purgatoryresort

Colorado is pretty! Part 2 of 2.

~ reluctantroadie ~ Leave a comment

And the fun continues…..

Day 4: Today, we were in Purgatory. Literally. We bought lift tickets for Purgatory Bike Park and planned to ride as many downhill runs as possible. However, the park doesn’t have a lot of runs (i.e., “trails”). Purgatory has a lot of potential to be a really good bike park, but that requires money and it doesn’t seem like that is a priority for the park planners. Skiing seems like more of a priority at Purgatory. I did learn that back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Purgatory hosted some World Cup downhill races and the bike park was a destination location because of that. One of the runs is even called “World Cup” (how appropriate). Check out this video to see what I did NOT ride!

After riding the chair lift up to start run number 5, my SAT thought he’d check in with a friend to ask about a “really awesome backcountry trail in the area.” His friend gave my SAT some information and we decided to go on a spontaneous adventure. Instead of doing our fifth run, we rode a forest road out of the bike park and into the backcountry in search of the Elbert Creek trail. This trail is a 3 mile downhill trail through the forest, ending about 2 miles from Purgatory Resort on US 550. I was hesitant to ride Elbert Creek at first because my SAT’s friend said there were some chunky, more technical sections, but once we got going, all fears disappeared. It was an absolutely beautiful trail and the riding was pretty flowy with only a few chunky sections (all rideable). Riding back to Purgatory on the highway wasn’t even too bad! After visiting the resort gift shop, we stopped for drinks and fries at the Nugget Bar, which was only a few miles away. Despite its questionable exterior, the Nugget was a fun place to hang out at! When we returned to our Airbnb, Hank and Hannah greeted us warmly and showed us their favourite toys. Hank and Hannah are SO CUTE!

Welcome to Purgatory.
View from the chair lift.
Action shot!
Proof we were there!
Obligatory selfie on the chair lift.
Where is Elbert Creek trail?
Found the start of Elbert Creek!
Another obligatory selfie.
The next handful of pictures is from our backcountry ride! So beautiful.
Made it to the end in one piece!
The Nugget Bar.
My favourite post-ride snack: Coke and fries!
Hannah bringing us her favourite toy!
Hank begging for food!

Day 5: One of the great things about being on vacation is lounging. We loved our leisurely mornings at the Airbnb! After breakfast (which was MUCH later than normal!), we did a short little hike right by the Airbnb, during which we saw a couple of groups of touristy horseback riders. Seems like the hiking trail we chose is used a lot for guided horseback rides. Then, we headed into Durango and got lunch at Carver Brewing Company. After a relaxing lunch, we headed over to Mild2Wild to get set up for our river rafting experience! We signed up for a 2 hour trip down the Animus River and had a great time. We would have loved to experience more rapids, but that requires a swimming test….which we did during the trip. We jumped in the water — with our guide’s approval! — floated through one section of rapid water, then swam back to shore. Perhaps next year we will do a “harder” rafting trip. 🙂

After our wild water adventure, we had dinner at Kennebec Cafe outside Durango. Initially, we thought dinner would not be a good experience because we waited for about 15 minutes before being seated. (We were later informed that there was a group event that was keeping the restaurant staff pretty busy.) However, our server was very attentive and the evening was delightful. Dinner was DELICIOUS and I highly recommend this place. If you decide to visit Kennebec Cafe, know that it is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday only and you need to make a reservation. Also, it’s located right off the highway. The sign makes the place look very unassuming, but the interior is lovely. The patio is pretty and the whole place is quiet enough that you can have a conversation without shouting!

Some horses on the trail.
A large decorative bike at Carver Brewing Company.
Partway through our rafting trip.
This is after swimming through a rapid section!
Our new friends: Misoon is from Korea and Ian is American. They’re married, live in Texas, and are both pilots!
Misoon set up her phone to take pictures of all of us inside the boat!
This is what you see from the highway. The restaurant does not look promising, haha!
The entrance is much more promising.
We got a table right by the patio (there was an event going on that reserved the patio).
Grilled artichoke appetizer.
Anniversary selfie!
Roasted beet, hazelnut, and goat cheese salad.
Hawaiian ono.
Scallops.

Day 6: We finally locked up our Airbnb, said goodbye to Hank and Hannah, and drove to Durango. We were going to check out the Twin Buttes mountain bike trails on the west side of Durango, but got a bit distracted and ended up at Animus Mountain trailhead. I was delighted to see a deer lounging right by the trailhead! We started our little ride climbing up Animus Mountain trail. I did not enjoy it. Lots of technical, steep climbing! (Pro tip: the Animus Mountain trail is hard! Yuck.) BUT….we sure had fun on the downhill trail we rode! We flew down the Swerve trail then ended up riding the rest of the way down Animus Mountain trail. Hooray, we didn’t die! To celebrate, we got a snack, did some window shopping along Main Avenue (not Street, haha), then drove to our friends’ place in Mancos, where we caught a little bit of the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremonies.

Till next time, Hank and Hannah!
Beautiful deer at the trailhead!
Not enjoying the climb.
I think this was near the end of the climbing.
About to start the downhill!
I found a kitty!

Day 7: Our friends (Carl and Lifan) took us for a fun, mellow ride at the Boggy Draw trail system. It was a lovely morning! After the ride, we stopped for brunch at Kelly’s Kitchen, then went back to the house where Lifan made a traditional Taiwanese breakfast called shao bing. Yum! She even made her own soymilk! I am inspired to try making my own. (Yes, really, my SAT.) After a lovely walk around their large acreage, we packed up and went to bed, as we were leaving early the next morning.

Boggy Draw cattle.
Such a fun ride!
Cool area during the ride.
My selfies are improving all the time.
Hi!
Lifan’s shao bing.
Ollie is waiting for us to catch up to him.
Pretty purple thistle.
A relaxed Nala.
Pretty country.

It was a lovely week and I’m already thinking of what to do for our Colorado trip NEXT summer. If you have any ideas for me, let me know!

Colorado is pretty! Part 1 of 2.

~ reluctantroadie ~ 1 Comment

For our anniversary this year, my SAT (self-appointed trainer) and I decided to spend a week in southern Colorado and escape the Phoenix heat. What a treat that was! We (that is….ME) planned a week of hiking, biking, and eating in the Ouray and Durango area and, like all vacations, the week went by SO quickly. I took a ton of pictures, but will share only the best ones here. 🙂

Day 1: We started our trip in Ouray, otherwise known as the “Switzerland of America,” due to its climate, natural alpine environment, and scenery. To get to Ouray, we had to drive along the famous “Million Dollar Highway,” a.k.a., US Route 550. The stretch of highway called the Million Dollar Highway runs between Silverton and Ouray and is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the US because of how narrow, twisty, and exposed it is. Oh, and there is definitely a lack of guard rails! Once we arrived in Ouray, we checked into our hotel, then walked down to grab some dinner and drinks at Maggie’s Kitchen and Grumpy Pants Brewery (I love the name!). After dinner, we walked around for a bit to get our bearings and enjoy the cool mountain air.

Molas Pass, elevation 10,640 feet (3240 m).
Pretty scenery.
Look how exposed the highway is!
No guard rails and lots of exposure!
Finally arrived in Ouray!
Another shot of downtown Ouray.
I thought the name was funny!
This used to be the Ouray opera house!
Beaumont Hotel.
One perspective of Main Street.
Another shot of the Beaumont.
Which way to go?
Another Main Street shot.
Stopped here for dinner. Really great burgers!
The drink station is apparently for adults only!
This tiny brewery is right next door to Maggie’s Kitchen.
We walked around town after dinner.
Pretty evening light.
Deer right in town!

Day 2: The next morning, we found out that our hotel room comes with free breakfast at a nearby restaurant called Mi Mexico. Breakfast was wonderful and filling! We were then prepared to tackle the Ouray Perimeter Trail, which is a picturesque hiking trail that circles the entire town. I think hiking this trail was the perfect introduction to the altitude and the area’s beauty. The trail is about 5.5 miles long (almost 9 km), gains about 1,600 feet (490 m) in elevation, and is never more than 500 feet vertically or a half mile horizontally from Ouray’s city limits. Along the way, we saw a couple of waterfalls, lots of wildflowers, beautiful mountain views, bridges, and cool rock formations. We also got very wet near the end of the hike because it suddenly started pouring rain. Luckily, we found some shelter and waited out the rain for about 20 minutes. This trail is really unique and it was definitely a highlight for me! After the hike, we went to the Ouray Brewery for dinner. We got seats on the second floor patio overlooking Main Street and enjoyed our dinner and people watching.

And so we begin…
A selfie to prove we were on the trail!
One of the waterfalls we saw on the trail.
Same waterfall from further away.
Cool rock wall.
So many pretty views any way you looked!
That is how close Ouray is to the trail!
More pretty scenery.
Beautiful wildflowers.
Mountains everywhere you look.
Another view of Ouray.
I thought this was pretty too….not sure why the water is yellow. Perhaps it’s due to some minerals?
My SAT striking a pose.
I liked the aspens.
Good opportunity for a solo picture!
A bridge!
More cool rock walls.
This is part of the trail! We were walking away from Box Canyon.
Well-deserved drinks!

Day 3: The next day, we said goodbye to Ouray and drove to the trailhead for Red Mountain N3. This hike was a relatively easy one, but the altitude made breathing a little challenging for me! My Apple watch indicated that this hike was just over 4 miles round-trip and gained 1,600 feet. The views were absolutely gorgeous! After the hike, we drove to Silverton to get some lunch and do some window shopping. My SAT said he really wanted a funnel cake, so we got him one of those. He wasn’t able to finish it. Finally, we headed to our Airbnb and met the hosts’ dogs, Hank and Hannah. They are a pair of adorable Golden Retrievers who love to play! Hank and Hannah came by several times a day to say hello and to play fetch, which was very endearing. The Airbnb itself was immaculate and had an awesome view of the San Juan mountains.

The beginning of the hike promised great views.
I wonder what that yurt would be like to sleep in?
Almost there!
The next handful of pictures are from the summit.
My SAT trying to get a cell signal.
The Colorado state flower: columbine.
Fortune Cat in a window in Silverton.
This building looked very old-town America to me.
Silverton City Hall.
The enormous funnel cake.
San Juan County Courthouse.
Hannah, left, and Hank saying hello.

Stay tuned for Part 2!