Saturday June 11
We got a late start this morning…which ended up changing all our plans. We planned to do the Fish Creek Falls hike but apparently everyone else in Steamboat had the same idea. When there was no parking available, we decided to go to a nearby state park that’s on a reservoir.
The 30 minute drive was much different than we expected…ranches, some big houses and many more hills. The park has quite a bit of camping available but very little shade! It is hot (but not humid – YAY) this weekend…and the sun is more intense than at home. We did a short hike up to Pinnacle Peak for an overview of the lake where we watched wake surfers, SUPs and some fishermen go around the 780 acre lake. The area was very dry and dusty. Bebe was a mess!!
We decided our best bet would be to explore on our bikes. So glad we did…there is a 2 track trail around the whole lake. We packed our lunch, water and treats for Bebe and took off. We love seeing but didn’t expect to see white pelicans. There were quite a few on different spots on the lake…we even looked for babies but have never seen a little pelican! There is a neighborhood of houses and lots on the far side of the lake that we had to also check out. Amazing views!! The valley with the lake from above and snow capped mountains in the distance. The ride ended up being about 10.5 miles…we even got to ride across the dam at the far end.
After the park, we drove around Steamboat mountain a little. The architecture out here is awesome!! Love the lodge look…and again the views!! I can not imagine driving on the roads in the winter…we had trouble making some of the corners with the up/down now! So many of these lodge houses are ginormous too!
Sadly, the resort isn’t really open right now. They are doing a lot of construction at the base. I read that Vail bought Steamboat and when they are done with all the improvements, this will be 2nd largest ski resort in the US – behind Vail. The scenic gondola and rodeo don’t start up for another 2 weeks or so. Would definitly be something to come back for!
We have started playing pickle ball!! I have been saying we need to try it for months and the courts are right in front of our condo so we bought rackets. It is so much fun! So far, we are pretty even…Chad is playing with his left arm since he hurt it when we were in Virginia cleaning out the boat. Yes, we are even – what does that say about my hand/eye coordination? You probably don’t want me on your team! 🙂 Seriously, it is fun and not as difficult as tennis! I did take a digger at one point tho…trying to dive after a ball and falling over the net is never a pretty sight!!
