Fall Adventure | Luna's 1st Mtn Hike | Hiking Eldorado Springs State Park, CO

A couple weeks ago we took Luna, our 2 year old Great Pyrenese/Collie mix hiking in the mountains for the first time.

She loved the hiking!  The car ride, not so much.  She managed to puke three times, luckily it consisted only of dog food so it didn't smell and it landed on the rubber mat in the back of the truck (thank you WeatherTech!).  TMI, I know.

Our intent had been to go up to Rainbow Lakes, but that was more than an hour drive and we quickly realized Luna wasn't going to handle that well.  We made one stop at Boulder Canyon so we could clean up mess #1 and give her a small break from the car, then headed to Eldorado Springs State Park.  Much closer and better road.

Luna, not enjoying the ride in the back of the Explorer.

Boulder Canyon

Boulder Canyon

 Eldorado Springs State Park.  How far does this trail go?

Needing a drink of water. 

These up close and personal self portraits have to stop.  They are not flattering, lol.  But I love them.

See the shiny stuff?  Pyrite.  Fool's gold.

It was a beautiful day and Luna really enjoyed the hike.  We'll just have to figure out what to do about her car sickness.

Next time we'll bring Bleu, our standard poodle.  Unfortunately, Libby, our golden retriever, lost her eye sight about 6 months ago to glaucoma.  She does fine in the house and on our daily walks on the pavement with the other dogs to guide her, but she can no longer go on trails and uneven terrain.  We leave one dog home with her while the other gets to go on an adventure.

Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly

Fall Adventure | Fall Colors | Hiking Eldora, CO

We started at the Hessie Trailhead.  It's not too far from Eldora Ski Resort, which isn't far from Nederland, CO.

 My sweetie.

This is what the majority of the trail was like, very rocky.  It was a great cardio workout on the way up and strength training on the way down.

 The maiden hike for my new shoes.  They were awesome!  My body ached, but not my feet!

 I think this is my favorite photo.

Another half mile.

Gorgeous aspen leaves.

 Lost Lake.

 That's me!

It was a wonderful hike!  Four miles round trip and we climbed about 800 feet, starting at 9000 feet and ending at about 9800 feet.

Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly

Fall Adventure | Fall Colors | Nederland to Black Hawk, CO

Hubby and I have made a couple day trips into the mountains to view the fall foliage.  I thought I'd share some of the wonderful fall colors over a few posts!

 Aspen and Poplar trees.

Old Cemetery in Central City.

Old abandoned mine in Central City.

 Creek in Nederland near dusk.

A small grove of maple trees amid the aspens and evergreens.

Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly

Fall Adventure | Blackwater Falls State Park | Davis, WV

On my last full day in West Virginia, we took a trip to Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis, West Virginia to see the waterfall.  It was a perfect fall day - sunny and cooler temps.  

Blackwater Falls.

The foliage was a lot more colorful as we drove east.  :)

To get to the state park, we passed through the most southern point of Maryland.  Three states in one trip...pretty cool!  (photo taken from the back seat through the front windshield)

Tomorrow it's time to head home to Colorado.  It's been a wonderful 5 days.  Excited to get home but can't wait to come back!

Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly

Fall Adventure | Day Trip to Pittsburgh!

On the second day of my West Virginia trip, Eden and I drove up to Pittsburgh while Luke headed to the WVU vs Maryland football game.  My brother, a United pilot, had a layover there so we met him for lunch.

We met him at his hotel and walked to the Market Square.

We ate at The Diamond Market.  Of course, I didn't snap a photo of the actual restaurant, but they did have fabulous burgers and fries.

Greg and Eden.

Pittsburgh was much more beautiful than I ever expected.  Can't wait to explore more of the city on future visits!

Til next time ~ find your joy!
Kelly