Riding our bikes on the Pueblo River Trail

Pueblo, Colorado is home to the CF&I Steel Mill where my dad spent 40 years mostly in the drawing room of the wire mill. When I had children of my own, we would spend summers at the Lake Pueblo swim beach. We now try to ride the river trail at least once a year when we are in Colorado. It gets pretty warm in the summer months so we opt for spring or fall.

The round trip ride along the river is bout 30 miles that is pretty flat but the wind can blow and make it feel like up hill. When we passed the dam, there is a new fish hatchery so we checked out the trout. Actually, I was more interested in resting before the climb to the south marina and campground.

We like to stop at Coyotes at the Greenway Nature Center but it turned out the be closed. After a Cliff Bar, we rode back to downtown to find some food. We get into a habit when we find a good place to eat. This made us venture out and find a place in the Union District. < a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBbGMO8rXlf3aFzxsMU-9QAXdzGHRVyzrx9rIbfqZSqQfXJWPElAVYMZF7WY2v6QxQVpyLwhyphenhyphen8NC0nc3O_RQefYtSin_oXKoYksMdcPxIGdDWnZBc7-Ht_dLM3-d7LSfpoLylSszbjO4/s1600/pueblo.jpg" imageanchor="1" > We sent to the revitalized Union Station area and watched to see which restaurant had the most people leaving since it was almost 2pm and decide to try DC's on B Street and was pleasantly surprised. Pueblo is a Latino community with a strong Italian influence and was reflected in the food. Of course, you can get Pueblo chiles on any thing you order.

HIking the Intemann Trail in Manitou Springs

Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs have so many great hiking trails within a short distance from and within the city. Probably why it is considered one of the healthiest places to live. That is just what people do here. If the sun is shining or it is snowing, people love to walk in the woods or mountain sides. There are trails for every level. In the springtime, April is one of the snowiest months and Pikes Peak is beautiful at 14,115 feet above sea level. Paul Intemann Memorial Nature Trail (named in honor of a Manitou Springs city planner) is a popular trail that winds south of Manitou Springs. It a is part of the Ring the Peak trail system but due to property easement dispute it is incomplete, with a gap in the middle. When hiking from north to south the trailhead is located off the Ruxton Avenue by the Iron Spring. Follow the trail through Spring Street and through the gate. After about 1/2 mile you will see a spur that leads up to the Red Mountain. Another 1/2 mile later the trail continues north on Pawnee Avenue through the city. Turn right on Southside Avenue, then walk a short portion of the trail to Delaware Road. The trail continues off the city streets again by the Tot lot. After passing by the High School you will reach the current end of the western portion of the trail at the cemetery. In order to hike the whole trail continuously you must take a detour through the city and come up on Crystal Park road to the next trail head. To hike the eastern portion of the trail start at the Section 16 trail head on Gold Camp Road. After 0.8 miles a sign marks the beginning of Intemann Trail to the right. The trail winds up and down at the foothills for about 2 miles until you reach Crystal Park Road. Climb up under the east side of the Sheep Mountain to trail's current end. Length: Total length of both segments is 5 miles. Difficulty: Easy to Medium. Trail is easy to hike but total distance does increase the difficulty if the whole trail is done in one day. Directions: Section 16 trailhead: From US-24 exit on 26th street. After driving through two switchbacks turn right to Gold Camp Road and the trailhead parking lot will be on the right side after about 0.9 miles. For Iron Spring trailhead park along the Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs or at the Barr Trail parking lot off Hydro Street.

Lost Dutchman's Syphon Draw

The Lost Dutchman State Park is a treasure we like hiking and camping in the East Valley of Phoenix, AZ. There are several hiking trails but steepest and most hiked is the Syphon Draw.

Mike is on the easy part of the trail that is shady in the mornings

We found hiking during the week is a quieter hike. Everyone in the Valley seems to hit the trails on weekends and holidays. Believe me, we found out on a Thanksgiving holiday in the past.

The Superstition Mountain Museum is near by and displays the artifacts, history and folklore of the Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction and the surrounding region. Perhaps nowhere in the entire United States is there an area full of legend, history and intrigue as the rugged 160,000 acre Superstition Mountain range in the Tonto National Forest in Central Arizona. Archeological evidence indicates that people were here some 9000 years ago. Later inhabitants included the Salado, Hohokam and Apache Indians, followed by Spanish explorers and Mexican Gold Miners. Early American trappers and adventurers migrated to the area and were soon followed by cattlemen and farmers. Eventually, the U.S. Cavalry was sent in to establish forts to protect this rapidly growing population. As modern times approached, men and women began searching for what they believed was the richest gold mine in the world. This mine was made famous by Jacob Waltz, known as “the Dutchman”, who took the secret of “his mine” to the grave in 1891. Even today, treasure hunters scour the mountains searching for the Lost Dutchman Mine, but now they share the region with campers, hikers, horseback riders and conservationists in what has officially become the Superstition Wilderness Area. (Taken from the Lost Dutchman Museum Website)

Once a person gets above the draw, there is some scrambling to get to the Flat Irons and quite a view.

Arizona and Utah

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2015 Sedona, AZ and Red Rock State Park We have always enjoyed going to Sedona and hiking in Red Rocks State Park, but Sedona is getting pretty crowded. Maybe spring time brings out the people. There has been lots of building going on there. We have always enjoyed the village of Oak Creek. There is a $5 parking fee to use the trails.

We hiked along the Yavapai Trail across the road from Bell Rock and was much less crowded once we reached the Hiline Trail. The views were wonderful with shade from the bushes. You can hike for many miles. There were a few mountain bikes along the way. The view of cathedral Rock was peaceful with a light breeze in the air. At this point we sat a while enjoying the sunshine before starting back.

We have not experienced the Vortex but just enjoy the sunshine and red rocks.  

Posted by Treking with the "B"s at 2:17 PM No comments: SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015 Tour of Glen Canyon Dam The tour of Glen Canyon Dam was well worth the $5 and time. Page became a town when a site for the dam was designated. Above are dinosaur footprint. The view from the dam and watching the rafts leave going towards Lee's Ferry. We decided to try out our new inflatable kayak. We had tried it out at home but didn't go quite as well under the warm sun. Lake Powell is a huge lake and fortunately the winds were After getting the kinks out, we had a nice tour around the marina. Posted by Treking with the "B"s at 4:13 PM No comments: Dead Horse Ranch State Park, AZ Good thing every bike comes with a hiker. We spent time in Dead Horse Ranch State Park and found Some great mountain biking right outside our doors. Some Of it a bit over my head but I can push it over obstacles. The Lime Kiln Trail goes to Sedona, AZ without much traffic. The next day we went over to the Bones Trail and Mike ended up leaving some skin on the trail. Good thing his bones are tough. His left hip is pretty bruised. But it was a good time. The campground has 3 nice fishing areas that people were putting out their canoes. The Verde River runs along side the park and many people ride tubes down it when it is running a bit higher than when we were there. Dead Horse Ranch was named that because when the owner was looking at areas to put a ranch the kids said they liked the land with the dead horse on it. Posted by Treking with the "B"s at 4:12 PM No comments: SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015 We made it to Page AZ after driving thru some tough winds and cool mornings. It was short hike to the edge overlooking Horseshoe Bend. We enjoyed watching the boats and campers below. Met several nice Canadians from BC returning home after their winter in Arizona. We decided to take the Antelope Canyon Tour lead by Navajos and enjoyed the walk and talk. The guide was helpful adjusting our cameras to get the best photos. The only tour available was the 3:30 and thought we wouldn't get as good pictures since the light would have passed. We were glad we went. There are only a couple of campgrounds in Page and were happy with the Page Lake Powell Campground and glad we had reservations. Many people were turned away and ended up staying in the Walmart parking lot. It is quite a distance to the next town or RV park. Most of the land is Navajo so not a lot of dry camping. The tour company picked us up at the RV park and returned us. It was a breezy ride but fun. Posted by Treking with the "B"s at 3:08 PM No comments: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Moab, UT It had been quite sometime since we had last been to Moab and were pleased to find the paved bike paths leading out of town past Arches National Park and east towards Castle Valley. There are also so much singletrack near town for mountain biking of all levels. We are torn whether to ride our road bikes or mountain bikes. There are so many choices when it comes to hiking . We found that there are so many choices outside the parks. You don't have to hunt for parking and there are plenty of arches and streams to walk along. We chose an afternoon hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge since there is more shade but still had to dunk our hats in the stream to cool us down. We will have to return since we couldn't do everything we wanted. This week is Jeep week and hundreds of 4x4s line up in the morning to head out on a "safari". Camping sites are very limited the week of Easter. We have seen many of southern Utah's Parks but missed the Canyonlands in the past. This time we made it and had some nice walks. We set out for Page, AZ in the morning so after our morning bike ride we are doing the laundry and getting some groceries. Since it is April 1st, I had to play an "April Fools" joke on Mike. After all of this time together, you think he would expect it. He takes them pretty well. Posted by Treking with the "B"s at 12:09 PM No comments: TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015 Mountain biking in Fruita Colorado

We have loved mountain biking and hiking. So we packed up the RV and headed to Fruita near Grand Junction for some spring riding. It is usually best in the spring or fall since it has desert like temps in the summer.

We camped at John Robb State Park outside of Colorado Monument, a must see if you are here. A great campground with full hookups and laundry. We were having record temps and glad to be able to use the air conditioning. There were a few Harvest Hosts in the area that we want to try out but John Robb was great with lots of room.

Some of the trail got a bit over my head but every bike comes with a hiker. Love this trail but will be leaving for Moab in the morning. Posted by Treking with the "B"s at 5:13 PM No comments: Home Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) Followers

The Biltmore and Traveler's Rest

Of course, we had to visit the Biltmore. My daughter, Krista was nice enough to get a gift certificate for my birthday so we could go. We waited until the rhododendrons were in bloom. There were so many colors and sizes. Listening to the audio tapes as we walked thru the house and hearingthe history was amazing.

The Bass Pond and Boat House. It takes a lot of people to keep this place going. We took another day to ride our bikes from Traveler's Rest SC to Greenville, SC on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail is a multi-use greenway system that runs along the Reedy River connecting Greenville County with schools, parks, and local businesses. I think it could get pretty buggy in the hot time of summer. But we really enjoyed the rail to trail. Of course we had to stop for lunch in Greenville after checking out the area. We think we could spend more time here.

Falls Park in Greenville, SC

Chimney Rock and Lake Lure

Lake Lure was featured in "Dirty Dancing" and Hickory Nut Gorge in "The Last of the Mohicans".

Hickory Nut Gorge down below. It was a steep climb but the higher we got the less people there were.

There were a few little bats in the cave.

After our hike up the Rock, we stopped in town for a pretty good Reuben sandwich. Since it is only 25 miles from Asheville, it was a nice day outing. The roads are narrow and twisting but a different world than we are used to in Colorado.

Blue Ridge Parkway and Mt Pisgah

There are so many hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mike has spent some time riding his bike on it but a bit much in the climbing department for me

Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 407.6) can be seen from downtown Asheville on a clear day. It's easy to pick out since it has a large transmission tower on the top! The popular 1.5 mile (one way) strenuous hike to the 5,721-foot summit is a great place to stop along the Parkway to stretch your legs. It's just 26 miles southwest of downtown Asheville in the Pisgah National Forest.

Then we head back to Ashville to try some of the local beer and food. We walk across the river to the gas station that has some great BBQ on the side of the building.