Mind the Switchback

Maybe if you live near the Rockies, you don't go winter hiking four days in a row. Or maybe you're more seasoned for winter hiking four days in a row. We are not. But we wanted to make the most of our time, even if it gave us sinus infections.  Yeah, Day 4 was really pushing it. We weren't physically exhausted, like sore muscles or blistery feet. I believe we have evenings in a hot tub to thank for that. But a day of trudging through driving snow followed by a day of blasting winds is demanding a lot from your immune system.   We had our hearts set on revisiting the Old Falls River Road as pedestrians. We drove it in August, when we started before sunrise to see the Perseids and continued up the fluttery-stomach-and-sweaty-palms-inducing switchbacks over the chasm all the way to the Alpine Station. And we vowed to come back again when it was closed to vehicles but open to hikers, snowshoers, and cross-country skiers.  Based on our experience the day before, we knew the fr...

Day 3 was a turning point. We made it there & back unscathed, but things were looking sketchy for a minute there.  Started out calm enough - sprinkling flurries (so pretty! so scenic! :D ), not forecast to become anything significant until 4pm, with 2-4 inches total accumulation. We set out around 10am and figured we were in the clear for our little trek to the falls and back.  About 30 minutes in, the snowfall got a little faster and bigger.  About an hour in, once past the glades and into the woods, things started to get worrisome.   Now, I selected this trail specifically because I really wanted to see a frozen falls. I had read recent reviews of other trails where the big finale was actually a big let-down, because the falls weren't visible under all the snow. But Bridal Veil Falls had recent reviews that gushed about the dramatic icicles and trickles beneath the ice and all that glorious winter wonder. So this was my educated pick! Well, duh. The issue ...

Easily my favorite of our Rocky Mountain National Park winter hikes.  For Day 2, we rented equipment. Most recent reviews in AllTrails described the trails as well-packed, so snow shoes weren't necessary. Microspikes, however, were recommended on most trails, especially those leading up to any falls, which we intended to see. So we rented ourselves some microspikes - and our lives were forever changed.  a little off-kilter yet at the bottom :) The good folks at Estes Park Mountain Shop helped us in & out in a flash, with these amazing microspikes. They're so simple to stretch over your shoes and provide amazing security on sleek snowy surfaces. That feeling of your foot squeaking off the packed snow as you step off your foot - gone.  They were invaluable for the climb.  We cruised steadily along the switchback up the hillside, with incredible views every step of the way.  Once at the top of the hill, the trail opened into a level pine glade like something o...

 It's finally go-time - winter adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park! Well, we've been building ourselves up to this since our last visit in August. We've been slowly building up our winter outdoor gear, spending time outside in below-freezing temps, and consistently hiking in whatever weather conditions life throws us. This has been a source of gratifying personal growth for me, a diehard heat & humidity fan and enemy of all things that chill my poorly-circulated fingers and toes. But the right gear is key! And I'm proud to say I've made peace with winter, even finding many things to love about it.   Our Colorado winter trip was a real stress test of that truce.  The night we arrived, our cabin owners called to let us know they'd switched us to a different cabin - much bigger but with no hot tub - just for the night. It seems the previous guests hadn't followed instructions to keep hot AND cold water running (not trickling) in all the faucets durin...

 We found frost flowers!  And this is actually a rather uncommon time to find them. Usually frost flowers are a late-fall treat, but they were lining a couple sections of the Cuivre River Trail Loop on this chilly morning.   According to the Missouri Department of Conservation , they are created when "the plants’ stems are ruptured by the first hard freeze, the root system is still sending up plant sap from the warmer ground. The sap pushes through the broken stem and freezes on contact with the cold air. As more saps moves up, it forces the freezing stream of white ice crystals into ornate, folded ribbons that look like petals, puffs of cotton candy, or snarls of white thread." And they created by just a handful of plants in Missouri, most commonly dittany, which makes me think I need some of this in my yard! "Scientists don’t know what it is about these species that allow them to produce frost flowers. Perhaps their root systems are more active later in the ...

 "Feels like 23" degrees is a chilly way to start a hike.  But Lone Elk Park keeps popping up on my radar for good winter hikes, so we gave it a go. Cool icy streams and open, sunny prairies are allegedly the qualities that land you on such a list. We didn't really find either on this trail, which we have hiked before. Major points in its favor, however, is the ease of fitting this trail into a busy day. At only 30 minutes from St. Louis City and a 3-mile hike, we were there and back in the span of 3 hours. Much less a risk or investment compared to our usual drive-2-hours-hike-6-miles routine. It's a pretty constant up & down and can get sloppy after a good rain. But I find it hard to deny myself a weekend hike when it's that convenient.  We were pleased to encounter few people on the trail. Maybe 10? That's the below-freezing trade-off.   We saw WAY more piles of elk poop than people. And saw quite a few elk themselves on this visit! Including one hangin...

 My what a difference a few months can make.  We first visited Lower Rock Creek in September 2020. At that time, it was hot as blazes, the trail was really rugged, and we struggled to find a reasonable path running parallel to the river. Pretty much all my pictures from that visit are of fungi and other small-scale features. You can compare them here! In September, we took part of the trail up the creek bed because the trail was so rough. Ryan's boots got unbearably waterlogged, and we stopped about 2/3 of the way in to hide in the shade, stick our feet in the water, and dry his socks on a rock in the sun.  Coming back in January, the creek presented a completely different experience!  Turnaround lounge spot in September Looking up river at the same spot - not so shady anymore The January version of Lower Rock Creek was a sight to behold, from a completely different perspective! Every step along the way presented a gasp-inducting view of the river: rushes over rocky...