Family fun on Colorado trails

It was so much fun last week to introduce this little person to one of our favorite areas in the whole

world—the lovely valley where we have our cabin, and the gorgeous mountains around it.

One of our favorite hikes around here starts at Old Monarch Pass on the Continental Divide.

So this easy trail is of course part of the Continental Divide Trail, but it's also on a loop of the Colorado Trail. (You can see the big loop on this map.)

Who knows? Maybe someday she'll want to hike the whole length of  these fine trails. And she might just remember her introduction to it with Gramma and Grampa.

[For a fun comparison, here are Henry and I in 1976 (before we were even married) near the Old Monarch Pass trailhead...

...and here we are with the wonderful latest addition to our family...

How did we get so old?! But if that's what it takes to have grandchildren—and I suppose it is—it's more than worth it!]

At any rate, our hike this time took us over to the new Monarch Pass, and back—a round trip I'd never made, for some reason. It was delightful and we had lots of entertainment along the way. 

It's a very easy trail, especially when taken at a two-year-old's pace...

...and there are plenty of things to stop and look at as you stroll. Especially since we brought our tree identification book along with us. 

Distinguishing the various types of conifers along the trail is more complicated than you might think, and provides lots of fun for the scientifically-minded, young and old. [Nix' favorite species: "boo puce."]

Of course, focusing on the trees is a little depressing, too, since so many more have succumbed to various beetle diseases over the past few years. (And we've heard that there are all kinds of new beetle kills now, including a spruce beetle.)

The prayer flags flying from this much older dead tree could be memorializing the dozens and hundreds that are dying now.

I wish the picture below was an accurate representation of how many dead trees there are in relation to healthy ones, but at least at this altitude, the ratio would probably be reversed...

But, the scenery is still great on this hike, and it's close enough to treeline that it doesn't traverse very thick stands of trees. For that reason, I don't think it will have to be closed any time soon, as a matter of safety. Many trails and campgrounds in other parts of Colorado have been at least temporarily closed due to the danger of falling dead trees.

One of our other outings took us directly, by car, to new Monarch Pass. We hiked along the trail south of there for a while, then headed up to the Monarch Crest gondola...another fun activity introduction.

The hike up to the terminus of the gondola is somewhat strenuous (and we're not the softies that actually ride up...where's the fun in that?). But the views are spectacular and were enjoyed by all...

Plus, upon descending, we had the great amenities available at the Crest gift shop at our disposal...and we took full advantage of them.

Nix got to fill a bag with pretty rocks, courtesy of Gramma
(this is one of my favorite gift items at the store)

and there was ice cream!