Exploring Colorado with Friends Old and New (by Jim)

Overlook at Mueller State Park

We have been blessed to visit so many friends and family on our journey through the country. They have given us places to stay and stretch, great conversation, and time to recuperate. But, on our most recent leg of the adventure, we had two friends who took time out of their busy schedules to actually visit us on the road! Jay has been my very good friend since third grade. My family had just moved to Sheboygan and I was the “new kid” in class. Although Jay was in fourth grade, we shared the same classroom, and our interest in dinosaurs, rocks, and telling stories made us fast friends that have lasted through the decades. Jay was the best man at our wedding. And he has been a special “uncle” to Walden since he was born.

Jay and his partner, Chris, who currently live in Sheboygan, had expressed interest early on in taking vacation time and joining us on part of our journey. Of course, our goal of being flexible with our time and travel also makes it a major challenge to plan for specific dates… which we’ve learned is pretty important to most of the people we visit! But we were able to keep in touch during our months on the road, and we planned specific days to meet up with Jay and Chris near Colorado Springs. Sunshine made reservations for camping at a state park (a rarity on the trip!) and plans to stay with friends in the city.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Picking up from where we last left off with our journey...From Bill and Susie Kiger’s house in Grand Junction (August 2), we headed east, avoiding the Interstate, and taking instead the more adventurous Highway 50 that curves through the Rocky Mountains. Along the way, we made a short visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I had visited here with a friend several years prior, but it was a new park to Sunshine and Walden. The canyon is magnificent, so deep (2,772 feet) and so narrow (40 feet) that little light can penetrate it. The nearly vertical walls are punctuated with lighter veins of rock, deep fractures, and thin pinnacles. The bright green Gunnison River can be seen like a sliver at the bottom, still rushing and carving the canyon deeper. We had just enough time to explore the visitor center, walk the Rim Rock Trail (1 miles), and for Walden to earn his Junior Ranger badge.

We continued driving east on Highway 50, following the Gunnison River through Curecanti National Recreation Area and steeply climbing over the Continental Divide at magnificent Monarch Pass, 11,312 feet in elevation. Although we were a bit nervous about traveling through the Rockies, the Honda CR-V performed well hauling the Burro up and down the steep, winding roads. Unfortunately, many of the campgrounds that we passed were closed due to flooding damage, and as the evening grew later, we started losing hope of finding a place to camp. Driving through Pike National Forest, we finally saw a sign for camping. Turning onto the gravel road, we noticed a cleared area under some pine trees, and decided that a free dispersed campsite was the best option for the night.

Watching water striders

The next morning (August 3), we continued the short drive to our destination, Mueller State Park, located just west of Colorado Springs. The park was absolutely beautiful, perched at 9,600 feet in elevation, with stunning views of the surrounding mountain peaks, grassy meadows carpeted with wildflowers, and colorful edifices of granite. Despite Walden’s eagerness to see Uncle Jay and Chris, we had to be patient and wait until supper time when they were due to arrive. We explored a neat Children’s Nature Trail around Dragonfly Pond (0.2 mi), which kept Walden busy jumping to compare his leap with other animals, touching models of scat, watching hundreds of water striders skimming across the pond surface, and crawling through logs.

Beautiful wildflowers

We also explored the visitor center, which fortunately had several buttons to press and telephones to listen to. The exhibits included several mounts in an immersive environment, and Walden made track rubbings with chalk for each of the animals. From the visitor center, we hiked the Wapiti Nature Trail (0.8 mi) that wound through aspen forests rustling in the wind, large boulders, and open meadows filled with colorful wildflowers. The display of purple, yellow, red, pink, and white was astonishing, rivaling the flowers we saw at Mount Rainier. We discovered later that the wildflowers were especially good this year due to the rainy spring and summer. After all of the extreme dry places we visited, it was almost a shock to be in an area that had an abundance of moisture!

Raven Ridge Overlook

After our first hike, we headed to our campsite, set up the Burro, and had lunch. The campground was interesting, as it consisted of a main spine of sites (where we were located), with several roads of additional sites that branched from the main line, following the ridgetops. In addition, trailheads to different parts of the park were integrated into the campground, making for convenient hiking. Our campsite was a nice pull-through perched on the edge of a wooded valley.

That afternoon, we hiked the Outlook Ridge and Lost Pond trails (3 mi), which provided access to impressive rock outcroppings with stunning views of ponds, wooded valleys, and distant mountains. Walden fell asleep in the backpack (which doesn’t happen often!) as we descended into meadows and past a small pond. 

Sleeping in the backpack

Colorful granite boulders

While Sunshine and Walden rested back at the campsite and waited for Jay and Chris to arrive, I hiked a path near our campsite called the Black Bear and Homestead trails (2.4 mi). The trail looped through another meadow of amazing wildflowers and past rounded boulders of granite, balanced impossibly on top of each other, streaked with brilliant orange, pink, yellow, and white lichens. 

Jay blowing bubbles

When I returned, Jay and Chris had arrived at the campsite. They had just finished finagling their large tent into the quite small flat space near the picnic table. The tent nearly hung off the edge! Walden loved playing bubbles and tag with Uncle Jay. And he loved playing ball with Chris, especially when the ball would inevitably fly off of the campsite and roll down the steep wooded hill, forcing Chris to run after it. Sunshine made a delicious meal of gluten-free, vegetarian pasta (taking into account all of the crazy food restrictions of the group). 

Pasta supper at the campsite

 We had been watching storm clouds build and pass for much of the afternoon, but when we saw a dark gray cloud headed our way, we quickly put up the awning on the Burro in case it was needed.

Rain and hail in the campsite

And boy was it needed! The storm started off with a volley of raindrops that sent us under the awning where we were very comfortable watching. But soon, the few raindrops grew into a downpour that sent literal rivers flowing through the campsite and poured off the awning like a waterfall. We all moved inside the Burro. It was quite the sight to see four adults and Walden crowded inside the small trailer, but we all fit! 

Handful of hail

Small hail began to fall knocking against the Burro roof. Then more hail. And more hail. Larger, louder, until we could barely hear ourselves talk! Soon, the entire ground was covered in white ice balls like snow. Walden was delighted as he has discovered a unique taste for hail on the trip. So Sunshine went outside in the hailstorm and collected a handful of marble-sized hail for Walden to eat. We all found room on the bed and played Walden’s version of UNO while the rain continued. After the storm finally subsided, the campground was veiled in mist rising from the earth. The fading sun set the storm clouds on fire with brilliant orange, yellow, and pink above the mountains. What an experience!

Playing UNO inside the Burro

Fortunately, we had covered the firewood with a tarp, and it was still dry enough to have a campfire, roast marshmallows (what Walden had been waiting for!), and drink some of the Scotch that Jay and Chris brought along (what I had been waiting for!).

Roasting marshmallows

The next morning (August 4), we drove to nearby Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, a park that I had visited several years ago with a friend. It is a unique site, one of the richest fossil deposits in the world. However, this incredible aspect of the park is largely hidden in layers of shale below the ground. The visitor center displays a few of the specimens found… insects, leaves, spiders, fish… all preserved with amazing detail. But most of the fossils have been excavated and shipped off to museums and universities throughout the world. 

Posing by "Big Stump"

What still remains are the stumps. The park itself is a vast, dry, scrubby grassland with a few pines dotting the landscape. But scattered around are about a dozen petrified redwood stumps, some standing taller than us. It was incredible to imagine that this arid place was once a rich redwood forest. After bailing out on a boring ranger hike (never thought I would do it, but believe me, it HAD to be done), we hiked the Petrified Forest Loop (1 mile) which passed the Trio, three petrified stumps that had grown together, and the Big Stump, which measures 38 feet in circumference. The Big Stump still had a saw blade embedded where someone in the past had tried to saw it into pieces to move it somewhere else. While the uniqueness of the fossil beds was interesting, none of us were very impressed with the site itself.

Grouse Mountain Overlook

We returned to Mueller State Park for lunch. That afternoon, Sunshine, Walden, and I hiked to Grouse Mountain Overlook (0.8 mi), the highest point in the park at 9,843 feet in elevation, for stunning views of the wooded valleys and distant mountains. We continued hiking the Cheesman Ranch/Lost Still/Cahill Pond trails (1 mi) through meadows, woods, and steeply climbed past a deteriorating wood cabin that had a spectacular view of Pikes Peak. 

Old cabin window

When we returned to the campsite, Jay and I headed out on another hike on the Peak View/Elk Meadow trails (2 mi), which meandered through aspen forests and meadows that provided excellent views of Pikes Peak in the distance. We arrived back to the campsite just in time for a Mexican feast of tacos, chips, guacamole, and salsa prepared by Sunshine. After supper, Walden lured Uncle Jay to play on the playground with him.

Walking through aspens

On our last day at Mueller State Park (August 5), Jay and Chris packed up in the morning and headed toward Colorado Springs. Sunshine, Walden, and I had one more hiking adventure on the Cahill Pond/Buffalo Rock/Moonshine/Cheesman Ranch trails (3 mi) on the north side of the campground for a final experience in the aspen forests, meadows, and mountains of the park. We noticed interesting black marks on the bark of aspen trees that stopped at about 6 feet up. We learned that these were created by elk that feed on the bark during winter. We stopped at the visitor center before leaving the park so Walden could earn his Junior Ranger badge… and a really giant coloring book!

Bill and Suzi Brokaw and their trailer

Then, we headed to Colorado Springs. Earlier in the trip, we met a wonderful couple named Bill and Suzi Brokaw (yes, ANOTHER Bill and Suzi!) who happened to have a trailer that looked virtually the same as ours, the only other one we have seen on our entire trip. It was a U-haul rather than a Burro, but the mold was likely based on the Burro. Bill and Suzi invited us to park the Burro at their house in Colorado Springs if we happened to be traveling in that part of the country. They also happen to have a B&B at their house. It was a perfect fit for us! Jay and Chris stayed at the B&B, and we stayed in our Burro in the driveway.

Bill and Suzi's house/B&B

Bill and Suzi have a beautiful Southwest-style home decorated with an intriguing assortment of items (such as masks from all over the world), with lush grass in the backyard for playing in and a hot tub for soaking away the soreness of hiking. They have two labradoodles and two cats, which Walden was fascinated by (although he didn’t like the dogs’ overzealous licking!) Bill and Suzi graciously opened up their house to us, and we enjoyed warm showers and baths, electricity, a microwave (it’s that easy to warm something up?), and wonderful conversation. 

Forest Service humor

After getting settled at Bill and Suzi’s, we all piled into the Honda CR-V to make the steep, winding drive up Pikes Peak Highway, a 19-mile climb to the top of the mountain. Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains at 14,115 feet in elevation. It towers over Colorado Springs, with snow still clinging to its rocky crevasses. At the base of the mountain, we discovered a rock shop, and Jay was thrilled that all of the rocks were 50% off in price! We loaded up the car with rocks and headed up. The highway and peak are in the Pike National Forest, which capitalizes on its popularity by charging fees ($40 per carload) to reach the top. Along the way, we stopped at a humorous Bigfoot Crossing sign, the Crystal Reservoir Visitor Center (actually just a gift shop) for a view of the peak, and the historic Glen Cove Inn. 

View from near the summit

As we climbed higher, the steep, twisting switchbacks provided breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. When we reached the rocky alpine area near the summit, we stopped to climb over rounded boulders for views of green valleys, the twisting highway, and Colorado Springs far below. The summit itself was a disappointment, dominated by a graveled, unorganized parking lot and an ugly, squat gift shop (the Summit House). The views were spectacular if you ignored the tacky tourist facilities. But Walden and I did have to try one of the world-famous high-altitude donuts, the only donuts made above 14,000 feet. They tasted like… well… donuts. 

At the top!

Famous Pikes Peak donut

That evening, as Jay and I soaked in the hot tub at the B&B looking up at the stars, we reminisced about all of the crazy, challenging backpacking and winter camping trips we had taken in the past, and how different, and delightful, sitting in a hot tub was.

The next morning (August 6), we all headed to Garden of the Gods, an immensely popular Colorado Springs park that features incredible red, white, and pink rock formations. Monoliths, towers, and spires rise from the arid landscape in all sorts of shapes and sculptures. On our way into the park, we stopped at Balanced Rock, a 700-ton red rock balanced on a narrow pedestal. Despite all of their efforts, Walden and Jay couldn’t get it to budge. The park was definitely crowded; we couldn’t find parking near the formations, and ended up parking at the visitor center, about a mile away. We hiked the Central Garden Trails (1.5 mi) with close-up views of the highest, most famous formations, bearing such imaginative names as “Tower of Babel,” “Sentinel Rock,” “Cathedral Spires,” and “Three Graces.” Walden enjoyed climbing on boulders and through narrow caves and cracks.

Balanced Rock

Spires and sculptures

Panorama of Garden of the Gods

 After exploring the high-tech visitor center and eating lunch, Sunshine, Walden, and I braved the heat and hiked another trail called the Siamese Twins Trail (1 mi), which led to a double rock tower with a natural window between.

Siamese Twins window

Touching Bear Creek

On our way back to Bill and Suzi’s, we happened upon the Bear Creek Nature Center, the oldest nature center in Colorado opened in 1976. After the crazy busy Garden of the Gods, this was the perfect place for us. We were the only people in the nature center, a beautiful facility, which was filled with interactive exhibits, microscopes, buttons, and puppets galore. Walden was in heaven. He especially enjoyed watching honey bees flying in and out of a clear plastic tube to their hive. We hiked a short trail next to the cool, babbling Bear Creek.

The next morning (August 7), Walden and Uncle Jay played tag and hide-and-go-seek in the lush grass of the backyard until they were exhausted. Then, sadly, it was time to say goodbye to Jay and Chris, who were heading back to Nebraska to visit friends and then back home. We had so much fun playing, hanging out, and exploring the Colorado Springs area with them. We are so happy that they were able to be a part of our life journey.

So much fun with Uncle Jay and Chris!

But the adventure wasn't over! 

Ready to ride

Bill and Suzi wanted to treat Walden to a special experience. Bill has been riding motorcycles since he was a young boy; he was a top competitor in motorcycle trials and ran a motorcycle dealership before retiring. He asked if Walden would like to ride a motorcycle through Cheyenne Cañon. Walden has always been fascinated by motorcycles, often pretending his tricycle is a motorcycle, and so was excited for the chance. So, Sunshine and Walden loaded up into a sleek sidecar attached to a Honda Valkyrie motorcycle, and Bill drove them on a sightseeing tour into the canyon. It was an amazing way to see the towering walls and rock formations of the canyon. Walden was fascinated by all of the buttons, levers, and wheels that he could see on the motorcycle (what does that one do?) Suzi and I followed behind in the Brokaw's sporty Mini Cooper, which I got to drive! We stopped at a beautiful waterfall called Helen Hunt Falls for a picnic lunch, soaking our feet in the cool Cheyenne Creek. And on the way back, I got to experience the exhilarating ride with Walden in the sidecar. What a blessing to share time on our trip with both old friends and new!

Eating lunch with Bill and Suzi