Aug 10
24
Summer Vacation in Twin Lakes Colorado
Last week I had the pleasure of spending time in the small Colorado town of Twin Lakes. The town itself consists of a small grocery, a b and b, a couple of cafes and a few houses scattered around 3 blocks. There are a few other cabin rental places along Hwy 82 and we stayed in one about 4.5 miles from Twin Lakes called Mount Elbert Lodge.The
Mt Elbert on Fire?
photo is a shot we just happened to get when we were coming back to our cabin and it had just started clearing and stopped raining. We captured the last of the sun and the first snow in this area! Yes, snow in August! It can happen.
My husband and I try to take a trip like this in Colorado at least once a year in the summer to bag a few fourteeners and get some much needed r and r. This trip was a big hit with both of us and we experienced just the right amount of physical challenge and lazy days spent hanging out at the cabin. The cabins had no modern day distractions like tv, internet or phone but we managed to find plenty to do. There are lots of books, some games and even a hot tub for all guests staying at Mt Elbert Lodge. The lodge also has a b and b for those that prefer not to have the cooking facilities.
Jon and I were also able to make it over to Frisco, Colorado (about an hour away) to dine at our favorite restaurant; The Blue Spruce and once again it did not disappoint! They were running a great special where you could choose from eight different entrees and a glass of wine, salad or soup and dessert was included for 29.00 per person which is a awesome deal since they have some of the best eats around.
I plan to write a series of hiking related posts in the next few days about our trail adventures. We managed to hike Mt Elbert right from near our cabin which is one of the most difficult routes to Elbert but very convenient. The other fourteener we bagged was Mt Belford which was not too difficult but quite steep. Along with the two fourteeners we also hike up to Independence Lake from Lost Man Trail near the top of Independence Pass which is a “don’t miss” experience since it’s only open in the summer months and offers a quick way to get to Aspen if that grabs your fancy.
In addition to our hiking and sightseeing experiences we participated, well Jon participated in the Leadville Trail 100 race that starts in Leadville and goes south to Winfield over Hope Pass. This is a grueling100 mile race and not for the uninitiated trail runner. Tracie whom Jon paced from Twin Lakes back into Leadville finished in 28 hours and ??? minutes. These runners are amazing! I couldn’t believe that there were 800 people that signed up for this particularly brutal race. Way to go Tracie! Good Job! It was fun meeting her crew and hanging out with them at the aid stations…there is a real camaraderie within the ultra running community and it was inspiring for me to be around so many people with this kind of grit and determination.
Check back to see my hiking posts and other tidbits about this spectacular vacation.
