Grand, Grand Lake CO

“Grand” – Magnificent and imposing in appearance, size or style.

I forever want to be a sight chaser. I want to see magic in the ordinary and embrace the magic in the sights you know few see in their lifetime. That’s living to me. Grand Lake is one of those sights. Not only because of the beauty of the mountains and the lake but because of the extreme vastness of the beauty that comes with each passing season.

I went to Grand Lake, CO three times in 2019, each time in a different season. Each trip provided new, unique sights, memories and experiences. It was as though I went to a new town each time I went back. Consistently, the town held charm and character and provided a perfect mix of historic Grand Lake and new business. My favorite thing about the town is that it doesn’t seem to develop too much to lose it’s small town cozy feel.

My first trip there in the Spring brought a touch of warmth to my cheeks as I sat beside the newly unfrozen lake in the brisk morning air with coffee. I did a quick run to Adams Falls to see it rushing down and then discovered bear prints next to the lake… wasn’t ready for that. I then learned that Grand Lake has its fair share of bears so be warned. The town was full of new life and new hope as winter came to an end. The lake was glassy, calm, and oh so grand. Nothing beats a crisp morning with a grand view and a hot cup of coffee.

The summer brought adventure, warmth, and pure bliss. My boyfriend and I stayed at a cozy lodge right in town and it was perfect. We spent three days biking around town, kayaking around the lake dreaming up what our lake house would look like, playing put put, and finishing up the trip by hiking 13 miles to Lone Pine Lake and watching a young moose frolic in the water. In the evenings we explored town, window shopped, found an incredible homemade gelato and coffee shop called Lulu’s, and a classic, full of character and good food pub called Worlds End.

The Grand Lake winter trip provided a truly Colorado experience. On the way up we stopped at Hot Sulfur Hot Springs to bask in the hot mineral filled water. Next we arrived at Sunflower Cottage, a unique, charm filled cabin right in town. It was cold and the snow came down hard while we were there which made it blissful. We explored town while the sun was out, went back to some of our favorite spots, Lulu’s and Worlds End, and cozied up inside at dark. With the fireplace going we heated up the German Gluhwein, cooked dinner, pulled out the card games and had an ideal evening while the trees outside got a nice fresh covering of snow.

One of the most unique aspects of winter in Grand Lake is the snowmobiling and being able to walk and snow mobile across Grand Lake. Freaked out? I was too but I walked out onto the ice anyway and wow was I glad. The view of Grand Lake is unique and incredible to begin with but being able to view it from the middle of the lake? Now that is just raw, wild, and epic Colorado.

We also made it a point to go snowshoeing. It wasn’t my first time but you would’ve thought it was given the smile on my face. There’s something so unique and special about snowshoeing to me. You’re usually the only one on the trail, you’re walking through untouched snow, its so quiet your own mind doesn’t have a choice but to settle and you’re immersed in wild beauty.

From Spring to Summer to Fall to Winter, each season brings a gift of beauty and experience only that season can bring. Similar to our lives, if we only live in the past or in the hope of the future we miss the beauty and the perspective of the season we’re in. Just like the earth’s seasons, some are more hopeful and cheery and others are more wild, raw and take your breath away for good or bad; but in each season beauty and perspective are never lacking.

So what’s season are you in? What memory, lesson, or perspective can you cherish and take away from this season? For each season has a purpose if we so choose to embrace it.

Wonder On,

Kate

A Hidden Oasis – Sky Pond, RMNP

Up at 10,900 ft lies an oasis unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Colorado. Glassy lakes, lush wild flowers, waterfalls, and towering dynamic mountains.

I was born and raised in Colorado, which is now something as unique as a unicorn. I grew up with this gem called Sky Pond in my backyard yet I never knew it existed until I was 27 years old. This led to me wondering “What other gems and oasis’s have I been missing out on all these years?!”

Going back to Sky Pond, it’s a 10 mile round trip moderate hike with unbelievable views and adventure. In September I headed up with my boyfriend AJ around 7am from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. Something to note is that the All Trails hiking app said it was only 8 miles… though we tracked 10. Make sure to bring snacks.

My favorite thing about this hike is that you pass multiple incredible sights on your way to Sky Pond such as Alberta Falls, The Loch, Lake of Glass, and of finally Sky Pond. You even get to climb up a small waterfall on your way to Lake of glass which makes for a good story later. As you ascend, each body of water get clearer and clearer and more glassy. After you climb up the waterfall you enter this lush, vibrate green area where you would expect to see fairies flying. I’m not kidding – it is that surreal and not your classic Colorado scene.

As I reached Sky Pond I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with wonder and awe of the creation around me. The journey was as amazing as the destination. The time I spent up there was still and filled with color, life and bold majestic presence.

Being up there gave me the reminder that’s there’s more out there. There’s more to life than the daily routine, there’s more to a person if you give them the chance and there’s more to your backyard if you dare to explore it. So be encouraged today and don’t loose hope that what’s in front of you is it because that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Beauty and wonder are out there, we just have to choose to seek it.

Winter’s Patience

Growing up I viewed winter as long dark days filled with harsh freezing air. I thought the snow was pretty but only from the comfort of a warm cozy blanket. When I moved back to Colorado with my new sense of wonder I challenged myself to see winter with new eyes… eyes seeking wonder, wisdom, and the hidden treasures of creation.

As I explored my budget friendly options, I got invited to go snowshoeing to Glacier Gorge up in Rocky Mountain National Park. To be honest I was nervous to go. The thought of hiking miles into the unknown in the dead of winter without service, maps or common wilderness knowledge seemed risky. What if I wandered off course or a storm came in or something simple like having to go to the bathroom? It’s cold! Not to mention sasquatch could be lurking behind any of the evergreens… who am I to say he couldn’t be out there. Regardless of my fears I went and it revealed a wonderland beyond what I had imagined.

As I walked through through the trees on feet of snow there was a patience and peace emitting from my surroundings beyond what I had expected. It gave me that same sense of wonder that I would get as I held my breath and sat on the ocean floor 20 ft down. A feeling of being in awe, humbled by creation and the creator, and thankful to live in a world that contained such beauty. In the stillness I felt alive and was able to think clearly.

Nature has perfected the harshness of winter and given us a new way to look at difficult, or dark seasons, if we so choose to. It beautifully reflects the patience, meaning, and importance of winter seasons. In winter, nature waits out the brutally cold and stormy season by growing roots, embracing the sunny days and storms as they come, and trusting that spring is just around the corner. In our lives, we can choose to see struggles as seasons that will end. We have the power to grow roots into what we know is true, extract the lessons to be learned, and trust that the season will be used to produce new fruit in our lives. How would our lives be different if we viewed struggles like this versus allowing difficulties to be a burden and weigh us down? What energy can we put into the growth process instead of feeding into the victim mentality? Something to think about.

As far as adventures go, I highly recommend Glacier Gorge, Lookout Mountain Trail, and Herman Gulch Trail, all in the beautiful state of Colorado. Glacier Gorge and Herman Gulch Trail are both about 6 miles roundtrip and take you on a true, out of this world adventure. Lookout Mountain Trail is an easy two mile roundtrip trail that is quick and easy for a wonder refresher.

Till next time, wonder on.

xoxo,

Kate