Dreaming of Colorado from the Clouds

"Not all those who wander are lost" -JRR Tolkein

The Colorado Springs air was sweet and cool, kissed by the overnight rain storm from the evening before. We grabbed a socially distanced breakfast from our hotel (cheese omelet and french toast with a side of coffee) before packing Ren up for the day's crusade.

The quiet town of Colorado Springs was nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of ~ 6035 feet. Pikes Peak rose above the community, towering high near the clouds. Pine trees lined the streets, scattered among the lush, green grass. Everywhere you turned, biking routes and running trails dotted the landscape. We explored the cute neighborhood of Gold Hill Mesa that had an ancient smokestack that stood against the blue sky in sharp contrast to the newness of the homes. Nearby, in the foothills of Pikes Peak, was Bear Creek Regional Park, which had acres of nature trails and an immense dog park.

We made our way to the Hiawatha Gardens, a lush park area at the foot of Pikes Peak in Manitou Incline. The infamous Incline Hike was calling our name. A killer hike with an elevation gain of 2000 + feet in less than 1 mile! We found a shaded parking spot, grabbed my hiking pack, a single bottle of water (BIG mistake as we found out later), sunglasses, sunscreen, and our masks/Buff, and headed on a 1.3 mile hike to the base of the incline. Despite the early afternoon, the air was crisp. The incline is apparently an old tourist cable car route turned stair master hike. Heart pounding, legs on fire, we climbed: 900 steps, 1600 steps, 2000 steps... We gasped to catch each breath of sweet air as the sun scorched our backs, stepping up against the gravity that pulled us back. The surrounding mountainous landscape inspired our steps upward and onward. Tiny chipmunks scampered around our feet, peeking up at our hands hoping for a snack to fall carelessly to the ground.

The final stretch we forged ahead, pushing against the lactic acid building in our muscles, and reached the last step, 2768 steps from the base of the incline and 0.88 miles up the mountain. The beauty of the world below stole my breath again. We rested beneath a few trees, snacking on goo hidden at the bottom of my Osprey pack. A bold chipmunk rummaged around my pack, searching for sustenance, climbing over my thigh and reaching up toward my hands. Seemingly aware of the COVID guidelines, this chipmunk also sought my hand sanitizer : )

We began the 4.3 mile hike back down to the base of the incline, shrouded by tall pine trees on both sides. After another 1.3 miles back to Ren, under the cool shade of a tall tree, we quenched our thirst with a few seltzer waters and filled our bellies with chicken salad. We explored a few more localities within Colorado Springs, then headed north along I-25 toward Superior, a community north of Denver, Colorado. As we left the charm and beauty of Colorado Springs, I felt my a bit of sadness in my soul. Colorado Springs had definitely stolen my heart!

We spent the remainder of the late afternoon exploring the town of Superior, Colorado, a suburb north of Denver. Two and three story townhomes in the downtown area felt homely and modern. Overall, we felt Superior offered a good place to consider in our search for a home for our family: suburban, clean, safe, relatively quiet, near a large city, but tucked into the base of the Rockies with plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities. Nightfall came. As nomads wandering in the vast deserts beyond the periphery of an oasis, we sought refuge in our hotel room for the night in search of a restful slumber to recharge for the new journey in the morning.