Posts

Showing posts from September, 2010

Tasting Excellent Local Beer in Ridgeway, Colorado

Image
This is the last of the three articles I wrote for the website Trazzler which is no longer. It's not a ride or hike, just a stop we made on a rest day between climbing 14ers. Photos are from a trip in 2009 For most, the town of Ridgeway is where your turn to go to Telluride or go straight to Ouray. Just off the main road, there’s the Colorado Boy Pub & Brewery. I had pints of the Stout and the IPA, and tasters of the rest. The stout and IPA were excellent. The Irish Red Ale was better than average. The Blonde Ale and Best Bitter were ok, but I wouldn’t get a pint of them. The food selection is simple, four different Paninis with chips, about $7 each. They also have free popcorn to go with the beer. The pints were $3.75 ($4.25 for the IPA) and tasters are about a dollar. They also had mini etch-a-sketches on all the tables. It's a small place, with only 5 tables and small bar, but has a great pub atmosphere. The Colorado Boy Brewery Ridgeway Has Some Nice Views of the
Post a Comment
Read more

Heavenly Lakes and the Heart of Darkness (September 2010) Part II

Image
After Inkwell Lake there was some more above treeline rock scrambling. Two of us headed over towards Doughnut Lake, which is in a separate drainage from the other until below Arrowhead Lake. We found a great spot which overlooked both Doughnut Lake and Arrowhead Lake. We could also see Love Lake, which is about 200 feet above Arrowhead. Doughnut Lake Arrowhead Lake (or is it Right Turn Arrow Lake) Love Lake is just to the right and above the point of the arrow. After using a few climbing moves to get down, we regrouped near the shore of Arrowhead Lake. We went along the right shore, which ended up being the harder side to go around. After Arrowhead Lake we began to enter what the trip organizer called the Heart of Darkness, the forested hidden bottom of the canyon. We were not sure what we would find in there. We still had a bit more downhill to go, but now we had to deal with downed trees. Between Arrowhead and the next lakes, Rock Lake and Little Rock Lake, there was some steep
Post a Comment
Read more

Heavenly Lakes and Heart of Darkness (September 2010) - Part I

Image
Rocky Mountain National Park has a road called the Trail Ridge Road, which goes above treeline for several miles. At its Forest Canyon Overlook, you can see several lakes in a side canyon. Many people stop and stare at them, but they get few visitors, since there is no trail to them. I have seen these lakes many times and have been wanting to get over there to walk around them. I finally got my chance last weekend. We started at Milner Pass, hiked up Mt. Ida, down along the Forest Lakes, across Forest Canyon and up to Forest Canyon overlook. After Mt. Ida there was no more trail. We started early and the moon had yet not set. Moon Over the Never Summer Mountains After summiting Mt. Ida we climbed down a rocky slope to a saddle. We could see our ultimate goal, a few miles away on the other side of the canyon. We also saw one of the lakes that can not be seen from the overlook, Highest Lake. It would have been a climb after the saddle so we did not visit it. Azure Lake, the second hig
Post a Comment
Read more