The only thing better than summer vacation is summer vacation in the mountains. I’ve been lucky enough to have taken two short trips this summer with my BFF, Jenn, who is also a teacher. (Those in K-12 education need similar friends for maximal enjoyment of time off!) Our first trip was supposed to be our annual girl’s campout at Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins. But because I had hurt my hip paddle boarding (it was really windy, okay?) and she, too, was feeling some hip pain, we decided to take our aging hips to a hotel in the same town instead.
The hotel turned out to be a great choice because we ended up spending much of our time dining and shopping downtown, resulting in a different kind of getaway than we’re used to. When we’re camping, we are doing all the camping things when we’re not on the water paddle boarding. On this trip, we still got to paddle board one day, but we also lived the good life of air conditioning and sit-down dining. We didn’t build any campfires, but instead experienced elevated cocktails and concept tacos during happy hour at the Blue Agave Grill. A huge upside of this trip was that I rediscovered how amazing Fort Collins is. Their downtown is as vibrant as any I’ve ever seen. During our shopping excursions I was able to purchase items to make my first backyard fairy garden and now I might be obsessed.
This is not to say that we didn’t miss our yearly camping trip and all that it entails. The one day we spent on the water took us right up to the vacant site we had reserved and we both felt a twinge of longing for the RV and the outdoor lifestyle. Next year!
Back at the hotel, our aching hips swaddled in heating pads, we were texted an invitation from another teacher friend to join her at her mountain condo in two weeks. Who can say no to that?? I quickly texted Greg and asked him to check my calendar and see if another trip so soon was feasible. It was, hooray! (By the way, I do feel guilty that Greg’s home working while I’m off gallivanting, but we are about to take a 5-week trip together!)
So this past Wednesday we loaded up the paddle boards again - and my bike - and headed to Frisco, my favorite mountain town. Gratefully, my hip injury had resolved, so I left the heating pad at home this time! It’s been a little while since I’ve taken I-70 west into the mountains and seeing those familiar vistas felt like a curative. Like a long exhale after you don’t realize you’d been holding your breath.
The next morning it was decided that instead of paddle boarding, Jamie and I should scratch our bike riding itch. I’m rarely around another person who enjoys bike riding as much as I do. We set off from Frisco on a paved trail that goes to Breckenridge called the Blue River Bikeway. It’s about 8 miles each way (primarily uphill to Breck and downhill back to Frisco). The elevation change is roughly 850 feet. Unfortunately, my new phone mount failed, so I only took a few pictures. But suffice it to say that it was a dream come true to be riding this trail in such gorgeous surroundings.
About halfway to Breckenridge, we were able to stop at a trailhead kiosk just before a brief downpour. Several other cyclists and hikers squeezed in next to us for the 10 minutes or so until the clouds passed. From there, it was smooth sailing into the town of Breckenridge where we enjoyed a hearty and delicious lunch at the Blue River Bistro. There was another downpour that lasted the whole time we were at the restaurant. Our timing was impeccable! Neither of us had remembered to bring rain gear.
Heading back to Frisco was a literal breeze. There is just one uphill stretch near the end of the ride. Otherwise, it’s all gradually downhill and allows for a lot of coasting. In terms of mountain riding, this was very mild and doable. The ascent was so gradual it was almost unnoticeable visually. My legs could detect it though. Coming back I was surprised at how much uphill we had achieved on the way out. There were never any steep climbs though. Still, Jamie doesn’t have an e-bike and was a rockstar with all the gradual climbing.
Here’s another picture that illustrates how pretty the scenery is out there:
After the ride, we soothed our tired muscles in the hot tub back at Jamie’s condo. It ended up raining most of the evening, so we all waited until the next day to go paddle boarding on the part of Dillon Reservoir known as Frisco Bay. It was perfection.
We didn’t get a picture of all three J’s together (Janine, Jenn, and Jamie), but there they are out enjoying the water.
The ride info I captured (below) is not great because my watch isn’t working. This is off of the Trek Central app from the bike and I wish it showed the main roads on the map. (It’s also in km because I got a new phone recently and forgot to adjust that setting.) Much of this ride does parallel the highway, but there are enough serene spots away from cars that it’s overall a very pleasant and tranquil feeling ride. In terms of safety, it’s a 10/10. The trail is well-maintained and was not heavily used on a Thursday.
Yay for mountains and lakes! Friends and the outdoors! And vibrant downtowns! 😀