Hail? REALLY?

We packed up early for our adventure to Lake Hope.  Two-way radios- check. High energy snack foods- check.  Rain gear and hiking poles- check.  Now, if we could just find Lake Hope.  Armed with three (yes, three) hiking trail references, we went off in search of what was billed as a hike to lovely Lake Hope, a high-altitude alpine lake nestled in the mountains south of Telluride.  Unfortunately, every guide provided different directions to finding the elusive trailhead.  We circled lakes, ended at posted “Private Property” signs, and finally mounted a drive up a rocky dirt trail up a mountainside (reminiscent of Costa Rica) to start our hike.  Surely, we’d need all our gear as we’d never encounter homo sapiens during the day- only wildlife and wildflowers were on our agenda.

 
After miles up the trail- Eureka- we arrived, only to find a dozen other cars already parked- their drivers already enjoying our private hike. We’ve determined Telluride is not the place to attempt an illicit affair. We keep running into the same local hikers (and their big dogs, of course!) on different trails each day. So much for quiet moments!

 

But the trip was well worth it.  Long stretches of switchbacks through the forest trail dotted with magenta and yellow wildflowers helped ease the pain of the 2000 foot ascent.  When we finally arrived at the lake, it was well worth the effort.  At close to 12,000 feet, ice flows still floated on the lake surface and snow crept across the mountainsides ringing the lake.  We began to enjoy our snacks when a hailstorm began.  Actually, hail is better than rain since it quickly bounces off your head!  Unfortunately, hail brought its cousins thunder and rain to the party so we hurried down- drenched but happy from the adventure.  Why is the drive down the mountain always so much easier? 

But It's a Dry Heat!

Who decides to leave a 72 degree mountain retreat and head off to hike in the Moab desert in 100 plus degree temperatures?  Apparently, we do! When we found out that the famous Arches and Canyonlands National Parks were only two hours away (western geography was never a strength of mine!) we figured we had best go visit- we may never pass this way again.

After a two hour journey across breathtaking mountain ranges on winding switchback roads, we arrived in Moab, a small Utah town nestled smack-dab in the middle of a handful of national and state parks.

We were not fully prepared for the beauty of the landscape in the area.  Within a few miles of each other, Arches and Canyonlands Parks offer visitors quite different topography.  Arches NP, attracts over a million visitors each year- all eager to view its iconic images like Balanced Rock or Delicate Arch.  Rangers constantly warn visitors to avoid hiking during the hot part of the day and drink copious amounts of water.  On the day we toured, the car touted a temperature of 122 when we returned from our hike.  After running the AC, it quickly dropped down to a balmy 99!

Just down the road at Canyonlands NP, we attended a ranger talk on the geology of the park (fascinating!)  It makes you realize we are miniscule in the scheme of things when you see what thousands of years of wind, rain & gravity can do to form these stunning canyons, waterways and rock formations.

My big question is, if aptly-named Arches NP has amazing arches & rock formations, and Canyonlands NP has canyons deeply cut by the Colorado River, what is going on at nearby Dead Horse Trail State Park?   

Stop the Car- NOW!

It takes a lot to create a traffic jam in Telluride.  With only a few thousand residents and only one main road into “downtown”, granted, things could get busy from time to time.  But yesterday, as we headed home after a long day of hiking (did I mention Telluride sits in a canyon at 8700 feet ABOVE sea level so hikes are around 10,000 feet?) cars were at a standstill and pulled over at every available roadside spot.  An overturned tractor-trailer?  An early visitor to this weekend’s Nothing Festival (where revelers wear “nothing”?  No, it was a herd of elk, calmly grazing roadside.  Over 100 of these muscular creatures were lounging in a field, enjoying the endless salad bar of field flowers.  What struck me was that there was only one male in the mass of females and babies.  What must his job be like?  Protector, gatherer, husband, father, provider, chief bottle washer.  Does he EVER sleep?  It’s like REALLY Big Love. 
Today they were back but moving west to new land.  I guess he is travel guide as well .

My Million Dollar Telluride Idea

Telluride is a magical place- the kind of place that offers you its beauty and charm both in winter and summer seasons. While we’ve skied here several times, this was our first foray into summer at Telluride and hopefully, won’t be our last.

Because it is a more newly-developed, everything is aesthetically pleasing and well planned.  That’s not to say that the town isn’t rich in history. Snuggled into a box canyon in the San Juan Mountains, Telluride, once known as the City of Gold, is now a National historic District.  Spanish explorers came in the late 1700s, followed by fur traders and the Ute Indians, and later persevering miners in search of riches. 

Today the town is still sprinkled with historic buildings and charming renovated miner homes. Nestled alongside these quaint structures and dotting the hillside are opulent stone and wood homes for the town’s wealthy residents (Tom Cruise lives in our “hood”.  No Suri sightings yet!)  Top-notch hiking trails and bike paths snake along the downtown creek and up the side of adjacent Bear Creek Mountain.  The hot yoga studio doesn’t publish fees, but asks you to pay what you can (although they suggest you “can” afford to pay between $12 and $20 a session) and the local medical marijuana stores appear to be doing a healthy business. Somehow, it all just “works” to make Telluride a highly “livable” location with a young, laid-back, healthy vibe.

But who rules this quaint town with its main street dotted with flower boxes and local hardware store coexisting side-by-side with  trendy shops and organic restaurants? 

It’s the DOGS! 

I’ve come to realize that there are probably more dogs than humans in this town.  And they appear to be revered by its residents! Telluride would put Paris and New York to shame.  On our first day of hiking, on the trail we noticed that almost everyone we encountered had their dog with them.  Since then, we see them everywhere- on the gondola, reigning over stores, and my favorite, quietly sitting on a bar stool with his human at a trendy mountainside bar last night- watching the sports channel.

Now for my plan- Telluride Rent-a-Dog!  For those visitors or those new-to-the-area who want to immediately fit in and have an instant friend an status symbol (without the worry of crating and airplane travel.)  And these can’t be normal sized dogs.  The bigger, the furrier, the slobberier the better.  Lolling tongues and panting are a plus.  Labs and Goldens will be our specialty . And they will have “immediately friendly” names to match- Rusty, Bo, Buddy, Mac and as a nod to my Southern heritage, Dixie.  These new friends will serve as hiking partners, provide entry into any and all local establishments and be great for picking up members of the opposite sex.  And they will even come with a tennis ball for play! 

Investors, anyone?