A condo in Breckenridge

Moving into a  condo for a week after living in our little trailer for the past year felt like moving into a mansion with all of this space and amenities. As we were packing up our things to move over, I thought this is more work than it is worth. Looks like I was wrong. I don't want a sticks an bricks yet but a week is pretty good. Now that much of our stuff is out of the trailer, we can take some time and do some good cleaning. We thought we were down to just what we needed but threw out more as we weeded thru our cabinets.

We were having our morning coffee when someone knocked at the door and "housekeeping". We passed except a couple of new towels.

It was a treat to just hang around the resort for a couple of days which  is ski in/ski out in the winter, taking our morning walk on the mountain along the stream before heading in to binge on the Olympics, internet and a little hot tub time.

 

McCullough Gulch Trail

 





We have our go to trails that we like while in Breckenridge. This time, we thought we would try a new one. Without much parking at the trailhead, we made sure to turn around to make our exit easy which was a good thing. People had parked in the turn around area causing anyone who drove to the end to have to backup along a big ledge. I guess they didn't want to walk to their hike.

The hike began at 10,800-feet on an old mining road and immediately ascends a steep grade through wildflowers and boulder fields.  The surrounding mountains would occasionally peek through the pines. As we climbed  above tree line the forest gave way to open tundra and expansive views of the valley. At 1.3 miles lies Upper Blue Reservoir at 12,000 feet, where we spotted mountain goats on ledges above us.

We must be acclimating to the altitude since my heart was not pounding in my ears and no sucking air this time as we passed an old mine site.

 

The short detour to White Falls Loop brought us right up to a set of steep waterfalls with various flowers lining the banks of the falls.

We made it to Upper Blue Reservoir and were glad we got an early start. There was a steady flow of people coming up the trail.

 

 

As nice as it has been staying in such a nice place, we feel  sad to see the continued development and destruction of so much of the natural area. As the new condos are added and increased number of people, we see the affects of the over use of the mountains. I do have to give the town of Breck credit for all of the efforts that have been made to clean up the mining destruction of the 1800s.

 

Historical Tourism

 

Who knew? We just like to learn about the history of the areas we visit. We learn so much from the docents. We visit Breckenridge for the outside activities often without thinking about the history here. This time we decided to visit some of the local museums and were pleasantly surprised.

We started at the Ski Museum which was a small room with plenty of things to look at and a good video of some of the people that helped start the skiing industry here.

The Barney Ford House was our favorite with his interesting story.  Barney L. Ford, an escaped slave who prospered and became a prominent entrepreneur and black civil right leader in Colorado. Born into slavery in 1822, Ford was instilled with the importance of learning to read by his mother, who inspired his lifelong quest for education.

Born in 1822 to a Virginia slave and a white plantation owner, Barney L. Ford grew up in South Carolina where he learned to read and write from another servant. Ford escaped slavery at age twenty-six when his master hired him out to work on a Mississippi riverboat. He simply walked off the boat in Quincy, Illinois and fled to Chicago when he was told that he was a free man as long as he was in Illinois which did not recognize slavery. He never returned to the South.

Edwin Carter came to Breckenridge in 1868 seeking gold and fortune, but his goals changed when he saw the devastation mining had on the environment and local wildlife. Carter became a taxidermist and collected Rocky Mountain animal specimens in his museum, which doubled as his home.

 

Baker's Tank Trail

This trail does not have a great deal of elevation gain if you start at the top and connect with the Mountain Pride Trail to an old mining community. Mountain Pride Trail begins on Baker's Tank Trail and was used historically to haul ore from the Mountain Pride Mine to the rail line along Boreas Pass. The out and back trail is about 5 miles round trip depending on which route you take.

The railroad would use the water from the stream going into the tank to make steam for its engine. The tank is at 11,100 feet and start of the trail if starting at the north end is 10,000 ft. We have enjoyed mountain biking this trail in the past but decided to walk this day.

Circle the Summit

 

This 18-mile, 1,100' climb ride around Lake Dillon has one significant climb and descent over Swan Mountain on the south side of the lake. A definite heart thumper. The clouds were building when Mike suggested riding to Keystone before we hit Swan Mountain. I used the clouds and possible thunderstorms as an excuse to cut it short. I hate lightening. You can see the rest of the climb ahead. We had just completed the first half.

Sapphire Point (the top of Swan Mountain)

When we don't have a hike or bike ride planned, we take a morning walk. Today, we were half way up Peak 9 before we realized how far we had walked without water or anything else. I guess, we  just get lost in our thoughts and conversation on such a great mountain. It made us a bit itchy to ski.

 



Protecting Wilderness areas

The Park Record Newspaper in Park City, Utah by Jeff Dempsey published the following article

In mid-July, Utah senators Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch introduced the Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Act, which would mark a significant change in the way the United States stewards its wilderness areas. It would give local land managers the discretion to allow mountain bikes into previously restricted areas, as well as the use of motorized trail-cutting equipment like chainsaws.

“Our National Wilderness Preservation System was created so that the American people could enjoy the solitude and recreational opportunities of this continent’s priceless natural areas,” Lee said in the announcement. “This bill would enrich Americans enjoyment of the outdoors by making it easier for them to mountain in wilderness areas.”

Hatch was equally enthusiastic.

“Utah is blessed with an abundance of beautiful wilderness, and Americans should be free to enjoy it,” Hatch said. “This bill presents a reasonable approach to allowing the use of mountain bikes on trails and grant federal land managers the ability to do necessary maintenance.”

After the bill was made public, several prominent figures made their opposition known, and among them was Peter Metcalf. A Park City resident for 25 years, Metcalf has been intimately involved with the outdoor retail industry. He got his start with Patagonia in the 1980s before founding his own business, Black Diamond. He also played a vital role in securing Salt Lake City as the home of the Outdoor Retailer trade group.

“I think it’s a very bad, negative, and detrimental proposal,” he said. “The Wilderness Act was thoughtfully architected over 60 years ago to protect the wild places that were left in America, which there weren’t very many. And the idea that there should be no mechanized vehicles back there was done deliberately so that these landscapes could be protected and preserved in the most natural state.”

Metcalf said Lee and Hatch are not considered friends to the wilderness and lands management community, so when they introduced a plan Metcalf said his guard was up. After reading the proposal, he said he doesn’t think it has anything to do with giving mountain bikers more access.

“I think this is a bit of a Trojan horse to get involved with this issue, because they see it as one way to begin a somewhat obtuse attack on public lands and wilderness,” he said. “And by allowing bicycles as well as mechanized equipment in there for trail cutting, it puts you on a slippery slope. Because then next is, what is the issue with electric bikes? Are those allowed, too? Do we broaden it to other mechanized equipment? It’s a very slippery slope.”

Put bluntly, Metcalf said he believes Lee and Hatch want to chip away at the Wilderness Act however they can, even if it means the destruction of endangered and fragile ecosystems.

“I am an enthusiastic mountain biker. It’s not about being anti-mountain bike,” he said. “It’s about recognizing that mountain biking is different than trail running and hiking. And also recognizing that part of the idea behind the Wilderness Act was to preserve large, intact ecosystems to preserve their flora and fauna.”

Mountain bikes move faster and would take people deeper into wilderness areas, he said, causing more damage than is acceptable. He also added that the way things work now is already ideal, in that mountain bikers have their trail systems and hikers who want to avoid bikes can turn to wilderness areas for peace and quiet.

“Look at Park City. I love mountain biking here but I don’t hike here,” he said. “There are places here where trying to go hiking would be stupid. You’ll get run over. There are too many conflicts. So you go over to Little Cottonwood or Big Cottonwood, and just imagine having mountain bikes there. The conflicts are potentially huge. Mountain bike trails need to be discrete mountain bike trails.”

Southern Utah shares concern

Scott Groene, executive director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, was also quick to voice disapproval of the Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Act. Southern Utah boasts several Bureau of Land Management-protected areas — including White Canyon, Cedar Mesa, the Book Cliffs and the San Rafael Swell — and he said he worries that those areas would be next to have their protections eroded.

“It’s an attack on the Wilderness Act,” he said. “Opponents of wilderness have long tried to chip away at the Wilderness Act of 1964 by creating exceptions that would be the camel’s nose under the tent. And this is one more effort at that.”

Groene said those who think mountain bikers are clamoring for wilderness area access should think again.

“[This bill] is being pushed by two of the worst senators on the environment, and at a time when the number of mountain bike trails have grown and improved dramatically,” Gorene said. “There is no need for this legislation.”

Groene said Moab is a great example of his point. What 25 years ago was little more than “slick rock and a bunch of Jeep trails” is now completely transformed.

“A lot of hard work by a lot of people, and now we have hundreds of miles of great single track.”

Groene said he agreed with Metcalf that allowing mountain bikes into wilderness areas would only upset the balance outdoor enthusiasts currently enjoy.

“Many of us here in Utah, we enjoy riding bikes, and we enjoy hiking in wilderness, and we have access to both,” he said. “And that’s a great place to be. Right now, less than 1 percent of the state of Utah is wilderness, so it doesn’t really make sense why you would try to push your way in there at the risk of undermining the Wilderness Act.”

Wasatch, Uinta would be greatly affected

The Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges are home to several wilderness areas of their own, including Lone Peak — Utah’s first designated wilderness area, made official in 1978 — Twin Peaks, Mount Olympus and the High Uintas. Carl Fisher, executive director of Save Our Canyons, did not mince words when discussing Lee’s and Hatch’s proposal.

“I think it’s one of the biggest threats to the Wilderness Act we’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “It’s intention is to try to undo a tried and true conservation strategy and management strategy that’s really been focused on the land, not on use. So this is taking away from the intrinsic value of the land, and focusing solely on use. And wilderness is bigger than that.”

Fisher said he thinks Lee and Hatch are hoping to pit preservationists and bikers against each other. He added, though, that he doesn’t think it will work.

“Overwhelmingly what we’ve seen is that people see the value of wilderness and are afraid it might be jeopardized,” he said. “As divisive as this proposal is — with the pitting of people against each other who I think it’s safe to say share similar values — I think cooler heads will prevail.

“I think everyone understands there is something more important at stake here than our own personal uses.”

Lake Dillon, Colorado

We were glad to be back in Summit County and Lake Dillon after our extended stay in Idaho and the extra driving we had done. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place. Heaton Bay is one of the federal campgrounds surrounding the lake. There are only 11 with electric and water. We were good spending a week dry camping there at $9 per night with our pass. The sites along the water are my favorite but those and the ones with hookups fill the quickest. Frisco's Safeway is just 1 mile away which is pretty handy. Dillon is just across the dam 3 miles away. 

While traveling, medical and dental issues come up and we try to deal with them the best we can. I started having a painful tooth and made an appointment with my dentist in Colorado Springs  driving the two hours down from the mountains. The morning of my appointment the office called and canceled me due to an injury dentist had but would reschedule me the next week. I declined and decided to try and find someone in Summit County. I  found a dentist that was a preferred provider for my insurance that could see me the next day. (score!) When I arrived, I was informed that I would have to pay for the visit and submit it to my insurance myself since they were not familiar with my insurance. She fixed my tooth with a filling and I paid $450.  Mike called the insurance company the next day to find out why this office was listed as a provider. The insurance lady said the office had called and verified my eligibility and were required to accept the rate on which they had agreed. While he waited on the phone, the insurance lady called the office and insisted that they fax over the billing information and we would be reimbursed the amount I was not required to pay. I am good with paying for the work that was done. I just don't want to be swindled in the process.

Saturday, we headed west to Copper Mountain to watch the Copper Triangle Bike Ride. Mike had ridden the 80 miles over 3 mountain passes a couple of years ago. The weather can be volatile with lightening and rain storms popping up in the afternoons. Most people are out at a chilly sunrise.

Peeping at the osprey across the lake. At least, that is what he said.

Summit County has numerous bike trails connecting the mountain communities. We rode east 13 miles to Keystone and found a Bluegrass and Beer Festival going on. There were several venues around the village to enjoy.

We had planned to return home for lunch when we set out on our ride. But we found ourselves hungry after listening to the music and hanging around longer than we had planned. A lady walked by with some good looking giant crepes. We had to  indulge and share one before starting back after riding up towards Montezuma.

There has been a nest of osprey on the lake for a number of years. We have enjoyed watching and listening to their calls on our morning walks as the parents bring fish for the family.

Riding  west up Ten Mile Canyon between Frisco and Copper Mountain

Not a bad place to awaken in the morning.

An old mine on our Meadow Creek hike.

 I found  interesting about this trail is that it passes through an Aspen Forest, a mostly dying Lodgepole Forest from the pine beetles, open Sagebrush meadows, and a mixed Fir forest.   Toss in a few lovely views of Lake Dillon and you have a very nice outing.

Lily Pad Lake with Buffalo Mountain in the background has less lily pads than in the past  but the pond just beyond has plenty to enjoy.

There are two chances to view Dillon Reservoir as we walk along Meadow Creek but no moose today. This was a good way to wrap up our week here.

As we were packing up to move to Breckenridge, I decided to go to the local Emergency Room to see if they could help with the salmon bone that stuck in the corner of my throat during dinner the night before and driving me crazy.  Fortunately, the ER doc was able to contact the local ENT MD and he came over pronto to fix me up with his handy scope and a little fishing expedition. I was thankful he was nearby and willing to see me or I would have had to go to Denver, two hours away.

On to Breck!