Wabi-Sabi Sole

Crested Butte, CO

On July 13, 2021

In Aspen, Camping, Crested Butte, Hiking, Road trip, Wildflowers

Sunday morning we were up early and packed up by 9am. We wanted to hike the Snodgrass Trail in Crested Butte. George and Juliana hiked this trail two summers ago and highly recommended it. Their directions to find it left us doubting we would. “Drive through town and follow the road until you see a parking lot with a port-a-potty.” Sounds sparse, right? Actually, they were spot on! we spotted the potty, found the trail we wanted to take and set off!

After reading AllTrails, the hike was 5.8 miles. We packed water and snacks and set out. Ironically, the AllTrails map took us to the top of Snodgrass Mountain. The trail Sadira is pointing to in the picture above is what we walked for about a mile before realizing we weren’t on the trail. Our 5.8 mile hike turned out to be 8 miles! The views were amazing! Wildflowers and Aspen and of course Crested Butte.

Once we realized we weren’t on the summit trail, we turned around and started up the mountain. Everyone knows the reason you hike a mountain is for the panoramic view at the top. Hopefully. We hiked up about 1.2 miles in what seemed like straight and steep uphill. In the sun. Only to find the top was covered with pine trees that obstructed the view.

Regardless, it was a great hike and a quick walk down. More Aspen, butterflies, and flowers.

After the hike, we hopped in the car and started the drive over to Redstone Campground. It was about a 2.5 hour drive. We had to go up & over the mountains using Keebler Pass. Little did we know the drive was mostly (40 miles) on a curvy gravel road. It was awful. Sadira was car sick by the time we got over it. We stopped at a little campground and had a snack while watching the hummingbirds until she was feeling better. Whew! What a drive!

Saturday was the only night we’re stayed at a KOA. Camping life in a KOA campground is much different than camping life in a National Forest. The perks of a KOA include showers, laundry and flushing toilets. Oh! And a dishwashing sink that ONLY has hot water. To enjoy those perks you pass up seclusion, privacy, and incredible views. Sunday night we were in Redstone Campground. It was appropriately named – there were red stones all around us! We had privacy, scenery and clean pit toilets!

I forgot to snap a picture of our meal. Sadira made us pimento grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was delicious. We took a dip in the creek and then had a solar shower… our last one, actually… more on that tomorrow-

Gunnison, CO

By wabisabisole

On July 11, 2021

In Camping, Gunnison, CO, Hiking, Road trip

Our drive to Gunnison, CO on Saturday was about three hours. We had lunch on the road and arrived at the Gunnison KOA right at 2:00pm for check in. We were so late to the party planning this adventure this was the only campground I could find for Saturday night. Honestly, it wasn’t terrible. We had a real shower, flushing toilets, and laundry facilities. It was a good reset for the halfway point. From one perspective it looks like a KOA. From the opposite perspective it looks perfectly pleasant.

It’s like we have the place to ourselves

After checking in, we went to Hartman Rocks for a short desert hike. We really pushed the Prius to its uphill limits. This area is filled with mountain bike trails and the road was super rutted. We decided not to push the limits too far and hiked around from the first parking lot.

We saw several great wildflowers over the past two days on our hikes. Here are my favorite.

The hike was hot with a nice breeze. We decided a short hike was best to keep us from a visit to the hydration station. We went back to the campground and enjoyed not having neighbors- until they arrived after we went to bed. Speaking of the campground, we decided this would be a great opportunity to rack up some license plates. As we walked around, we added an additional 5 plates to our collection. Bringing our total up to 43! #strongwork

Taos Take 2 & Elk Creek

By wabisabisole

On July 11, 2021

In Antonito, CO, Aspen, Camping, Elk Creek Campround, Hiking

Friday morning we drove back to Taos for a very important mission… Fun Rings! As we drove down the mountain, we got stuck behind the line marking truck. Painfully slow trip down most of the mountain!!

We made it to Taos, finally. After a quick stop at the Walmart for fizzy water, ice, and pimento cheese, we walked through the Taos plaza on our ring hunt. The second store was a huge success. A fun silver and turquoise ring for each! The lady who helped was super nice and warned us of bears while hiking. She suggested we carry a knife. ??‍♀️

A few of my favorite pictures from our walk around Taos.

We fixed pimento cheese sandwiches for lunch and were back on the road. Our next destination was Elk Creek Campground near Antonito, CO.

We had no cell service in the campground. It was kind of fun to fall off the grid. We decided to take a hike. The skies were overcast and the temperature was in the low 70s. We thought it might rain while we were hiking. Luckily, the rain held off and danced around us. The hike was lovely.

After our hike, we set up camp and made a gourmet dinner of tortellini and sauce. We also had a chance to try out the portable shower. It was cool and refreshing. We had to layer up because the mosquitoes were really bad. But, with cool dry nights in the upper 40s layers were good!

The next morning, we relaxed and didn’t leave camp until 10ish because we needed to stop at the visitor center to use their wifi to get directions. As we were sitting there, the nice host – who told us about the hike the day before politely ease-dropped on our conversation. When I said we needed to head back to Antonio, he replied, “That’s cute. It’s Atonito.” We had a good laugh. Me especially, because I’m notorious for mispronouncing places.

With another bag of ice for the cooler, we were off for Gunnison, CO.

Elephant Rock, NM

By wabisabisole

On July 10, 2021

In Camping, Elephant Rock, New Mexico, Road trip, Taos

Thursday morning Sadira and I beat feet to get out of Texas. Honestly, we couldn’t leave it fast enough. The beauty of the concave desert landscape is truly in the eye of the beholder. Of which we aren’t. The best part of TX, besides leaving, was spotting an Alaska license plate in the hotel parking lot.

We were so excited to cross into New Mexico and even more excited when we started seeing mountains on the horizon. Unfortunately, we didn’t heed the the last pit stop before we started across the NM desert and with no facilities available for 60+ miles, we had to use the facili-trees. Along the drive we saw lots of cute prairie dogs popping tall and welcoming us to NM. Our first stop was in Taos, NM. We enjoyed lunch at the Taos brewery. Delicious beer & pizza.

Before heading to our campground, we drove out to the Rio Grande River Gorge. We bravely crossed the bridge on foot and held our breath when we looked down!

Elephant Rock campground was smaller with perfectly acceptable pit toilets. Our neighbors felt the need to preach thereby encouraging us to plug in some tunes. The higher elevation was cool and optimum for star gazing.

Dinner was campground gourmet. Chili, cheese, canned wine and altitude puffy Fritos.

All in all – it was a first night of successful camping.

Amarillo, TX

By wabisabisole

On July 8, 2021

In Amarillo, TX, Cadillac Ranch, Road trip

This morning, my niece and I left Memphis and drove to Amarillo, TX. What started out as a joke to meet up with her parents on their adventures https://semisabbatical.com/ morphed into a trip to Colorado. We spent 12 hours in her parent’s Prius cruising west on I-40. The car is loaded with camping supplies, snacks, and wine. #winecamp That part of I-40 doesn’t have much to offer. Except windmills, Cracker Barrels, and Stinky Stella in Shamrock, TX.

To spice up the trip, Sadira downloaded the app Plate Spot to track how many different license plates we see. After 12 hours we were at 28 plates. #strongwork

We made Cadillac Ranch our destination for today. It was underwhelming, kind of like driving I-40 West from Memphis for 12 hours…

Tomorrow we are driving to Taos, NM and then to our first camping spot. A much shorter drive day with an afternoon hike!

Yin & Yang

By wabisabisole

On July 3, 2021

In Aspen, Forest Barhing, Hiking, Japan, Shinrin-yoku

According to Ancient Chinese Philosophy, Yin and Yang is a concept of dualism. It describes how two very different things can be complementary to one another. I realized today that my Yin & Yang are Palm trees and Aspen trees. Neither can be found in the same place and both are in places I want to be! Also, when I’m around one, I’m super happy and can get really excited to talk about seeing the other. We had one last hike in Park City today. I knew I just wanted to Forest Bathe or as I learned in Japan, “Shinrin-Yoku”, in an Aspen Grove. That meant we went back up the Ontario Trail (longer side) of the Bald Mountain. As we shinrin-yoku, I was in hiking nirvana.

At the top, we snagged a selfie #favoritehikingpartner and stayed a minute in the best chairs in Deer Valley. Just enjoyed a chance to look out at the future together.

While we were hiking, I also sorted out why open chair lifts stress me out. I grew up loving the thrill of the first drop of a roller coaster. And chair lifts seem to trigger that same reaction…. Oh, crap! I’m gonna drop and I don’t have a harness! But they don’t drop fast. Nonetheless, I grab tight to the closest person… sorry, Dave! Thanks for hanging on to me!

One more Aspen picture to close this out…

Peace, love and trees!

Double Hike Thursday

By wabisabisole

On July 2, 2021

In Bald Mountain, Hiking, Stein Eriksen Lodge, Wildflowers

This morning we hiked up to the top of Bald Mountain using the Sliver Lake Trail. This trail was steeper than yesterday’s and a little shorter. It wrapped around the mountain and gave incredible views of Sliver Lake.

One area we hiked through looked like there had been an avalanche at some point. Many trees were down and cut up to help clear the trail.

Along the way, I was able to spot a few more wildflowers to add to my collection. Please enjoy the pictures!

We were to the top by 9:45. The chair lift didn’t open until 10. So, we sat for a spell and enjoyed the view. That’s what is nice about this part of the vacation. We don’t have to be on a schedule.

Confession- open chairlifts stress me out. Don’t look down! Especially, at the start.

We enjoyed lunch at the resort. In the afternoon we hiked the Sultan Out and Back. It was actually a loop. It’s a trail that’s available to hikers and horseback riding. It should have been named Horse Poop Trail. There were Horse Pies everywhere. I didn’t take pictures of the poo – you just have to trust me on that one. The trail stayed low on the mountain and had several nice views.

The turnaround point put us on a road uphill.

We saw these new wildflowers on our afternoon hike.

And these butterflies were EVERYWHERE! Several would fly along with us as week hiked. I used an app called PictureInsect to identify it.

It was a beautiful day. We finished with dinner at the resort with a former shipmate of Dave’s. The dinner and company were excellent.

Hiking, Science & Love

By wabisabisole

On June 30, 2021

In Japan

We started out our day with a hike up Bald Mountain along the Ontario Trail. I researched this trail before leaving home and knew it would be a good one. If you enjoy hiking or trail running, check out the app AllTrails. It lets you search for trails near year or in a specific area. It also has a GPS feature so you can “see” your location on the trail in real-time. The app also gives you information about the trail you want to hike – distance, elevation and difficulty level. Anyways, we hike the trail up the mountain and it was a beautiful alpine hike. It was about 3 miles up the mountain and through several Aspen Groves.

A third of the way up – notice the orange lichen

Did you know Aspen Groves are one organism? Yep, they grow by cloning. All the trees shared the same root system and send up shoots to grow new trees. The Pando – The Trembling Giant is a grove of quaking Aspen in south central Utah and considered to be the largest single organism. #sciencefacts

Another fun science thing to see on this hike was the lichens. Lichens on the rocks are a sign of good air quality. When hiking, we liken to see lichen! #sciencejokes

The other highlight of the hike was the numerous wildflowers! They were everywhere! I took a lot of pictures and was able to use my plant id app “PictureThis” to identify them all. Another great app. You simply snap a picture and look it up later, or if you have the time you can identify the plan immediately. The app then saves the plant to your virtual garden collection. Check out all the flowers we saw! #wildflowergeek

As we got closer to the top, the weather started to change. Clouds were rolling in and raindrops started falling.

The views from the top were worth every step!

Lots of mountains and lichen on the rocks!

WabiSabiSole at the top of Bald Mountain

Geological marker at the top of Bald Mountain

By this point we were chilly and wet from the drizzle. We made a smart decision to take the ski lift down the mountain. Save our knees and enjoy the view!

After our hike we had lunch and relaxed before going into park city for dinner. We started with happy hour at Wasatch Brewery. I enjoyed the Juicy IPA and Dave had the Chasing Tail Pale Ale. Both delicious. I have to admit, we’ve been disappointed with the Brewery swag. Story on the street is that orders aren’t being filled because COVID. Maybe next time…

We enjoyed a sushi dinner at Yuki Yama. It was good. The sashimi appetizer and the Japanese wagyu beef bruschetta were excellent. The rolls were alright.

The presentation was better than the taste…

We returned back to the room after turn down service. Water, chocolates, tomorrow’s weather forecast and slippers. So, cute.

Sunset for our balcony….

I totally get the love of Park City. Until tomorrow-

Moving Day

By wabisabisole

On June 30, 2021

In Beer, Park City, Pizza, Road trip, Stein Eriksen Lodge, Sundance

Today we traveled from Moab to Park City. As we drove over the first mountain there was a noticeable difference in vegetation as we transitioned out of the desert. Once we passed through SLC and went up and over the mountains again, there was even more noticeable difference. Ecosystems are amazing. On our way to Park City, we stopped at Sundance. It was beautiful. This picture was my favorite.

Moving on, we stopped in Park City for lunch at Squatters Brewery. Dave had a lager and I enjoyed a “Juicy IPA”. We split the “New York Cheesesteak” – despite everything wrong with that name, it was delicious.

After lunch, we goofed around Park City until it was time to check in. We are staying at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley. It’s absolutely amazing. Our room is fantastic. Amazing views, full kitchen, two fireplaces, two bathrooms, amazing bed and did I mention the view. I was so excited about everything… and then the bellhop told me about the laundry room with complimentary detergent. I felt like I landed in vacation heaven. A comfortable bed AND free laundry after being in the desert for 3 days… yes, please!

Our elevation is about 8,500 feet. We are surrounded by green ski slopes, evergreens and aspens. Once we checked in, (started laundry) we walked around to enjoy the view.

These beautiful planters are Everywhere!

We finished up laundry, dealt with an A/C issue and were ready for dinner. Yes, at this point in the day the sun was blazing hot and shining into the room. The A/C was at 75 and only going up. The repair man was there in minutes and had it working in 15 minutes. Ironically, a storm was coming at the same time and it became super cold. However, the storm coming over the mountains was beautiful.

We went to the Champions pub/ game room for dinner. Pizza & Salad. On our way there, we found the Clown Car. we were pleased to see he was tucked away for the next couple of days. The resort shuttle will take us to trails, dinner and anywhere else (in a 5 mile radius).

Good night everyone. I’m officially relaxing and on vacation…. Tomorrow is a new day with lots of trails to find!

Arches National Park

By wabisabisole

On June 28, 2021

In Arches National Park, Chasing Sunrise, Delicate Arch, Road trip

Today started early – even by Dwyer standards. I really wanted to see Delicate Arch at sunrise. The drive from our Airbnb to the Delicate Arch trail head is about 30 minutes. The hike to Delicate Arch is 1.5 miles mostly uphill. Sunrise was at 5:55am. I know it’s crazy… I set the alarm for 3:15am! On vacation… to chase sunrise! Before I share any pictures, I want to give a big shout out to Dave. He is always a good sport about my crazy ideas – especially, when on vacation and it involves a sunrise. When I tried to talk myself out of the whole thing last night, he encouraged me/us to go for it. He even woke up earlier than needed to turn on the coffee pot. Thank you, my love.

We started hiking at 5am with our headlamps and flashlights. The trail was pretty easy to follow. It’s been well maintained because of all the visitors. I thought it would be more challenging to follow, especially in the dark, but it was pretty easy. We made it to the arch with time to spare and watch the early sun rays turn the clouds into cotton candy. It was beautiful.

Surprisingly, we weren’t alone this early in the morning. There were quite a few early birds. Mostly photographers trying to catch the perfect shot.

This is my favorite shot of the clouds and Arch.

We stayed for 10-15 minutes and watched as the sun continued to rise and it became more and more crowded. We realized it was time to head down and continue seeing the park. It was a quick walk back down especially because we could actually see what was around us!

I also want to take a minute and share navigational tips to hiking in the desert. Trails can often be difficult to follow because there are no natural trail markers like trees or vegetation. Instead, there are cairns or rock piles. They are the navigation points to walk towards while hiking. They are spaced apart and give you a visual line of where the trail leads.

We returned to the car and headed up to our next hike. We were going to hike to see Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, and Tapestry Arch.

The light at Sand Dune Arch was beautiful.

This trail was really sandy in several spots. We even saw this cute little beetle.

We reversed course after tapestry arch. And stopped for a few pictures of the other side of Broken Arch.

Our next destination was Devils Garden Trail head. We stepped it out to see Landscape Arch – the longest arch on the planet.

As we walked, we started seeing elephants in all of the rock formations. Elephant trunks and elephant butts. Look at landscape arch – it is actually two elephants on either side extending their trunks. The one on the left has a crown above his ear. The elephant on the right has his mouth open. Do you see it?

More elephants

We decided to pass on Double O Arch. The trail was crowded and really windy. We didn’t feel like scaling the fins in the crowd and wind…. We took a picture from below.

As we drove back to the park entrance we decided to see if we could find a parking spot at The Windows. We were pleasantly surprised the crowds had thinned in that part of the park. We found a spot without an issue. We walked along the main trail and then took the primitive trail back to the parking lot. We had the place to ourselves on the primitive trail!

Behind the North and South Windows
aka behind the scenes

After we finished with The Windows, we headed to the visitor center. It was after 11am and we were getting hot and tired. I had almost 26k steps and Dave had over 30k. I would call that a very successful day of chasing sunrise, hiking, and having fun!

We took this picture yesterday on our way to Canyonlands. We knew we would pass in the dark today. Seize the opportunity!

We were back to the Airbnb by 12:30. 8 hours of hiking and driving. That’s a full day even if we were done in a half day! After a nap and shower, we enjoyed dinner at a Mexican restaurant. It was delicious. I came for two things… a BiG margarita and sopaipilla. I first & last had sopaipillas when I went to New Mexico with my Mom in the 2008. They are sugary puffs of dough. Like a hollow doughnut. Just add honey! Both were delicious!

Tomorrow we head to Park City. We plan to not set an alarm – check out isn’t until 10:00am!

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