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Each adventure has been immeasurable, and created insurmountable joy. "I'm still a kid inside, and adventure is still adventure wherever you find it." - Jim Dale
My first time hiking Bulwark Ridge, and it’s a stunning hike! It has a steep launch, but levels out after about a mile and a half. The views of Meeker and Longs Peak were captivating!
Three counties of fire departments were on the trail training for wildfire instances. It was a neat experience to watch them in action.
Sybil and I had a blast today! I was supposed to be her mentor, but it would happen, I ended up being the mentee.
A wealth of knowledge about local flora and my favorite part, things you can eat! The weather cooperated, but it was muug-ggy.
There wasn’t any wildlife, and the trail wasn’t overburdened.
It was warm, but the clouds swooped in and gave us some cover! The trail was in great shape, people were in good form, and the conversation was incredible!
Savyge and I had a blast today. Man, she dragged me up the mountain to summit, and it was beautiful 🤩
When we first began, she would run forward then double back for ”messages”. Out of the blue, I just sang, 🎶🎵 I love my double back queen, my double back queen; I love my double back queen.. 🎵🎶 Just think baby back ribs for the tune… yeah, I haven’t eaten yet.
We met a few cool people on the trail, had some fun conversations, and thoroughly enjoyed our stroll.
For the most part, the trail was quiet, we had a lot of solitude, and Savvy loved having earth under the paws. It’s amazing how insync we are although we haven’t hiked like this in a while. It makes me smile 🐾🖤🐾
Stacy and I had so much fun scouting, rifling through skat, and tracking mountain lions on a gorgeous, but windy day! We ran into one other person who was an absolute delight to speak with during our hike.
The trail was clear, in good shape, and peaceful. Get out there Colorado and take care of your space.
What an unpleasant experience.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/magic-mushroom-mountain-gbr-scli-intl/index.html Lake District mountain rescuers called to save hikers on magic mushrooms
Mountain rescuers in the UK's Lake District were called out to help hikers who became unwell after taking magic mushrooms.
Today’s priority was Savvy!
Yesterday we learned of a new trail closer to us, Round Mountain. I’ve passed it for two years and never knew it was there!
We kept it short and sweet, about a 3 hr hike - well, I kept it s&s. The Princess would’ve keep going all day!
The trail was beautiful, and I can’t wait to get up and do further next week. Lots of stunning views, steep climbs on the summit trail, and beautiful rock formations.
There is a nature trail option as well. I’m guessing it loops, but I need to check a map. Today was centered on light exploration and getting Savvy’s paws hike worthy 😉
Of course we were famished when we arrived back home… thankfully I planned yesterday! Venison tostados made for a quick and healthy late lunch 🥙
Kicking off the season with our first ranger patrol! Once the wind subsided, it warmed up and became a stunning day.
Our group worked well together and most importantly, had fun! We happened upon a mullein patch and cleared as much of it as possible. I think we all are more dirt than anticipated 😂
Everyone on the trail were pleasant and added delight to our day! We even made a few doggo friends 🐶
Ramping up for another year with PWV! Today was our Spring Tune Up where we were reintroduced to our committees and attend a few sessions. I attended the Tracks and Skat, hosted by Christie with the USFS.
We needed this time in the woods today! It was so nice to see my baby girl in her element again, and for me, it was like being home.
It felt tremendously good to get back on the trails. Savvy was back in her element and ready to explore every crevice, even the bat cave. Unfortunately, the cave is on lockdown. Boo! 🦇 But, we get it. 🦇
The weather was perfect, and it snowed a little on our hike. There’s nothing that can replace the sound of the forest when it’s snowing. With all the ice, I had to wear my mikes which makes our act sound like the coyote and the behemoth 😂
Due to time constraints, it was necessary to turn around at the two mile point. This was quite the discussion bc little miss was NOT READY. Being a good mom, I meandered and stalled for about 15 min before pressing the return.
Until next weekend!
I love capturing random moments. It will never get old!
Simple days. Our hike was but a little short, but it was better to get out a little than not at all.
A weekend well spent, I must say. Another useful certification achieved with a fun and devoted group of . Always learning and building onto our skill sets! Thank you Joe for a very thorough and hands-on training experience, and we can’t fair to put our knowledge to use (sort of 😬). Today was key to building confidence and digging in to get the the root of matters.
Nothing like a little Field Wilderness First Aid Training on a Sunday! I got to meet a lot of new people and looking forward to the next class in Sept.
I just had th share this beauty! It’s an Eastern Cicada Killer of the wasp family. Absolutely gorgeous.
Kim and I had a great wilderness patrol today despite the heat. Although, it wasn’t as toasty as what we were anticipating!
I’m proud to be a part of the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers program. I’m learning so much and meeting remarkable people with such diverse backgrounds!
The North Fork Trail is adopted by PWV for maintaining, and it’s a splendid trail. Especially for those with dogs that need a little extra water and cooling down in the dog days of summer.
Day 3 of 3
Final morning. Solar winds are gentle across the lake making coffee and breakfast lovely - savory almost. The afternoon storms have been rolling in between 10 and 1 and lasting about 5 hours. Our goal is to relax and hit the trail fleet-footed.
Achieving all we wanted, enjoying a magical timeout, and gaining some much needed rest, it’s time to retreat back to the world where nothing makes sense anymore.
Day 2 of 3
Savvy awoke early and persisted an early rise. Here we are at 7am and enjoying a warm breakfast and coffee on Coffee Rock.
In the past we’ve had to share our camp with moose, and I was delighted that they were not as present this time. Although I love it and have many stories, it does pose a certain risk and I really wanted to rest with a little less vigilance.
We made it up to Dry Lake which was full! Wish granted 😃 Continuing onward to Coyote Lake, it was a relaxing, clear day. From Lookout Tower, the lakes and Saw Tooth Mountain were clear.
Making our way down to the lake after observing no people at the lower lake and taking in the site of Saw Tooth, it was time for a little cold therapy. 🥶 it was…
Afterward, we returned just in time to beat the storm that lasted 5 hours - complete with wind, hail, thunder, and longevity.
Day 1 of 3
It’s been over a year since we traveled to Beartrack Lakes. During our last visit, we were up to our ears in snow - literally.
All the years I’ve been exploring this area, I’ve never seen Dry Lake with water; this may be our year. 🤞🏻Other than that, my soul wanted to return one more time before I really start exploring areas in our new home.
From the East side to the west side, Savvy and I have experienced and explored more than words can express. This area is forever home. Here’s Day one of three of our last visit.
We started the day at 55° and overcast around 0900. Focused on our training and capturing as much data as possible, we weren’t in any hurry.
As the day warmed, birds began singing, people and dogs filled the trails, and snakes began slithering around and sunning. While we are on the trails, we are documenting a significant amount of information in most cases, and today was one of the busier days. I had my nose in my phone a significant amount, but subtly. It’s an alien feeling for me since I’m typically with Savvy and focused on seeing and observing as much as possible for safety reasons. Today was an acute wake up call.
Coincidentally, we do a lot of safety education while on the trail, and today by stepppng out of my norm, I somehow floated over a rattlesnake in the middle of the trail while my head was buried in my phone. Yes; I stepped over a rattlesnake and he never rattled or hissed a single indicator, or even moved. I was 3 steps past him when Greg pointed him out. 😳
After I slowly climbed to safety and helped temporarily reroute a small amount of traffic, we were able to move him from the trail. How I avoided blindly stepping on this fellow, I will never know. I will say that I was giving thanks all the way back to the trailhead. My day could’ve ended a little different with an inch of my stride.
We touched a lot of visitors this morning and had a gorgeous hike!
It was hot and I have a sunburn. No pity though, Iknew when I left the house it would happen. It’s about what I expected. However, I LOVE this trail.
Starting out I was frustrated bc the trailhead signs didn’t make sense in regards to the different trails available. With my map, I figured out most everything, but it was a little work and I needed another map to go along with the 2 that I carried.
It concerned, we looked at it as a new adventure. The ONLY reason I wasn’t concerned was I knew we were following the North Fork River the ENTIRE trail which meant that Lightfoot would keep cool and hydrate as needed (wanted). Gosh, she loved every second of this trail despite the heat.
While on trail, we took advantage of our much needed play time to focus on training - commands, distractions, aggression (only when I’m holding her or she’s leashed), and immediacy. She was exemplary and we received many nice, few forcing comments. I was a proud Savvy mom🐾💝🐾
At the 4mi point we encountered a very nice man that we spoke with and got a little more info from - he was returning from Lost Lake. Handsome, nice, actually reminded me of Kryptonite. 😮 Hungry and not wanting to hike more than 8mi or so, we circled back down to the river for a picnic and shade. Savvy didn’t have a satisfactory acces point to the river, so we didn’t linger, but we rarely stop for too long anyway. As I was finishing my lunch, she was burying her second treat 🤦🏻♀️ I’m sure she’ll retrieve it next time.
The hike out was easy and fast. Although it was hot and the sun unrelenting, it was almost intoxicating to come across so many nice and lighthearted people today. It was a sigh of relief and satisfying on an emotional, mental, and worldly level.
I worked to capture the trail and have a little fun, but forgot a selfie of me and the kid. 😳
Denver, CO
80120
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My first time hiking Bulwark Ridge, and it’s a stunning hike! It has a steep launch, but levels out after about a mile and a half. The views of Meeker and Longs Peak were captivating! Three counties of fire departments were on the trail training for wildfire instances. It was a neat experience to watch them in action. #poudrewildernessvolunteers #usfs #hikingadventures #volunteersmakeadifference #WildfirePrevention
Sybil and I had a blast today! I was supposed to be her mentor, but it would happen, I ended up being the mentee. A wealth of knowledge about local flora and my favorite part, things you can eat! The weather cooperated, but it was muug-ggy. There wasn’t any wildlife, and the trail wasn’t overburdened. #coloradohiking #hikemore
Stacy and I had so much fun scouting, rifling through skat, and tracking mountain lions on a gorgeous, but windy day! We ran into one other person who was an absolute delight to speak with during our hike. The trail was clear, in good shape, and peaceful. Get out there Colorado and take care of your space. #hikecolorado #offthebeatenpath
Today’s priority was Savvy! Yesterday we learned of a new trail closer to us, Round Mountain. I’ve passed it for two years and never knew it was there! We kept it short and sweet, about a 3 hr hike - well, I kept it s&s. The Princess would’ve keep going all day! The trail was beautiful, and I can’t wait to get up and do further next week. Lots of stunning views, steep climbs on the summit trail, and beautiful rock formations. There is a nature trail option as well. I’m guessing it loops, but I need to check a map. Today was centered on light exploration and getting Savvy’s paws hike worthy 😉 Of course we were famished when we arrived back home… thankfully I planned yesterday! Venison tostados made for a quick and healthy late lunch 🥙 #coloradohiking #springtimefun #getoutside
Kicking off the season with our first ranger patrol! Once the wind subsided, it warmed up and became a stunning day. Our group worked well together and most importantly, had fun! We happened upon a mullein patch and cleared as much of it as possible. I think we all are more dirt than anticipated 😂 Everyone on the trail were pleasant and added delight to our day! We even made a few doggo friends 🐶 #pwv #volunteer #usfs #community #wildernesspatrol
I just had th share this beauty! It’s an Eastern Cicada Killer of the wasp family. Absolutely gorgeous. #learninginsects #cicadakiller
I tried to catch his howl, but I was always too mesmerized. This is our friendly coyote saying HI, and GO AWAY NOW. #ilovewildlife #coyote
It’s bumpy bc it was an afterthought and handheld. This was a magical time. I’ve always wanted to experience this view and this time, we did. #headintheclouds
I made this video much shorter and tried to focus on the highlights. Hats off to the creatives that make these little vignettes- it’s difficult! To the outside eye it looks repetitive, but there is no possible way to capture the subtle differences to each area. I’ll keep trying. Day 1: Mapping, running in front of a storm, naps, and more naps due to the ongoing storms. Savvy was tired of sitting in the tent and took to sitting in the rain when it wasn’t hailing. We had a couple 30 min breaks in between each storm so she could run around and be wild. Day 2: Sunshine, lazy morning, STRONG coffee, hike out before the next storm!
Goose! Skat, that is. Part 2.
What does peace sound like from the hammock? Watch on!
With 1° temps, you might think you have limitations; not here! Today we hit another milestone with Savvy’s boot camp 😜. Not that we want negative or single degree temps, but we’ll choose to learn something from the experience 😆
Part deux- into the mouth of madness we go. Life is too short not to relax and explore a little. ❣️#swim #cave #camping #spelunking #savvisphere #jessisphere #adventure #lovelife #liveontheedge #dogs #dogsofinstagram
Only gua-nos where he’s going! He was skulking around and later crawled right up to me. #bat #nature #hiking #adventure #crazy
Native to Texas, Jessica transplanted to Colorado in 1997 on a whim. Landing in Ft. Collins, she quickly made friends that were well familiarized with outdoor sports and camping, which allowed her to spend a significant amount of time in the backcountry hiking and backpacking in the Poudre Canyon.
With cathartic purpose, she made the most important decision of her life; after a year, Savvy was adopted and was at home. This choice was a life-changing event in many unexpected ways.
Over the past years, we relentlessly traveled every weekend, exploring every area of Colorado possible with friends and family. Jessica and Savvy are both adventure addicts, and enough will never be enough.
With over 20 years of experience in the Colorado wilderness, you don’t need to know where, or be overwhelmed about how, to adventure. With The Savvy Hiker, you now have a trusted TSH Guide to go with for comfort and experience our majestic mountain escapes.
Each adventure has been immeasurable, and created insurmountable joy. Now, it's your turn to share your adventure with us!
"I'm still a kid inside, and adventure is still adventure wherever you find it." - Jim Dale
