View from the terrace of the Franz Klammer Lodge
Welcome Reception at the Franz Klammer Lodge
“We hiked part of the Galloping Goose Trail down by Trout Lake yesterday and got caught in the rain,” I replied. (The Galloping Goose Trail is a 20-mile path which follows an old narrow-gauge rail line built in the beginning of 1890 to help haul precious metals from the very high mountains. Today this trail is known for one of Colorado's most scenic hiking and mountain biking trails.)
“Oh I know it,” his girlfriend added.
“We also hiked in the Keystone Gorge, day before yesterday,” I added.
“You did?” the young man asked in surprise. “That’s a tough one,” he said admiringly.
“You’re right…but we managed it,” I told him, remembering the steep climb along the roaring river and how rough going it was on the slippery narrow trail.
Trout Lake after a rainstorm...
We were in the Fairmount Hotel van early on Sunday morning, all of us headed to Montrose Airport ,an hour and a half away from Telluride. These were college kids who told us they had gotten engaged over the weekend at Bridal Falls in Telluride. As we chatted, they seemed to grow younger as we felt older. We had truly hiked Keystone at our age, I reminded myself. I didn’t bother to add that hiking Keystone was accidental as we had set off with Susi to what we thought was going to be a different flat trail. We didn't turn around despite the level of difficulty. Once we got going we wanted to do the entire hike. Scenery was spectacular along the roaring river in the gorge.
Keystone Gorge outside Mountain Village...
Keystone Gorge
The Gorge
Steep red rock cliffs in Keystone Gorge
As the hotel van descended from 10,000 ft. altitude into the valley to 5,600 ft. I thought of the active week we had just had in Telluride with Susi and Paul. The views from their condo in Mountain Village, of the snow-capped mountains, the early morning sunrises and sunsets and the dramatic lightning “shows” in the evenings as thunderstorms rolled in, were imprinted in my memory. Telluride and Mountain Village are places where you can never ignore the intense and striking scenery that surrounds you. Coming from the East Coast, whether from the Green Mountains of Vermont or the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding us in Asheville, the scenery is more subdued, greener, and far less dramatic and understated compared to Colorado. Colorado is rocky, expansive, open, and high .
Keystone Gorge
During our weeklong stay, there was never a moment I didn’t want to be outdoors taking in the expansive backdrop that seems unreal and gulping in the fresh mountain air. The skies are bluer, the clouds fluffier, the rainstorms more dramatic and there is always a sense of grandiose space as the landscape feels never ending.
This was our second visit to Telluride. Always special, visiting cousins whom we’ve grown to enjoy now that we are retired and have time to visit. Our days were filled with outdoor activities once we acclimated to the high altitude and were past the “headachy” stage. The reminders of being at a high altitude came when I climbed stairs and had to stop halfway to catch my breath, or when Susi made chocolate chip cookies that came out of the oven paper thin and crumbly because they never rose sufficiently. Baking a quiche one evening for dinner for a friend of theirs, I did extensive Internet research to learn that I needed to cook it in a hotter oven for longer. I watched Susi at the stove standing over a pot of water wondering if it would ever boil! It all made daily tasks at 10,000 ft. a new challenge.
The Franz Klammer Lodge in Mountain Village
Relaxed Paul....
The town of Telluride is in the San Juan range of mountains in the southwestern part of Colorado. It is one of 4 historical sites protected by the Department of Interior. Butch Cassidy’s first bank robbery was in the San Miguel Bank in Telluride in 1889. It is the quintessential Western town where jeans go everywhere including the high end restaurants. The Franz Klammer Lodge is accessible by gondola which takes you from Telluride, the town, up to Mountain Village to an even higher altitude.
We freely came and went in and out of Telluride via gondola, which is subsidized by the town so that people are able to get around without cars.. On our first day, Susi suggested we hike from Mountain Village down the mountain into Telluride which took us for an hour on a switchback trail starting underneath the gondola. It was a long and rocky downhill stretch…enough to feel rubbery legs towards the end. Yet, I was not ready for the uphill version of the same hike knowing I would be out of breath in no time. As we descended into Telluride we saw hand gliders taking off from the high peaks surrounding Telluride and gently swaying down, down, down until they landed in a field somewhere in town. There were mountain bikers everywhere on the many steep and windy trails.
View from the gondola of Telluride in the distance..
Riding the gondola to go to and from Telluride up to Mountain Village...
One morning Susi and I boarded White Water Rafting Company van in Mountain Village, to go rafting on the San Miguel River. Only a 45-minute ride down the valley, we pulled in alongside the river where we were met by guides and matched with appropriately sized wet suits and life jackets. We suited up, listened to the “safety talk” taking us through scenarios of what to do if we fell out of the boat or capsized. We were told the water temperature that morning was 44 degrees. For a brief moment I wondered what possessed me to do this! But once I climbed into the large rubber raft and took my place in the middle, holding a long oar, I was excited.
I never had imagined myself being gutsy enough to go river rafting. I won't forget the forested red-rock walls, and the big splashes as we moved at a fast pace down river, always listening for instructions from our guide sitting at the back of the boat. We were an all-women raft with our guide Lisa, who knew every rock, twist, turn, and rapid of this river she deftly navigated each day all summer. It was her expertise that made the first time experience for someone like me so enjoyable. The hour and a half trip flew by and as we pulled over and out of the water after traveling nearly 10 miles, we were met by our van drivers. Most of us had gotten wet and were shivering in the frigid snow melt water. We eagerly peeled off wets suits, grabbed warm clothes, a snack, and headed back to Telluride.
I never had imagined myself being gutsy enough to go river rafting. I won't forget the forested red-rock walls, and the big splashes as we moved at a fast pace down river, always listening for instructions from our guide sitting at the back of the boat. We were an all-women raft with our guide Lisa, who knew every rock, twist, turn, and rapid of this river she deftly navigated each day all summer. It was her expertise that made the first time experience for someone like me so enjoyable. The hour and a half trip flew by and as we pulled over and out of the water after traveling nearly 10 miles, we were met by our van drivers. Most of us had gotten wet and were shivering in the frigid snow melt water. We eagerly peeled off wets suits, grabbed warm clothes, a snack, and headed back to Telluride.
Suited up for a trip down the river...
An all-women raft with Lisa at the back....
I sent a photo of me in my wet suit and life jacket to Hayden in an email when we got back to the Lodge. He promptly wrote back ..”Holy cow. I’m impressed! My 73 year old mom is river rafting!” That made it all worthwhile, as far as I was concerned.
While Telluride is one of the most scenic Western towns I have been to, it has been developed into a wealthy resort full of multimillion dollar mansions and celebrity residents. All of this lends an unreal and exclusive feel to it. However, the tall, craggy snow capped mountains that surrounded me all week, the dramatic skies and wide open spaces are very real. I We felt privileged to have spent a week here. We came home with a renewed appreciation for the Western landscape and a reminder that our country has some fabulous natural wonders.
Galloping Goose Trail
Picture post card views of Keystone Gorge
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