The Maroon Bells

      Not all great adventures have to be high risk or so cool like surfing, Zorbing or swimming with sharks. Sometimes an amazing adventure can be found right in your own home state and that’s what I've decided to write about today.  Not too far from where I live here in Colorado Springs is the town of Aspen and about 10 miles outside of Aspen lays the “Maroon Bells”.

      The Maroon Bells is one of the most photographed mountain in all of Colorado. This area is in my opinion one of the best hiking areas in all of Colorado. There a lot of hiking trails to try; most of them are easy to moderate and about 1.5 to 2 miles round trip. A lot of people take the hike to maroon lake which is a truly beautiful lake and has a great view of the Maroon Bells, but I would encourage you to try some of the

other trail that will take you further into the area where you can get closer to the Maroon Bells and maybe some wild life that live in the area. There are deer and moose in the area and on a rare occasion you might see a bear. The moose in the area can be hard to find because they like to stay away from people, so if there are a lot of people in the area you most likely won’t find any moose.

       So when is a good time to go for a visit? To be honest, any time
is a great time to visit the Maroon Bells; all four seasons have their own special things to show certain times of the year. My favorite time is the fall, that’s when all the leaves on the aspen trees are changing. All the pictures in this article I took during the fall,

so you can see why I like the fall so much. The only bad thing about the fall is that is when it is the most crowed, everyone wants to visit in the fall just to see the changing of the leaves. Like I said anytime is a great time to visit Maroon Bells, However, you should always

be ready for any kind of weather. Most of the times during the summer it’s dry and warm, but keep in mind you are in the mountains and weather can change at any time very fast to include snow during the summer. Maroon lake is at 10,000 feet and the Maroon

Bells peaks are at around 14,000 feet, so you can go from warm to cold very fast and because you are right up next to the mountain you normally don’t see the weather changes coming. So if you go for a visit, be prepared for anything weather wise.

      Now, if I had to find one bad thing about the Maroon Bells outside of the crowds of people, it would have to be getting into the area. Due to a very heavy amount of visitors, personal vehicle access is very restricted; for the most part you can’t drive your own

car to the Maroon Bell parking area. However, there is a shuttle bus you can take from the town of Aspen to the Maroon Bell parking area which cost about $6 for adults and $4 for kids 6 to 16, $3 per person if you go on a Wednesday. If you meet one of the exceptions you can drive your own car there with a $10 registration fee. Below is a list of the exceptions:

The Maroon Bells Scenic Area is a recreation fee area; there is a mandatory fee. Maroon Creek Road is open to all non motorized forms of transportation at no charge. 7:00am – 9:00am road is open to vehicles with a $10.00 fee* - Visitors wanting to visit the Bells during the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. will need to take the Bus from Aspen Highlands (few exceptions apply**) 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. road is open to vehicles with a $10.00 recreation use fee* - You may park your vehicle for free at Aspen Highlands Village Parking Lot and travel via RFTA bus up the Maroon Valley. ** Exceptions to the motorized vehicle restriction * Vehicles with people with disabilities or with a valid Handicap placard or license plate * Vehicles with 11 people or more * Vehicles with infants that require a restraining child seat (not a booster seat) * Campers at Silver Bar, Silver Bell & Silver Queen Campgrounds * Holders with Special Use Permits issued by the Forest Service * Overnight Backpackers * Horse trailers

      So I want to encourage you if you live here in Colorado or you plan a visit to Colorado, take time to go and visit the Maroon Bells, get out and take a hike through an area that will take your breath away, explore the area with your family enjoying the beauty of the area. This is one trip well worth the effort to get too and one you will never forget.

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Would you try it? (5)

I don’t need to go that bad

      A few years ago I wrote about this public bathroom and a lot people wrote back to me telling how funny it was and how much they loved it. Some even wrote and told me should post it again. So back by popular demand here it is. Now I did add some new stuff to it so it is not just like the other one. Well this first public bathroom speaks for its self. It is made completely of one way mirrors, you can see out but no one can see inside. The question I have is how do you use it at night? If there is any light on inside everyone outside would be able to inside. So would you try this and how would you feel with everyone walking by even though you know there is no way anyone can see you inside?

      Now leave it the Europeans to come up with these two bathrooms. You can find them all over Europe, but I don’t think you will ever find them in the USA.  So my question here is two parts. Guys, you’re out running around when all of the sudden that urge hits you and you know you can’t make it very far would you use either one of these? The second question is for you ladies out there, what would you think as you walk by and see a guy using this very public bathroom?

So ladies and gentlemen, would you try these bathrooms?

Lets go Bouldering

      Many of you are most likely wander “What the heck is Bouldering”. I am willing to bet that all of you as kids have done some kind of bouldering, especially if you had parents that took you camping or hiking. So what is bouldering? Bouldering is nothing more than rock climbing on a small scale.

Most bouldering doesn’t get much higher than 20 or 25 feet. Unlike rock climbing that can get has high as a couple hundred feet and require ropes and other gear, bouldering requires no gear other than maybe a couple of crash pads just in case you do fall.

      So other then rock climbing on a smaller scale and maybe being great for kids, what else is bouldering good for? Well if you’re a parent even you can climb with your kids, most boulders are small enough that you as a parent would only have to climb about 3 or 4 feet off the ground to be able to touch the top of the boulder. Bouldering is also great for people that are just starting to get into rock climbing. It allows you the ability to learn hand holding techniques, choosing the best route and building the strength needed for rock climbing. The other benefit to bouldering is it won’t wear you out like a long 100 foot climb would do and it’s a great form of exercise. Over all the best for me is that it is another thing I can do with my kids, after all what kid doesn’t like to climb a big old rock.

     So where do you go to try this great sport? Most state and national parks have areas where you can climb and even bouldering, it mainly depends on the type of area. Once you decide which park your going to go to, call them and just ask if they have areas were you could climb. Here in Colorado Springs, some local parks have started to put man made climbing walls up that are only about 10 feet high. Now a word warning: Aside from asking if they have any climbing areas, you might want to ask your state and national park if you need a climbing permit and what the rules are if you want to climb.  For example: Here in Colorado Springs we have a beautiful place called “Garden of the Gods”, They require you to have a climbing permit in order to climb, bouldering above 10 feet is illegal and can result in a fine of up to $500 and 90 days in jail, Plus if you have to be rescued you could be billed for the whole rescue and that could cost you thousands. So be safe and check before you climb.

 

climb      So what about the bad weather? Well there is a new kind of gym out there that you could find just about anywhere. They are rock climbing gyms, they have every kind of climbing condition you can think of and they include bouldering. They have rock walls for those who want to rock climb and most of them also have bouldering areas. Here in Colorado Springs we have 3 climbing gyms. These gyms have lots of instructors that are more than willing to help you if it’s your first time or if you want to learn some more advanced climbing techniques. They also have all the equipment for rent needed for ing the rock walls, if your bouldering then you may not need anything. As you can see, these gyms are great for areas where there are no climbing areas or if you want to climb when it’s snowing, raining or just very cold outside.

      Now once again, like anything else there is the cost issue. I can only speak to the 3 climbing gyms we have here in Colorado Springs, http://www.climbcityrock.com/ , http://www.sportclimbingcenter.com/ and http://www.pureboulderinggym.com/home.html  the average cost for a day pass is between $13 and $16 dollars. Now this doesn’t include any equipment rental, classes or even private instruction. Most climbing gyms also have a membership cost as well. If you plan to use the gym a lot then membership might be what you need, but if you are going to go only once in a while then just buying a day pass might be more to your need. Bottom line, just do your research and find what fits your needs best.

 

      So even if you’re afraid of heights and have no desire to climb a 200 foot cliff give bouldering a try, it’s a lot of fun and great exercise and something the whole family can do. And, if being outside is not your thing, then try a climbing gym. Remember one should always live life’s great adventure and that great adventure is found on the edge of life.

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Would you try it? (4)

Milkshake upgrades for adults.

 

     Well it’s spring time, and with that comes a lot of really fun things to do and lots of great food. One of the spring time thing I 

really like are milkshakes, I love milkshakes, vanilla and chocolate are the best. But every now and then a plain old milkshake can be kind of boring, but what if I could give you a very basic recipe upgrade that could really jazz it up? Well thanks to “Red Robin” the milkshake will never be the same, say hello to “Wineshakes”. Yes they took different types wine flavors and mixed them with milkshakes. Note: These shakes are NOT for kids they contain 5% alcohol by volume.

      Now even though Red Robin restaurants may have started this in November of last year, the idea has been around for awhile. If you Google “Wineshake” or Wineshake recipes” you will find over a million site with information on wineshakes. One of the cool things I found is that most sites say that if wine is not to your liking you can change it to what you do like, things like Beer, Brandy, Vodka, Bourbon, Whisky, etc nothing seems to be out of bounds. As for the ice cream, it's best to use whatever will best complements the wine. I think this milkshake would make a great summer BBQ drink. Now some of you are most likely thinking “Hey Eric, what’s the difference between that and a smoothie?” Well a smoothie is kind of icy and is thin enough to pour, a milkshake is smooth and most of the time is very thick and can be eaten with a spoon as well as a straw.

whatever you use, on the average most sites use vanilla ice cream. You can also jazz it up a bit more by adding fresh fruit.

      Well if you don’t want to run to Red Robin to get one you can make your own, below is a recipe that you can use, It is a bit fancier then most, but remember you can always change it to fit your taste.

Red Wine Milkshakes
adapted from Dana McCauley, from her Summer 2001 newsletter
2 cups red wine, such as merlot, cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
a few whole cloves
a few allspice berries (optional)
1 cinnamon stick
vanilla ice cream
milk
Combine the red wine, sugar, orange juice, cloves, allspice and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat for 30-45 minutes, or until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Pour the mixture through a sieve to strain out the spices and cool completely, then refrigerate until cold.
Blend ice cream, milk and syrup to taste in a blender until it’s the consistency you like. Dana recommended 1/2 cup ice cream, 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup wine syrup but I found that a little runny for my taste, and in fact after a couple tries just ditched the milk completely!
Makes 3/4 cup of wine syrup, enough for about 4 milkshakes.

      Some of the other recipes are very basic, you simply combined the ice cream, the wine and any fruit you want into the blender and mix it all together and you done. So all you have to do is just
experiment with it until you get it the way you want it and then just enjoy it.

So here we go with the big question ……… “Would You Try It?”

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