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| 3/23-3/25 |
While Anna and Alex hit the slopes on Saturday, I spent the morning in town. One of several trails, the Yampa River Core Trail is a 7.5-mile paved multi-use trail that runs along the Yampa River.
On my walk, I passed Howelsen Hill Ski Area, which is home to the largest ski jumping complex in North America.
That afternoon, I caught the bus to the ski area. While I had initially considered trying skate skiing, there was not enough snow at the base of the mountain this mild winter. Instead, I opted to join the free snowshoe tour at the resort. The relaxed 1.5 hour tour followed a flat trail named Roundabout at the top of the gondola. Despite a relatively low elevation ~9,000', I quickly shed layers in the 50-degree sunshine.
The informative guide covered the local history surrounding the Yampa Valley, which was originally inhabited by the Ute Indians for hunting and its mineral springs. It also has a strong Olympic heritage, having produced more winter Olympians than any other North American town.
Back at the base, I met Anna and Alex for après drinks and live music. We also checked out Storm Peak Brewing Company (#74)--local favorite with plenty of four-legged friends.
I made a visit to Fish Creek Falls on Sunday morning. Just minutes from downtown, a short 1/4-mile trail leads to a pristine view of the 280' waterfall. More extensive trails nearby make me eager to return for summer hiking/biking.
The rest of the morning was spent in town, shopping the weekend's "sidewalk sales." Lincoln Avenue is lined with a variety of quaint shops, cafes, and small businesses. It even has its own independent pharmacy, complete with a soda fountain.
The three of us hit the road by early afternoon, surprised to enjoy a smooth commute back to Denver. Despite taking the ski season off, I am glad that I joined Anna and Alex. My first impression of Steamboat Springs is positive; the small ranching town is laid-back and friendly. It is, however, isolated and perhaps boasting less "wow" factor than other Coloradan mountain towns. Still, it makes my top three list, falling close behind Crested Butte and Telluride.
Later that week, my oldest friend, Kelsey, came to visit from Pittsburgh. Apart from family, she is the only person to visit since moving to Colorado. Needless to say, I was excited to show her everything. We walked to LoHi on Tuesday, indulging in colorful arepas at eclectic food hall, Avanti Food & Beverage. We later met Anna at Jagged Mountain Brewery in LoDo.
On Wednesday, we journeyed to Red Rocks to find a small handful of exercise enthusiasts compared to busy summer mornings.
Then it was off to Boulder for the factory tour of Celestial Seasonings tea company. My second tour experience was just as wonderful as the first, picking up on new learning points. For example, the majority of the company's "teas" are in fact herbal infusions as they do not use the leaves from tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Afterwards, we lunched at my new favorite organic cafe, Zeal, on Pearl Street.
On Thursday, we visited Kelsey's cousin, Ben, a chef at Butcher's Bistro in LoDo. Even though she brought the wintry East-coast weather, I felt incredibly grateful to spend a few days in the company of a dear friend.
March 29th marked my two-year anniversary as a Coloradan. When I first came here to visit my sister (and then never left), I imagined it would be a stepping stone between pharmacy school and the rest of my life; I never predicted that I would spend more than a year here. Yet, two years later, I find myself struggling to find direction after my original path took an unexpected turn. Colorado is a great place to live--and I would be lucky to return someday--but one thing I do know for sure is that I'm ready for a change.
