Month: May 2020

The weekend we planned to go camping in July finally arrived! The weather was perfect. We left Denver, CO around 5:30pm after work, deciding to eat at the campsite.  Then we encountered I-70 traffic. We finally arrived in Dillon at 7:30 hungry and cranky. Did I mention we had not reserved a campsite?  Don’t you just pick one at random that’s available? NOT SO!  Unfortunately, a major bike race was scheduled for that weekend.  We drove to nearby campgrounds and all sites were taken.   Now really hungry and cranky at 9, we admitted defeat ending up at Arby’s deciding we would just go home majorly bummed.  Honestly, we were frustrated with ourselves for being unprepared.  We should never have left this camping trip up to fate! 

Heading home, fully fed, we decided to not give up. My phone GPS indicated a campground on the way to Winter Park 25 minutes away. Driving halfway up the pass, instead of a campground, was a steep drop off the side of the mountain!  It is dark and late and we turn around feeling very defeated. 

However, other idea  surfaced. We were near Jones Pass-a well known dispersed camping area.  But at 10pm and darkness, how in the world would be ever find a spot? Thats when we decide we are already invested so let’s try.   We start driving up a 4 wheel drive road. Did I mention this road is rough and probably not the best idea to drive in the dark? It looks as if all spots are taken, until by some lucky chance I think I located a spot with the headlights of our car.  We head for the spot and unfortunately high center the car. Site open or not, we are stuck there for the night! Now we are praying the site is vacant!!!  At 10:45, we set up our tent in the pitch black with use of our headlamps.  At this point, we start laughing because this whole night has been such a mess! 

Thankfully for us it somehow worked out and we found that spot. But honestly we were so lucky. Lucky or not, it was beyond stressful and not the weekend we had planned.  I share this story as a reminder-Don’t leave your campsite up to fate!  

Let me suggest a few tips.

1. Reserve your campground site in advance on recreation.gov or state campground sites
2. When planning a dispersed camping trip, plan to arrive early before dark in order to find a site
3. PREPARE! PREPARE! PREPARE!

The campfire is a staple of camping. However, what you cook over a campfire is up to you.  Until last year, I kept to only roasting hotdogs and s’mores over the campfire.This became very boring and routine.  This is why I decided that it was time to challenge myself beyond the basics. I began to experiment with cooking over the campfire. Let me tell you, they were not always successes! There have been charred burgers and uncooked potatoes as evidence of this. However, despite those failures, I refused to give up!  Overtime it has become much easier. And it will for you as well as long as your willing to experiment and get adventurous!

While experimenting, I decided to try to make quesadillas over the campfire grate.  I was so nervous about how it would turn out.  We would be dispersed camping in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, I brought extra lunch meat and bread because of my uncertainty. 

Here is how I prepped for making the quesadillas. I diced up a bell pepper and onion. I shredded up rotisserie chicken meat. I had pre-shredded cheese, red pepper flakes for seasoning, and tortillas. I brought olive oil spray for both sides of the quesadilla to make the tortilla nice and crispy. 

Then the night came to test out this experiment.  I was a bundle of nerves! Would it actually taste good? Or would we be eating sandwiches that night?  We got a very nice fire going and let it burn down enough to put the grate over the fire.  Side note, it is key to let the fire burn down before trying to cook. If you don’t allow time for this, it will be too hot and everything will burn. Once the fire was ready, we prepared the quesadillas.  We sprayed both sides and placed them on the fire grate.  And then the most amazing thing happened-they turned out incredible! It’s the best quesadilla I have ever had.  The smoky  flavor was unmatched.   

I wanted to share this with you as inspiration.  When it comes to campfire foods, move beyond hotdogs and s’mores. Get inventive.  Allow room for failure.  And in experimenting, I hope that you will find the best recipes and make the best memories!  

Let’s talk hiking. Hiking is my favorite past time. There is something life giving about getting outdoors and experiencing the fresh air that can’t be passed up. Over my years of hiking, I have learned some valuable lessons. I want to share them with you today in hopes that you will become someone who enjoys and seeks out hiking.  My hope is that soon you will call it one of your favorite past times. 

Below I am sharing with you a picture of one of my all time favorite hikes.  It’s the Lake Isabell Glacier Hike in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. I share it with you to encourage you to get out and hike. 

1. Always be prepared. Always have a plan before you go for a hike. You need to pick a trail.  Trail levels come in easy, moderate, and hard. I do research and looking up trains on the AllTrails App. This App you can download for free. Not only does AllTrails tell you the difficulty level, but you can see the reviews of others who have hiked the same trail recently. These reviews help you know the trail condition and get a better idea of the difficulty level.  Keep in mind, if you are hiking at a higher elevation, easy is going to seem hard if you aren’t used to the thin air. Its important to know if a trail is a loop or if it’s in and out. Also, keep in mind the weather.  At high elevations, in the mountains, it’s a good idea to go hiking in the morning. The reason for this is that by the afternoon, storms can come out of nowhere. When this happens, the risk of getting struck by lightening is greater at higher elevations.  One last thing that is the most important thing, always let someone know where you are going, even if you are going with someone else! Let them know the amount of time you estimate you will be gone. If something happens, someone needs to know you are missing and where to tell emergency crews to search. 

2. Have the right gear. The right gear is essential when hiking.  Without the right gear, you can get hurt. First, let’s talk clothing. Depending on the time of year, you want to make sure the clothes you are wearing will keep you warm or cool, and dry. I suggest wearing layers.  It’s always easier to shed a layer than to not have enough layers. Second, make sure you have good hiking shoes.  I would highly suggest they be waterproof. On a lot of trails, you will have to pass through shallow creeks.  Make sure your shoes have a good grip so you don’t fall when you encounter loose dirt, muddy areas or rocky areas.  Also if you have weak or injury prone ankles, it would be a good idea to have a shoe that has ankle support. Its really easy to roll your ankle-I have some experience with that! Thirdly, I suggest trekking poles.  When you are hiking in really steep areas, especially on the way down, these have kept me from falling several times.  Finally, I suggest you have a backpack with all the essentials.  For a short hike, a smaller day pack is fine.  I discovered water packs several years ago, which are now a backpack essential for me.They go right inside my backpack.  Instead of taking bottles of water that get hot, I put in a water pack full of ice. The great feature of the water back is the hose attached.  This hose allows you to take a drink anytime and stay hydrated instead of having to stop and dig out a water bottle. Here are some supplies Here are some other things I suggest you have in your backpack: sunscreen, bug spray, energy bars, flash light, rain coat and a first aid kit.  Check and make sure the first aid kit includes a fast acting ice pack and a wrap. If not, I would add those items.  

3. Don’t start off too difficult.  I would ask that you not skim over this section. It’s beyond important to start off with an attainable goal. Don’t pick a hike that is too hard for you. You really want to make sure you pick a hike that you can succeed at. And remember, starting off easier and working up to moderate and then hard is totally fine.  Every year in Colorado they have to do rescues of people who tried to hike up to 12-14 thousand feet with no experience with hiking at high elevations. It’s dangerous and not a good idea. So start off at the level you are confident you can succeed at. 

4. Always be willing to stop. Sometimes you pick a hike you think you can accomplish. For instance, it might be rated moderate, but half way up, you wonder who decides on the ratings because this the hardest hike you have ever done and think you can’t do it.  Its always okay to stop and just turn around.  Don’t ever feel you have to keep going. That is when it can get dangerous, especially if you are pushing yourself beyond your skill level. \

5. Enjoy the experience. Finally, enjoy your hike, whether you finish the entire hike or not, you are doing it! After all, you are outside, challenging yourself, and becoming stronger every hike. This in and of itself will make the experience enjoyable and worth it. 

Let’s get outside and make adventures going hiking!!!!

There are adventures that take your breath away. The beauty of nature is beyond your ability to explain in that moment. This was one of those moments from last summer. My husband and I went on a camping adventure. The first night it snowed on us! The second night was stunning. The lake was like glass. You could see the fish jumping. The high mountain peaks surrounding us reflecting off the lake. And the crisp mountain air was fresh from the late June snow. And in this moment you know that the adventure is worth chasing. Yes you might wander at times. But when you wander upon an adventure like this, it makes it worth it.

I am excited to launch this blog. It was my way to share with you my adventurous wanderings, both good and bad. And it is my goal to inspire you to chase and live your own adventures. Let’s do this!