Welcome to Breckenridge

So, we actually did depart Breckenridge and headed east ... with a small tear in the eye. We are now in our new place overlooking the golf course -- no chance of being washed away! We really enjoyed Breck and our visitors. We liked the hiking above 12,000 feet, fishing all over the place, going to Breck events, feeling the vibe of the local scene, and more I have to find the best photo that sums up the trip -- that will be the last post and the sign-off!

As we close in on our departure from Breckenridge, we found time to attend the annual Fall Festival. Yes, it is true that Breck does has lots of event over the year. This was more like a kid-oriented pre-Halloween festival with tons of kids all wearing costumes, playing on the "Bouncy Things" and THIS "The Strider Scurry" Yup, a bike race for kids on Striders. Breckenridge is heavily bike focused and thus, this made sense - best to start 'em young. Anyway, it was very cute. Lots of adult smiles all around. The start -- which followed the pre-race briefing. The kid out front was definitely good. He lapped the others and kept on going!

Temps in the mornings are now in the 30's, warming up to maybe 50's by early afternoon. The wind may blow, and the sun may or may not show up. As a result, outdoor days can see some very variable weather. This day we went fishing -- in the cold. Not much catching though. Layers of warm clothing and gloves! Then the sun made its appearance. About 30 minutes later we were in the truck -- in a hail storm. We noticed the wind, the blackening skies, and overall scene that said -- "head back to the car."  Almost perfect timing!

It started to snow around 4:00 in the afternoon, and it kept snowing -- it looked like a real storm. We made the smart move to put the car in the garage. Woke up to about 10". So 5 days after we got here in May we got 20"+, and now two weeks before we depart, we get it again! Yup, it looks like a real storm! The next morning. This amount of sun suggests that it is just around 7:00AM

A visit from young friends ... Ben and Andrew are young men whom we have known since their births. They are kids of friends of ours (two different couples ... they are not related!). Both Ben and Andrew live in Boulder, so we were able to convince them to come on up and spend a day with us. We've only seen them on and off over the years as our regular trips west sometimes landed us in places that were nearby and convenient to grab a coffee or a beer with them. On this day, they drove up from Boulder to Breckenridge to see us, and it was great to spend the entire day with them. So, what can you offer young men for a day? Hiking and beer!  And that's what we did. Hoosier Pass Loop Trail 11,600 to about 12, 300, then Broken Compass Brewery. Ben on the left, Andrew on the right. Alicia in the middle. Yup, it was snowing. Winter hiking in early October! Then we started seeing our shadows ... When we got to the top the sun was fully out and lots...

As the weather is getting colder and snow accumulates on the mountains, the moose are on the move. This time into the backyard of the house in Breckenridge: Daddy, Mommy and Youngster All taken from the deck

Took a drive down a crappy dirt road to Kite Lake. This place is exceptionally busy in the summer as it provides access to 3 trailheads leading to 14,000' peaks: Democrat, Bross and Lincoln. The three form a treeless cirque around Kite Lake. During the summer, the most prominent question on hiking forums is: Can I drive to the lake today?   It seems that the road is heavily traveled and when it gets wet it is hard to drive for many cars -- but okay for FWD. This is what it looks like when you get there. This day is the day after the mountain snowstorm. I more or less stood in the general spot and snapped some pictures. I guess I could have used a panorama, but that only occurred to me as  I write. I spent a long time there waiting for different lighting conditions. Man, was it cold! To the right. To the left. In the center  Same picture but about 4 feet to the left. Another similar looking picture to the right -- but with different lightin...