Week 10 - Steamboat Springs, Colorado

One of the reasons we love Colorado is that there are so many beautiful, fun places within a few hours drive of each other.  Just a couple of hours down the road from Winter Park is Steamboat Springs.  It's another world class ski resort, but it's also surrounded by lakes, rivers and acres of national forest where you can camp anywhere.  (If you're viewing this in an email, click here for a better viewing experience.)

It was 48 degrees and hailing when we set out on this bike ride.  I was not in a very good mood, but soon enough the clouds parted, I warmed up, and it was a beautiful ride high in the hills above Steamboat Springs around Dumont Lake.  Time to descend and see what this town has to offer.

Petting the dog to warm my hands

Dumont Lake, along Rabbit Ears Pass

Steamboat Springs is another really fun resort town that doesn't feel like a resort - lots of locals, cool vibe, everyone is super friendly.  We ended up extending our stay here to 5 days because of all the amazing trails, great restaurants, and fun things to do.

Maybe not the most current bike technology on offer

Moose standoff

While riding high above the town, Dennis came upon a mama moose and her calf.  We'd been warned of the danger of moose stomping people to death.  They kill more people than bears.  It's especially bad when you have dogs, since they'll chase the moose, then run back to you for protection - leading the moose right back to you.  (Mountain) lions, Moose and Bears, OH MY!

Another stunningly beautiful trail in the Rockies

Brian and Alyssa

We can't get away from those Wandering Stermitz!  We thought we'd said goodbye the week before, but next thing you know they're camping up at Hahn's Peak, less than an hour from Steamboat.  This time their oldest son, Brian, and his fiance, Alyssa, were with them, so I had to pop over and have lunch with them.

Old Man (and the) River

The Yampa River runs through the center of Steamboat Springs - good for fishing, (dog) swimming, restaurant views, and late night glasses of wine.  It's meanders 250 miles to the Green River, which ultimately feeds into the Colorado River...and into our faucets in San Diego

Yes, there really are hot springs here.  Nice complex, super hot water

When I wild camp, I always like to have an evening dress or two to throw on at the appropriate moment.

This really was our spectacular campsite that we found in the national forest.  The dress was something I found in town.  They didn't even mind when I showed up in sweaty bike gear to try it on.

Steamboat KOA along the Yampa River

We had to try one KOA campground on this 3 month trip, if for no other reason than to say we did it.  We opted for a tent site, since the sites with hookups were packed in like sardines on pavement.  It was great!  It's very much a family community, and we had a lot of nice conversations with our assorted neighbors.  When you meet other travelers, it seems that the usual social boundaries become far more flexible.

Last ride in Steamboat, riding on the Town Trails of Emerald Mountain