Monday, September 26, 2011

Aspen to Maroon Bells

20 +/1 miles driven, 3.6 hiked

Waking up on a Monday morning with no plan, no ‘obligations’, no place you have to be….ahhhhhhhh.  We dallied a bit watching news, ESPN before hitting the breakfast room for our usuals.  Walked down to get my coffee and it was much cooler than yesterday (39*) and, once again, clear, sunny, beautiful.  Decided to do the Maroon Bells hike today since it is supposed to be warm again.  Last year when we did the hike, in August, we had rain, hail, snow showers… the Bells were always partially or completely hidden in clouds so we are excited to really see them.  Plus the aspens are almost at their peak (according to the locals).  We spent some time in the room doing work emails, phone calls, etc and were in the car at 9a.  It is a short drive on 82 to the Maroon Bells parking lot — 10 miles or so.  We stopped at Aspen Highlands which was pretty dead but a lovely development at the base of the lift, the restaurant we thought about for lunch is already closed for the season.

The drive from there to Maroon Bells along Maroon Creek has some amazing homes right on the creek.  And, of course, the scenery was breathtaking.  You literally run out of adjectives so it’s “Gosh” “Wow” “Look over there”.

We were surprised at the number of cars already in the parking lot.  But soon realized that most of them were just standing at the lake from where –today! — you could see the Bells in all their splendor.

We took off for the Crater Lake hike, 1.8 miles away and soon lost 99% of the people.  It is wonderful hike.  Even with crummy weather last year, we enjoyed it and today it was beyond lovely.  Oh yes, it was 42* when we started but soon we are shedding layers so within 1/2 hour I am in a sleeveless shirt.

And then.  I am leading, Bob is some paces behind me, there is another couple several feet behind him.  All of a sudden, to my right, about 6 feet away, there is a bear, just at the side of the trail standing up against an Aspen.  He growls and I see his open mouth.  I scream and do the no-no of bear etiquette, turn and run screaming “Bear!”   He is just staying in the middle of the trail, looking down.  I go down the trail beyond the others and try not to have a stroke, heart racing.  Bob, bless him for the evidence, takes a bunch of pictures.

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The rest of the hike was blissfully uneventful though I was a bundle of nerves.  Bob took some great photos and he was a bit of a celebrity as news of the Bear Sighting took off up and down the trail.  “Are you the guy with the pictures of the bear?”

We sat for a few minutes at Crater and had a snack.  It was lovely and warm.  The hike back to the parking lot was much quicker — less than an hour and tons of people coming up.  We were both having structural issues:  Bob’s mouth, heel; my knee — it’s always harder going down hill.  Got back to the car at 1p (64*) and back at the Hyatt by 1:30.  Starving!!  We went to the 529 Grill which we looked at yesterday morning when we were scoping out the town and reading menus.  Bob has been talking about hot dogs for a few days and finally got one.  With fries.  I had a kale and quinoa salad (with roasted red peppers, sunflower seeds, grilled chicken and a roasted garlic and balsamic dressing).   It was sort of slow (a crush of people came in just after us) and Bob, typically, said “They must have had to kill a quinoa.”   All was delicious.  I am going to make that salad when I get home.  Serindipitously, next  door was a computer guy (Bob is having computer issues).  We went back to the hotel, Bob took his laptop back to the guy and I took my computer, book, magazines to the pool.  Got a great chaise with a table and an umbrella.  Checked email and discovered a conference call was beginning in 5 minutes at 3p so went back to the room.  Bob came back and sat on the balcony with his laptop (semi-fixed).  When the conference call ended at 5:00 our time, we poured some Chardonnay (Edna Valley, brought from home) and thought about dinner.  Took showers, toasted our lovely day (that we lived to toast! LOL) and decided to go to BB’s Kitchen, a restaurant that when we were investigating menus, noticed had Monday Night Football specials.  It was great! It is set up as a lounge with comfortable couches and chairs and low cocktail tables.  Flat screens, fire place.  They do a special host city cocktail and a visitor regional special each Monday (tonight for the Redskins it was crab cakes.. remember the snob discussion about fish…we didn’t have them).  The cocktail was ‘All-American Lone Star Lemonade featuring Wild Turkey American Honey’.  Well, of course we had to have it.  The bartender/waiter was adorable and turns out he came up with the cocktail on Sunday night.  Aside from the title ingredients, he put in some Jim Beam because “it was too sweet.”  Seriously delicious.  And could be quite dangerous. I don’t think I have ever had Wild Turkey or Jim Beam. $6.  Bargain.  We split a sausage and herb pizza (fantastic) and a tomato salad with freshly-made burrata.  Delicious!!  I ate most of the pizza, brought most of the burrata home and Bob bought me a snickerdoodle on the walk home — he has a piece of cheesecake he bought yesterday.

We are  now in our room having a glass of Cline Zin, watching MNF and we have absolutely NO IDEA what we are going to do tomorrow.  That is bliss.