Colorado: Summer & Winter

Not all states have charm year round, but Colorado is well known for its epic ski towns in the Winter, and people still flock there in the Summer for rewarding hikes.

Winter in Colorado

My family & I visited Breckenridge in March of 2016 so…still Winter. For some background, Breckenridge sits at 9,600 ft above sea level, with the summit of some peaks at ~ 13,000 feet. Altitude sickness is no joke here.

If you land in Denver and drive straight to Breckenridge, be prepared for feeling out of breath, feeling slightly nauseaous, etc… Everyone reacts differently, so you may be just fine! But, just be wary of this and if you feel unlike yourself, I highly recommend hitting up an Oxygen Bar. I’m not kidding, these are bars where you can have a drink, but also a tube of oxygen up your nose. We went to The O2 Lounge and it did the trick!

We stayed in an Airbnb in downtown Breckenridge, which gave us easy access to restaurants as well as what we were there for - to shred the gnar (if you’re not a skier and want to feel in the loop, you can find all the ski lingo here.

We focused on skiing Peak 7. You can find all access points on maps.

We also took a day trip to Garden of the Gods. Red rock formations in the middle of the Rockies (casual). They are located in Colorado Springs which is ~2 hours from Breckenridge, so easy to tick off on a day trip.

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Garden of the Gods: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Garden of the Gods: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Garden of the Gods: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Garden of the Gods: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Summer in Colorado

A whole different world. We were in Colorado for a wedding so we were in both the Denver and Breckenridge area. My sister had her dog this time, so we couldn’t hit up Rocky Mountain National Park due to policies against pets. That being said, below are the two hikes we tackled and both were more than stunning.

  1. Saint Mary’s Glacier Hike - 50 minutes from Littleton, Colorado (suburb of Denver). We went for sunrise and it was magical.

  2. McCullough Gulch Trail - About 30 minutes from downtown Breckenridge. Like I said, atltitude here is no joke, so we had to stop every 5 minutes or so to gasp for breath. But, still 200% worth it

Saint Mary’s Glacier: Alice, Colorado

Saint Mary’s Glacier: Alice, Colorado

Saint Mary’s Glacier: Alice, Colorado

Saint Mary’s Glacier: Alice, Colorado

McCollough Gulch Trail: Breckenridge, Colorado

McCollough Gulch Trail: Breckenridge, Colorado

McCollough Gulch Trail: Breckenridge, Colorado

McCollough Gulch Trail: Breckenridge, Colorado

McCollough Gulch Trail: Breckenridge, Colorado

McCollough Gulch Trail: Breckenridge, Colorado

As you can see, Colorado is breathtaking during both seasons. There is so much more to discover in Colorado. I want my next trip to tackle Rocky Mountain National Park and some 13-ers.

Till next time, Colorado!

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