Traveled 924 miles to the next stop in Topeka, Kansas and an overnight visit at my nephew's house. Jason and Tricia were excellent hosts. They took us to a wonderful restaurant called "The Row House Restaurant" just down the street from the capital building and actually in a converted Row House. I was fortunate enough to be able to tour the kitchen and meet the chef. I was amazed that he could put out such great food in a postage stamp size kitchen, a five burner stove, and a signal oven. He buys all his food locally and has a fixed weekly menu, depending on what produce and local goodies are available that week. Definitely a place to visit. 515 Van Buren Topeka, Kansas. Check it out at www.rowhouserestaurnat.net