Colorado Road trip

Went for a long run along the Rio Grande Trail while some of the kids slept in. Stopped at the John Denver Sanctuary before heading back to get them up. My husband and son woke early as well to go fly fishing at Jaffe park in Aspen. They didn't have much luck fishing but loved the spot!

Next, we took the Gondola up Aspen Mountain and hiked along the Richmond Trail. It was a great hike to acclimate and could be done by anyone. It was mostly flat with spectacular views.

Came back for lunch and a great bluegrass band at the Sundeck.

Ended the day paddle boarding down through the North Fork Nature Preserve to cool off. We used Elk Mountain Expeditions. They drove us up to the drop off with the 6 paddle boards and picked us up at the end. The shuttle made it possible for us to do this and only Elk Mountain offers that I believe in Aspen. +1970-456-6287 • info@elkmtnaspen.com • elkmtnaspen.com.

Went back to our condo at the Gant and had pizza on the beautiful roof top deck.

Left around 8 am to get to Cathedral lake trailhead in Castle Creek Canyon. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/cathedral-lake-trail. I chose this hike because my husband and sons love to fly fish so it motivates them to get to these alpine lakes with tons of trout! This was a gorgeous and difficult hike. While it was only 5.4 miles roundtrip there was an elevation gain of 2, 070 feet in just 2.5 miles. I would highly recommend this hike as the views were outstanding throughout the hike! It was very exposed and limited water sources on the way up so sunscreen and enough water is critical to have in your packs.

Went to Paradise Bakery in Aspen for chocolate croissants. Then rented Electric bikes from Aspen Bike Company and road up to the Maroon Bells. The ride took about 1 1/2 hours and we all loved every second! Upon arriving at Maroon Lake we saw a bear splashing around. It was awesome! Then we hiked around the lake found a gorgeous spot to eat our lunch. The boys fished while the girls and I hiked the Maroon Lake Scenic trail. We came back and soaked our feet in the frigid Maroon Lake and then made our way down. The kids were in heaven riding down the mountain road.

We came back to relax and swim at the pool at the Gant.

We ended this great day with drinks and dinner at Woody Creek Tavern in Basalt, CO. This is an old family favorite. A place we used to come to when I was a teen with my family. Loved showing the kids these off the beaten path spots;).

Caught the 7 am shuttle from the Highlands Shuttle Stop up to the Maroon Bells to do the West Maroon Trail from Aspen to Crested Butte. My two sons, ages 18 and 20 joined me while my husband and two younger daughters accompanied him on the drive to Crested Butte to spend the night with us in Crested Butte upon our arrival. This hike was recommended from my sister -in- law Annie Pezza, a Colorado native, who said it was one of her favorite hikes in the state. I really planned this trip around this hike. My sons and I all agreed it was one of our favorite hikes we have ever done and we have done quite a bit of hiking throughout the American west. The views were awe inspiring throughout the entire hike. It was a pretty steady elevation gain making our way up the pass. We stopped for lunch at the top taking in the views of mountain peaks for as far as the eye could see. When doing this hike you need to arrange for a shuttle from the trailhead in Crested Butte. I used Dolly's Mountain Shuttle. It was $50/person to get us back to CB.

We stayed at the Elk Mountain Lodge that night. It wasa charming B&B just off Elk Avenue. They had a delicious homemade breakfast in the am.

That night we went out for a great dinner on Elk Ave - The Bruhaus. We ended the night at a cool spot for a few beers Kochevar's Saloon. It had a great old west vibe. We loved this town!

Destinations:

West Maroon Pass, Colorado, USA

Crested Butte, CO

Had a great breakfast at Butte Bagels before heading out to Uncle Buds Cabin just outside of Leadville. The drive was gorgeous. We drove over Cottonwood Pass and the continental divide before coming to Leadville. The drive was about 2 1/2 hours. We stopped at Turquoise lake to swim, fish and have lunch. The lake was Crystal clear and the boys had great luck with their fishing!

Next, we drove up to Uncle Bud's Hut which is one of the 10th Mountain Division Huts. To reserve one of these huts go to https://huts.org. I had read that Uncle Bud's had some of the best views so was thrilled to get a night there. There was a very gnarly 3 mile dirt road to drive up. You definitely need a 4WD high clearance car to drive up. You can also access this cabin by hiking up from Turquoise Lake (about 3 miles up). We were all blown away when we finally arrived. The cabin was more like a chalet. It was perched on a mountain 11, 000 feet up with views of Mt. Ebert (Colorado's tallest peak) and Mt. Massive. We were literally surrounded by mountains. The cabin itself was awesome. It had a fully stocked kitchen with a propane stove, solar electricity and a water pump. We prepared delicious taco bowls and dined in the communal style kitchen. The hut sleeps 16. There were only 6 of us . There were two other hikers that stayed there that night. After dinner we had an awesome bonfire looking out at the endless sea of mountains. As the sun set the stars started to shine. We sat for hours taking it all in. We saw two shooting stars and enjoyed every second of being in this very special place.

The hut was built as a memorial to 10th Mountain Division veteran Bud Winter (1925-1945), who was killed in action in Italy during World War II, and was one of 33 soldiers who completed the legendary "trooper traverse" winter ski crossing from Leadville to Aspen in February of 1944.

There is a poem titled Silver Skis that was written by Buds father after his death. You can't help but feel his presence in this cabin and the love that his family has for him and put into building this beautiful cabin.

It was so hard to leave... I would have loved to have had a few more nights up there to hike and explore and just enjoy being on top of the world. Next time-