As it were, it wouldn’t be long till we made it around the next bend and faced yet another foe, a bigger, larger than life foe, the weather!
On a recent outing we knew what we were walking into, sort of. The weather forecast was calling for high winds, rain and possible snow later in the day. Not a big deal, Colorado weather can throw everything at you, all at once if need be, just be prepared mentally, gear–wise and give yourself some extra breathing room on the clock. If the weatherman says the storms will hit around 2:00, be done by 12:00. Simple enough.
Off we went. At the trailhead we noticed plenty of lingering snow and ice in the shaded areas above us on the trail. “Did you remember the MicroSpikes?” A short pause and an inner voice comment, “Sh*#! Well, let’s see what we can see and take it easy, maybe it’s not that bad.”
The trail was a mix, at first. Mostly clear with some icy patches in the shade. We enjoyed the southern facing switchbacks as we climbed higher. One thought plagued us though, knowing we would soon reach an area of the tail that navigated up through a notch that rarely sees the light of day. Upon arrival our fears became reality, all ice, an uphill ice rink between us and our destination. Again, the inner voice, “Sh*#!”
We gave it our best shot, funny as we must have looked, slipping and sliding. We’ll say this, uphill on ice beats downhill any day! That said, we abandoned our desire to continue uphill and retreated back the way we came to safer ground. The decision was made to head to another trailhead down the road and in a more exposed area where ice shouldn’t be a problem.
Arriving at our impromptu plan B, we found dry ground and set off to salvage our day on trail. The lack of ice, however, or should we say, the lack of less than desirable trail conditions, were short lived. When ice melts it turns to water, and where water and dirt mingle, mud will be found. The consistency of which would be best compared to, well, if you’ve ever had kids with a bad cold you’d know. Our footing was challenging to day the least, and yes, again with the inner voice, “Sh*#!”
Thankfully a majority of the tail was dry, just the most challenging sections were slippery, slimy and, well, snot laden! We did however make the best of it, getting in some decent miles and enjoying the Colorado outdoors. Embrace the suck, as it is often quoted when trail conditions are difficult. As it were, it wouldn’t be long till we made it around the next bend and faced yet another foe, a bigger, larger than life foe, the weather!
We topped a small ridge only to see an enormous wall of white beneath dark and daunting clouds heading in our direction. Timing is everything, if the weatherman says 2:00… We knew we had to make tracks as it was only a matter of time before mother nature would show her hand. Wind, rain and snow were on the way and this storm meant business.
Halfway along the trail, we upped our pace, made it through another round of mud (“sh*#!) and finally finding or way back to the home stretch. By this time the temperature was plummeting, the winds were relentless and the wall of white was on our tail. It was only a matter of time now, the race was on and Mia, our little hiking chihuahua, seemed to know it all too well. She was setting a brutal pace, taking the lead and galloping, no less, as if she knew exactly how far our vehicle was and how soon she’d have shelter!
Back at the trailhead, we barely got in the truck before the weather caught up to us. The wall of white had now engulfed the foothills and changed a once mild day into near whiteout conditions. This powerful winter storm meant business and was now taking aim on the Denver metropolitan area.
Back at home, our evening rituals complete, we enjoyed an early bedtime for some reading and relaxation. Besides, Mia was ready for bed after her marathon performance back at the trail. Several hours later, what started out as a good night’s sleep came to a screeching halt. The storm was now more of a blizzard – wind howling, snow blowing sideways, sleep ending. All we could do was look out the window and silently utter with our inner voices, “Sh*#!” while little Mia snored endlessly in the background.
Peace,
MAD
MAD Hippies Life 