Highlights - Colorado Summer 2010

Wow! Autumn is here again! Watching the colors changing, leaves falling, the wild turkeys roaming... I think back over our summer and all the memories that we've added to the incredible database in our craniums. One winter evening beside the fire, we'll pull them all out like old picture albums, gently dust them off and smile over all the fun times, reminiscing with each other - joking and teasing as we turn the pages.

This is just a taste of it - highlights from our summer in Colorado.

Dad, Mom, Jeremy and I were up there for five weeks straight. The rest of the family came and went at different times - sometimes to work, sometimes for play and once for a friend's funeral...but I'm getting ahead of myself here.

The main reason for this trip was to re-roof and paint the exterior of the house. Dad and I did the painting - Jer and Caleb the roofing. Perfect, because I wasn't about to get on that crazy-steep roof!

It was a vacation with the perfect mix of work and fun. I went hiking with some dear friends to Camp 2. I believe it was my second visit to this specific place.

Heading up to see if we can see some elk.

Trying to figure out the self portrait.

Taking a break.

Wood art.

We love farmer's markets. Evergreen hosts one of the best ones...at least, it's one of our favorites.

Fresh, organic produce.

Lovely flowers.

Yummy food.

And lots of inspiration for cooking - like these fresh chiles for Chile Rellenos.

Anna and I took a hike to Herman Lake. Surprisingly, this is the first year we've ever done this hike, or had even heard of it. Which is crazy since it's gorgeous and easy to access - though rather popular.

Three miles in and, of course, three back.

We've reached our destination - Herman Lake.

There's a storm rolling in behind us.

Heading back down.

Anna discovered a genuine smiley. Who knows if it happened naturally, or if someone before us made it...


One day the whole family (minus John who was in Oklahoma) hiked up to one of our favorite spots - the cabin. It had been a wet two weeks, so the Mushroom Hunting was amazing.

King Boletes - this guy is as big as your biggest salad bowl. No kidding!

And this cute one is very poisonous.

Jer and Anna at the cabin.

wild flowers

Check out Tera's blog Through My Eyes for some more beautiful pics from this hike.

It was about this time in our trip when Buff Rutherford, a lifetime local of Georgetown and a friend of ours died. It was a sad time, but I'm thankful that we were there. It was an amazing funeral - so beautiful, so real. Mom wrote a blog post about this wonderful man - A Celebration of the Life of an Incredible Man. Everywhere I go in Colorado brings back wonderful memories of Buff and his family. The horseback rides, the hikes, the bonfires and cowboy poetry, the visits over coffee... We miss you, Buff.


Jeremy, Dad and I went jeeping up Jones Pass.

Hiking from here to Herman lake would be a bit longer than the route Anna and I did, but someday, I want to do it.

Jeremy and I took a day to hike some 14ers - well, he hiked some 14ers - I only did one. Here's why...

This is the Sawtooth Ridge between Mt. Evans and Beirstadt.

Maybe I am a wuss for not sliding down the cliff to get to the narrow ledge below. Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I know I am. I think I'll try it next time.

However, if I hadn't stayed behind, who would have captured the triumphant moment (for three unidentified people) - standing on top of the world!

My view as I waited for Jeremy to return.

When he finally did, we hiked to the top of Mt. Evans. You know, they say that you should never say never and this was one of those times, as I said I'd never hike Evans in order to check it off my 14ers list. There's just something lame about hiking for hours to the top of a mountain where, instead of a rock to sit on and the quiet around you, there are crowds of tourists, a big parking lot filled with cars and a road that takes you all the way down. "Never!", I said, and I meant it. However, I was over half way there on the Sawtooth Ridge as it was and we thought we could get a ride down to our car at Summit Lake.

Would you believe it? We tried hitchhiking and no one would pick us up! Oh well. The walk down was great. We went right through a herd of mountain goats. Mt Evans is the only place that I see mountain goats in Colorado.

Heading down.

You can check out more pics from this hike on Jer's Clear Angle Photograph blog.

My last hike was to Camp 1 with some of the same friends I went to Camp 2 with. The guys packed a very heavy tent up to set up for hunting season. I just tried to look helpful.

Setting up the platform.

Then the tent.

We girls hiked down another way to pick raspberries. This aspen meadow is one of my favorites.

Who would think something this beautiful could hurt so much?

So that's a glimpse of it. Amazing. We live a truly blessed life.

Happy Fall, everyone!

~Sarah