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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Summertime in the Mountains

We love our trips to the high mountains for the gorgeous flowers, pristine mountain tops, relaxation, and spending time together.

Our first stop was near Crested Butte, at a quiet campsite close to mountain lakes and hiking/running trails. It wasn't right next to mountain bike trails so I rode on forest roads to get to and from some glorious singletrack trails.
We've visited this area many times so I know the trails pretty well. Amazingly, my new bike has made me a better mountain bike rider despite my "advancing age". My bike has a great suspension system, 29" wheels, and a dropper seatpost - I'm not certain which change has made the biggest difference but I am more confident on my mountain bike than ever before.

The nicest change, however, was the general attitude of the mountain bikers on these trails. Many of them seem to be there to soak up the beauty of the flowers and the mountains. I used to feel like I was the only biker who was stopping to take photos and smell the flowers. Now, it seems as if many mountain bikers are slowing down and enjoying the beauty rather than racing to go as fast as possible.
Many of the flowers were taller than I am. It was like riding through a floral tunnel.
Then, we'd play in the afternoons near our campsite. R, for the first time in his 7 year life, managed to carry two tennis balls in his mouth!
I didn't take Shyla mountain biking with me in the mornings because the distances were too far so I had to get my entire dog fix in the afternoons and evenings. I love seeing Shyla during the Golden Hour just before sunset.
During our trip, Shyla continued to forget about more and more of her fears. I'll write about that in the future but we stopped calling her a "fearful dog" and used the term "sensitive dog" when she met strangers. That is a huge step forward!

17 comments:

  1. So pretty and so full of nature at her best!!! "Advancing age"???? You make me laugh:)

    We almost got wiped out by a very young biker on our walk tonight. Literally almost swept Lightning right off his feet - and he is so not fond of bikes to start with. He came up behind us at a very fast speed with no warning at all and only a few inches from Lightningl. Scared all of us.

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  2. What a gorgeous part of the country. Glad your new bike has made your rides more interesting. Loved the two-balls for R. Ellie would have been proud.

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  3. What gorgeous blue skies, happy dogs and colorful flowers!

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  4. Your bike is just the best for those trails, summer or snow time. Looks like the Duo had a great time too.Enjoy it all while the weather is in the mood. I'm up in Auckland for a friend's funeral tomorrow, and am so spoilt, food galore, (banana cake!!) lasagne, ham, chicken, apple tarts, her car to drive, and laptop.. How good is that?Not sure if I can do a post on my blog from here yet. Hope that trail cam thief gets all he deserves.

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  5. Oh how we would love to hike those beautiful mountain trails with you!
    Those flowers are magical!
    We dream about the beauty,,, and see your photos,,, I guess that is as close as we will ever get.
    Your new bike sounds just so wonderful... and it makes you feel better!
    That makes us happy tooo, and especially of you having lots of time with R and Shyla,
    love
    tweedles

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  6. You go R!!! The flowers are beautiful and I love seeing Shyla all golden from the sun also.


    Anne and Ziggy

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  7. Hari OM
    It resembles Switzerland! Stunning. YAM xx

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  8. Such a pretty area! It's so nice to see R having a fun time!

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  9. I need to move! Your world is so lovely!

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  10. What a gorgeous area. Someday we need to get back to Colorado and you can show me these great places.

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  11. Very beautiful country you live in! Love seeing R having fun!
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

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  12. That is beautiful! Guess what, R just became my hero for getting 2 balls in his mouth. It's on my bucket list!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  13. The scenics just knock me out! I don't blame you for spending lots of vacation days in the mountains.

    Prince Arrr is a wild guy these days being able to carry two balls at a time.

    Hooray for your new bike making it all even more fun.

    Cheers to all!

    Jo, Stella and Zkhat

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  14. Wow so incredible! The photo of R makes me laugh - just wonderful to see him enjoying good health again.

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