After our time with Brian and Lauren in Colorado Springs we headed west into the mountains to Breckenridge. Along the way that early morning, still with jammies on, we stopped at the Donut Mill - really huge donuts and a fun start to the day - again note the mountains out in the distance...amazing!!
What is a car drive with the Long family in Colorado without needing to stop and "just check out" a few streams!! Thankfully we are all very patient and love to see daddy smiling from ear to ear so we gladly let him cast a few times along the way. Here we are outside of Breck.
Finally we made in into town and met up with the Westcott's at Crystal Peak Lodge- boy were the cousins excited to see each other.
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| Dan and Renee with Lydia (5) Henry (3) Mabel (16 months) and baby on the way. |
We were not at the Lodge 15 minutes I don't think before we were already out the door ready to explore. We hit a great trail head just out the doors and headed out into the woods.
Another fun tradition, as long as the kids keeping asking to go, is a trip to the Country Boy Mine. Out kids are experts at this mine, or so they think (3 years in a row) so they were excited to show it off to Henry and Lydia. The burro's were also out this time and I think the kids could have shoved hay in this poor guys mouth all day long. After the tour and back into warm sunlight we were ready to pan for gold. Poor Renee, finally able to sit and relax she could have panned all day but was not quite sure if she ever found anything worth any $$.
Part of our fun in Breck is just walking through town, looking in stores, taking pictures with kids on a stuffed moose and seeing how many kids we can line up on a couch while shopping!
This was a great little restaurant that Renee and I went to one night on our own - The Warming Hut - where she had Colorado Rainbow Trout and I had Elk - delicious!
One night we went bowling - the resort had a 2 lane bowling ally - the kids love it and thank goodness it was private because we don't have the best bowling etiquette in our family.
As always there is lots of gondola riding and we spotted the beavers this year in the ponds below.
Brett and Uncle Dan were able to take the boys on an amazing hike up to the Mohawk Lakes and Continental Falls. This has become a favorite hike of ours and next year Brenna will be old enough to join along. The boys look forward to this every year and got up bright and early ready to go.
Uncle Dan did not disappoint us once again with swimming the lakes - snow surrounding and all!
While the big kids were up hiking mountains Renee and I heading down the gondola into town to the firehouse. We got to see the fire and rescue trucks, go in the town fire history museum and yes, of course get fire hats that entertained everyone for the rest of the week.
One afternoon I took the Joshua, Mac and Brenna up the big chairlifts at Peak 8 up to the top of the mountain. I have always wanted to go up and we were all astonished to see how windy it was and how far we could see. At the top we could see all the way out to Keystone and our Lodge looked so small way down the mountain - hard to believe that even it was already 1/2 was up.
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| Crystal Peak Lodge |
While we were busy up at the top of the mountain Brett and Dan had plans of their own. For a few days they had been looking at Google Earth Maps and figured that the usual hike up to Mohawk Lakes and Continental Falls could be continued...meaning why not just hike up to the summit! So early that morning they set out - a few Cliff Bars, Camelbak with water and a fly rod- and really no idea how far they were going to go. They thought they would be home in a few hours - but more like 7 hours later we finally heard from them because they had lost cell coverage about 1/2 way up.
The looks on their faces when they retold their adventures of the day was priceless. They did in fact reach the summit and realized it was the Continental Divide and a sheer cliff they had to climb - then to get back down they sat on a glacier and just slid!! I am not sure they are ever doing it again and Brett said that the boys are NEVER allowed to do it so......not sure it was the safest thing but Renee and I were glad they came back in one piece.
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| Trout Catching - Upper Mohawk Lake |
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| Dan in a beautiful meadow about 1/2 way up |
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| The Summit |
Later in the week we went into Frisco - everyone always enjoys the Historic Park Museum. Dress up is a favorite and picture with the giant bear sculpture.
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| Matthew, Henry, Brenna and Joshua |
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| Smiling Mabel |
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| All the Cousins |
Ahhhh...then there is more fishing...Matthew with his big catch...
...and Joshua was able to go out with daddy this year in waders. I am so glad Brett has sons that are loving the outdoors as much as him - really though, with this scenery who wouldn't.
Don't worry we still had not run out of things to go - when it gets warm - or not really - just go river swimming. The water is COLD but it did not discourage the little ones from getting wet - especially Matthew who was striving to "be more crazy than Uncle Dan". He was by far the bravest in the cold water and by the end was even sliding down the rapids by himself.
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| Henry - getting warm on the rocks- so sweet. |
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| Lydia and Matthew |
One morning as the sun was rising we went into the woods and helped make a Tepee - but soon all the kids realized why do all that work of building when the sticks you have in your hand make magnificent swords and you can just have a battle.
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| Renee and Mabel - they wanted nothing to do with the battle |
Finally at the end of the week things got a bit silly...
Those 6 days went by so fast..we had a great time with Dan and Renee and are already planning next years trip. Thanks for coming up from TX to meet us and can't wait to see what adventures we come up with, and if we are going to be able to keep track of all the little ones - we need a huge dining table!
