Hike the West Ridge Trail

 

Next time you have a day to spend hiking with your kids, climb up the West Ridge Trail to the summit of Green Mountain, 8,144 feet, for a great view of Boulder (see if your children can find your home), Bear and South Boulder Peaks and the Front Range. The easiest way to climb Green Mountain, the West Ridge Trail is mostly rolling terrain where you’ll find birds, deer and squirrels grazing and foraging for pine cones.

Trail Info
Trail Length: 2.8 miles, roundtrip
Elevation gain: ~650 feet
Difficulty: Easy, with the exception of the last .2 miles to the summit, which becomes steeper and more rugged.
Time (with children): Half a day

Alternate Route
For a fun and longer hike, take the West Ridge Trail to the summit of Green Mountain and then descend along the Ranger Trail to the Gregory Canyon Trailhead (you’ll want to leave a second car at this trailhead).

Other Trails
A number of other trails lead to and from the summit of Green Mountain. Gregory Canyon is another popular starting point; loops on the Ranger and Saddle Rock Trails can be made from here to the summit, although these trails are longer and more strenuous than the West Ridge Trail.

A description of a longer route to the Green Mountain summit that begins in Chautauqua can be found here (http://www.thoos.com/guides/green-mountain-loop)

Getting There

The Green Mountain West Ridge Trailhead is located off of Flagstaff Road, about 4.5 miles outside of Boulder and just before you leave Boulder Mountain Park. Shortly after passing the Long Canyon Trail Parking Area, you’ll find a pull-off on the right side of the road. Park here ($3 for cars not registered in Boulder County) and cross the road to begin hiking. You’ll find a sign in approximately 100 feet that says “Welcome to Green Mountain.”

Things to Bring
• Backpack
• Rain layer
• Plenty of snacks
• Water (at least 1 liter/person)

Helpful Links
Boulder Mountain Park Natural Area

Trail Closures, Advisories and Fire Bans

Green Mountain West Ridge Trail on Summit Post

Green Mountain West Ridge Map

Washington Park is a Fantastic City Park

 

Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to drive out of the city to enjoy some time on the water. Washington Park – one of Denver’s biggest and favorite city parks – is home to Smith Lake, where you and your children can spend the whole day floating and paddling across the lake. If you bring along a pole and a permit, you and the kids may even be able to hook a few fish.

Smith Lake Stats
• Area: 19 acres
• Maximum depth: 12 feet
• Shoreline: .6 miles
• Fishing: bluegill, carp, catfish, bass, trout and perch

Boat Rentals
Don’t feel like hauling a boat all the way across town? Worry not – Wheel Fun Rentals can be found next to the Smith Lake Boathouse, ready to set you up and send you out on the Lake. Rentals start at $18/hour for a single-person paddle boat.

Other Things to Do
If you get tired of paddling on Smith Lake, the walking and biking trails (bike rentals are available at Wheel Fun Rentals) will lead you to tennis courts; playgrounds; flower gardens; a rec center and countless spots to sit under a tree, throw a frisbee or enjoy a picnic lunch.

Getting There
Washington Park is located at the intersections of Virginia Avenue and Franklin Street and Downing Street and Louisiana Avenue, east of the intersection of US-85 and I-25. Smith Lake and the boathouse are located in the southern end of the Park, near Virginia Ave.

Helpful Links
Park Map
Wheel Fun Rentals
Denver Recreation – Fishing and Boating

Denver Parks and Rec – Find a Park

Go Biking at Matthew/Winters Park

 

If you’re hoping to take your family our for a half-day mountain bike ride and picnic or just a quick after-work jaunt, Matthew/Winters Park is a convenient, scenic and fun place to bring your two-wheeled toys. Trails are a mix of double- and single-track, and vary in difficulty from easy to hard.

Village Ride (.6 miles, out and back from the parking lot)
The Village Ride is a short trail that leads from the parking lot to the Red Rocks Trail. Minimal elevation gain and loss, a nice picnic area and fun places to stop and see the Hogback and Red Rocks make this a great ride for kids. Be sure to stop and check out the historical Mount Vernon Townsite, as well.

Red Rocks (2.8 miles, out-and-back from the end of the Village Ride, or can be done as a shuttle/loop on Hwy. 93)
A harder ride, the Red Rocks Trail picks up from the end of the Village Ride and climbs up and through the surrounding rocks and hills. Connects with the Morrison and Dakota Ridge Trails.

Morrison Slide and Dakota Ridge Trails
These longer and more difficult trails may not be ideal for younger kids, but older children with more mountain biking skills and experience may enjoy the tight switchbacks, fast down hills and technical challenges. Dakota Ridge can be accessed from the parking lot or by taking the Red Rocks trail out and across Hwy. 93. The Morrison Slide Trail breaks off from the Red Rocks Trail.

Other Things to Do
The Hogback, the prominent ridge on the other side of CO-26, is a great topic of conversation with kids. The hidden, eastern side is home to the Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center, and the Hogback name alone can be a great starting point for creating your own stories and myths.
While you can pull over and have lunch in any number of places, the picnic area on the Village Ride and the plateau on Morrison Slide are two especially nice spots.
Kids may also enjoy visiting the historic townsite of Mount Vernon.

Getting There
Matthew/Winters Park is located just off of I-70/US-40, north of Red Rocks Park. When heading south from Denver on I-70, take the CO-26 exit and drive south. The parking area to the west (left) accesses the Village Ride; the one to the east accesses Dakota Ridge.

Things to Watch Out For
If crossing CO-23, watch for traffic, as there may not be an obvious bike crossing.
Sections of the Dakota Ridge Trail are especially rocky and difficult.

Helpful Links
Jefferson County Open Space

Matthew/Winters Park Map

Take Your Children to Bear Creek Lake Park

 

Spend the next warm, sunny afternoon paddling across Bear Creek Lake with your kids. Great views of the foothills and the surrounding green space and plenty of shoreline to explore make this a great place for a water-based adventure with the whole family. Fill out the day with some fishing (Bear Creek Lake is regularly stocked throughout the summer) and a picnic and you’ve got a recipe for a great time.

Boating Info
Of the three lakes in Bear Creek Lake Park, Bear Creek Lake is the largest and the only one that allows motorized boating; motors are limited to 10 horsepower or less, though, and the entire lake is a no-wake zone, so you won’t have to worry about getting buzzed while you’re on the water. If you’d like to find a smaller lake that doesn’t allow any motors, Big Soda Lake is at the other end of Bear Creek Lake Park. Little Soda Lake does not allow any private boats.

Boat rentals are available at Bear Creek Lake between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For rental rates or more information on boat availability, call the Marina at 303-697-6159.

Other Things to Do
If you’d like to mix your visit’s activities up a bit, Bear Creek Lake Park also has 15 miles of biking and hiking trails, on-going naturalist programs, fun and informational wildlife exhibits at the Visitor Center, horse rides and more. Or to make a whole weekend of it, set up a tent in one on the Park’s campsites and join one of the naturalist’s night hikes or star gazing programs.

Getting There
Bear Creek Lake Park is conveniently located in Morrison, just off of W. Morrison Road, just northeast of the junction of CO-470 and US-285. From the junction, take CO-470 north to the Morrison Road exit. Head east on W. Morrison/CO-8 to 15600 W. Morrison Road. Bear Creek Lake is at the east end of the Park.

Hours and Fees
Bear Creek Lake Park is open from 6am-10pm, May through September; 7am-8pm, March-April and October; and 8am-6pm November through February.
The entrance fee for the Park is $5/day/person or $45/annual pass.
For more information, call 303-697-6159.

Helpful Links
Bear Creek Lake Park
Colorado Fishing Rules
Map of Bear Creek Lake

A Crash Course In Camp... For Parents!

With so many choices, what should you find out about a summer camp before sending your child? All parents want to choose the best and safest experiences for their child. Take a moment to call the Camp Director personally for a conversation. Here are ten questions that you should ask before enrollment:

1. Is this camp Accredited by the American Camp Association or other nationally recognized accrediting body?
Those with American Camp Association Accreditation have to comply with over 300 safety and youth development standards as assessed by outside reviewers. To find an ACA Accredited camp in the Front Range, visit www.acarockymountain.org or campparents.org.

2. Is this camp Licensed by the State of Colorado Department of Child Services?
Licensing is required for camp programs for with school-aged children by the State of Colorado Department of Human Services. Childcare licensing mandates that camps meet specific health and safety guidelines. If a camp is not licensed by the State of Colorado, ask why not, and if they follow the health and safety guidelines set out by Colorado State.

3. What is the counselor-to-child ratio?
The ratio of staff to campers tells you how much individual attention your child will receive at camp. Ask the director if their ratios include just counseling staff or if they also include support staff that doesn’t work directly with campers. Find out if these ratios are different during more specialized programming, such as aquatic activities and rock climbing.

4. What is the background of counselors and are they background checked?
Are the counselors just there for a summer job, or are they dedicated to the fields of recreation, education or child development? Industry standard for background checks of individuals working with children includes: personal reference checks, fingerprinting and submission for screening through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

5. How are the counselors trained?
Quality camps have at least a 3-5 day training program that invests in staff and gives them tools they need to create a successful experiences. At minimum, staff should be trained in: technical skills for activities, the camp's philosophy, emergency guidelines, age group management and activity modification. Ask the camp director how this is accomplished in staff training.

6. What is the median age of your camp counselors?
Mature counselors make a major difference in camp program quality and the manner in which campers are treated. Younger counselors can be outstanding babysitters in a home situation, but can be more impulsive in their judgment. If counselors are under 18, ask how they are supervised and if they supervise campers alone.

7. Does the camp have a crisis management plan and/or rainy day plan?
Crisis management plans are required at schools and the workplace so they should be in effect at camp too. It also rains during Colorado summers and herding an entire camp indoors without backup activities in place can be challenging.

8. What is the group's practice for nutrition and hydration?
Dehydrated campers are grouchy campers and summers can be hot and dry. What does the program do to keep campers hydrated throughout the day? Additionally, camps should have a morning snack time as well as lunch, and an afternoon snack time if camp goes late. Also ask about hand washing procedures.

9. How does the camp handle special needs?
This is a great question to ask for any camper. Listen for compassionate answers that involve individualized plans for each camper. Every camper has a special need at some time (nutrition, attention, hydration, rest etc.) and an environment where staff are already focused on camper needs will help all campers.

10. How are medications transported, stored and administered?
Legally, a nurse must delegate staff the authority for administering medications. Ask specifically about training, delegation and procedures.

Should you have further questions regarding camp evaluation, feel free to contact the authors:
 David Secunda, Avid4 Adventure Program Director, david@avid4.com, www.avid4.com (Boulder area day and overnight camps)
 Betsy Strohmaier, Mountain Day Camp Director, betsy@mountaindaycamp.com, www.mountaindaycamp.com (Boulder area day camps throughout the summer)

Stay-Cations

 

With all that the various outdoor experiences the Front Range has to offer, it can be difficult to find the time and motivation to load up the car with snacks, kids and gear to drive any further than forty minutes-a long approach by Boulder/Denver standards. If you get an early enough start, you may be able to count on at least an hour and a half of silence as the backseat members of your family catch up on those precious hours of morning sleep. After that, I recommend having an arsenal of car games on hand. Scavenger hunts are my personal favorite as they have the potential to stretch the entire length of the car ride if need be.

Upon arriving, do not be surprised if you find yourself overwhelmed by a sense of jubilation and relief, having freed yourself from the frenzied, competitive spirit that epitomizes life amongst the professional athletes of the Front Range. It is possible to go for a family bike ride without the fear that you will find yourself surrounded by a gang of extreme mountain bikers intent on practicing bunny hops and wheelies while flying past you on a blind curve. You can go for a hike without having someone three times your age run past you, carrying a seventy-five pound pack because they are training for their fifth trip to the Himalayas. Enjoy your brief respite from the intensity that characterizes outdoor adventures at home.

If you are in need of some desert therapy and only have time for a quick weekend getaway, consider a trip to Fruita, Colorado. Fruita is about a five hour drive from Boulder, though it could be five hour plane trip given the rapid transformation the geography undergoes. As you enter the Colorado Plateau, the land seems to radiate warmth and energy from the red earth. Fruita is an incredible destination for camping, hiking, biking and climbing.
• Colorado National Monument is my favorite place to visit for camping, hiking and climbing. Use your imagination and see if anyone in your group can find the kissing couple amongst the rock towers!
• Mountain biking is suited to all age levels and abilities. Check out the 18 Road Trails for a nice, mellow experience and the Kokopelli Area Trails for a more fast-paced adventure.
• For one of those rare rainy Colorado days, there is also a Dinosaur Museum to keep all members of your group happy and occupied.
• The Avid4 Adventure Fruita Family Trip gives you a chance to explore the hiking, camping, climbing and rafting in Fruita without any of the aggravations of planning.

For a chance to visit Colorado’s smallest land area-the intermontane basin-head to Dinosaur, Colorado in the Northwest corner of the state. Dinosaur National Monument offers visitors a wealth of options for outdoor activities.
• Hiking in the Monument is one of the best ways to view the petroglyphs and pictographs, in addition to the stunning scenery.
• Rafting the Green River is an exhilarating way to view the canyons of the park.
• Options for car camping and back country camping are also available within the park.
More options within a six hour drive from Boulder include,
• Great Sand Dunes National Park (http://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm) if digging your toes deeply into warm, soft sand sounds appealing, but the trip to the California or Texas coast is out of reach.
• Moab, Utah, which is my favorite destination for every outdoor activity I can imagine. There is spectacular camping, climbing, biking, hiking, canoeing, canyoneering...the list goes on and on. Be careful though, you risk serious addiction to Moab upon visiting.

Avid4 Adventure Family Trips, which provide an easy way to escape for the weekend without the hassle of having to prepare for and manage the trip yourself. Avid4 trips now go to Steamboat Springs, Crested Butte, Fruita, CO, Moab, UT, Arches National Park, and even paddling along the Gunnison River in your own canoe.

Wanderlust. Adventurer. Stir-crazy. Restless. These are all words that have been used in conjunction with my name at different points over the course of my life. Before moving to Colorado my travel rarely took place within the United States. I took every opportunity I had to leave the States in search of something exotic, historical and completely different from anything that I had known growing up. Upon moving to Colorado I quickly came to realize that I was living in that very place. In just a few hours it is possible to find yourself wandering through a prehistoric landscape strewn with fossils and ancient drawings. You might spend the morning biking through striped, sandstone canyons, the afternoon floating down the river that was responsible for those canyons and by nightfall you may be listening to your children tell campfire stories while feeling dwarfed by the enormity of the starry sky hanging above you.

Whatever your preference, remember that the main objective of your weekend getaway is to relax and have fun. You are leaving behind the worries and stresses of your life at home in favor of adventure and endorphin release. A bonus of adventure-focused weekend getaways is the sound of tired, sleeping youngsters - and sometimes spouses - on the car ride home!

Family Fun in the Winter

As winter approaches we are also nearing the season for which Colorado is world-renowned. That glorious time of year when you wake up early to bright, cold, bluebird mornings. When you walk outside the ground crunches beneath your feet and your breath freezes in front of your face.

To many, this time of year is known as ski season. I know it simply as winter for I have a shameful confession to make. In the almost four years that I have lived in Boulder I have not been skiing nor snowboarding once. My excuse the first winter was an injury and as more winters have passed I have come to realize how many amazing winter activities there are that do not involve a drive over frozen mountain passes, long lift lines and hoards of people. Each winter I pledge that this will be it; this is the year that I will finally make it up to the mountains. Alas, a broken ankle will keep me away from them again this year, but seeing the snow beginning to build on the mountains to the west still stirs a restless enthusiasm. Fortunately for me, that enthusiasm can be satiated quite easily right here in the Front Range.

With the wealth of trails around Boulder, you don’t even need to leave the Front Range during those few winter storms that actually bless us with some amount of snow. Re-explore all of the hikes that you checked out with your family this fall, but this time do it on snowshoes! If this winter follows the typical Boulder weather pattern-sunny and beautiful-it is likely that you will need to venture a bit further afield. Fortunately, it is rarely necessary to travel far. Around Estes Park and Nederland you might check out,
• Lily Lake for a pleasant afternoon snowshoe and picnic.
• Lily Mountain would be a longer more strenuous option, though be aware of the trail as it can be easy to lose in the snow.
• Brainard Lake also offers a variety of trails with spectacular views of the Indian Peaks and Continental Divide.

If we are lucky enough to have a snowy Boulder this winter, then sledding is an absolute must do. Sledriding.com is a national database which lists sledding hills across the country. The Front Range has a number of hills ranging from beginner to expert. Though sledding generally does not need any added incentives, if you are so inclined, you might turn the whole activity into a fun and entertaining challenge. Who can come up with the most creative sled? I myself have used everything from a cookie sheet to an inflatable palm tree. The possibilities are endless and the creative juices are flowing at warp speed between the ages of 5 and 12. Perhaps it will catch on with other families and we will see a revitalization of the sledding scene this winter!

With crisp days and cold nights also comes the chance for us to glide across water. In this land of blue skies and snowy peaks there are a number of picturesque ice skating destinations to choose from. Check out the ice rink at,
• Boulder One Plaza if a short drive, restaurants serving hot beverages and the perfect size rink (meaning it is not large enough for over-enthusiastic six or twelve year olds to build up too much speed) sounds ideal.
• Evergreen Lake for a skating experience that is a bit more remote and offers an ample amount of space for exploration. With the Evergreen Lake House nearby, which has a warming hut and fireplace, the ability to warm frozen toes and fingers won’t ever be too far off.
• Nederland Ice and Racquet Park for those in search of the truly remote, mountain experience. It is typically colder in Nederland and ice skate rentals are not available so be sure to be prepared.
For the intrepid adventurers out there, you might consider winter camping. Put to test some of the skills that you learned on your Avid Family Trip. Challenge some of the primitive skills or backpacking lessons that your child learned over the summer. A number of Colorado State Parks offer winter camping, which would be a great introduction to the activity. Continue to check back for recommendations on camping around the Front Range.

Whatever your preferred winter activity is, as always, the most important thing is to make sure everyone is having fun. There is certainly a good time to be had on the ski slopes just west of us, but there is also plenty of fun to be had in our own backyards. Now is the time to really challenge your children. The world around them has transformed into a frozen wonderland. Is it still important to keep the Leave No Trace principles in mind when out romping around on snowshoes? How is it possible to still recognize and identify the trees learned over the summer if they are missing their leaves? How many different colors still exist in a world that is all white? If you follow through on my call for creative sledders, there should be quite a few colors!

Virginia Sanford, a senior Avid4 Adventure staff, continues to stay active as she recovers from ankle surgery. You'll see her back in CO soon on the trails and rock.