270 Meadow Ranch seems v quiet today. J & J left yesterday ( 9/11 of all days )after a memorable 9 day visit. To say that they remained active from first to last moment would be a massive understatement.
For the record
Day 1 Bike from Meadow Ranch up Divide and down Snowmass Creek to Old Snowmass , down to the Rio Grande trail and the Smithy in Carbondale for huge breakfast , bus back up valley into Aspen , biked round Aspen and back to Snowmass via Owl Creek Rd. Then changed to mountain bikes and did 1st half of Rim Trail as a desert ! J & J doing yoga hand stands on the Yin Yang looking straight up to Capitol and Mt Daly
Day 2 Mountain biked from Marble and back via the Crystal and Lead King Basin loop - up to over 10,000 ft at top of pass. Stunning views all day.
Day 3 Government Trail on montain bikes from East Snowmass Creek all the way to Aspen via Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands. M and I very chuffed to have achieved that . A first for us. Very technical in places and a fair bit of walking and pushing. A breeze for J & J .
Day 4 Hiked up Pine Creek to Cathedral Lake and Johannes took in ( running ) Leahy Peak at over 13,000 ft.
Day 5 Breakfast in Basalt kind courtesy of J & J and then met my bus driving pal Dave J who took Johannes off for a day's rock climbing near Rifle. Epic he said. M, Jane and I had a lovely hike up to Savage Lakes past Ruedi Reservoir.
Day 6 J & J had a day with Alan & Darlene ( who were at Meghan & Dennis' wedding )hiking the Lost Man Trail loop. Bridge in evening.
Day 7 I was bus driving all day and a rest day ( until evening ! ) for M and Jane. Johannes hired a racing bike in Aspen and cycled to top of Independence Pass ( 12,093 ) ft from 270 Meadow Ranch ( 8,130 ft ) - around 25 miles one way. Left at 6 and made it in 2hr 40. Quite a feat. We all did 2nd half of Rim Trail in the evening finishing at the Rec Center, M & Johnanes biking back to 270.
Day 8 Left 270 at 4.15am and drove through Aspen ( looking unsuccessfully for bears in the side alleys ) and up Independence Pass reaching the La Plata trailhead at 5.40. Started hiking with head torches and reached peak ( a 14er ) at 10. The 1st 14er for M & I since we did Longs Peak when M was pregnant with Meghan in 1979!
Day 9 Last day. Biked up to Spencers for a superb breakfast and then up Wood Rood for last mountain bike trail - the Tom Blake - which crosses Snowmass Mtn. Comes out at Owl Creek road and then an easy ride back to 270. Off to airport (10 minutes away ) at 1.30 and a sad farewell. Since then we've had much reminiscence on these lovely adventures. Haste ye back !
Photos from bottom up AND CLICK ON INDIVIDUAL PHOTO FOR BETTER IMAGE:.
1 Snowmass Creek heading down for breakfast with Snowmass Peak, Capitol and Daly in background.
2 ` Bed Hard ` - sorry - private family joke.
3 J & J - outside Ruby Park RFTA station in downtown Aspen with Aspen Mtn in background.
4,5 & 6 Lead King Basin loop - note M's technique in creek - and she didn't get wet.
7 Jane giving the flowers at 270 a bit of TLC.
8 Rim Trail , above Snowmass Village, 2nd leg - Sinclair to Horseranch.
9 On top of La Plata ( 14,336 ft ).
10 and back to the Buick without incident - lightning storms always a danger .
11 J & J at Aspen airport with Aspen Mtn in background.
